The Vintage Lamps That Fetched Over $1,000 On American Pickers
Since its 2010 debut on History, "American Pickers" has transformed from the little antiquing show that could into a full blown pop culture phenomenon. The show's success has also made celebrities of the artifact hunters who've fronted the series over the years. For the bulk of the show's run, the primary pickers were Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. Over the first 21 seasons of "American Pickers," that dynamic duo may well have liberated more forgotten treasures from the barns, garages, backyards, and crawl spaces of the country than every other antiquary combined.
They spent sometimes incredible amounts of money along the way, of course, because folks don't tend to part with their beloved hot rods, prized soda fountain signs, or vintage toy collections for nothing. Despite their weekly spending sprees, between a lucrative TV deal and re-selling their coveted picks, the stars of "American Pickers" have done more than well for themselves over the years (per TV Overmind).
Their success is in no small part because they always seem to know not only what they were paying for, but what such an item could be worth on the resale market. And that undoubtedly included a collection of vintage lamps that Frank spent well north of $1,000 bucks for during a Season 18 episode.
A haul of rare lamps actually cost the Pickers more than $2,000
The episode in question found Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz visiting a 19th Century farmhouse owned by a woman who spent a lifetime with her late husband doing exactly what the "American Pickers" duo have become famous for. And their almost museum-like farmhouse was jam-packed with untold treasures big and small. It was so packed, in fact, that the family was looking to unload some treasures just to make the space a bit more livable.
Among the rare artifacts the woman was willing to part with was a veritable treasure trove of vintage lamps that occupied one room of the house. So impressive was the cache of lamps, Frank actually let out an audible "squee" as he entered room. And the self-proclaimed "lamp guy" made legit b-line towards one wall displaying several stained-glass lamps.
After a brief history lesson about such items, it's easy to understand why, with the Picker himself estimating each lamp to be close to a century old. He promptly made deals for a pair of them totaling a whopping $1,000. Almost before viewers could blink, he struck deals for two more totaling $1,300. All in, Frank green-lit a massive payout of $2,300 for the four lamp haul. While that's hardly the most expensive item ever bought on "American Pickers," we're betting the team has rarely been as generous when it comes to lamps.
And yes, we'd love to know what those stained glass beauties eventually sold for.