Unless you're like me and regularly watch History Channel's American Pickers, that headline may not make a lot of since.
Mike Wolff and Frank Fritz are pickers -- antique dealers who travel around looking for unusual items left abandoned and forgotten in barns and sheds.
The TV show's opening gives the best description of what it's about:
We're looking for amazing things buried in people's garages and barns. What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We'll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own and the people we meet? Well, they're a breed all their own.
We make a living telling the history of America...one piece at a time.
The show's producers contacted the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce looking for leads.
Producer Jodi Friedman wrote to the chamber:
The American Pickers are headed to NY soon so we're looking for leads throughout the state, specifically interesting characters with interesting items and lots of them! Our location scout will actually be in NY soon so this is a bit time-sensitive, but I'm wondering if you can think of any folks in Genesee (or surrounding areas) with large private collections.
She added, "please note that Mike and Frank only pick private collections so no stores, malls, flea markets, museums, auctions, businesses or anything open to the public."
Here's a link to their flier, which includes contact information for Friedman.
When I drive around Genesee County, I see a few barns that look like they might contain some "rusty gold." If you own such a barn or know somebody who does, contact Jodi. It could be a lot of fun to have Mike and Frank stop in Genesee County and get our little corner of America on the History Channel.
