Excellent but underrated film

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Please please can the producers tell Mike to quite saying "Man after every sentence, it's driving me nuts!.....He says it to Women also......is he stuck in the 60's.....Love the show otherwise, even with cry baby Frank.....

American Pickers can be taken as different things. For me, I watch it when I want something that's somewhat educational as well as calming. There's no negative drama as other reality shows feature as their selling point. Yes, it is scripted to a degree. Anything with cameras will have to be. However, the interactions between Mike and Frank and the people they see are interesting.Danielle fills a role that is needed also. She may not be as informed as they are about items but she has more than enough know-how to manage their shop(s) and go out on the occasional pick.As far as others speaking on them ripping people off, they run a business. It's not charity. Most of these people who sell to them don't have the resources to do so on their own. I've also seen people compare Pickers to Antique Roadshow. Again, not the same thing. These guys are on the road, picking items that not everyone would consider to be valuable. It's a niche thing. They're not sitting at a table for half an hour discussing one item without an interest to purchase it. And even those items may not be interesting to everyone. No one is making these people sell. I'd sell to them if I had something they'd be interested in. If I'm not going to keep it and I can make money then why not? This show clearly isn't for everyone, but there's no need to be ugly about it. While it is part entertainment there are levels of education. No one is saying you should forgo American History to watch this show but if you're looking for something interesting and a time-filler then this is the show for you. They've passed through my neck of the woods and I've not heard anything negative about them.The only draw-back is when they feature others on the show like the Pawn Stars and American Restoration. It just takes away from the show.

Let's separate the vitriol and resentment of History channel's programming shift as presented by other reviewers to acknowledge this fact: History has clearly shifted it's initial charter. While I share many of the forlorn opinions of disappointed viewers in History's departure from educational programming, I say to those who resent this change to donate to PBS. History needs to pay the bills and meet viewer demand, so alas we're subject to 75% 'reality shows' that are on the thinnest thread tangentially related to history.So I evaluate American Pickers as a show in its singularity, and not in the context of the network's namesake. And as far as 'reality' TV goes (a content matter in which I generally avoid), I find this show as wholly engrossing television. My review assumes the reader is familiar with the show's premise.The appeal has layers for many viewers, perhaps accidentally. It appeals to the human element, the business element, and the joy of discovery. Not necessarily in that order.The human element shows the primary hosts are affable and enjoyable, and they treat their prospective sellers with respect. The dynamics between the Mike, Frank, and Danielle are enjoyable to watch and relatable to anyone who has worked in a front office/field environment.The business element is fascinating in the negotiations, valuation, and reward (or loss). For those who have suggested that Mike and Frank are "vultures" looking to "rip people off," I counter by saying these two are forthright businessmen, and they do the work of what any middle party does—that is to maximize profit. If the negative reviewers want to cry injustice, I'd suggest a study in how much it cost to manufacture any iDevice. The third element, and perhaps most inclusive, is the joy of discovery. Whether it's an old oil can or a rusty old gear shift, it's fascinating to see the collection of odds and ends that would otherwise be discarded, forgotten, or simply erode with time spark with new life by those who can assign value. And superficially, they discover some really interesting items.So this program has as much to do with history as "Ice Road Truckers" or "Tracking Bigfoot" or any other sensational program on History. Let's face and embrace reality viewers—History has mostly abandoned history some time ago. So whether this show is on History, Discovery, NBC, or Comedy Central, it matters not. This show is good TV regardless of the network.

At the time I'm writing this, Wednesday saves History Channel. There is a couple of WWII documentaries and a rerun of "Dogfights". That's it. Other shows are pure junk. As long as they are going to market those junk shows as "history being made" I'm going to bias my view of them based on how close they match that slogan."Ice truckers" don't. "Pawn stars" don't. "UFO files" don't (gosh!). "Ax men" don't. No one can come and say "hey they mention something from history now and then" with a straight face and put it into something that's called History Channel."American pickers" by no means belong to this channel. They do however share the mentality of the channel's management. Scouting the country searching for every odd part of junk they're hoping to sell. Surely, some of that junk is of some historical value. But without proper historical context it hardly means a thing. If they, for instance, present a gun used in the Civil War they'll be mostly about whether it's authentic and how much they can get for it in the collector's market. You won't hear anything of when it was started being produced, who used it, did it have an impact on war efforts, how it was developed etc. None of that. Because they don't know! They only know, or think they know how much is it worth today. Hardly a history lesson, is it?Apart from that it's a decent show. It could fit in some lifestyle channel or something. It features two shady characters which are actually fun to watch. They go on about the country trying to buy as much of the useful junk as they can for as low a price as they can get. Their challenges amount to no more than trying to outsmart a suspicious seller. And that's a rarity because most of those sellers are hoarders that are happy to get rid of some of their junk at any price.What's interesting is that it is well produced (for a reality show), well directed and the two have an interesting rapport between them. All in all a good watch, you won't exactly waste that hour watching an episode, there'll be entertainment alright.However, within that hour you'll learn absolutely nothing about history.