Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana POTW Coming Soon?

I see that most people believe as I do about these two guys. First of all I think there are people that are out there looking for this stuff for them. I don't believe they are finding all of this on their own. They have money backing them.

I'm also appalled at the prices they offer on some of this stuff and get it. I'm just wondering if when the camera shuts down, the price of the item goes up.

The "Pickers" show is meant for entertainment.I don't believe much of it is reality.

I was at a local antique store the other day talking to the owner. We got on the the subject of the show and he was telling how I would be amazed at people coming in with stuff for sale that they have "picked". The show has really almost ruined our local auctions as a buyer collector. Now if you are the auctioneer/ seller it's great. He was also telling me that he was recently called by the show and they were asking him to bring some things from the store to a pick location so they could find it, he declined.

Since I started collecting before 90+% of those now in the hobby, maybe I can help?

Pickers back in the olden days(1940s-1970s), were Antique Dealers and those that sold quality pieces to those dealers... They were considered to be quite a few steps above those that dealt with Gas and Oil items on the food chain...

This was especially true from the 50s through the 70s.... Those that found and sold marginal items were considered and called Junk men...

Once the flood of "cut-rate" second hand stores started re-branding as "Antique Stores" in the 80s, the word picker was demonized and pushed into the background..

Of course now because of the influx of TV programs and "want to be pickers" the term had come back into the fore-front. Unfortunately the connotation of the term has as much respect as it gained in the 80s...

Back in the 60s those of us who collected, bought, sold and traded Gas and Oil items were considered to be Junk men, Scavengers, Crazy and some other not so polite terms were used... LOL

I agree with Lost Highway regarding the junk that "Pickers" are trying to sell for unrealistic prices; have a few here in North Texas who have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

I guess I shouldn't always use the term pick because I am far from a picker, rarely do I sell things I put on showcase forums. My wife always says when I started collecting it was cute like pickers but that I moved right to hoarders and need to be on intervention!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE pickers for may reasons. First, I buy half of my items from true pickers because they always seem to need cash right away, they don't seem to have time to milk things and put them on e-bay. Once you spen alot of money with them they always call.
Second, most of my finds have already been "picked" with lowball offers and I don't mind paying up for what I want so their lowball offers only set me up to make my offer look good.
My best strategy is to go to all those pumps that"are not for sale" right at Christmas time and make a good offer- so far I am 8 for 8. The last simplex I purchased was "not for sale" and a week before Christmas I rang the doorbell and when the lady answered I pressed 2k in hundreds fanned out against the glass storm door and asked if she would sell the pump, I left with it.
I have found that in this economy if your willing to pay a FAIR price you can come home with all the pumps or ??? you could handle.

Been a picker since grammar school when I picked for local shops. To think what I found and flipped, sign wise alone.....

Anyway, I don't care for the amateurs on CL who bastardized the name or the goofy tv shows. Pickers are an important part of the "antiques ten levels".

Remembering the good days of door knocking and scrap yard hunting, before the internet, fleabay, and tv shows.

You know these tv shows have made it very hard when you go to an auction and a gargoyle base with bad threads sells for $310 plus buyers premium. These shows have increased turnouts at auctions which in return these auctions houses are raising buyers premium. Last weekend there was a local auction that had a strong turnout. Not one item was collector quality. Almost everything brought double to triple of what it is worth to a collector. I just feel there is more demand then supply for the time being. It's only a Matter of time before the bubble bursts.

Bob Richards,nailed it. As a little kid till I was out from under the wing,I remember going to JUNK STORES,with my father. He would buy junk and transform it back to a nice antique. I don;t think I ever sat foot in a antique store till I started looking for petro. Which is a waste of time around here.
Seems the picker show has become the topic, spoke with a fellow that got talked in to taping show at his place. He is a old bodyman,that just got tried of the 9 to 5 grind. he started doing gaspumps ,coke boxes ,etc,at home. He told me they was at his place for three days doing one segment,was the biggest head ache,and he wouldn't suggest anyone doing one.