Life is to short to worry about the "what's real and what's not real" on TV!!
...life is too short to watch 'American Peckers'...
I like American Pickers. It is Canadian Pickers I have a problem with. These Canadians never do any real door knocking or blind picking. All I see them do is visit yard sales, antique stores and the homes of other pickers or collectors. Places they know have eye candy for the cameras.
It may be reality TV or scripted but at least Frank and Mike appear to knock on the doors of homes that look promising.