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American Pickers Episode!


Guest Silverghost

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Guest Silverghost

I was up late last night watching an American Pickers Episode called "Keep Out" on Comcast Cable On-Demand and the Picker Guys buy two old Neon Ford Dealer two -sided signs with broken-up neon tubes~~~~

Price~~~$4500.

They start down the road in Tenn. and Mike says he would like to try to "get rid of it" before they go home. And the next thing you see is them pulling into the Coker Tire Co parking lot while talking about their "old friend who likes signs & advertiizing~~~Corky." !

Corky Coker soon appears, full of life & fun~~~as is his usual way !

He asks them what are you two guys doing picking in my area ?

They show Corky the signs in the truck~~~

They then begin to bargin for the two Ford dealer neon signs~~~

Corky goes crazy for the signs~~~

The price haggling begins~~~

Corky wants to pay $6000.~~~

Finally the Picker guys & Corky settle on $6500. for the two signs which he says he will have restored and placed at his home office for everyone to see & enjoy !

He then tells them to call ahead next time before they stop by again and he will go find a fresh road kill possum for a nice Tenn. BBQ lunch !

Now I have seen & heard everything !

You Hershey AACA Head office guys who know Corky very well will have to ask him how he ever got to appear on the American Pickers show & if it was true "Reality" or really a rehersed and set-up appearance !

&

Was he really friends with the Picker Guys before this show ?

No mention was make of Coker Tire Co.

Corky's famous vintage tire business on the show~~~

BUT~~~

Corky did have a denim shirt with the Coker Tire Co logo on it. You also briefly see the Coker sign on the building's brick wall in one shot.

Edited by Silverghost (see edit history)
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Many thanks for that Coker blog link, with video. That was Better than the American Pickers show! Faboulous place and there are enough rare motorcycles & early autos there to make a really good continuing TV show. He definitely has the personality for it, too. What is the Coker connection to Honest Charley speed shop & garage? Was he always connected to them, or did he buy everything? My father was a professional race car builder from the late 30s until 1990. I well remember him getting mail shipments from Honest Charley, on a very regular basis. and all the neat decals and cards that Honest Charley sent..I know I am going to enjoy going through more of the vidos and stories on that Coker blogsite.

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I really question the value on both those Ford signs. I think the whole deal was a setup from the start and they may have been Corky's signs from the begining. For ONCE I'd like to see the Pickers PACK WHAT THEY BUY! Every week they buy somethig and throw in in the van to rattle around until they dump it.

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Why do we all have to assume the worse in people or pick apart what they do....? Who cares....if it's too contrived for you just switch to American Idol, Survivor or one other of the 100's of Reality TV shows.

Its TV...assume from the start that there is some staging involved, its not a factual documentary on their day to day life. Name me one show that doesn't have any staging in it and yes I include the news shows as well.

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I really question the value on both those Ford signs. I think the whole deal was a setup from the start and they may have been Corky's signs from the begining. For ONCE I'd like to see the Pickers PACK WHAT THEY BUY! Every week they buy somethig and throw in in the van to rattle around until they dump it.

Do they own packing cloths, etc.? You really brought up something I've wondered about from the first time I saw the show. I guess we are asking too much for a reality show.

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American Insurance Adjusters, a pilot for a new TV reality show. A moped that the owner doen't strap down inside a Mercedes Benz van flies past both driver & passenger and through the windsheild on a locked up panic stop. The bike then crashes through the front window of a pawn shop.

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The whole show, if you think about it makes little sense. How many dollars do they spend driving around the country in fuel food and lodging? How much is their rent on the shop and how much do they pay the helper? Why doesn't that van ever fill up? Every time they go to put something in it, it is empty!

How does some old reclusive hoarder react in real life when two buffoons with a camera crew come knocking on the door?

Of the two Ford signs, why is it that the one that was lying out in the bushes for years getting rained on doesn't look any worse than the one that was indoors for many years?

Considering their expenses, the mark-ups that they ge do not seem like that could support three people, particularly ones with their expense

I admit that I watch the show, but like in all of television, reality is up for grabs.

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Guest Jim_Edwards

I haven't seen the episode nor the signs. I will say that working or even partially working vintage neon signs have a following that is incredible and some of the selling prices can really go through the roof so to speak, particularly if they have anything to do with automobiles or service stations.

Take a look at this 58+different Ford Chevrolet Olds Porcelain Neon sign - eBay (item 290309830439 end time Mar-03-11 17:34:00 PST)

I'm working on the restoration of a single faced, interior lighted sign that adorned the front of a Cadillac dealer's showroom when opened in 1957. It was taken down about ten or twelve years ago and placed into storage when the dealership moved to new quarters. They decided to clean out the storage area six years ago and I bought the sign and dozens of old Cadillac shop service manuals and they threw in a few old parts just for grins. I have no idea of what the sign will bring, but I'm sure someone will be willing to invest more than a couple of grand into it, assuming I don't decide to hang it on my garage wall.

Jim

Edited by Jim_Edwards (see edit history)
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My gripe with the show is those 2 are always walking past, or climbing over really neat old cars and bikes to pick up some piece of junk like an old lunch box. "Lunch box, picket, 50 bucks, valued, 65 bucks". Right. Made a bunch on that deal.

A 65 mustang, value 2-14k, picked for, oh, we walked right by it to get at the lunch box.

Then Mike says "Hey Frank, I'm not seeing anything" , as the camera pans over 4 or 5 classic cars, and an old Kawasaki 500, Then Mike will say," Oh wait, there's a basket made from bottle caps".

Jeeze.

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The seller of the signs on the Pickers show is an active AACA member. Some of you folks may recognize him, but I'll leave his name off to prevent him from unwanted visitors. I periodically have seen other sellers on the show who have indicated they were AACA members. Are the stars of the show using an AACA roster for sources? Seems that a lot of the shows have old cars in the location of the episode.

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Guest Timthemailman

I liked the first year show that had the little old lady w/ a Meapolitan in a shed. Her husband bought it for her in 65' & she never drove it. They didn't even make her an offer on it.

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