Episode
American Pickers: Mike's Breakdown
Overview
Mike dives into an amazing Michigan collection but Frank seems to have lost his picking mojo. The guys visit an incredible Wisconsin property that features a reconstituted vintage town. And, the only thing better than Ted’s quirky small town gas station is his one-of-a-kind home where everything is for sale. Frank senses engine trouble with the van while Mike ignores the signs and ends up on his hands and knees.
Details
- Series
- American Pickers
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 12
- Air date
- 2010-10-04
- Runtime
- 43 min
Episode context
Mike's Breakdown is Episode 12 in Season 2 of American Pickers. It aired on 2010-10-04. The runtime is 43 min.
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Episode 11: Frank Flips
The guys are in Kentucky, and they’re driving Danielle crazy. Whenever she comes up with a new lead, they toss a coin to decide whether or not they’ll go. At their first stop, the guys pick the storage locker of a fellow picker named 2D. He not only has an eclectic collection but enjoys it from the comfort of his own hot tub, right in the middle of the storage unit. Also in Kentucky, Mike and Frank visit a woman who hopes to clear out some of her late father’s collection. And finally, they end up at a Wisconsin farm caught up in the weird world of “Hippie Tom” where they find themselves in one of the oddest haggling sessions of their careers. Meanwhile, Mike and Frank invent their own hilarious behind-the-wheel dance moves while Danielle plots some revenge for the guys’ coin toss antics.
Episode 13: Pint-Sized Picker
Danielle is jealous when the guys take Mike’s young nephew on his first pick instead of her. But 12-year-old Rhesa is thrilled, especially when the trio starts exploring Danny Bean’s sprawling property. The pressure is on. And with junk piled to the rafters, and with expert tips from Mike and Frank, Rhesa dives in to prove his mettle. Later, after a ferry ride across Lake Michigan, the guys visit packrat Tim and his 10,000 square feet of junk. And although he says he wants to make room for his grandkids, it doesn’t seem like he’s ready to part with anything. And finally, the guys scour a 14-bedroom 1890s home and barn that used to belong to a famous opera singer. There’s plenty of old stuff on the sprawling property. But are there any treasures hidden among all the vintage junk? Meanwhile, back at the shop, it’s payback time for Danielle.
More episodes from this season
Episode 10: Laurel and Hardy
Danielle has asked for a raise, but Mike and Frank delay a decision until they see how successful they are with the next trip she sends them on–through Kentucky. First they visit a serious collector who, after a life-altering incident, is definitely in the mood to sell. They also then stop in at the geodesic dome home of biker couple Tracey and Paul. They only have an hour to scour the massive collection but that’s more than enough time for Mike and Frank to find their most unusual items. They also visit two spunky retirees who live in a former honky-tonk spot that’s complete with a stage and a sprawling toy collection. Their eventual haul includes a KISS pinball machine, a vintage steam-powered corn popper and massive Laurel and Hardy costume heads. Finally, Frank and Mike “interview” Danielle to discuss her raise….and torture her a little more.
Episode 14: A Banner Pick
While picking in Pennsylvania, Danielle sends the guys to Bushkill Park–a century-old amusement park that’s seen much better days. Hoping to eventually renovate and reopen, owner Neil is motivated to sell just about anything. And, after stepping back in time and playing in the old funhouse, Mike spies a couple of rare vintage sideshow banners. Also in this episode… Deb wants husband Tom to clear out his sprawling collections so they can enjoy their retirement on the road in their RV. But he’s reluctant to sell his prized possessions. Later, in New York City, the guys meet an expert who has shocking news about Mike’s new circus posters. In Staten Island, a cavernous abandoned storage unit yields plenty of carnival keepsakes.
Episode 9: Hobo Jack
Concerned about slow sales and high expenses, Danielle tells the guys they need to step up their game and make some serious money. Mike and Frank feel the pressure. They uncover lots of great stuff in Tony’s sprawling Illinois collection, but not the big-ticket item they’re looking for. It doesn’t get much better in a small town they come across. There, they spot some great vintage garage signs, and although they’re not for sale, Ken has room after room of unusual items, including an early bicycle and rare Victorian-era erotica. But their luck really changes when Danielle calls with a lead about Hobo Jack. When the guys walk into his hidden, heavily wooded overgrown property, they are surprised by his incredible collection. But will they find the mother lode they’ve been looking for?
Episode 15: Danielle Goes Picking
After years of begging Mike and Frank to let her go on a pick, Danielle finally gets her chance. The three head out to visit a major collector with a barn full of hidden treasures. Next, Frank agrees to fill in for Danielle at the shop while she hits the road with Mike. In Pennsylvania, they pick the oddball home of two eccentric characters, and Danielle comes up with a winner when she tracks down a century-old hotel that's been vacant for years. Rooms full of furniture and a valuable pinball machine await.
Episode 8: One Pony Town
Thanks to his vast collection of stuffed animals and weird curios, lifelong picker and yard sale aficionado Lester is known by his neighbors as the “spooky collector.” Tension builds between Mike and Frank over the value of the animals, but both are thrilled to comb through his jam-packed outbuildings. Later on, the guys visit a hard-core Illinois collector who says he wants to downsize. But although his overcrowded building is technically for sale, he doesn’t seem ready to part with anything. Missing family and friends, the guys pay a return visit to their “picking mamma,” Judy. While scouring her mammoth former factory home, they have a great time, do great business and get a surprise. Plus an appraiser gives Mike some impressive news about a tiny stuffed horse.
Episode 16: What's in the Box?
Mike and Frank visit a New York collector who’s filled a train station with vintage cars, and although the cars are hot, the prices cool their engines. But the pick isn’t as good as it looks until Mike finds a mysterious Italian trunk that hasn’t been opened in 50 years…and though it’s driving him crazy, he waits until he gets home to open it. The guys stop in at a New Hampshire home with a weathervane on the roof constructed from a real Harley motorbike. Inside, the couple’s sprawling collection includes a room full of retro arcade games. And finally, auctioneer Paul’s Rhode Island property is packed with treasures his late father rescued from the trash. Mike spies an impeccable 1967 Triumph motorbike and Frank buys a slew of vintage toy trucks. But the best is hidden inside a barn that hasn’t been touched in 15 years.
Episode 7: Psychic Pickings
While picking in Missouri, the guys stop in at Sam and Stan’s steel yard where the father-son duo takes them on a high-speed golf cart tour of their massive hangar and outbuildings, loaded with heaps of metal and rusty junk. But can Mike and Frank uncover anything worth buying? The team goes freestyling and comes across an old farm where the owners are about to have an auction and badly need Frank and Mike’s help. And, in Illinois they come across Greg, who claims he’s a psychic picker. He’s filled his mammoth home, a former prison, with rare objects and cultural artifacts. But is anything for sale? Plus the guys challenge Danielle to sell an old Studebaker they had picked. Does she rise to it?
Episode 17: Fairlane Fever
Mike and Frank challenge Danielle to sell a vintage carnival ride they’ve been storing for months. Meanwhile, the guys visit a collector with amazing pieces including an old gambling game used to get customers to spend more money. Later, the guys pick the International Clown Hall of Fame, where they find an amazing miniature automated carnival. And finally, after seeing at a Yamaha dirt bike for sale on a front lawn, retired mechanic Norm opens his garage to reveal a smoking-hot, 1967 Ford Fairlane muscle car. It’s love at first sight for Mike, but will his emotions get in the way of getting a great deal?
Episode 6: Easy Riders
Mike and Frank are in Missouri, heading towards an inherited old farm with plenty of promise. But then Danielle calls with news about an ultimate prize. She’s tracked down a prolific collector with a rare 1937 Harley Knucklehead. Close to their target, and revved up about the classic bike, the guys agree to speed pick the old farm before moving on. But once there, Mike gets lost in multiple outbuildings filled with possibilities. Everything is for sale–but anything of value? Down the road, their next pick is with a self-made man who keeps his incredible collection of “mantiques” in a 1920s Ford dealership and theatre from the same era. The guys are in pick heaven…and when they spot the Harley Knucklehead, high-roller negotiations begin. Can they seal the deal? And finally, in spite of the unwelcoming sign on her sprawling property, Darlene is anything but.
Episode 18: Too Hot to Handle
In upstate New York, the guys stop in at a sprawling treasure-laden farm with fourteen jam-packed trailers, the result of a lifetime of collecting by the late owner. His daughter needs to sell some of his things to help save the farm. Later, an eccentric mother-daughter duo sells their extraordinary 1856 home, an Underground Railroad site, and everything in it. Finally, the guys visit an old cheese factory that’s been boarded up for years, and the local fire department must break down the doors to get to the hot items.