Episode
American Pickers: What's in the Box?
Overview
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.
Details
- Series
- American Pickers
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 16
- Air date
- 2010-12-20
- Runtime
- 43 min
Episode context
What's in the Box? is Episode 16 in Season 2 of American Pickers. It aired on 2010-12-20. The runtime is 43 min.
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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 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?
More episodes from this season
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 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.
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.
Episode 19: Trading Up
Mike and Frank head to Ohio and decide to make the trip a little more interesting by bringing along a cup dispenser from an old train station to trade with their clients, hoping to make some cash. They meet Will, the son of an auctioneer who has inherited a house packed with his dad’s collection and is coming to terms with letting the stuff go. The guys pick up tons of items, including an antique accordion on which Frank shows off his musical talents! Next, they truck to Indiana to meet a small town historian who takes everyone’s collectibles for safe keeping. There, they purchase a St. Louis Cardinals vintage baseball poster and Frank falls in love with a pinball machine featuring Happy Days’ the Fonz. Finally, Mike gets to experience his dream pick at a VW graveyard in Illinois, but Frank is the one who strikes gold when he buys a rare BSA motorcycle.
Episode 12: Mike's Breakdown
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.
Episode 20: The Emu Chase
Mike and Frank find themselves in a high-risk situation when they are chased by a crazy emu who roams a farm in Tennessee that the boys are picking. Once they’ve escaped from the bird they manage to rescue a much sought after fireplace facade. Danielle sends the guys to Frank Wolfe, who gives them a golden lead to a guy called Jerry Lotz, where Mike buys a Schwinn auto-cycle bike for a $1,000 and Frank leaves with two rare BB guns. The guys finish up their trip by surprising an old friend of Mike’s, Ruby Guidara, a famous Nashville set designer. They purchase an old dentist chair from her that Mike thinks would be perfect in a Lady Gaga video, but when they take the chair to an appraiser they hear some surprising information.
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 21: Keep Out!
Driving along the back roads of Tennessee in the early morning fog, Mike and Frank are brushing up on their Southern expressions when they spot an awesome property. Once they muster up the courage to ignore the scary “no trespassing” signs, the homeowner opens up his amazing collection of incredible “mantiques”. Later, with four barns that are packed to the rafters, a Smokey Mountain property looks perfect. But Mike and Frank’s perfect day quickly goes downhill when the collector can’t bear to part with anything. Can they break the ice or will their picking spirit be broken first? And, thanks to a lead from Danielle, the guys get a warm welcome from Joe, a lifetime picker whose staggering collection spans over 30 buildings.
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 22: They Boldly Go
Mike and Frank are out in the Kentucky on a different kind of mission. They’re going to someone who needs their expertise to make his home unique. The owner is William Shatner, who gives Mike and Frank a very specific list. While Danielle looks for leads, the picking is red hot at Thurman’s Tennessee hills property. The lifetime collector says he’s ready to make a deal, but is he really? Next, the guys hunt for the perfect showpiece for Shatner’s garden and think they’ve hit the jackpot with an amazing millstone collector. That is, until they find out his prices outweigh even the heaviest of stones. And, with just one week to deliver the goods to their celebrity client, Mike and Frank call in a favor from a designer friend. Finally, with a van full of treasures, they deliver their booty to Shatner, hoping they haven’t let him down.