Episode
American Pickers: Smooth Operators
Overview
As the guys are winding down their trip through the South, Danielle finds them the mother lode of rare motorbike parts in an old warehouse packed with new vintage Harley stock. Can they convince the sentimental and savvy owner Billy to part with some choice items? The guys make an incredible discovery guaranteed to impress their friend and NASCAR champion Ryan Newman. Plus there's plenty more finds on the 11-acre property littered with racecars and jam-packed outbuildings. And, back in Iowa, Mike and Frank have a field day scouring an incredible collection of one of their decorator clients. But will they spend all their money before coming across the real treasure?
Details
- Series
- American Pickers
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 4
- Air date
- 2010-06-28
- Runtime
- 43 min
Episode context
Smooth Operators is Episode 4 in Season 2 of American Pickers. It aired on 2010-06-28. The runtime is 43 min.
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Episode 3: Gordon's Gold Mine
In aptly named Pickens, South Carolina, the guys scour the sprawling inventory of a father-and-son picking duo. They uncover plenty of rare and unusual items… But can they make a deal with the two pro collectors? Next, the guys meet Mary who has inherited a 300-acre property, home to a huge untouched collection. After warming up with a few impulse purchases, Mike and Frank get serious. Plus, while trying to convince the guys to take her on the road, Danielle leads them to an inconspicuous cement factory. It’s the “Holy Grail” of picking–Gordon’s collection includes a jam-packed vintage general store, and building after building of unbelievable retro treasures.
Episode 5: Getting the Boot
While in Kansas, the guys comb through a promising farmyard littered with stuff but are frustrated when they find nothing at all to buy. Their luck changes when they meet demolition expert Johnny Walker. His collection is staggering. But will he agree to part with a rare grave marker and giant 300-pound boot? The next day, Johnny refers the guys to his collector neighbors. Junior’s magnificent oilcan collection leaves Frank speechless, but unfortunately so does his sky-high prices. Morris on the other hand proves to be in a wheeling and dealing mood when the guys pull into the old service station that now houses his sprawling collection of automotive memorabilia.
More episodes from this season
Episode 2: Buddy's Booby Trap
Mike and Frank visit a local legend in North Carolina. After picking through an accumulation of school busses and a burned down storage house, they come across an item the guys have never seen before, place bets on what it actually is, and get surprised by what the appraiser says about it. Frank goes into picking-turbo-mode when he finds a gold mine of signs on a 20 acre farm. Also, a mother/daughter team catches the picking bug and gives the guys a run for their money as they dig through their grandfather’s garages and outbuildings.
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 1: Art of the Deal
Mike and Frank comb through a master collector's untouched outbuildings in North Carolina. After getting past a few petrified hams they find a true gem, a 1950 Studebaker that Mike falls in love with. But can Mike negotiate a deal at a price that makes sense? Mike then becomes obsessed with a 1934 pre-Airstream trailer and the negotiation becomes a classic in its own right. Next, hoping to sell a choice vintage sign, they pay a visit to friend and NASCAR champion Ryan Newman, who has a surprise of his own for the guys.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.