The Vienna Times Vienna, Illinois & Johnson County News, Sports and Happenings
For fans of the television show, “The American Pickers”, it is good new that the show will be targeting Southern Illinois very soon.
No exact date has been given, just mid-September, according to the show’s production company, Cineflix, located in New York City.
The stars of the show are professional pickers, those who buy antiques and collectibles, to resell at a profit.
The two, Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe, travel the back roads of the U.S., in their oversized white van, seeking out treasures from long-time collectors.
The show is a taste of Americana, and airs on Monday evenings on The History Channel, giving viewers a look at our great country, its past, and some colorful characters along the way, who collect weird assortments of what could be called junk or junkque.
The Williamson County Tourism Bureau is assisting The American Pickers in locating those in the area with hidden treasures.
Call Ashlee Spiller, executive assistant of WCTB, in Marion, at 618-997-3690, if you know of, or are a collector of stuff.
The company is not looking for antiques shops or malls, nor professional collectors or dealers. They are looking for colorful citizens, who have an asssortment of what they seek.
They love old music and movie memorabilia; vintage sports items; Illinois historic pieces; and a lengthy list that includes very old motorcycles and accessories; advertising signage, especially of old oil companies and automotive parts; early Boy Scout items; mobster memorabilia; pre-1940s telephones; old Christmas and Halloween decor; Civil War pieces; and pre-1970s neon signs, among others.
The Pickers stopped in Cobden a few years ago purchasing some vintage buys that were featured on the show.
To contact the production office, call 646-495-2184 and leave a message, or email AmericanPickers@Cineflix.com.
Two names from Johnson County are being considered. If so, they, their junk, and their community, will be featured on an upcoming show.
