On one show there was an old Indian,
deteriorated and looking very, very tragic and
sad, under an equally deteriorated old canvas
sheet... and under a tree somewhere out in
the backblocks of Texas. It was from the 1920s
I seem to recall, and they bought it. Because,
despite its crumbling condition, it was still
complete... all bits were present and correct.
During another episode they came across
a single cylinder engine which initially had
them bewildered as it was missing a crank
cover which would have likely had the
manufacturer’s stamp on.
But one figured, upon closer examination
of the derelict piece, that it was (I think) a
Velocette. So they bought it... for about $150
and likely got double or triple that later. But
hey, the seller was happy as he had no idea
how to go about flogging it off.
I can only assume people “out there” get in
touch with the producers of American Pickers
to let them know they have a shedful of stuff,
or that the crazy old guy three doors down
has two sheds full of stuff and could be worth
checking out.
I remember years ago driving past a place out
there in the suburbs once a week to drop the
work car off to another scribe for the weekend
and seeing, in an open shed down the end of a
drive, the rear of a motorcycle.
It was exposed to the weather and did not
look too flash, but it did have a sheet of sorts
over it and was there for the two years I went
by.
One time it looked like the seat had collapsed
to one side and the rear mudguard had also
slipped.
And then, one Saturday morning as I drove by
I noticed it was gone. It transpired the people
at the house had simply dumped it.
It was an early Honda CB350 twin...one of the
very first bikes I had and as rare as hen’s teeth.
And I saw it once a week for about two years...
and never went and knocked on the door to
ask if I could take it off their hands.
I likely would have got it for nothing.
I couldn’t even pick my nose if I tried. But hey,
I live in hope that somewhere, out there, is a
derelict and unwanted old bike in a forgotten
shed somewhere. Because, as the American
Pickers reveal night after night, they are
indeed “out there”.