Since 2010, antique and collectible hunters Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz have been scouring the country for buried treasures in barns, attics, sheds, garages and any other place where collectors, pack rats and hoarders might have stashed goodies from America’s past.
They share the stories on the History Channel’s popular "American Pickers" TV show, of course.
"We're looking for amazing things buried in people's garages and barns," they say in the show’s intro. "What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We'll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own. And the people we meet? Well, they're a breed all their own. We make a living telling the history of America...one piece at a time."
Now, Wolfe and Fritz are coming to our neck of the woods.
Yesterday, a post appeared on the show’s Facebook page, announcing that the duo is doing an autumn swing through the upper Midwest:
If you’re sitting on some cool old stuff or you have a lead on where these guys can root around for great antiques and collectibles, send an email or call. You just might find yourself on an episode of "American Pickers."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
