American Pickers — Duck, Duck, Moose episode recap and review

This episode of American Pickers starts with Mike and Frank heading to North Carolina. They visit Dick and his son Eric, who own an old waste paper warehouse filled with architectural salvage items. Chairs and furniture are stacked to the ceiling, and Dick needs to sell everything so that the building can be sold. Despite his need to sell, Dick seems fairly reluctant to part with anything at a price that Mike and Frank want to pay.

Mike finds a small vintage mannequin that was used to advertising lingerie, but the price is too high. After a few more no-sales, Mike comes across a double sided Fisk Tire sign with the iconic Fisk tire boy image. He and Dick haggle over the price and eventually agree on $900, and the ice is broken.

The next item Mike uncovers is a Dopey Duck coin-operated ride that probably sat outside of a grocery store in the 50’s. Dick wants $1,400 for the ride, but Mike eventually gets him down to $1,050. You would need a big area to display something like that, but it sure would be fun to have!

Frank finally finds something to buy. High on a shelf, he spots some stools that look like they were from an old diner. Dick informs him that those stools played a part in the Civil Rights movement, as they were the ones that the Greensboro Four sat on at the Woolworth department store ice cream counter. The Smithsonian actually borrowed the stools for a traveling exhibit once. Frank buys two of the stools for $225.

The last item Mike buys is a pair of large brass headlights for $625. He thinks they may have once been used on a firetruck in the early 1900’s.

Mike and Frank get back on the road and do some freestyle picking. They pull off the road at a promising location and meet Charlie Moose, a man who has lived on the property for 72 years, and in that time, has built his own miniature town called, “Mooseville.” There are plenty of buildings for the guys to pick through, and the first item that catches Frank’s eye is a plastic sign with a lighthouse on it, which he buys for $30.

Charlie shows them a mine shaft that he dug, which eventually opens into a saloon! Mike finds a hand carved piece of folk art — a balancing man figure — and Charlie asks just $3 for it! I don’t remember anyone ever asking such low prices for their items on any episode of American Pickers.

The guys find a few other small items that are just as inexpensive, and Frank buys a folk art whirligig for $20. Mike finds a huge Victorian-era gilded frame that once held a mirror. Charlie asks $25 and Mike decides to pay it forward and offers $75, realizing that Charlie’s prices are way too low.

Mike and Frank visit a local appraiser, named Bob, to find out more about those brass head lamps. Bob informs them that the headlights are older than Mike thought, probably pre-1912, and were fueled by carbide pellets. It was manufactured by C.L. Charley in Paris, possibly for a Mercedes or Rolls Royce, which gets Mike excited. According to Bob, it would take $5-10,000 to restore the headlights, and Mike is worried his $625 was an unwise decision until he learns that they are worth $2,000!

Danielle calls with information about a guy who has a lot of Indian motorcycles. That is an understatement! Beno and Robin own a warehouse full of British motorcycles and Mike is in Heaven. Beno is in his mid 60’s and still races motorcycles 100 times a year. He has dozens of shelves categorized and organized, unlike anything we have ever seen on American Pickers. This is one organized collector! They search through shelves of old gas tanks, and Mike is drawn to the rustiest, ugliest one on the shelf and buys it for $74.

Hanging in a glass display cabinet, Mike finds a vintage Indian sweater. Beno wants $200 for it and Mike is honored to buy it for that price. Not to be outdone, Frank buys an old leather Indian racing jacket for $450.

The guys keep searching through the warehouse until they come across an early Indian factory cutaway motor that once sat on the counter in the repair shop that Beno’s dad owned. Beno agrees on sell it for $5,000. It’s obvious that Mike is in a sort of awe over Beno and his racing heritage, because he doesn’t haggle nearly as hard with him about his prices as he does with most people with whom he deals.

There’s still time for one more deal, as Mike finds a 1908 Indian motor and bundles it with an Excelsior manifold for $3,300. The show credits start to roll as Beno loans a couple of dirtbikes to Mike and Frank, and they all go for a ride on some dirt trails.