• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Cool and Collected

Collecting pop culture toys, comics, and collectibles collections

July 27, 2010 By 14 Comments

American Pickers – “Easy Riders” episode recap and review

After a couple of reruns, American Pickers returns with a new episode. This week, Mike and Frank are picking Missouri.

The show starts with the guys on their way to a property with plenty of dilapidated structures — their favorite kind of pick — when Danielle calls to tell them about a chance to buy a (surprise!) motorcycle. This is not just any motorcycle, though, it’s a rare 1937 Harley Davidson Knucklehead. Mike and Frank debate whether they should turn around, but decide to “power pick” the property they were originally planning to visit.

They arrive at the property, and the owner, David, shows them around the six outbuildings he inherited. Mike finds a VW Beetle with a bar set for $25 and a really cool train motion light from 1966 for $17 — an absolute fire hazard.  Frank wants to leave but Mike wants to make sure they don’t miss anything good, and the two bicker like an old married couple about whether they should stay or go. Frank wants to go look at the Knucklehead, but then he finds a huge Kawasaki motorcycle sign for $30 and is fine with staying just a little longer.

american pickers easy rider - Mike and Frank argue
It's my way or the highway, bub!

In one of the buildings, parts of the exterior walls are patched with old Town Crier Flour signs that Mike and Frank dutifully pry off, exposing giant holes to the outside. Frank gets an old rocking chair for $130 and a large Western Union clock for $85.

american pickers easy rider - walls made of Old Town Crier flour signs
If these walls could talk...

Finished with the pick, the guys drive 50 miles in search of the elusive Knucklehead. The owner of the Knucklehead, another Mike, is an ex-pawn shop owner, among other things, and wears bling on his fingers while handcuffs and a sidearm hang off his belt — not someone you really want to start haggling with. Mike and his wife are looking to downsize and want to unload some of his “mantiques.” Frank breaks the ice with a vintage Stop sign for $100, and Mike pops for a huge Jeep sign for $100.

The group walks down the street to an old theater that Mike and his wife converted to a restaurant. Picker Mike finds a pretty sweet Hula lamp from the 40’s and buys it for $150, and Frank gets a Victrola record puzzle for $20 and a giant 3 liter bottle of hot sauce for $30 for his personal collection.

american pickers easy rider - hula girl lamp
Mike falls in love...
american pickers easy rider - Hot sauce bottle
...and so does Frank.

Picker Mike finally finds the elusive red Knucklehead, sitting in the middle of the restaurant. He gives it a thorough inspection and impressed me with his knowledge of all the parts and whether or not they were original to the bike. He determines that some parts are not original but are still pre-1940. Mike vs. Mike duke it out for an agreeable price, which ends up being $20,000, the top of Picker Mike’s price range. As they’re wheeling the Knucklehead out the door, Frank sees a yellow Kawasaki chopper he wants, but it’s not for sale. They call Chico, the owner, and for $2,500 Frank gets to load it in the van, too.

american pickers easy rider Harley Davidson 1937 Knucklehead
Load it up quick, before he changes his mind!

Mike and Frank take the Knucklehead to be appraised. Jim looks it over and offers him $25,000 on the spot, without even firing it up. Mike is already too emotionally attached to the bike and doesn’t sell it. I’m not sure this was a pick for Antique Archaelogy as much as it was a pick for Mike’s personal collection. Of course, how many collector/sellers haven’t been there before?

The guys aren’t done yet and visit a home off the beaten track and find Darlene, who’s father was a picker. Mike exclaims, “Junk! Dirt! Rust! Cobwebs! We love that stuff!”

They dig through buildings and basements and find an antique medicine cabinet for $60, and a neat old railroad cart for $60. This episode’s “Mike and Frank play nice with old people” moment has them meeting Darlene’s mom, who performed on horses and still had some ornate saddles and photos.

Mike finds a mid-century strap chair, possibly Knoll, and plays a round of Rock ’em – Sock ’em Robots (yea! Pop culture!) with Darlene to determine the final cost — $165. $10 more was thrown in for the Rock ’em – Sock ’em game.

american pickers easy rider rock 'em sock 'em robots
Negotiations took a brutal turn.

Mike and Frank return to Jim’s motorcycle shop to see what he found out about the Knucklehead. It turns out that the bike was restored back in the 90’s by Jim at his shop in California! I love the stories behind antiques and this is a great one. It truly is a small world, and when you deal with rare items, the provenance only adds to the charm. Mike and Frank take their new toys for a spin as the credits roll, doing their best impression of Junior and Senior Tuttle from that other network.

american pickers easy rider- riding the Harley Davidson Knucklehead
A knucklehead in action.

This show was a bit different in that the pickers bought some big ticket items. I wonder if the Hollywood effect is going to take place, and we see Mike and Frank start to drop larger and larger amounts of cash on items that most of us collectors could never afford. It will be interesting to see what happens. What do you think? Anyone else tired of motorcycles yet?

Filed Under: Other

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chad Hossack says

    August 1, 2010 at 9:55 am

    No I am not tired of motorcycles yet. This is one of the best shows to come along in a awhile, with interesting treasures, and peaple that the average guy can relate too.

    Tired of motorcycles? Than go watch Oprah. Yah sissy.

    Chad.

    Reply
  2. Matt Napier says

    August 2, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Hey do you know the name of the Helmet hes Wearing or if its DOT

    Reply
  3. lisa snavely says

    September 20, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    do you have any town crier flour signs for sale?

    Reply
  4. catrina says

    September 21, 2010 at 1:54 am

    I want the hot sauce hot! still got it?

    Reply
  5. Bill Paul says

    December 18, 2010 at 11:28 am

    I really would appreciate the name of the town in Missouri the nucklehead waas found, we live in Missouri my dad digs local history and wants to visit Mike the former pawn shop owner for a book he’s trying to wite, please let me know the name of the town I will make the dad happy. Thanks

    Reply
    • sam says

      January 16, 2012 at 11:27 am

      If I remember right, they had to go to Kansas to get the knucklehead. That’s what I was trying to find out. The name of the movie theater was the El Dorado and there’s an El Dorado, KS here but I’m not sure. El Dorado is about 30 min. from Wichita.

      Reply
      • Ness says

        April 19, 2012 at 11:26 pm

        Sam was right, it was in Kansas. I also tried to look up Expawn shop Mikes place. there are to many El Dorado Theaters around that area. I would love to purchase some of the vehicles in mikes collection. Ive tried to find him with no luck. If anyone finds mikes info, I too would like to know where he is. Thank You.

        Reply
  6. Doris Cranford says

    July 26, 2011 at 2:47 am

    I have a motion hula lamp just like Mike bought from another Mike when he and Frank went to an old theater to see a Knucklehead. She is minus the shade, an arm and the skirt. Her motor works. Would like to sell her for $150.00. My Dad bought it in the late 40’s or early 50’s. Please e- mail me if you are interested.

    Reply
  7. Keith Jeannotte says

    August 8, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    Hey where can I purchase a 3 litre bottle of Hot sause ?

    Reply
  8. don says

    July 16, 2012 at 10:49 am

    I would surly love to see a website of their inventory. Some of them old rods / cars would be interested in pricing or just to see what the heck is there.
    Website, or a name of the business, a phone number …anything. If they want to sell then the show was good advertising, but is little use if no one can contact them for information.

    Reply
  9. Aaron says

    November 7, 2012 at 2:26 pm

    I would love to have that yellow Kawi chopper for under $3000

    Reply
  10. Barbara says

    October 11, 2014 at 2:26 pm

    I would watch the show all day long! Feel like I’m picking with them! I would like to see more things for women! Lots of smalls would be good!

    Reply
  11. Marge Francis says

    January 16, 2015 at 10:39 am

    i would very much. like to find out. how to order a copy of. this particular. where you. went to small town of pacific with the rockup sockum. robuts

    Reply
  12. Pam says

    June 11, 2017 at 11:58 pm

    I have actually ridden that knuckle. When they showed the photo on the show, there was Jim long, Bob poulson, and 2 other people I didn’t recognise. Bob owned the knuckle. I hung out with bob and rode on the back several times. Jim long owned a shop in victorville, ca, and Bob worked there.
    What a crazy coincidence.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • “Did you say ‘Youts’?”
  • Marx Marvel Tricycles
  • Here there be dragons
  • Vintage Batman Toy Collection
  • Batman Pinbacks

About Cool & Collected

This site is devoted to us crazy few who go to great lengths to acquire items for our collection. Read more.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Support this site:

If you enjoy reading articles on Cool & Collected, I would greatly appreciate you clicking on this eBay link before you do your shopping. I will get a few pennies from any purchase you make, but those pennies can add up. Thank you for your support!

Footer

Submit a Product for Review

Want to have your product(s) featured on Cool & Collected? This is how you can submit something for review.

Recent Posts

  • “Did you say ‘Youts’?”
  • Marx Marvel Tricycles
  • Here there be dragons
  • Vintage Batman Toy Collection
  • Batman Pinbacks
  • Monkeying Around
  • Current View
  • A drawer filled with Joes
  • It’s all good, man.
  • Feeling Green

Topics

  • Art and Photography
  • Books
  • Collections
  • Comic Books
  • Games
  • Other
  • Pop Culture League
  • Shows & Events
  • Toys
  • TV & Movies

Pages

  • About Cool & Collected
  • Blog
  • Contact Cool & Collected
  • Privacy Policy
  • Submit a Product for Review
  • Tips for starting (and enjoying) a collection

Copyright © 2025 Big Fish Design. All rights reserved.