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Cool and Collected

Collecting pop culture toys, comics, and collectibles collections

February 10, 2011 By 9 Comments

American Pickers – “Keep Out” Episode Recap and Review

For me, this was the best episode of American Pickers yet. Amazing pop-culture items pop up for the full 60 minutes.

Mike and Frank are freestyling through the foggy Tennessee countryside. They stop at a house right alongside the road that is covered in vintage signs and homemade signs — most of which say “Keep Out” and “No Trespassing.” Despite the signs, the Pickers take their chances and knock on the door.

Junior opens the door and greets the Pickers in his overalls and big white beard. Junior is happy to let the guys look around his place to see if they can find any treasure.

It doesn’t take Mike long to find a large red Fire Chief gas pump for $801, since Junior already has an offer for $800. Mike continues to dig through piles of items and unearths a great Dukes of Hazzard TV tray and tin trash can from 1981. He buys both for $30, and says that  “all this pop culture stuff is hot.” Agreed. More please!

american pickers - keep out - Dukes of Hazzard

Mike finds a large Mercury outboard motor sign and buys it for $50. He then references my favorite line from one of my favorite movies, Tombstone, and says “I’m your huckleberry.” That earned a fist pump in the air from this reviewer.

The funniest scene in this episode had Frank trying out a vintage motorized Exercycle. Mike flips the switch to high speed, and Frank’s feet fly off the pedals. Iit looks like he’s riding a rodeo bull, much to Mike’s delight.

american pickers - keep out - exercise bike

Frank likes a Pet Ice Cream sign that’s hanging on a fence, and buys it for $100. Once he pries it off the fence, he is happy to find that it is two-sided, which makes it more valuable.

While digging through more boxes, Mike finds an amazing Civil War belt buckle that has a bullet piercing it. He buys it for $50, which seems like a huge steal to me. I live in Civil War central here in Virginia, and most relics that I’ve seen are barely recognizable for what they are. This one looks almost new. The show reveals that the buckle was sold for $200 — not a bad profit.

american pickers - keep out - civil war belt buckle

The Pickers leave Junior’s place and are presented with one of Junior’s custom painted “Keep Out” signs as memento.

american pickers - keep out - batman soakie

Danielle calls with a new lead. Randy is a lifetime collector who has just decided to start selling some of his stuff. Randy has four barns to pick through, but unfortunately for Mike and Frank, Randy is REALLY reluctant to sell anything.

Mike finds a box full of old Avon Soakie bottles, including one of the Beatles, and Batman and Robin. He offers $15 each — a fair price for most of them, but that Beatles one probably would fetch a few bucks.  Mike is frustrated that Randy won’t sell him the Soakies or anything else.

american pickers - keep out - ford sign

On their way to another barn, Mike finds a huge porcelain Ford dealer sign, buried in the weeds. Randy shows him another Ford sign he has stashed in an outbuilding, and Mike finally breaks the ice, and buys both signs for $4,500. The choir breaks out with a bit of Hallelujiah.

Mike and Frank hit the road again and visit Joe, who collects trains — real trains! Joe also has motorcycles, cars, and all sorts of other rusty gold for the guys to sift through.

Mike finds a box of vintage toys that has a Planet of the Apes thermos, and some small plastic cars and figures. I’m not sure, but I think these little Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon figures are worth a pretty penny. Mike buys the whole box for $15 and I felt really bad for Joe at this point.

american pickers - keep out - toys

Mike finds this Shogun Warriors Godzillaa with a missing hand and tosses it back on the pile. I have one of these and it’s one of my favorite vintage toys, and I hated to see this one tossed back.

american pickers - keep out - godzilla

The pop culture excellence came to ahead with this awesome piece:

american pickers - keep out - planet of the apes lunchbox

I have been looking for this exact Planet of the Apes lunch box for years. It’s not so much that it’s rare, but I’m cheap. Mike buys this one for $32.50, and I immediately sent him a tweet offering him double for all the toys — cash money. I’m still waiting on a reply.

american pickers - keep out - moto-scoot

Frank spots an old 750 Honda chopper but it doesn’t have the title and Joe wants $5,500 for it which is way too high. He then finds a pre-WWII Moto-Scoot scooter. Joe wants $1,500 and Frank offers $850. Joe has been negotiating all his life and drives a hard bargain, but they eventually agree to $1,000.

american pickers - keep out - ford signs

The Pickers visit their friend, Corky to see if he’ll buy the Ford signs and save them from having to carry them all the way back to Iowa. Corky buys both for $6,500 — an easy $2,000 profit for Mike and Frank.

I loved, loved, loved this episode. The Pickers have found some pop culture items here and there, but this episode was excellent. It made me want to quit my day job and knock on some doors — “Keep Out” signs be damned! What did you think?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. trebomb says

    February 12, 2011 at 10:01 am

    Agreed, great episode. The red Ford sign was beautiful. They didn’t mention it specifically, but it looks like Corky is from Coker Tire (logo in the background)- I wonder if they have a public showroom with their restorations?

    Reply
    • Brian says

      February 12, 2011 at 11:09 am

      I would love to see an episode of Pickers where they show some of the items they pick and what they look like after the items have been restored. That Moto-Scoot scooter is a good example. It looks like a rust pile to me, but they say it can be restored. Prove it!

      Reply
  2. Anon says

    March 1, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    The consensus among Civil War relic hunters is that the buckle was fake on two counts. First, the buckle was not an authentic Civil War buckle and second, the buckle was not struck by a bullet but the buckle was drilled and had the bullet inserted.

    Reply
    • Brian says

      March 1, 2011 at 5:39 pm

      Thanks for the info Anon! That buckle did look a little too good to be true.

      Reply
      • Cody C. Lorance says

        September 29, 2011 at 3:55 pm

        Absolutely the buckle was a fake. They are made by a company called “artifakes” in Tennessee. Did the Pickers ever figure this out? I’m pretty sure the same kind of buckle appeared on an episode of Pawn Stars and was determined to be a fake there too.

        Reply
  3. Candy says

    November 28, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    If anyone knows this sweet man Junior from the episode “keep out” please contact me at candy-kisses @comcast .net.. my sister is crazy about him and watches it over and over..she thinks he is the sweetest man ever..give him my e-mail , I will send him pictures..thanks for any help!

    Reply
  4. Jeff says

    July 12, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    I have an exercycle if anyone would like to buy it.

    Reply
    • Patrick Robinson says

      September 1, 2014 at 2:45 pm

      How much are you asking?

      Reply
      • Mark Novak says

        May 25, 2015 at 1:07 pm

        I also have one, works perfect – original ’50’s model, still has “foot traps” on pedals, asking $250 or offer…? Contact Mark @ bluenosemule53@gmail.com or call me @ 505-448-2846

        Reply

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