Monday, September 13, 2010

American Pickers and LeClaire, Iowa

Have you ever wondered where antique dealers get their goods? I do. A lot. :)

This past weekend Louis and I were down in Iowa, visiting my family and picking up some more furniture for our place. My parents were asking me about antiquing and mentioned how there are several antique stores in LeClaire. LeClaire is a small town located along the Mississippi. It also happens to be where 3 out of 4 sets of aunts/uncles live and where my grandparents lived. I spent years and years in the car headed east bound on I-80 from Davenport to LeClaire for holidays and family gatherings.

Growing up, I associated LeClaire with Buffalo Bill Cody (this was his birthplace) and the extensive 4th grade history project. Beyond that, I saw it as a small, boring town. Nowadays, there are many little shops and even more antique stores that I can now appreciate.

But getting back to where all those antiques come from. We didn't have any time for antiquing during this trip, but I can't wait to check out these stores next time. My parents also told me about the American Pickers. As I learned, LeClaire has been put on the map by the History Channel! American Pickers is a show that documents the "picking" or "junk-collecting" escapades of Mike Wolfe and his buddy Frank Fritz on the road as they seek out leads or just freestyle, as they call it, when they drive through rural areas and pull off in places that seem like they would house a lot of old stuff. And then they bargain or finally break the ice with collectors willing to sell.

Mike and Frank are good ol' Quad City boys and their shop (Antique Archaeology) is right inside LeClaire. We didn't make it in, but had to pass by while we were in town over the weekend. I wish I had cable so I could watch the History channel, but good news: season 1 is available on Netflix (if you aren't one of the already 3.8 million viewers)! After just one episode, I'm hooked. It covers everything I love about hunting through an antique store--that feeling of victory over a great find, meeting interesting folks along the way, and maybe even learning the history behind a good find or pick.

The show is now in its second season. I think everyone likes to see the familiar, and watching the show gave me this sense of pride. Images flashing on the screen of places I've seen since I was a kid, recognizing the small towns they visited, or even the commonality of driving down I-80.
So now I know where some of the world's antiques are found. Off the beaten path, stored in old houses and barns, and just waiting to be picked.

1 comment:

  1. We stopped into the shop this summer for a girls weekend while shopping in LeClaire. We got to meet Mike and he showed us a lot of the cool stuff they had in the shop. Took a few pics on a motorcycle and had a great conversation! Turns out he's dating someone we knew who was in the shop that day! Crazy!

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