American Pickers/Mike Wolfe's Leather Jackets

[South9407]

Good Evening, If you are an American Pickers fan on the History Channel, Does anyone know what kind of Jacket Mike Wolfe was wearing in one of their episodes? I caught it about 3 weeks ago but I don't know if the show was a re-run or new. He had on a brown leather jacket, zip front, it came down below his waist. No wool cuffs or waistband, just sewn leather. I think it had a bi-swing back and it was really worn on the shoulders and below the collar on the back. Great looking old vintage jacket. From the style, I was thinking late 20's or early 30's era. Much appreciative of any help. Have a great day men.

g-edwards (south9407)

 

[nick123]

The member here 'Dickie Teenie' knows him.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I've seen him wear 2 leathers. One with a zip, one with buttons. The one with a zip has a three piece back and looks to be from the 1950's. The one with buttons is more interesting to my eye, has a half-belt back; here it is in a rather portentous promo shot- perhaps late 40's. Note snaps at the bottom end of the zip.



Click twice to enlarge.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I noticed we spoke about this a couple of years ago.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?69455-American-Pickers-Jacket

I don't think Dickie ever delivered.

 

[nick123]

I tried...that would have been something special for the Lounge.

 

[Big J]

He seems to have a couple of nice A-2's hanging up in the store.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I tried...that would have been something special for the Lounge.

Yeah... well there are so many members on line these days who say they know Adam Savage or Mike Wolfe or Harrison Ford that you become jaded. I'm not sure any celebrity would want to be exposed in an on line community. As for Mike's jackets, I like the look of them but I personally don't really care who made them.

Big J - Yes Mike Wolfe does have some nice A2's on sale but I gather Mike understands them for their cultural value rather than wanting to ever wear one.

 

[South9407]

Thanks men. I may try to contact someone through his stores at Antique Archeology. Anyone want to wage a bet that they will probably never respond even if I do get a message to them?!
g-edwards (south)

 

[EmergencyIan]

Thanks men. I may try to contact someone through his stores at Antique Archeology. Anyone want to wage a bet that they will probably never respond even if I do get a message to them?!
g-edwards (south)

They probably won't.

I think these people are rightfully concerned that anything they say will be spilled onto the internet, somewhere, as soon as it comes out of their mouths. Two decades ago, you could have called and they/he probably would tell you without hesitation. Not that a jacket or the maker is a big deal.

Hopefully, I am wrong and you'll find out. That would be pretty neat!

- Ian

 

[technovox]

Wasn't there an episode where they found a bunch of Bucos? Or is that just another urban myth?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Everyone knows that it's not a real show though, right? The company, the situations, it was created for television.

The jacket is probably one of the few real things on it.

 

[Big J]

They got two shops and a website, but despite having international TV coverage, they don't sell online?

How does that make sense?*

*made for TV.

 

[robrinay]

They do sell a few bits on line - t shirts etc. and rusty lamps but they also sell more interesting stuff on eBay - perhaps its easier to have an eBay store?
http://stores.ebay.com/Pickers-Antique-Archaeology
With regard to the makers of his jackets I suspect they didn't have labels as on the show they give a mini educational talk on the makers of most labelled items. I saw the episode where one of the jackets was 'picked' and he only said he loved it, it fitted and he would probably keep it for himself. Its possible that their failure to respond to queries regarding the makers is a deliberate ploy to keep them in 'the media' on a number of discussion boards.

 

[Edward]

eBay's an inifinitely easier way of doing ecommerce, assuming you don't mind being gouged by their fees. Depending on what sales volume you're putting through, though, that might be cheaper than a web team and all the other elements you'd otherwise need to pull people in to the site.

 

[Seb Lucas]

They do sell a few bits on line - t shirts etc. and rusty lamps but they also sell more interesting stuff on eBay - perhaps its easier to have an eBay store?
http://stores.ebay.com/Pickers-Antique-Archaeology
With regard to the makers of his jackets I suspect they didn't have labels as on the show they give a mini educational talk on the makers of most labelled items. I saw the episode where one of the jackets was 'picked' and he only said he loved it, it fitted and he would probably keep it for himself. Its possible that their failure to respond to queries regarding the makers is a deliberate ploy to keep them in 'the media' on a number of discussion boards.

I think you're right in essence. They like the look of the jacket and that's about it. Much of the stuff they like is picked because it "looks cool". This is not a show that has much scholarship behind it apart from when the producers stick up a little potted history about an object. I don't think they are holding back information about this leather, I don't think they care all that much. And that's perfectly legitimate.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Its an interesting show, I like the aspect of Saving cool old Junk, while making a buck.

But the guys need to tone down the whole *score* thing bigtime. I dont like how they get hard thinking about pitching curves, low-balls, and speedball offers at people all day long.

Some people are good natured dealing with those kinds of things, and others arent.

 

[Edward]

Certainly business is business,but sometimes you do wonder. I went right off one of the property-buying shows here in the UK when the prsenting team encouraged the buyer of the week to gazump someone else. Gazumping is when a seller of a house has agreed to accept the offer of another party, but goes behind their back and accepts another offer (usually slightly higher) from a second buyer. It's legal because in UK law the contract for sale of a house isn't binding until the date of exchange (i.e. when you get the keys with 'vacant possession' and can move in), but gazumping is considered to be a highly immoral thing to do.

I like the shows where people bid on the contents of abandoned storage facilities, largely sight-unseen. Some very unpleasant recurring characters on those shows, but it's still fun.

 

[tonyb]

Everyone knows that it's not a real show though, right? The company, the situations, it was created for television.

The jacket is probably one of the few real things on it.

Absolutely right. It's a TV show -- entertainment. Any show that accurately depicted the day-in, day-out lives of folks who scratch out their living in the cool old stuff business would be a show without an audience.
Bad as the acting in American Pickers is, it's Oscar-worthy in comparison to that of the various pawn shop "reality" shows.

 

[tonyb]

I think you're right in essence. They like the look of the jacket and that's about it. Much of the stuff they like is picked because it "looks cool". This is not a show that has much scholarship behind it apart from when the producers stick up a little potted history about an object. I don't think they are holding back information about this leather, I don't think they care all that much. And that's perfectly legitimate.

Yup. The jacket looks good on him, on camera. That's their bottom line. It is a TV show, after all. It should come as no surprise that the makers of this little entertainment would concern themselves with how things look on teleVISION.

 

[rocketeer]

Absolutely right. It's a TV show -- entertainment. Any show that accurately depicted the day-in, day-out lives of folks who scratch out their living in the cool old stuff business would be a show without an audience.
Bad as the acting in American Pickers is, it's Oscar-worthy in comparison to that of the various pawn shop "reality" shows.

If I can paraphrase you TonyB
Bad as this show can be with its set up camera's at a cold call or even where they show angry landowners etc it is just that, entertainment.
I do like the 'Hard Core Pawn' show though, especially the fights with those whom the management claim the gold is just brass or plated, and the dodgy electrical gear that 'Worked' before the store staff touched it haha. Then of course there is the almost identical show to 'Pickers', Ghost Town Gold, where they pay a fortune for what really does look like genuine junk. I think that series got cancelled.

I did hear the tv staff are rarely present in the Las Vegas Pawn shop and the store is mainly an outlet now for TV themed merchandise such as Chumlee T shirts and those ridiculously priced 'coins' featuring the shop staff.