Most people are pretty familiar with the old saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” but many don’t realize that those words are truer than they could’ve ever imagined. The show American Pickers is proof. Debuting early in 2010, American Pickers follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel from state to state looking for collectible items that they can either re-sale or keep for themselves. Although most of the things they find are old and have been thrown away at some point in time, they have become very valuable over time. In fact, the show’s stars have been able to bring in a small fortune during their more than 10 years on TV. Keep reading to learn how much money Frank Fritz made on American Pickers.
Frank Fritz’ Story
Frank was born and raised in Iowa. From an early age, he developed an interest in collecting items but it wasn’t something he ever thought he could make a career out of. However, after spending more than 20 years working as a fire inspector, he decided it was time to explore other options. He and his friend, Mike Wolfe, decided to open an antique shop together called Antique Archeology. Little did they know, their work would eventually land them an opportunity to become reality TV stars. When American Pickers came along, it completely changed Frank and Mike’s lives forever.
Why Did Frank Leave American Pickers?
From the outside looking in, being on American Pickers was a pretty sweet gig, so most people were surprised when it was announced that he would no longer be a part of the show. According to an article from Yahoo, Frank’s departure was related to ongoing health issues, but there seems to be some conflicting information on the real reason why he is no longer a part of the show. It appears that the relationship between Frank and Mike isn’t as solid as it seemed on TV.
Is There Bad Blood?
In the Yahoo article, Frank hinted at the fact that he and Mike have not been lifelong friends, which is something Mike insinuated in his farewell message to Frank. Frank was also quoted as saying, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.” Frank then went on to say, “The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent,” Fritz said of Wolfe. “I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much. That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the front man. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
In the official Instagram post announcing that Frank was leaving, lots of fans expressed their disappointment. Many of them suggested ending the show if Frank wasn’t going to be a part of it. Others, however, are looking forward to seeing the new direction the show takes.
The specific details about the situation will probably never be released to the public, and Frank seems like he’s ready to just move on. Being off of the show will also allow him more time to focus on his health. In addition to no longer being on American Pickers, it appears that Frank is also no longer affiliated with Antique Archeology.
How Much Has Frank Fritz Made?
Even though Frank’s time on the show is over, he definitely made the most of it while he was there and his pockets are probably thanking him for it. Frank’s exact salary has never been released. However, according to Tickld, Frank brought in about $500,000 per season. This means he’s made millions of dollars in the years since the show’s been on the air. On top of getting paid to be on TV, Mike also brought in money through the antique shop although that amount is unknown. At the moment, Frank’s net worth is estimated to be around $6 million. With this much money, he can easily afford to take a break until he figures out what his next move is going to be.
Who knows, maybe one day Mike will co-host another show or even have one of his own. Either way, there are a lot of people who are hoping that this isn’t the last time they see Mike on their screens. Hopefully, new doors will open up for him and he’ll continue to keep making money doing what he loves.
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