It seems like every time you're flipping through channels that there's a new show dedicated to the exploits of people who collect other people's junk and sell it for a profit. Storage Wars, on A&E, features a host of random people who attend storage unit auctions and routinely spend hundreds of dollars bidding on what could really be nothing but garbage. But, of course, they usually find items that can be sold for a profit; it's apparently so lucrative that a number of the people on the show make a living buying and selling this... stuff.
American Pickers is another show along a similar vein: two guys drive around the country and sort through people's collected junk, mining the barns, backyards, and abandoned garages of Middle America for antique treasure. Although these dudes seem to be somewhat more knowledgeable about the history of the items they collect and are genuinely interested in the significance of those items, they're still in it for profit. They may know that the rusty sign they've pulled from beneath a broken washing machine on someone's lawn is worth a thousand dollars, but they'll make an offer many times less than the expected value.
My favorite show along these lines is Pawn Stars. Pawn Stars features a family of pawn shop owners/operators in Las Vegas. People from around the country bring them their collectibles and sell them, but not before they're evaluated by an expert who just happens to be around the corner. The manager of the store, Rick, seems to have "a buddy" who is an expert in everything, from pre-Civil War militaria to Japanese toys, and these experts usually provide a reasonable expectation of what the seller could obtain on the open market. However, the best part of the show is the complete and utter lowballing that goes on; everyone gets ripped off by these guys, sometimes to the tune of thousands of dollars, and there's almost no negotiating whatsoever. Honestly people, just go somewhere else. Why not just sell your crap online if you really needed the money? Selling your authentic War of 1812 cavalry sabre at a pawn shop in Vegas doesn't exactly seem like the best move.
Maybe all of these shows popping up within the last few years is due to the tough economic times; perhaps people want to dream that they can show up a storage unit auction or a redneck's barn and make thousands off of a hundred-dollar investment. Regardless, these shows are interesting, due to the historical artifacts that usually pop up on them, as well as the strange characters who seem to populate the world of antique hunters and pawn shops, but are still kind of sad.
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