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American Pickers - Season 27 - Episode 12: Sign of the Times
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00:01You need to go see either an orthopedic guy or a chiropractor.
00:07No.
00:07Remember when Captain Augustus McCray from Lonesome Dove?
00:11Yeah, he ends up dying.
00:13Yeah, and then Tommy Lee Jones, who plays Woodrow Call,
00:16had to haul Robert Duvall's body all the way back to Georgia.
00:19Yeah.
00:19Remember the way that Robert Duvall was walking?
00:22Yeah, he had septics in his leg.
00:23Well, that's how you walk anymore.
00:25No, I don't drag my foot.
00:27I can go run right now.
00:28You could run a circle.
00:30What are you talking about?
00:48Danny D, what's up?
00:49Danny, do I walk weird?
00:51Do you walk weird?
00:52Well, because my brother said that I walk like I dragged my foot.
00:56I don't know, man.
00:57Why are you asking me questions like this?
00:59A little bit.
01:00You guys are, you guys are, I don't even know what you're talking about.
01:04It's not that you walk weird.
01:05You walk like you have a hitch in your giddy-up.
01:07A hitch in my giddy-up.
01:09That's right, because I compared him to a cowboy.
01:12Hey, you know what?
01:13No, here's the thing.
01:14I was watching you go up the stairs the other day to the office.
01:16Looked a little Frankenstein-ish.
01:19Frankenstein?
01:20What are you talking about?
01:21You guys are, I don't know what's wrong with you guys.
01:23I'm going to teach you a real valuable lesson here, Robbie.
01:26When you're dealing with a Colby girl, if you don't want to know, don't ask.
01:32True story.
01:33Okay.
01:33What do you have?
01:34You got anything?
01:35I have a really fun place for you to go.
01:37Okay.
01:37Actually, it's not only a pick, but it's a roadside attraction.
01:39Ooh.
01:40You got my attention.
01:41Remember when we drove Route 66 and saw all those roadside attractions?
01:44I love Route 60s.
01:45I love doing Route 66 with you, Mike.
01:47It's so fun.
01:48We need to do that again soon.
01:50Woo!
01:51Woo!
01:51Yeah, there you go.
01:52Hey, there's the blue whale.
01:54There's the blue whale!
01:55There's the blue whale!
01:56Oh my gosh, this is cool.
01:57Look at this blue whale.
01:58This is a little cave.
01:58Route 66 history, baby.
02:01Holy cow, that looks amazing.
02:02Yeah, look at this.
02:04One, two, three.
02:06I love a roadside attraction.
02:09Are you boys ready?
02:09Because I am sending you to the Crystal Onyx Cave.
02:14You know what that is?
02:15I guess it's a cave.
02:16Yes, you're on it.
02:18You're on it.
02:19And the owners are Scott and Sarah.
02:21Lovely people.
02:22You're going to really enjoy them.
02:23We're literally picking a cave today.
02:26Obviously, there's not going to be much to pick in a cave, right?
02:28But they are super collectors.
02:30But they don't really have a rhyme or reason that they're collecting.
02:32So you're going to go in there and you're just going to see a bunch of very different items.
02:37All right, send us the address.
02:39All right.
02:40I love you guys.
02:40Have fun out there.
02:52Left a quarter of a mile for an adventure.
02:55The roadside attraction experience starts at the billboard that draws you in, that takes
03:00you off of the highway that sparks the interest.
03:03Just think we could be driving over the cave right now.
03:06Oh, yeah.
03:07Look at the spider.
03:08Look at the spaceship and freaking giant ants.
03:11Look at these ants.
03:12Yeah.
03:13Man.
03:13Look at the Martian.
03:14Let the randomness begin.
03:16Look at the draft.
03:17All of these things have absolutely nothing to do with the cave.
03:21But that's what's so cool about the roadside attraction.
03:24This is awesome, man.
03:26Look at this place.
03:27Look at this.
03:28Look at this, man.
03:30Definitely a roadside attraction.
03:31Look at the shark.
03:32Yeah, that's a hot shark.
03:33He's got it.
03:33Yeah.
03:34Hello?
03:35Hey.
03:36How you doing?
03:37Hey, I'm Mike.
03:37How are you guys?
03:38You guys here for a cave tour?
03:40No, no.
03:41Have you talked to Danny on the phone?
03:42Talked to Danny on the phone, yes.
03:43Yeah, this is some of the stuff she might have went over.
03:45Oh, okay.
03:47Are you one of the owners?
03:47You work here?
03:48Yes, my name is Sarah.
03:49Okay.
03:50How long have you guys had this?
03:51Since 2010.
03:53How far is it from Mammoth Cave?
03:55We're about 15 miles from Mammoth Cave.
03:57No kidding.
03:58Cave City has always been a tourist town full of roadside attractions.
04:02And it's home to Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest known cave system in the world.
04:08Almost 500 miles of cave discovered right here in the hills of Kentucky.
04:14But not just Mammoth Cave, the smaller family-owned ones too.
04:18All of this has an economic ripple effect to this little town, Cave City, Kentucky.
04:24So where are you guys from originally?
04:25Are you from this area?
04:27Oh, yeah.
04:28So you moved all of that stuff here from Michigan, the whole collection?
04:31Yes.
04:32That's part of the problem is all that stuff we have down here.
04:36That's why we called you guys in.
04:37My husband's down there waiting for you guys.
04:39We'll take you down there.
04:40All right, cool.
04:41Lead the way.
04:42So who discovered the cave in 1960?
04:46Cleon Turner.
04:47And then they opened it up to the public in 1965.
04:50Okay.
04:50So where do you get all this stuff?
04:51Like the rocket and the aliens and the ants?
04:53A lot of that, Scott made those.
04:55Really?
04:55Oh, he built that rocket?
04:56Yep.
04:57Did he make this ant?
04:58Nope.
04:59That there is from Mexico.
05:00Oh, it's aluminum.
05:01Yep.
05:02I saw some of these when we came in.
05:04Look at that thing, Robbie.
05:07This is exactly the kind of thing you would see in the Roadside Attraction playbook if there was one.
05:13Something that's bigger than life grabs your attention and makes you smile.
05:17Have you ever sold an ant?
05:18What do you get for an ant?
05:19About $450.
05:20Okay.
05:21$400.
05:23$400.
05:24Sounds like something we can do.
05:26You want to do it?
05:26Yeah.
05:27All right, I'm doing it.
05:27All right, thank you.
05:28Very cool.
05:28It's not the oddest thing I've ever seen to buy.
05:31Something like this that's so unique and interesting, I think, is going to be easy to sell.
05:37Let's go see Scott.
05:39Okay.
05:39Dang.
05:41That's cool.
05:41Oh, wow.
05:42This is our storage.
05:44All right, you got some gas pumps.
05:44Yeah, you got some gas pumps.
05:45Yeah.
05:46Very cool.
05:46All right, Scott, are you here?
05:48Back here.
05:49Look at that cutaway.
05:51That's cool.
05:51Holy cow.
05:52Hey, hey, hey.
05:53Hey.
05:54That thing's cool.
05:55How you doing, buddy?
05:56Pretty good.
05:57How about yourself?
05:57I just bought an ant off your wife.
05:59Oh, you get the $600 for it?
06:01No.
06:02$600?
06:02I don't know.
06:03She said she started at $450.
06:04We did $4.
06:05That's coming off your pay.
06:08So where are you guys from in Michigan?
06:10Thumb.
06:11Okay, you're right in the thumb.
06:12Right below the thumb.
06:13Okay.
06:13Before we bought this cave for about 40 years, the wife and I traveled around the country
06:17to the swap meets dealing in automotive vintage speed equipment.
06:21I deal mostly in intake manifolds and valve covers, vintage speed equipment.
06:24So you specialize in that?
06:25Yeah.
06:26Okay.
06:26But I like the oddball stuff.
06:27Yeah, I saw that.
06:28If I do something alien or something like that.
06:29Yeah.
06:29And I saw you got some gas pumps and stuff.
06:31Oh, yeah.
06:32I'm going to let you guys talk.
06:33I got to get back to work.
06:34Okay.
06:34Hey.
06:34Thank you so much.
06:35It was nice to meet you.
06:36Nice to meet you.
06:38What's going on with the, where'd you get that cutaway at, man?
06:40That's pretty cool.
06:41I picked up at a little show called Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
06:44Oh, yeah.
06:45That's a little one.
06:46What's the tag say?
06:48Carolina County Schools.
06:50So that's weird.
06:51So this was in a school in the U.S. and it's a Fiat.
06:55I think the diminutive size, you couldn't do this with a Cadillac.
06:58No.
06:59Or you couldn't do it with a Chevy or any of that stuff.
07:00So you could do it in a little Fiat.
07:01Yeah.
07:01And this is its actual drivetrain right here.
07:03The last time I found a Fiat cutout was in its homeland in Italy.
07:08It's like a cutout.
07:11It's for the driving school.
07:12Can I turn this?
07:13Yes.
07:14I'm going to turn this thing.
07:16No, I want to turn it out this way.
07:17Okay.
07:18And look what you're talking about.
07:20You're saying this motor right here ran the whole thing?
07:22Yeah.
07:22This is where it was.
07:23But the gearbox is all there.
07:24You can put a motor back on it.
07:26So it's missing the power plant that drove everything.
07:28Correct.
07:29They did quite a good job cutting away the mufflers.
07:31Oh, it's done really well.
07:32The gearbox, even the wheel cylinders are cut down.
07:35They cut down very detailed on this.
07:37I like how they angled the motor in there, you know.
07:39I mean, is it something you want to sell?
07:42I probably could be persuaded.
07:44Well, look, what are you thinking on it?
07:45Well, $3,800.
07:46Okay.
07:47Let me see the front of it a little bit more.
07:49Obviously, like-minded people.
07:50We've been to a lot of the same shows.
07:52It sounds like he's a pretty big dealer.
07:54But that doesn't discourage me because, you know, we all get to a point where we've got
07:58too much inventory or we're just changing gears in life.
08:02If you turn this wheel, it's moving the rear end, but is it moving the interior of the
08:06transmission?
08:07Gearshift is not there.
08:08That's what I'm saying.
08:09It's got to be in gear to make it happen.
08:13It'd be really cool if you could get some sort of power plant over here and just be able
08:18to flip a switch with the lights on and see all of this operating.
08:21It'd be insane.
08:22Does this whole thing pivot on here?
08:24Because look, you turned this knob.
08:26You can turn that.
08:26You got it?
08:27Hold on.
08:29You getting it?
08:30I'm getting it.
08:33All right.
08:33Let's see if we can lift it now.
08:35There it goes.
08:35Yeah.
08:35There we go.
08:36Look at this.
08:36Keep going.
08:37Keep going.
08:37Keep going.
08:38Oh, wow.
08:39Look at it now.
08:40That's really cool, man.
08:41Would you say $3,800?
08:42$3,800.
08:45$3,000.
08:48I mean, it looks to me like the sprocket here is there, but there's a gearbox.
08:52It's missing the top sprocket in the motor.
08:55It's got to need some work.
08:57I want to get it going.
08:58You know what?
08:59I'd probably do $3,200 on it.
09:02I'm not going to argue with you.
09:04$3,200.
09:05Yeah.
09:06Very cool.
09:06I love it, man.
09:07Well, let's pull her outside so you can see the good stuff back there.
09:10All right.
09:10It's very unusual to find a full-size car in a cutaway.
09:15Fiat did it right here.
09:16If you were working on one of these and you had this model next to you, you'd be able to
09:20fix anything on it.
09:21Leave it to the Europeans design something so cool, but so simple.
09:25Wow.
09:26So cool, man.
09:26Thing looks better outside.
09:27It's so cool that it's on this articulating stand so you can move it around and see all the different
09:33angles.
09:34It's really well thought out.
09:35It's very well made.
09:36It's basically industrial art that's a hands-on teaching aid.
09:40That's awesome.
09:42Very cool.
09:42Oh, I figured you'd want your money back now.
09:43All right.
09:57So is a lot of this stuff like pieces and parts where you're making things out of?
10:02Because, you know, when we pull up, you've got like little spaceships.
10:05When I see a shape or an object, I think, how could I make an alien or a dinosaur out
10:11of it?
10:11It's just good photo ops and people just love that kind of stuff.
10:14Route 66, that's what I'm trying to go for, a roadside attraction.
10:17We get a lot of families here, a lot of children.
10:20And I'm just hoping when they get older, they say, I remember that.
10:24Maybe they'll bring their kids down here.
10:25I remember parents taking me out on trips, seeing the biggest ball of twine or whatever, and biggest Coke bottle
10:31and all that.
10:32And, you know, those all went by the wayside.
10:35He is the perfect curator for this property because he hasn't forgotten what's interesting to a child.
10:41He's still a big kid at heart.
10:43We've seen this cave about a half a dozen different times before he bought it some 20, 30 years ago.
10:47As a tourist?
10:48Yeah, as a tourist.
10:49So it's, you know, amazing that we're able to get it.
10:52We have just about every type of formation you could want to see here at Crystal Honest Cave.
10:56And it's up close.
10:57You're not standing 50 foot away, looking through plexiglass.
11:00You're literally walking through some formations.
11:03We spent about eight years refurbishing the cave.
11:05I did the work that it deserved.
11:07This cave belongs to everybody.
11:09We want to protect the cave for the future generations.
11:12What a blessing.
11:13Yes, it is.
11:13That's awesome.
11:14There's not a lot Scott can do to upgrade the experience in the caves.
11:18God made that perfect.
11:20But up here, this is Scott's playground.
11:22This is his blank canvas of whatever he dreams up.
11:31Dude, there's Rat.
11:32How much is Rat Fink?
11:34Uh, those go for around 400 bucks.
11:37They're cast aluminum.
11:38Rat Fink is kind of like the Mickey Mouse of the Hot Rod world.
11:42Which is ironic because Big Daddy Roth created Rat Fink because of his dislike for Mickey Mouse.
11:48He came up with this character in the 1950s and ever since then, Rat Fink has been one of the
11:54most recognized mascots of custom car culture.
11:57All the old guys know what it is.
11:59The old guys and, you know, we're trying to teach the young guys about it.
12:02350.
12:04Oh, man, I'm pretty cheap at 400 on those.
12:07You're cheap on it.
12:08All right, I'm doing it.
12:09I'm doing 400.
12:10All right.
12:11We have a Cars and Coffee event at Columbia Motor Alley the third Saturday of every month.
12:16So I want to put this outside where kids can get their picture taken next to it.
12:20I saw some gas pumps.
12:22This is an American and this is a...
12:24Bart, these are visibles.
12:26Yes.
12:26What are you going to do with these?
12:28I'd probably be willing to sell them.
12:29I'd be more interested in this one right here.
12:32Oh, yes.
12:33They actually had a barn fire, so you can see they kind of got a little smoke color to them.
12:38What do you think you got to have out of all three of them?
12:40I probably would have to get around 7,000 for all three.
12:4425, 25, 2.
12:46Yeah.
12:46I'd have to be around $4,000.
12:48I mean, because this one's missing the cylinder.
12:50It's missing the top.
12:51You know, the condition.
12:53I'm afraid I can't quite do $4,000 on those.
12:55Okay.
12:56But I do have a couple more if you want to take a look at it.
12:58Maybe we could do a package deal on all of them.
13:00Where are they at?
13:01Walk this way.
13:02All right.
13:03All right.
13:04Wow.
13:05Did you move these up here?
13:06Yeah.
13:07Dragged them up with the tractor.
13:08When I moved out of Michigan, it was like condensing five gallons into a gallon container.
13:12And those shipping containers were just really handy.
13:16Ooh.
13:16Yeah.
13:17That's one you may not even be able to walk through.
13:19Oh, yeah.
13:19Look at that Amoco sign.
13:21I know it's rough, but I was saying probably like around 1,200 on it.
13:23I got the surround for it, the top.
13:27Oh, yeah.
13:30Oh, yeah.
13:32That one's, that one's scratching.
13:33Flaming the ring.
13:34I'll throw those in.
13:35Let me grab the ring for it.
13:37All right.
13:37He's trying to talk us into it, Rob.
13:38He's getting a ring.
13:39The ring looks like it went to a tornado.
13:41Look at that.
13:42It's all, I mean, it needs to be, it could be heated up and put back in.
13:45How do you go about straightening stuff like that?
13:47You run the forklift on it and then you let it sit for like two days and it'll be fine.
13:51You know as well as I do, as soon as you flatten it, more porcelain comes off of it.
13:54It could.
13:54You have to do, it's a slow process.
13:56800 bucks.
13:57If it's missing pieces, I could say that.
13:59But I got the flame for the top.
14:01But what about the condition?
14:03Patina.
14:04Yeah.
14:04That's all it is.
14:05Get out of here.
14:061,000 bucks.
14:10850.
14:11950.
14:15What do you think, RJ?
14:17I guess we're doing the work.
14:19I guess we're doing it.
14:20It's there.
14:20I was thinking about, you know, straining that out a little bit.
14:23But I kind of realized, you know what?
14:24I got so many projects, probably never get around to it.
14:28So, time to let her go.
14:29Robby, right here's a Mae West.
14:31Oh, it's rough on the backside of it.
14:33Yeah, that thing's rougher than a corn cob.
14:35Yeah.
14:35Is that one of the ones you were talking about?
14:37Yeah, unfortunately.
14:38Yeah, that thing's rough.
14:40I can see what you're saying.
14:41I've never seen one rotted that bad.
14:50Okay, this is the other one you're talking about?
14:52Yes.
14:53Oh, it's a Tokum, but it's got the dial on it.
14:55This one's probably the best condition one you got.
14:57It is.
14:57This is the best one you got.
14:58Yeah.
14:59Where are you at with all five?
15:05You don't really want to sell them, do you?
15:07Not really.
15:08Yeah.
15:10I just got to walk away.
15:12There's three other containers here, and I need to dig into these.
15:16My favorite light.
15:18I got your favorite light.
15:19It's so unusual.
15:21Well, it's got both of them.
15:22I'm not even sure what it's for.
15:22Huh.
15:23Where'd you find this hat?
15:24Hershey.
15:26Of course.
15:26That could have had a glass piece for the.
15:30It did, because look, there's a reflector right there.
15:32I don't think it was for automobiles.
15:34I mean, I'm going to throw my hat in the ring and say, possibly trolley car.
15:38What do you think on that?
15:39Missing a post on the bottom.
15:41You know, that thing's probably going to be around 1,200.
15:42It's really interesting with this orbital light on top, but yellow lenses on traffic lights
15:48didn't come out until the 1920s.
15:50There were also traffic lights called silent cop lights, where basically there was an officer
15:54at the intersection, and he was working with the light itself.
15:58So, there's a lot of different possibilities.
16:00It's just so intriguing and so different.
16:02I'm not going to pass it up.
16:04800 bucks.
16:07Ah, can't do that.
16:09Work with me some.
16:11Bottom line, 1,000 bucks.
16:16Hold that.
16:191,000 bucks.
16:22Condition.
16:23That's patina.
16:24I don't know about that.
16:25That's beyond patina.
16:26That's beyond.
16:27Yeah.
16:28Okay, 1,000 bucks.
16:29Okay.
16:30Thanks, man.
16:31I appreciate it.
16:32Whoa, hey, don't scratch that.
16:34I always say when I buy something, it's like a fate worse than death, because it's just
16:38going to get locked away in one of my storage containers.
16:40So, I'm glad somebody bought it that will enjoy it.
16:43There's even a more rare one way back there.
16:46It's called a mushroom.
16:47There's another one that's next to it that looks a little bit more ornate than it.
16:51Those are old town Chicago lights.
16:53Are those two something you'd want to sell?
16:56I'll sell them, but you probably ain't going to like the price.
16:58Three grand for the pair.
17:00I'm going to have to come back there and take a look.
17:02All right.
17:02Back in the early days, when traffic lights were getting more and more prevalent in cities,
17:06they were made out of solid cast iron, really ornate.
17:10But as time went on, they just casted them aside and then put ugly ones in.
17:14I believe this is the mushroom.
17:15Yeah.
17:16It says mushroom right on it.
17:17So, what are you thinking on the pair?
17:19$4,500 for the pair.
17:22I think that's closer to the retail number.
17:25For how unusual those are, that's a pretty decent price.
17:29I'm at three grand.
17:30This would have had like a white globe on it.
17:32You're going to have to find the poles for the bottom of them.
17:34The base itself would have been ornate too.
17:36I'll come up some.
17:39How much?
17:40Can I dig them out and actually look at the, you know, I want to make sure all the glass
17:44is actually intact on them.
17:46It ain't going to be an easy job, but I think we can get them out.
17:48Come on.
17:55There we go.
17:56Watch your hand.
17:57We're coming down.
18:00All right.
18:01There you go.
18:04You got them?
18:05Yeah, I got it out.
18:06So, that's just a vase that it's sitting on.
18:09Yeah, somebody made that.
18:10How many more are there?
18:11There's one.
18:12I can get it out of here.
18:13Let me see.
18:14I'll help you.
18:14I'll go up.
18:15Yep, we got to go up, up, up.
18:18Okay.
18:19And then that down.
18:21These streetlights got thrown into the dump when they were done with them, or they got crushed.
18:26The fact that these two exist and they're still here, that's what's mind-blowing.
18:30I mean, that's a work of art.
18:31These things don't have a mark on them.
18:33They're not cracked.
18:34They're not broken.
18:35The lenses are intact.
18:36When you talk about a hundred-year-old traffic light, that is absolutely amazing.
18:41$3,700.
18:44Sounds like a deal.
18:46All right.
18:48Man, that's cool, brother.
18:49Do you remember where this one came out of?
18:51Old Town Chicago.
18:52Old Town Chicago.
18:53Both these would.
18:54Oh, my gosh.
18:54My brother and I both floated in and out of Chicago for years.
18:58The fact that these are from Chicago and that Robbie's into transportation history really drives it home on how cool
19:05they are to us.
19:06There you go.
19:06You got it?
19:07I agree.
19:08I have respect for them.
19:10I mean, they treated me fair.
19:12It's unfortunate we couldn't come to grips on some items, but, you know, I'm very happy with how it went.
19:18It was a fun day.
19:19I love what you're doing for not just your family, but for the community.
19:22It's so cool to have a place like this.
19:25When most people are at the point where they're settling down, Scott and Sarah uprooted their whole lives and moved
19:30to Cave City, Kentucky, to be the caretakers of something that they were extremely passionate about.
19:36I think what continues to drive them is not only their love for each other, but also their love for
19:41adventure.
19:42Come see us in Nashville.
20:14Right here?
20:16The gate's closed.
20:17There's the dude.
20:18Look at all his trucks, too.
20:20Are you freaking?
20:21What is up?
20:22Look at you.
20:24Yeah.
20:25All right, here we go.
20:26Got it.
20:27I'm under control.
20:28Jones and out here.
20:29Sell down, truck boy.
20:30Come on.
20:31Come on.
20:32These aren't just regular trucks here.
20:35I know.
20:38What's going on?
20:39You dick?
20:41How you doing, man?
20:44Hey, buddy.
20:45What's going on?
20:45I'm Mike.
20:46Nice to meet you.
20:46Nice to meet you.
20:47Here, hit him with a flyer.
20:49Right there.
20:50Trucks.
20:50You have no idea how excited my brother is about trucks.
20:53I like trucks.
20:54You guys are cut from the same cloth.
20:56I like trucks.
20:56Yeah, I like trucks.
20:58How many trucks you got?
20:59I don't know.
21:0050.
21:0150?
21:02That's part of the reason I called you guys.
21:04I got a precious little girl by the name of Bria.
21:07Okay.
21:07She's eight, and I'm hanging out with her all the time.
21:10Okay, you got a granddaughter.
21:11You know, she's got a couple vehicles in here she wants Papa to make sure she gets.
21:15Okay.
21:16And the rest of this stuff probably is going to go away.
21:18So priorities are changing.
21:19Bria's my granddaughter.
21:21That's a lot more important than a 65 Chrysler.
21:23So I came up with a five-year plan to sell 20 cars a year, because I got a downsized
21:28somehow.
21:28I'm ready to go to hangar five.
21:30All right.
21:30How many hangars you got?
21:33That's the only one next to the airport.
21:34Did these used to be hangars, though?
21:36No.
21:37Were they connected to the airport?
21:38It was a funeral home.
21:39Okay.
21:40There's a lot of people that are in the same exact position as Dick.
21:43Dude, were you in the towing service?
21:44It was my own rig for my own stuff.
21:46They're starting to reevaluate things, priorities change.
21:49But he's way ahead of the game, because he's making these decisions himself.
21:54He's not waiting until the last minute when sometimes these decisions are made for us.
22:00Who's Dean?
22:01He ran a copy service here before the funeral home.
22:04So we're working on projects in here.
22:06What's going on with this thing, man?
22:07This is crazy.
22:08Look at this, Robbie.
22:09That's an aeroporter made by Checker.
22:11This thing, Ryan?
22:12It will run, but it's probably been sleeping here for 10 years.
22:15Robbie, take a picture of me with this thing.
22:17Hold on there.
22:17Believe it or not, we have come across these Checker Aero buses over the years.
22:22They started making them in the early 60s, and really, they were produced to transport people on the tarmac.
22:28They're so unique looking and different.
22:31A lot of times, they end up as a promotional vehicle.
22:34This Cadillac limousine, man.
22:36This is a 57 Cadillac Fleetwood limo.
22:39And back in the day, Governor Brown from California rode in this car.
22:43Wow.
22:44You got a singer?
22:45Look at that, Robbie.
22:46So, you have all these cars.
22:48What did you do for a living?
22:49I drilled wheels.
22:50Oil and gas.
22:51Yeah, I started that in 1970, 1971.
22:54My brother Brad and I did that.
22:55I did the production, and Brad did the rigs.
22:57So, when you first started that, what was your background?
23:00How did you know to get into that?
23:01We're engineers.
23:02My dad went to Yale University.
23:04He was an engineer.
23:05And, of course, he had four boys.
23:06And every one of us wanted to be an engineer.
23:08And that's what happened to us.
23:09We all went off and did that.
23:11I was in the South working for General Electric on power plants.
23:14And I got exposed to the oil field.
23:16And I said, no, no.
23:18I know what I want to do.
23:19Yeah.
23:19You know, after a while, you'd figure out what you want to do.
23:22That's exactly right.
23:22And that was like magic.
23:23Every day I'd get up and I'd be ready to jump in.
23:26He loved it that much.
23:27Yes.
23:27The biggest compliment my dad ever gave me is later in life.
23:31He said, you are a risk taker more than I ever was.
23:35You'll try anything.
23:37And I was.
23:38I mean, I tried a lot of stuff.
23:39It didn't always work, but I was going to give it a shot.
23:42So, what are you asking for the singer?
23:44Your first lowest offer.
23:45Your first.
23:47The only reason I'm asking about the singer is because I'm a sponge and I want to know
23:52the value of things.
23:53I wanted six.
23:54Five sound that's a good, I'll take four.
23:56And if my lowest offer was two?
23:57You own it.
23:58Yeah.
24:00I'm always wanting to learn.
24:02And that's the cool thing about our job, man.
24:04This is a 56, isn't it?
24:05It is.
24:06The engine's a new 312.
24:08But once the ignition's finished, it'll drive again.
24:10What's this worth running down the road?
24:12$39,000.
24:13And it's not like you're sitting in school falling asleep on your desk.
24:17You know, this is all hands-on history.
24:19This is from our area right here, boy.
24:21You weren't just buying trucks, now you're buying tractors.
24:24That happens.
24:25Look at this, RJ.
24:26Got some stuff.
24:27Hey, Dick, do you want to sell this propeller?
24:30Yeah.
24:30I mean, it's non-usable.
24:32It looks like the plane actually crashed.
24:34This is a prop.
24:35If you were ever a pilot, which I was, I flew planes for 20 years.
24:39You just have to buy something like that.
24:41What do you want to give me for you?
24:44125.
24:46You want to try a little harder?
24:47I threw the number out there.
24:48You got to come back at me.
24:50Okay, 200.
24:52160.
24:53Yeah.
24:55That was simple.
24:56Everybody typically wants the wooden propellers.
24:58The aluminum ones I find quite often, this is just a prop.
25:01It's going to go up in someone's home, or it's going to go in a business.
25:05So, Dick, what mounts on here?
25:06What does this stand for?
25:08KR Wilson, Buffalo, New York.
25:10It's an engine stand, but I don't know what it fits.
25:13It looks early.
25:14It looks like it would take an old four-cylinder flathead something.
25:18Yeah.
25:18What are you thinking on it?
25:19Would you sell it?
25:19Oh, sure.
25:21100 bucks.
25:22All right, I'm going to do that.
25:24It'd be cool to display something on it.
25:25This is missing a few pieces, but I think we can find them.
25:28And once we do, we can start displaying some of the engines that we have in a better way.
25:33I love it.
25:45Let me show you this building next door.
25:47Okay, cool.
25:48Flightline Roadhouse.
25:49I'll show you where the airplane's at.
25:51I'd love to see that.
25:52What year is it?
25:53That's a 34 Pete and Paul.
25:55Okay.
25:56Pete and Paul.
25:57Wow.
25:58Nice.
25:59I haven't seen this side of you, Dick.
26:00You got glass cases.
26:02Cool.
26:02There's some good stuff in here.
26:03He's got a bar right in his office here.
26:05I like your style, man.
26:06So this bar was a soda fountain at Lloyd's Landing on Cross Lake.
26:10That sign was on it.
26:12Closed for violation of National Prohibition Act.
26:15Yeah.
26:16Wow.
26:16I was a member of an antique car club here in town, and I bought a wrecker.
26:21Then the word got out, you know, and then people would call me and say, well, my aunt has got
26:25this old car.
26:25She can't drive anymore.
26:26Why don't you come look at it?
26:27Of course I'd buy it.
26:28The next thing I know, it got crazy, and I just kept buying stuff, and it was a hobby that
26:33went astray.
26:34Pete and Paul?
26:3534 model.
26:36It was all in pieces.
26:37It wasn't hard to assemble it.
26:38Wow.
26:39Look at this.
26:40I drove it last month.
26:41I drive it often.
26:43Did you?
26:43Really?
26:44Six volts, same thing.
26:45Positive ground, three speed.
26:48I can still burn rubber.
26:49This thing's all sweaty.
26:50Who painted it?
26:51We did the fenders.
26:52The body's never been painted.
26:54The dash and everything's original paint?
26:55Yes.
26:55No doubt.
26:56Every once in a while, you come across something that is an original paint, and it's so nice that it
27:03just blows your mind.
27:05How long ago did you paint the fenders on this thing?
27:0785.
27:08No kidding.
27:09See, you wouldn't do that now, would you?
27:10I could sandblast the fenders and beat them up for you.
27:15So, anybody knows, if you're a car guy, and you want to buy a car, and you've got a wife,
27:20you might have a problem.
27:21I got it home.
27:22It was Valentine's Day.
27:23Oh.
27:24Yeah.
27:24And I said, happy Valentine's Day.
27:28And she looked at it.
27:29She said, it's beautiful.
27:31Give me the title.
27:34She wanted to make sure it was hers.
27:35That's right.
27:36And I did.
27:36I had to.
27:37No doubt, man.
27:38I've been in those predicaments before.
27:40So, this is a keeper.
27:42Well, I lost Sherry.
27:44Okay.
27:44I'm sorry.
27:45How long ago?
27:47Last year.
27:47Oh, I'm sorry.
27:48And I'm thinking about, yeah, it's time.
27:52How long were you with Sherry?
27:5446 years.
27:55Oh, my gosh.
27:56Sherry loved nice-looking cars, and she loved to ride and go somewhere with me.
28:01We'd stop and eat ice cream in the afternoon and go to dinner at night and meet people all over.
28:06She loved that.
28:07That was fun.
28:07I'm seven years into my five-year plan to sell 20 or 25 cars a year.
28:13Of 20 to 25 cars?
28:14Okay.
28:15I'm behind.
28:16It's an emotional journey to have this much history around you.
28:20It's a big deal that he's thinking about selling the cars that are connected to some of the biggest moments.
28:27Don't you love being around this stuff, too?
28:29Like, when I go into where my motorcycles are, I love being around it.
28:32Absolutely.
28:32I love being around it.
28:33I never felt like I should pay a psychiatrist.
28:36I could sit in this and try to start it, and I'm okay.
28:38Yeah.
28:39There you go.
28:39It's humbling to be with Dick at this point in his life because I'm kind of approaching that stage two.
28:47Like, you know, we're all going to be there.
28:48This is a man's car right here.
28:50This is Starliner.
28:52Look at that.
28:52That's a play, man.
28:53Four-speed disc brakes, locker rear end, three two-barrels on a 390.
28:58Wow.
28:58I know, man.
28:59So what do you value this thing at?
29:0150.
29:02What do you value the 35 at?
29:03Same.
29:04Dick wasn't screwing around when he said he was a car collector.
29:06I mean, there's some bad-ass cars in here, man.
29:10But where are the trucks?
29:12What age do you think that used car sign has on it?
29:14Oh, it's probably 50s or 60s.
29:17Is it wood or metal?
29:18It's metal, I'm pretty sure.
29:20We'll know when we get there.
29:21No, it's metal, and it's got a metal frame, too, not a wood frame.
29:27It's metal on metal.
29:28I'm thinking on that.
29:30300 bucks.
29:31I'll give you five.
29:33It's more than generous.
29:35All right.
29:36Hey, thank you.
29:37It's yours.
29:38That used car sign, in my mind, it wasn't worth $500.
29:41So when you're going to pay me $500, I need to say yes, sir.
29:44So, Dick, I saw this over here.
29:46Chevy Service.
29:47Where'd that sign come from?
29:49I have no idea.
29:52That's something you want to sell, Dick?
29:53Yep.
29:54Let's see the other side of it here.
29:56It's two sides.
29:58It's in pretty good shape.
29:59I mean, it's got some whammies on it, but it's cool.
30:03What are you thinking on this thing?
30:05$750.
30:06I'm going to do one better for you than that.
30:08Give you $1,000.
30:10It's yours.
30:11He could have just bought it for $750, and I probably would have been happy.
30:14But now I'm impressed.
30:16It tells me something about it.
30:17His brother, same way.
30:18That work?
30:18Yes, sir.
30:29Is this the boardroom?
30:30It is.
30:30Here we go.
30:31Look at this.
30:32Super Chevy Service flat rate schedule, 50 to 54.
30:36I have a dealership from 47.
30:38Did you?
30:39Yeah.
30:39No, I still do.
30:40Wow.
30:40What do you want for this?
30:42$25.
30:43All right.
30:43I got to get it.
30:44I just put it on the shelf there, man.
30:45This book is the service rates from the 1950s.
30:48So this would have been on the desk in someone's office in, like, the building that I own.
30:52So we're kind of bringing it on home.
30:54Packard.
30:55Okay.
30:55That's cool.
30:56What are you thinking on that?
30:57Packard chassis.
30:59$25.
31:00No, I'll give you 50 bucks.
31:02You're low on it.
31:03You know, that's what I like about you.
31:04Yeah?
31:05It was just sitting there not doing any good.
31:07I figured he needed it more than I did.
31:09This is a cottage chair, all hand-painted.
31:131870s, 1880s.
31:14This is all handmade, man.
31:16Dude, jersey is wearing off on you.
31:18I know he is.
31:19I'm buying chairs now.
31:20Hey!
31:20You know what?
31:21Jersey's my furniture mentor, dude.
31:22I know enough to be dangerous just because I'm putting in literally hundreds of miles with
31:27Jersey talking about furniture.
31:29So some of this stuff that I used to walk by, I'm starting to pick it up now because of
31:34my mentor furniture guy, Jersey John.
31:37$150.
31:39$300.
31:41$1.70.
31:42$1.70.
31:44That's more than I wanted.
31:45Okay.
31:46All right.
31:47Very cool.
31:48I figured it was worth 20 bucks.
31:49But he liked it and he offered me a handsome price and of course I have to say yes.
31:53I noticed this car when I was standing over there.
31:56A bright orange Studebaker.
31:57What year is it?
31:5814.
31:59Wow.
32:00It's like a tractor.
32:01You got hand controls.
32:02Back in the day, you had primer cups.
32:05You dribble a little down each one of these little.
32:07We all benefit from guys like Dick and the Hobby.
32:10The ones that really dive into and research the mechanical aspect of everything.
32:15So then we do this, close them.
32:17Not just to fix things, but also to help us understand the evolution of what we have.
32:23All right.
32:23You ready?
32:24Yeah.
32:24Yeah.
32:32Bam.
32:33Starts right up.
32:34There was never a cover on that.
32:35Look at that.
32:36Look at how that flywheel spins down there.
32:38It's a magnificent piece of machinery.
32:43Yeah.
32:49So are we ever going to go see that truck?
32:51Robbie, did you see this sign?
32:53Patience has never been one of my brother's strong suits.
32:55It looks like it's been through a fire.
32:57Are you familiar with where it was?
32:59No.
32:59Because you can see some char on this side.
33:00I don't know where I got it.
33:01And you can see how the sign is bent.
33:03Well, what happened was the porcelain kind of heated up.
33:05You'll never get it to straighten out because the heat.
33:07There's no caps that melted.
33:08Look at this side of it, Robbie.
33:09You know, right there.
33:10Oh, yeah.
33:11Porcelain is pretty much indestructible, but this one has been in a fire.
33:14The damage that it's sustained is irreversible.
33:18The retail on it, I think, is like 700 bucks.
33:20I tell you what, I'd do five.
33:22Let's go.
33:23You want to do it?
33:23Yeah.
33:23Okay.
33:24I mean, here's the deal.
33:25It's like there's always an entry-level collector.
33:28This is a really rare sign, and it does have the original bracket, but condition is everything.
33:33Hey, Dick, can I see those trucks?
33:35All right.
33:35Next building over.
33:36You weren't even kidding here.
33:38You got a BMAC there.
33:39This is an auto car.
33:40You got a Ford in the middle.
33:42That's why we named it Big Truck.
33:43What's this project you're working on here?
33:45What are you doing to this Chrysler?
33:46That is a 35 Chrysler.
33:48Wow, Dick, you weren't a kid.
33:5035 Chrysler, eight-cylinder.
33:52One of the high-end cars for 35.
33:54He's freaking right now, Dick.
33:55He likes trucks.
33:56I own my own business my entire life.
33:58Trucks are for people that want to get stuff done in the world, and you wonder why my brother
34:02always calls me.
34:04That's the one.
34:0647.
34:07This is hand-painted right here.
34:10Valentine's 86 proof.
34:11This thing run?
34:12Yes.
34:13It's a cab over.
34:14Yeah.
34:15So the engine sits between the driver and the swamper, okay?
34:19Would you say the driver and the who?
34:21Swamper.
34:22You know, the guy does all the work.
34:23The driver sits there and steers.
34:25Hell yeah, baby.
34:28Look at this, RJ Wolf.
34:30Yeah, look at that.
34:32That's the AC right there.
34:34Lloyd Rainier, who loved Fords, bought it.
34:37And he and my friend Jack Thomas would drive this to the paid swap meet from Shreveport with
34:42all their junk in the back.
34:43So what is paid?
34:44Like two and a half, three hours from here?
34:46He's stuck.
34:47Doors locked.
34:48You've got to bump it now.
34:49Bump it.
34:50I could get you out.
34:52All right.
34:53I'll get out of this side.
34:54Nick says he can get out.
35:00Dude, it's right here.
35:03I got him.
35:04You're trying to tell me these guys drove this every year to the paid swap meet.
35:09They did.
35:10What did they do, sleep in the back?
35:11How far is it?
35:12300 miles.
35:13Can you imagine, Robbie, seeing this thing go down the road?
35:16That'd be nuts.
35:16You know, it's probably 40 or something.
35:18It has no rust in it whatsoever.
35:20Robbie, look at this.
35:21There's a different liquor on the other side.
35:22Look at that.
35:23That's all hand-painted.
35:24Oh, wow.
35:25Look at that.
35:26And now, man.
35:28This thing is so solid.
35:29It's crazy.
35:30So you got a title to this thing?
35:32Yeah, I got a title.
35:34The condition of the signage on this truck is incredible.
35:37It's all hand-painted.
35:39The graphics, the color.
35:40I think this might be the coolest cabover I've seen.
35:43It's a real time capsule.
35:44I could see why my brother is geeking out over it.
35:4748,000 miles on it.
35:49The first engine was the 47.
35:51Lloyd put that 53 flathead in there with a distributor and a much better engine.
35:56Dick is one of those guys, I want to call him a savior,
35:58because this truck, had it been sitting outside,
36:00all the advertising on the side of it would have been gone.
36:03It's not even faded out.
36:05Let me look at the other side of this thing.
36:07Then you got the condition of the co itself.
36:09I mean, it's magic.
36:11This is for sale.
36:12Yeah.
36:12I'm thinking 30.
36:1430,000?
36:15Mm-hmm.
36:16You're thinking 30 because of the advertising?
36:18Yes.
36:18The paintings on the back are something nobody can do over.
36:23It's a time capsule.
36:24I was thinking like 17.
36:31Just because of the work that's going to go back into it,
36:34I'm not going to put it back on the street the way it is.
36:36I can't drive 40.
36:37The fact that the truck engine has been changed to a 53 with a distributor,
36:41big plus.
36:42Easy to work on.
36:43And I'll come down a little, but not 17.
36:47You got to pick your game up a little bit there.
36:53I'm going to come back and think about this.
36:55Okay.
36:55Dick kind of blew me out of the water at 30 grand.
36:58Get a toothpick and chew on it.
36:59Does that help?
37:00Yes, sir.
37:01Okay.
37:02And I understand where he's coming from.
37:03It's got the original advertising,
37:04but no one is going to drive this thing 40 mile an hour,
37:07especially me.
37:16I saw something over here when we first walked in.
37:19So is this Oldsmobile?
37:22Is that what I'm looking at here?
37:2388?
37:24That's the Rocket 88.
37:24Yeah, Rocket 88.
37:25Those hung on the wall at Roundtree Oldsmobile in Shreveport.
37:29The 88 was on the side of their building.
37:31It was put up when the Rocket 88 was the thing to buy.
37:34If you kind of gauge the age of them,
37:36I mean, the Rocket 88 came out in 49.
37:38Probably 52, 53, 54.
37:41And then a lot of people consider it the first muscle car.
37:44They consider it the beginning of crazy hot rod times.
37:47The Rocket 88 motor was used in drag cars all the time.
37:50Oh, yeah.
37:50And first NASCAR, too.
37:52That's correct.
37:52They were bumping the Hemi.
37:54The Rocket 88 was so influential
37:56that it wasn't just dominating on the track.
37:58It was also dominating on the airwaves.
38:01So imagine if these things were lit up, man.
38:03It's like there'd be smoke coming off of these suckers, man.
38:06Well, the glass is somewhat broken.
38:09No, I know.
38:09I mean, you'd have to do the work.
38:11You'd have to pay the money to do the work.
38:13Yeah, you do.
38:13Porcelain is still in good shape.
38:171,000 apiece.
38:19About three.
38:21How about 25?
38:23They're worth 25.
38:24Would you do that?
38:25Yeah.
38:26Okay.
38:26All right, I'll do 25.
38:27I'm good.
38:27All right.
38:28I love them.
38:29I think they're really cool.
38:30To have the porcelain 88 off an original dealership is epic.
38:35It just really elevates the value and the interest of the sign.
38:39How about this one?
38:40It's a 48.
38:41It's got a small block Chevy and a standard four-speed.
38:44So what could you cruise this at, then?
38:4655.
38:47Let's stay focused on this thing.
38:49I'm with you.
38:50Okay.
38:51I'm here.
38:52I gave you a number.
38:53Your number's here.
38:55I'm right here.
38:56Where does it need to be?
38:58$26,000.
39:03I want to be at $20,000.
39:06$26,000 and I'll haul it to your house.
39:08For free?
39:09Well, how far do I have to go?
39:11Iowa.
39:12It's about $1,000 to haul it up there, probably.
39:17I think I'm pretty good at it.
39:18What do you think of this, Dick?
39:20If he's at 20, I know he has to come up a little bit.
39:26I'm looking right through him, staring at this cool motor sign.
39:30Okay.
39:30How about if I did, you know, because it conditions everything on that.
39:37Just a little bit of weight.
39:38I'd do four grand on the sign.
39:39I'm just going to throw my hat in the ring and see if I can bring this deal together for
39:44these guys.
39:45This is a 1930s cool motor, clover-shaped sign.
39:49A very rare sign.
39:50They also had an earlier version that they call the kite sign.
39:55A lot of the cool motor stuff, especially in this condition, is extremely hard to find.
40:00$4,000 for the sign and would you come up a grand?
40:04$21,000.
40:06There you go.
40:07I'm doing it.
40:08You're all right.
40:09Did that work?
40:10It worked.
40:11All right.
40:12I wasn't sure how it would twist, but it twisted right.
40:15Is that how that works?
40:16I can do that.
40:16Okay.
40:17All right.
40:17You owe me $500.
40:18I'm still on.
40:20As far as I'm concerned, Mike saved the day.
40:24I don't know if I want to tell him that.
40:27All right.
40:28So I've got to ask, were you serious about hauling it for $1,000?
40:31Yes, I want to make a trip to Iowa.
40:33So if it's a little bit more than that, I would be glad to pay it.
40:37Okay, so if it's $2,500, that's okay.
40:40There's a cap on it there.
40:41Wouldn't you crap your pants if he showed up and he drove this up there?
40:45All right, I've got to look at this sign now that I bought it.
40:48It's a cloverleaf.
40:49Yeah, man.
40:50How's the other side?
40:51Got some whammies on it, on the edges of it.
40:54Still, it's amazing.
40:55It's got the original sign frame and bracket here.
40:58You need a bigger truck.
40:59Yeah.
41:00We need a bigger truck.
41:00We can fill that truck up and you can haul it up there for us.
41:05I think he has you leaving tonight.
41:07I ain't going to live long enough to move all this stuff out.
41:10I'm not really interested in calling auction company ABC to come in and wipe it all out of
41:15here in a week.
41:16That's no fun.
41:17Hey, I appreciate you taking the time, buddy.
41:19It's been a good day.
41:20It's been a good day.
41:21That truck went to a good home.
41:22I had a lot of fun.
41:23It's been a good day.
41:25Thank you for coming down.
41:26I appreciate it.
41:27Dick's one of those guys you want to inspire to be like.
41:29Maybe in a couple of months, I'll go back there and knock on the door and see how many
41:31other trucks he wants to sell.
41:34See you, buddy.
41:35Yo.
41:46How do you go about straightening stuff like that?
41:47You run the forklift on it and it'll be fine.
41:49You know as well as I do, as soon as you flatten it, more porcelain comes off of it.
41:53I could.
42:16I could.
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