'American Pickers' Want to Pick Through Illinois

You know Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz—the duo on the History Channel's American Pickers? The guys who find great joy and a little adventure in treasure-hunting through rural barns and out-of-the-way shops?

They are coming to Illinois in mid-September, and producers are looking for good picking grounds.

They want colorful characters who value collections and the stories behind them. Specifically, they are looking for old movie posters, unusual transistor or tabletop radios, pinball and slot machines, antique casino or gaming machines, bicycles from the 1940s or earlier, old rodeo items and early Halloween items, among other things, according to producers.

They are not interested in farming and agricultural items, tractors, crocks, stoves, glassware or appliances.

Producers encourage applicants to submit several pictures of the collections and where they are stored. For more information or to submit an application, see this website from the History Channel. Informational flyers are attached to this article as PDFs.

You also can e-mail Cineflix Inc. at Americanpickers@cineflix.com or call the hotline at (646) 493-2184.