Something has come up in conversation a few times from a few different sources during the past week. Pickers. No, not necessarily those who pick their nose. Or their butt. Although maybe they do. No, this is the term recently popularized to refer to those, such as myself, who collect or buy/sell/trade or even do restoration or repurposing of vintage and antique items. But I hate the word “Picker.” Aside of how it sounds, and my being of an age to remember when it was most often a term that referred to fingers shoved up into body parts, I do not like the TV show that many in today’s society link it to.
Why? …I mean, what’s wrong with a show where some guys go around collecting and working with antiques? ….it sounds cool. And it would be, if not for the penchant of modern US television to ruin almost anything. First off, reality TV simply isn’t. It is scripted. Often with bad behavior. Arguments that aren’t necessary. Bragging and insults behind another’s back making fun because they took advantage of them on a deal. Bad behavior. And bad behavior should not be rewarded.
Clearly I am in the minority here. A quick look at what gets rewarded on TV, the news, politics, or business, etc. A lot of it pretty much sucks. In the end, all of it will hopefully one day wind up in the rubbish bin of history where it belongs.
The good effect of those shows and all the internet auctions, etc, however, has been some increased awareness–some of which is good. Especially if it provides a thoughtful pause before discarding an item. On the other hand, it has come with a price: Rare and valuable items ruined by overzealous repurposing when restoration or preservation would have been more appropriate. (Seeing a pristine vintage car hood sawed in two to make a bench, not even a comfortable one, when you knew that somewhere a person is restoring that rare model car and needs a good straight rust free hood……well, it’s just painful.)
I have, however, seen one such TV show that I liked, it is called “Find it Fix it Flog it.” They do much of the same sort of thing, but with a different operating premise, one that pretty much prevents the bad behaviors of other programs–the characters go to places like old farms or factories and find items that they can restore or repurpose but then the items are to be sold for the benefit of the item’s owners (or a charity or project that they select.) All in all, in spite of the occasional repurposing choices that might make me cringe (who paints over vintage wood furniture??!!!?), they are most often doing excellent restorative and preservative work and are at least all much nicer and more pleasant people to watch go through their tasks and the item owners are often rather pleased with the end results with no one feeling cheated at the end of the day’s dealings.
So, as I go through my own tasks of digging up and/or fixing up the unusual things that go into my various projects or onto the shelves of my booth or my auctions, don’t call me a picker. Call me an antique collector/dealer, a junk dealer, a restorer, an industrial archaeologist, or (my favorite) a “neon archaeologist” or even a “hoarder” (likely my wife’s term for me, lol) but please don’t say picker. I’d rather be called a “damnbastard” than a picker.