The Handyman’s Hard Bargain | American Pickers (S16) | History

The guys try to buy from a super-handyman on a unique homestead, but his deal-making could end the pick before it gets going. See more in this scene from Season 16, Episode 10, “Hydro Homestead.”

Hey, you George.
>> Yes.
>> Going on.
>> I’m doing this Frank.
>> Hey, how you doing?
>> Hey, Frank. Good.
>> Good to see you.
>> Thank you.
>> Talk to Danielle on the phone.
>> Yes, sir. Good.
>> Got a flyer.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> She went over some of that stuff, I’m sure.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> What are you working on?
>> Uh, old 1955 MG lift in there.
>> You bought it 45 years ago for $100 and took it apart when I was a kid. Rebuilt the engine, souped it up.
>> Right away, I can tell you, you know, this guy’s automotive. He’s into, you know, machinist stuff. fell in love, got married, had children, and it sat apart for like 40 years.
>> YMG, >> it goes way back when I was a kid, banking a buck and a quarter an hour and working 70, 80 hours a week, and I got a big check for like $3,000 for overtime.
But, uh, actually, I was going to buy a Jaguar and uh, I was talked into it by a friend that you wanted MGB instead of >> a Jag.
>> A Jag cuz that was a garage car.
>> MGS are British sports cars that have been around since the 1920s.
>> How far are you along with this? I mean, >> this is just about done. All done.
>> I’m doing the upholstery on it, finishing it up. All the chrome is redone. It’s brand new.
>> Looks good.
>> So, I take it when you restore this stuff, you drive it still.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> See, the thing is out here on the east, on the East Coast, you could find European cars >> easily. Where we’re from in the Midwest for that very rarely Chevy.
>> So, what’s going on with the space here, man? Looks like you’re loaded up.
>> I have like three of everything, it seems. I am overwhelmed with the hit list of everything that’s got to get done. So, if I reduce some of the inventory in here, it might clear my mind a little bit better. This was the first ivory factory from what I understand in the United States. They did the toothpicks and combs and like letter box openers, different ivory things back in the day. What year did that start?
>> Oh my goodness. Uh well over probably 150 years ago. Wow. That’s why this town has gotten its name, Ivory Town.
[Music] Hence, the first ivory keys for pianos were made in this town.
>> No kidding. So, the town’s name is Ivory Ton.
>> Ivory Ton. Ivory. Ivory Ton. Pretty cool.
>> Yeah. Can we look around a little bit?
>> Sure. You know, one item that George had a lot of is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola printed on everything, thermometers, machines.
You know, everyone in America can identify in some way with the Coca-Cola brand.
>> This machine is desirable. Yeah.
>> I mean, this looks like it’s original paint. Put the bottles down here, >> right?
>> You know, >> he had a floor model. Not the most popular model, but what it had going for it was original condition. It hadn’t been messed around with. You know, a lot of times when they’re opening them up, putting the pop in and out, they get scratched up. This was in really nice shape. So, what do you want for the small Coke machine here? The 10 cent.
>> Uh, 900 bucks.
>> 900. That’s full-blown. I mean, that’s that’s the little leprechaun guy at the end of the rainbow. Really? Something like that.
>> 850 cheap at half the price.
>> Nah, cheap.
>> Nah, I’m going to have to pass.
>> You’re killing me, Frank.
>> I mean, I see people ask 1,200, but they’re they’re getting eight.
>> I think eight is uh a fair price. I think you could still get your return easily on.
>> I think to an entry- level collector, you could get the eight out of that. But for us, putting that in our shop for eight doesn’t make sense if we pay eight.
Sometimes in negotiations, you can push someone over the edge. Whoa.
>> If we think a price is too high, we try to explain why, but sometimes they just don’t want to listen.
>> I got another part of the shop you might want to take a peek at.
>> This is something my dad built.
>> Oh boy. This is a big one.
>> Now, I thought I was the train guy, but here’s the biggest homemade train I’ve ever seen.
>> This was fired by Listen to that.
>> Listen to it. Your dad made this.
>> He had castings made. This took about 16 years part-time, you know, after work going down to the basement after dinner, machining it with a lathe and a drill press. That engine weighs 1,200 lb empty. We’ve pulled 21 people and three riding cars. Here’s your pops right here. This is my dad. They did a right up on >> steam ahead.
>> That’s right. At the end of the day, after a lot of hard work, I would have something to show for it.
>> Fifth grade education.
>> Fifth grade education.
>> Yeah.
>> Did he just have to go to work right away or >> he left school? His dad had him working on the farm. His mom saw something special in that. And you know, she made sure he went to trade school. Plumber, electrician. Many years ago, my dad got me interested in water power. Uh looking at water go under bridges and if you could only harness that >> and make power, put it to work, right?
So my wife and I, we used to go to New Hampshire, Vermont, looking for potential hydro power sites. I found an ad that this place was available. So, we bought it. When my dad and I and my wife, our wives came up here and we drove in the back driveway, saw that 30-inch pipe back there. We couldn’t wait to break into this place. My dad had inspiration on me. I learned a lot just by watching. We did a lot of things together. We spent a lot of time with machining parts to restore the turbine over here, guys.
>> Whoa. Like the operation here.
>> I started this 30 years ago. I sand blasted it, painted it. My dad was up here on weekends to help me to build this place. Unbelievable. And he was like in the 70s then.
>> Wow.
>> So, were any of these the original pieces?
>> This is all original.
>> Do you have a big rain or anything? Does this thing get cooking?
>> No. No. I have a gate valve. It’s like a guillotine type valve here that you can control the speed.
>> It’s only open about an inch right now.
>> So, what do you got? A pipe coming into the building.
>> There’s a 30-in pipe coming in supplying the water to a for bay inside the shop.
>> So, what is this powering? Basically, I’m I’m using the water to produce uh electricity to power the guest house across the driveway that we built and the big home uh to use the power on the big users like your trailer, your your air conditioning, your electrical water.
>> Yeah.
>> Can you imagine generating your own power, you know, and not being under the thumb of an electrical company?
>> My dad had a dream and when we ran the turbine powering the generator for the first time, when the light bulb turned on, he said, “My dream has come true.” That’s powerful, you know.
>> That is I miss my dad. I miss my mom. We had a good family, a good upbringing.
That’s what it should be.
>> We built this house in seven days. Five of us contractors that built houses down in Wilton. I knew they came up on week.
>> Seven days you built that house.
>> Seven days we built that house. We didn’t sheetrock it. We got it was all framed up and everything >> and wired and plump.
>> I wish I had half your energy.
>> You do.
>> How old are you?
>> You do.
>> I’m 69 plus one.
>> You’re doing great, my friend. Time flies, Mike. I was 50 yesterday, it seems.
>> You can tell that George is so full of life. And this place shows the drive, the work, the perseverance that him and his father shared.
>> I have the same exact pump.
>> No way. Really?
>> Yeah. Behind my house.
>> I’ve been wanting to restore this. I just haven’t gotten the time to do it.
>> Same pump, same premium. It’s same condition. Even anytime I see a gas pump, no matter what the condition, I always want to make an offer because they’re in such demand at the shop. I love this pump because it’s a survivor.
Most of the time I see them, they’re restored. The unrestored ones are getting so hard to find. Were these on the property when you bought it?
>> No. No. I picked this up. I’ll tell you, I when I picked it up, I put it there and when I ate breakfast, I would look out and all I can say is simple pleasures. I enjoy it. That’s a chevron, I think, Mike. Is it? It says Safeway on it. He’s got a second pump here. This one’s from the late 40s. It’s rusty, but if somebody didn’t want it as is, this would make a great restoration piece.
>> We can’t take away your dining partners.
>> Everything’s for sale. I’ll tell you the truth. When I eat breakfast, I forget that’s there. Now, >> have you had a handle for it?
>> I got the hose and the handle for it.
>> It got the pump inside.
>> Yes, it’s got the pump. That makes it worth something.
>> It’s got the premium on this side.
>> What’s your price on that?
>> How about six and a half for both of them?
>> I like even numbers, Frank.
>> 700 then? 750.
>> How’s the bottom of that walk?
>> It’s good.
I’ll give you your money back if you don’t like it.
>> After you dig it out of there.
>> Yeah.
>> So, I’m like 300 on that and like 400 on this. 700 bucks.
>> You’re killing me.
>> Cash.
>> Cash. You got it on you now?
>> I got a cash on me now.
>> 700.
>> 700.
>> 800.
>> 700.
>> I like you.
>> Cash is king.
>> I like you.
>> All right. Okay.
>> What else you got up here? Oh, where’d you get this?
>> I don’t remember.
>> Just miss a little flap.
>> I love a piece of leather.
>> I got leather I give you.
>> This is a carnival wheel. This is handmade, hand painted. Okay, this folds out. The chain supports it.
>> Quick setup. This could be used for a decorator item. And it’s really the last thing that I ever thought I’d find here.
[Music] Would you sell this?
>> It’s available. Everything’s for sale, Mike.
>> 300 bucks. Can I do that?
>> You got it. Put it in the pile. 300 bucks.
>> Someone made this by hand. Brings back that childhood memory. The smell of cotton candy, the popcorn when you were a little kid playing those games. I love this kind of stuff.
>> You got it.
>> This pick had it all. We’ve heard some epic stories and we got some great stuff.
>> Here you go, Frank.
>> Thank you, sir.
>> Thanks for stopping by, guys.
>> Thanks for having us.
>> It’s a It’s a pleasure meeting you.
Thanks. It was enjoyable dealing with my friend, >> taking that MG up to Nashville >> and talking about the history of this town and the Ivory Factory. And uh it’s so important, I think, for people to know this history. It’s worth something.
>> Get that car on the road.
>> Thank you. Bye. All right. Take care.