Mike Wolfe Biography

Fast Facts

• Supports fundraising projects for St․ Jude's Hospital, Operation Smile, the ASCPCA and several animal shelters
• Before finding success in Hollywood, worked as a professional treasure hunter and owner of two antique archaeology stores located in Iowa and Tennessee
• While working cross-country to find good deals on antiques and unknown treasure, began pitching a TV concept to various networks for five years before "American Pickers" was picked up by the History Channel
• Quote: "I'm a businessman, so I'm gonna make hay while the sun's shining․ I've been self-employed for 23 years․ That's an accomplishment in itself․ You gotta be out there hustling․ If you're not, you're not gonna make it․․․"
• The success of "American Pickers" has allowed Wolfe to expand his retail business to several new side businesses which involve vintage lighting parts and an online community for young kids to share their own finds
• Discovered his affinity for finding and selling antiques at a young age when he found and cleaned up an old bicycle out of his neighbor's trash, selling it to another kid for just $5
• In his 20s, was a competitive bicycle racer and owned two different bike stores in Iowa that he financed from the money he made by selling a 1934 Harley Davidson motorcycle to a collector in Thailand