The Maico Mobil That Cost The American Pickers $12,500
Throughout the past decade-plus, "American Pickers" star and creator Mike Wolfe has proven himself as savvy an antiquer as the television realm has ever seen. If you've watched even one episode of the show, you know he's every bit as enthusiastic about what he does for a living as he is knowledgeable. And if you've ever seen Wolfe walk into a garage stocked with classic cars and motorcycles, you know his joy at such sights is barely containable.
There are times, however, when Wolfe is so overjoyed by a collection he doesn't even try to contain it. That was just the case when he and Frank Fritz entered the storage facility of one collector with a penchant for packing away rare and unique cars, motorcycles, and scooters. In fact, that man's collection had Mike literally whooping, hollering, and squealing like an over-sugared kid stepping foot into his very first toy store. And you'd better believe the "American Pickers" frontman was hot to pick any and everything he could get his hands on.
As it was, not much was actually for sale. But that didn't stop Wolfe and Fritz from paying out a whopping $12,500 for a rare 1950s Maico Mobil scooter.
The vintage Italian scooter was the first Mike Wolfe had ever seen in person
That pricey pick came during a Season 11 episode that put Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz in the garage of longtime collectors Charles and Nancy. Upon entering the garage, it's clear this particular collection is probably one of the favorites he's seen on "American Pickers," with the star extolling, "Right away, I see that this guy loves the same stuff that we do." And yes, the picker's aforementioned hoots and hollers are audible throughout.
The "Pickers" take a moment to pour over what they're looking at, eyeing unusual makes and models from every era and all corners of the globe. As Frank notes, "Mike is totally freaking out here ..." before Wolfe finally eyes an entire wall full of rare Messerschmitt autos. Unfortunately for the "American Pickers" star, the price tag for even one of Charles' 14 Messerschmitts proved far too steep. However, that led Wolfe and Fritz to uncover another motorized treasure, a gorgeous 1957 Maico Mobil scooter.
Described by Motorcycle Classics as a "Two-Wheel Car," Charles admits the vintage vehicles are a "holy grail" item for scooter collectors. Mike backs the Maico Mobil's rarity up by claiming he's never seen one in person. Wolfe promptly offers $10,000 for it, but that price is not quite sweet enough for the owner, largely because he hadn't intended to sell it. After some tense negotiating, he finally lets it go for $12,500. And Mike Wolfe clearly couldn't be happier to cut him that particular check.