How Much A 1930s Pedal Car Was Actually Worth On American Pickers

There's something fascinating about digging through a pile of old junk to find something that might have some historical significance or monetary value. Of course, such an endeavor isn't something that everyone can do as they please, so at least they can watch "American Pickers" instead. Week in and week out, the show's team of antique experts and treasure hunters go above and beyond to find lost artifacts in all kinds of places. Although, they don't just want to learn about them, they also want to make deals and score as sizable a profit as they can.

It's always enjoyable watching hosts Mike and Robbie Wolfe and Danielle Colby sift through overflowing garages, breathtaking collections, and run-down sheds for neat items, and it's great to learn the history behind these forgotten treasures. At the same time, it's equally interesting to find out what they buy them for, how much it'll cost to restore them, and the number on their price tag at the Antique Archaeology store. Sometimes these prices make sense, but every now and again, a trinket will fetch a number that makes even the most prolific viewers do a double-take.

On one such occasion, the "Pickers" crew found a pedal car from the 1930s and wound up taking it home with them. Here's how much they paid and what the car was actually worth.

The ninth episode of Season 19, titled "Double Bubble Trouble," brought Mike Wolfe and longtime "American Pickers" star Frank Fritz to quite the impressive car collection. Promised an exciting piece tucked behind piles upon piles of stuff in a shed, Wolfe dove in without a second thought. He wound up pulling out a red 1936 Packard pedal car, which looked in surprisingly decent shape for its age. Enamored by the mini automobile, Wolfe offered the seller $500, and he happily agreed. Wolfe figures that in its current condition, it's worth somewhere in the $775 range (via YouTube).

More often than not, if "American Pickers" plans to showcase a car in an episode, it puts the spotlight on a full-sized one, making this pedal car something of an outlier. However, that doesn't mean it's the only one that has featured on the show that Mike Wolfe has successfully gotten his hands on over the years. In Season 18's "Picks in Toyland," he checks out an Austin J40 from the mid-20th century, which someone had previously modified to accommodate a motor and gas tank. Regardless, it's too cool of a piece for him to pass up, so he and the owner settle on $1,800 (via Hagerty).

Who knew that miniature cars designed for kids could fetch so much money? Evidently, Mike Wolfe, hence why he's the face of "American Pickers."