I have written about it before, but I am even more surprised lately how Americans have embraced TV shows about collecting and auctions. I have been a fan of PBS's Antiques Roadshow since it's U.S. debut, as well as Britain's version--the one that started it all. Cash In the Attic is another show that I would always break for while surfing the seemingly endless cable landscape.
There is a new breed of auction-type shows that have captured my attention, and that of millions of others as evidenced by through-the-roof ratings. My faves are, of course, Pawn Stars and American Pickers. But some new shows have joined the list. Hollywood Treasure is about the search for movie and TV memorabilia, with some classic comic books thrown in for fun. Then there's Storage Wars about a motley crew of deal-divers, ready to bid on the fruit of people's unpaid storage-unit bills with fists filled with thousands of dollars. They have proven that huge profits can be made as valuables are sifted from the mundane. Auction Kings is about an Atlanta auction house and the interesting items (and characters) that come through it's doors.
The craze for home improvement has at least two cable networks fully dedicated to do-it-yourself home repair. I guess it all boils down to the fact that instead of buying new, Americans are opting for repairing what is broken, or finding crazy deals on second-hand items; the slow economy has apparently paved the way for the current phenomena. High-end collectible markets seem to be booming even as middle-class Americans are clamoring for cash just to pay for groceries and housing. Nevertheless, many of us are making do with treasures already in our grasp. If not, someone else might find great worth in what we call trash. It might be profitable to search Ebay's market-value for our refuse before we take a trip to the county dump. Who knew that dumpster-diving could become such a lucrative career?
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