How ‘American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby First Met: ‘I Liked His Sass’

Reality television remains one of the most popular genres out there. There seems a show out there for every interest. American Pickers is no exception. But part of what has kept fans coming back all these years is the friendship between creator/star Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby. Colby – who runs Wolfe’s business, Antique Archaeology – once shed some light on how the pair first crossed paths.

‘American Pickers’ debuted on History in 2010

American Pickers debuted on History in 2010 and quickly won over viewers with its inside look at antique and collectible picking. The show follows Wolfe and former co-host Frank Fritz as they travel across the United States to find rare items for a variety of reasons.

Typically, American Pickers runs two seasons per year, ranging from 9 to 24 episodes in length. As a result, the series has gone through 22 seasons in barely over a decade. And there’s no signs that Wolfe, Colby, or Antique Archaeology will stop anytime soon.

Danielle Colby and Mike Wolfe met at a yard sale

Although Wolfe and Fritz co-headlined the series, the former’s relationship with Colby has long proven integral in keeping his business – and indeed the show – running. In a 2019 interview with Freshly Inked, Colby described the circumstances in which she first met Wolfe.

“I first met Mike at a yard sale. It was in Leclaire, Iowa across the street from my mother’s house. I was looking at a lamp; he bought the lamp, I got mad at him. He looked at me and said ‘Sorry girl, the time to buy it is when you see it.’ I liked his sass … we were pretty much inseparable after that. Also, side note, I lost my wallet that day with all my rent money in it. I was mortified! But look how much I found in friendship that day, and I wasn’t even looking for it.”

Colby also describes how Wolfe conceived of the idea for American Pickers. Apparently, no one at Antique Archaeology believed his “crazy stories” of hunting down a pick and the events and people he encountered on his adventures. And Wolfe became convinced he should start filming it. As Colby points out, “That actually worked out pretty well for him, didn’t it?”

Danielle Colby and Mike Wolfe have remained ‘inseparable’

Working together for so long can already strain a friendship. Adding a popular reality TV show into the equation certainly only complicates things. As Colby confesses, it isn’t always easy.

“I think anybody who’s ever worked with family or very close friends before I can understand, you go through cycles. … We are pretty lucky. We’re pretty forgiving of each other’s imperfections, and we celebrate each other strengths. It works well for us. We’re happily dysfunctional, and we make the best out of every situation we possibly can. Above all else, even on our worst days, we love unconditionally and we appreciate one another. Our friendship is a wild journey but we are born adventurers”