Lengthy earlier than Historical past and “American Pickers” got here round, Frank Fritz lived an easier, considerably much less televised life at his house in Iowa. There he labored as a hearth inspector: a place that entails assessing fireplace hazards, implementing fireplace prevention measures, and guaranteeing that buildings are as much as code for the protection of everybody locally. In response to Outsider, Fritz began himself down this profession path shortly after his highschool commencement in 1982 and caught with it for roughly 25 years, sustaining his accumulating habits all of the whereas.
Talking of, on the time, Fritz was an avid collector of firehouse and firefighter-related trinkets. It started as nothing greater than a easy pastime however grew into one thing extra briefly order. Upon promoting a bit for $475, making a formidable revenue from the $15 he paid for it, Fritz realized that he may make a residing off of this sort of enterprise. This prompted him to open Frank Fritz Finds in 2002, earlier than getting Vintage Archaeology going together with his childhood pal, Mike Wolfe — serving because the catalyst for his or her eventual rise to fame as the American Pickers.
Frank Fritz got here from humble beginnings, turning his favourite pastime right into a full-on profession. Regardless that he is now not on “American Pickers,” this former fireplace inspector will all the time be a significant a part of its TV legacy.