Antique collection and restoration is a rare hobby that mainly rich people go into either for the fun of it or for the want of keeping the past alive for the pleasure of future generations. This is, however, not the case for Frank Fritz who places antique collection close to his heart and sees it as a career. He took antique collecting seriously and it became lucrative enough for him to abandon his work as a fire inspector, a move that time has proven to be the best decision he ever made as he has achieved huge fame and fortune along the way.
Today, Fritz has become not only a wealthy man but also a TV star. His work earned him a role on the reality TV show about antique collecting called American Pickers where he has become a fan favorite. He has then further made appearances in other shows like Rachael Ray, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, American Restoration, Pawn Stars, and a host of others.
Early Life and Career of Frank Fritz
Born on October 11, 1965, Frank Fritz grew up in a middle-class family in Davenport, Iowa. His mother earned a living taking care of other people’s children as a nanny while his father had a job at a dispensary. He was brought up in the Christian faith with his sister who is a few years older than him.
Fritz attended high school but did not go to any university. He went on to find work as a safety and fire inspector covering the areas of Des Moines and Cedar falls in Iowa. He held the job for almost 25 years before leaving it for a career as an antique collector.
It is reported that at a very young age, Frank Fritz fancied collecting rocks with his friend Mike Wolfe who he met when he was in high school. The duo had similar interests in antiques so they were able to graduate from picking up rocks and old beer cans to collecting vintage cars and toys.
After having collected a significant number of items, the two friends founded the Antique Archeology shop in the city of Le Claire, Iowa. Together, they cleaned up and refurbished all the items people might have once considered to be junk and put them up for sale. They have since been able to travel all over the United States, visiting over two hundred cities looking for antiques to refurbish and sell.
By 2010, the History Channel had taken notice of Mike and Frank’s work and offered them a chance to serve as the host of the show American Pickers. Their decision to take the role proved to be a fortune-changing one as it brought their work to the limelight and gained them much needed popularity. The show, which had over 3.7 million viewers on its debut, has further grown to become one of the highly-rated shows on the History Channel.
With the success of American Pickers, Frank Fritz and his partner founded the Kid Pickers website which is meant for kids to discuss the items they find. He also co-founded a restoration company that refurbishes and resells antiques.
Where Is He Now?
Frank Fritz suffered an embarrassing incident in July 2017 when he got involved in an accident. According to sources, the reality TV star, who was under the influence of alcohol and Xanax pills, caused a minor accident after he drove against traffic on Interstate 80. He was promptly arrested and arraigned in court where he pleaded guilty to the charge of driving under the influence.
Fritz was thereafter remanded for a while in jail. He was also fined and put under probation for a year. The sad incident made him take a break from the American Pickers TV series and fans became curious about what may have happened to their favorite character on the show. It did not take long after this for rumors of Fritz’s death to begin to spread among viewers of the show.
The death reports have, however, been proven to be false as Frank Fritz is still very much alive and is, in fact, hale and hearty as he continues his work on TV.
What Is Frank Fritz Net Worth?
Frank Fritz has been able to attain millionaire status thanks to his role on the American Pickers show. It is reported that the TV host earns a salary of $500,000 per year from the show that began in 2010 and has so far produced 21 seasons. Add that to what he takes home from he’s other endeavors that include the selling of refurbished antiques in his and Mike’s shop and you can see why his net worth has been estimated to be around $4 million.
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
