Have you ever thought to yourself in the middle of an American Pickers episode, "How can they support merchandise for Wolfe's and Fritz's three storefronts from the "picks" they shove into that panel van and drive across the country?" The answer is, they don't. First of all, Fritz has openly talked about how they also travel with a giant moving van, which actually transports their "picks." And even though they actually buy way more than is ever shown on the series, Wolfe told Fast Company in 2015 that he's basically become a clothing retailer, not to mention a savvy real estate investor, as noted by the fact that the interview was conducted at his renovated car manufacturing plant in downtown Nashville, which now houses "a craft beer brewery, photography studios, a boutique candy store, and, of course, a coffee shop."
"Ninety percent of our sales are clothing, so all of a sudden I'm in the clothing business," Wolfe said of the true secret to his wealth, adding, "Now we're looking at brand licensing and merchandising. Take it to Kohl's, take it to JCPenny's. My stores do millions of dollars a year in sales in merchandise, but not what they would do on a Black Friday at a big-box store." For a guy so enamoured with the past, he sure embraces the commerce of now.
