American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe believes the show has taken the “elitism” away from antiques

In the Q&A, Mike Wolfe thanked his co-author, Lily Sprengelmeyer, for her perspective and ability to make antiques interesting for children while removing some of the pretentiousness that can make the hobby intimidating. He explained that he often advises people to worry less about an object’s potential value and focus more on their feelings about it.

“Don’t worry if it’s antique,” he said. “Just buy something if you like it… If it’s important to you, then it’s important to you. That’s what I want kids to understand.” Wolfe said that when he presented his show, some television executives even warned him against using the word “antique,” leading him to use “American Pickers” as the title to choose the show.

He went on to share stories of his own fascination with picking as a young man, including finding an old wheelchair in Colorado and the days he tried (and failed) to set the Guinness World Record for the longest wheelchair wheelie break. “Everywhere I went, I wheelieed my wheelchair,” he recalls. “I’ve always been weird.”