Frank Fritz reportedly left American Pickers for a period of his own accord before the longtime History series ultimately decided not to ask Mike Wolfe’s famous sidekick back. In the time since, Wolfe’s brother Robbie has landed the role on the show, and Fritz has been busy pitching himself for a new TV series (as well as talking about what soured in his relationship with Wolfe). Now, however, it seems there has been at least some positive momentum on the former reality star’s part as his store is seeing better days.
One of the things that went viral when Frank Fritz admitted to health troubles and a rehab stint prior to his American Pickers exit was his store in Illinois. The unusual antiques business is actually connected to a bar that also sells food, so it’s always been stashed away somewhat. However, during the time that Frank Fritz's setbacks were being widely reported, there had also been bad comments running around online about his store, Frank Fritz Finds.
Now, it seems as if some work has been put into making Frank Fritz Finds a place where antique lovers will want to shop again. Google reviews for the store had previously been going downhill. One even read:
If I were Frank I would be ashamed to have my name put on this place. What a joke. We traveled over 2 hours to come here. Don't waste your time!!!
This wasn’t the only negative comment, as others complained the store was “disorganized” and featured “poor lighting,” among other issues. More recently, positive change has been seen in the store, and shoppers are noticing. Reviews have been trending upward in recent months (via The Sun), and it seems Frank Fritz Finds has put some work in to make the store a little more accessible for American Pickers fans. The current Google reviews have the store at a 3.5 rating with more positive reviews over the last several months, some even calling out the improvements:
Much improved. Hard to find items. Great prices. Looking for something, just ask. They will find virtually anything. Highly recommend. Sent lots of customers. Never heard a negative word. People thanked [me] for sending them to store.
It’s unclear how much Frank was involved in the physical process, given previous reports noted he drops items off but is not commonly in the store. Still, it’s nice to see that changes were made after feedback was given and that the former reality star is gaining some positive momentum instead of stories rolling around about losing his former gig or dealing with tax troubles. And with no TV gig, having a successful shop may be a good next step.
Meanwhile, American Pickers has fully and permanently moved on. The longtime History Channel series announced a while back that new episodes would be coming this summer. Those hit the schedule this July and air on Saturday night as part of the summer TV premiere schedule, only on History.
