TRASH TO TREASURE

Zack made an interesting observation in his post earlier this month about "treasure hunting" RTV. He brought to light the fact that more and more "treasure hunting"/"trash-to-treasure" shows are spawning... AMerican Pickers, Auction Hunters, Storage Wars, etc. I watched American Pickers for the first time last weekend and was thoroughly entertained by the quirky duo that makes up the main "pickers." Who do you think is the target audience for these shows? Why? How does this sub-genre of RTV reach out to its intended audience? Why the seemingly sudden infatuation with "trash-to-treasure" shows? Could it be a direct effect of the economic decline? What makes these shows so entertaining? Subject, characterization, bargaining, inventory?

http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers