This is a subscriber-only article.

For a limited time, join Entrepreneur+ and save 50% during our Cyber Monday sale. Use code SAVE50.

Join Now

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Mike Wolfe of 'American Pickers' Is the New Americana Idol Mike Wolfe, creator and star of the TV show American Pickers, is leveraging a popular passion for the past to build the multimedia empire of the future.

By Jason Ankeny

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Mike Wolfe is in his element. The star and creator of History channel's hit show American Pickers weaves his way through the vintage motorcycles, folk art and random oddities that line the floor of his new storefront in Nashville, Tenn.'s Marathon Village, a sprawling small-business complex that a century earlier housed the short-lived Marathon Motor Works auto factory.

When construction is complete, the 3,000-square-foot site will serve as the Music City outpost of Antique Archaeology, the collectibles retail shop Wolfe founded in LeClaire, Iowa, more than a decade ago. For now, though, it's a work in progress, to put it charitably--with the scorching summer months closing in fast, the space still has no air conditioning (no electricity whatsoever, for that matter), the front window is shattered and the walls are in dire need of a contractor's attention.

#insert related here#

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business Plans

She Wrote An 'Escape Plan' to Quit Her Job and Move to an Island. Now She's There Generating Nearly $300,000 A Year

"My detailed, step-by-step plan on how I would quit my job and move to a Caribbean island."

Buy a Franchise

Learn the Secrets of Running 20+ Businesses as a Side Hustle — Finding and Nurturing Your 'STIC People'

Explore the critical importance of choosing the right franchise manager and the innovative 'STIC' approach.

Side Hustle

She Had Side Hustles Flipping Beanie Babies and Christmas Presents. Then the 'Unconventional' Path Led to a Multimillion-Dollar Company of Her Own.

Ashley Tyrner, founder and CEO of FarmboxRx, transformed early business lessons into a health-equity company.

Growing a Business

6 Surprising Psychological Tricks the Best Advertisements Use

Research shows there are universally effective strategies in advertisments. Here's one that uses a bunch of them.