The Coca-Cola Machine That Cost American Pickers $2,000

For the Season 18 episode "Frank's Big Day," the "American Pickers" team took a trip out to Moundsville, West Virginia, for a visit with Francis Turner. According to The Exponent Telegram, he ran a museum dedicated to vintage Marx toys for roughly 16 years that collectors across the globe appreciated. Now hoping to sell off a few pieces, Turner landed himself on Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz's radar. After perusing the numerous glass cabinets of retro playthings, a Coca-Cola machine from the 1950s caught the duo's attention, and its owner was happy to make it theirs for $2,000.

As Wolfe mentions, it wasn't the most desirable model of vending machine on the market, but it certainly wouldn't be a tough sell given its condition and connection to the Coca-Cola brand. Not to mention, for those who grew up in the era when they were in abundance, it would surely generate strong feelings of nostalgia for years long since passed. Turner agreed wholeheartedly with that sentiment, recalling that, much like his seemingly endless rows of classic toys, that Coca-Cola machine made visitors emotional — some even to the point of tears.

At the end of the day, "American Pickers" is a show about business. Sellers appear on the program with their wares, and the hosts attempt to strike up a deal. Simultaneously, it serves as a reminder of just how much physical objects can mean to people, transporting them back to a distant, happier time in their lives. To many, $2,000 may seem like a lot to spend on a dingy old Coke machine, but to some, the memories it brings with it are priceless.