by Teresa Roca
AMERICAN Pickers star Frank Fritz’s antiques will be auctioned off after he tragically passed away two years after suffering a debilitating stroke.
Frank died at age 60 on September 30 with loved ones, including longtime friend and co-star Mike Wolfe by his side.
Frank was a longtime collector of motorcycles, vintage signs and other antiques, as he even owned antique store Frank Fritz Finds in Savanna, Illinois.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Frank’s longtime friend Jerry Gendreau revealed what will happen to the American Pickers star's beloved antiques.
“They’re going to have an auction.
"That’s what I would do because of his fan base, I think he’ll do really, really well with an auction.”
In 2021, The U.S. Sun photographed Frank at his $155,000 Iowa farmhouse in Davenport, Iowa.
In one of Frank’s outhouses on the property, Frank showed off rows of motorcycles from his personal collection.
Through the years, viewers of American Pickers have watched Frank purchase items from vintage signs to antique mannequins.
Jerry previously told The U.S. Sun some of the bikes will be displayed at his store.
Frank Fritz Finds is located in the back room of Jerry’s bar, Hawgdogs, in Savanna, Illinois.
Jerry told The U.S. Sun in October, “We have been an antique store for 35 years. We’ll probably continue to be that.
“We may display motorcycles and choppers that represent Frank.
“Right now it’s set up as an 1880s general store. Maybe they’ll be bikes on a rack all the way down the center.
"We’re trying to contemplate what other people want me to do.”
Frank Fritz Finds sells small antiques from $35 oil cans to a $30 vintage typewriter.
Frank wasn’t as involved in the business after he suffered the stroke in July 2022 at his Iowa home.
CONSERVATORSHIP
Frank’s friends filed an emergency appointment of a temporary guardian and conservator for the star on August 18, claiming his “decision-making capacity is so impaired” from the stroke.
The conservatorship papers obtained by The U.S. Sun revealed plans for the store during his health battle.
The Initial Plan filed by conservator MidWestOne Bank read, “Mr. Fritz is a well-known collector and has numerous outbuildings full of valuable collections.
“The conservator has not yet inventoried those items but plans to leave them largely as they are now, with the exception of stocking Mr. Fritz’s antique store in Savanna, IL as needed.
“Conservator is hopeful [Frank] will be able to participate in selection and pricing of items as he did previously.”
Frank Fritz's Conservatorship
Frank Fritz was placed under a conservatorship in August 2022, just weeks after he suffered a stroke.
- Frank's conservator is MidWestOne Bank and is in charge of his finances
- The bank agreed to invest Frank's money and collections to generate income
- The guardian is his good friend Chris Davis
- Chris is responsible for helping Frank manage his Crohn's disease treatment, go to physical therapy, grocery shop, cook and more day-to-day tasks
- The conservatorship also agreed to help replenish Frank's Iowa antique store, Frank Fritz Finds
- A wheel-chair ramp and more have been installed in his Iowa home under the conservatorship
LEAVING PICKERS
Frank left American Pickers in 2020 to undergo back surgery.
He never returned and was officially let go in 2021, despite fan outrage over the cast shakeup.
Mike's brother Robbie replaced Frank on the show, while Jon "Jersey Jon" Szalay later became a full-time cast member.
Frank revealed his feud with Mike, 59, during an interview with The U.S. Sun in 2021.
Frank said, “I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is.
"The show is tilted towards him 1,000 percent. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much.
"That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith, and there’s Steven Tyler, and he’s the frontman.
“I found my spot, I’m second and he’s number one on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
FINAL YEARS
The stroke left Frank wheelchair-bound, as he was in rehabilitation.
“He can walk, but he’s always going to need the wheelchair because he can’t walk long distances,” a source previously told The U.S. Sun in August 2023.
“Basically, you lose motion. He lost motion. A stroke can affect your left or your right side, it affected his right side.”
Jerry previously gave insight into Frank's health struggles in the months before his passing.
“He felt really, really bad," he told previously The U.S. Sun.
"You would go to see him in the nursing home and one-half of his body was completely done. He would lift his arm up and it would just drop.
"That’s got to be tough to be totally bedridden.”
Jerry explained how Frank grew “frustrated” because he “couldn’t come out and say what he wanted to say,” though some days were "much, much better than others.”
“I’ve seen this when people get tired, they get tired. I think if you don’t have the will to live, you won’t," Jerry said.
“I think Frank could’ve lived a lot longer if the will to live would’ve been there.”
Mike and Frank ended their feud during his health issues and reunited over Memorial Day Weekend of 2023.
Mike was by his side in hospice when he passed, along with other loved ones.
Full Article & Source:
FRANK'S KEEPSAKES American Pickers star Frank Fritz’s antiques including his motorcycle collection to be auctioned off after tragic death
See Also:
'American Pickers' star Frank Fritz dead at 60
Judge Rules On ‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz Conservatorship
‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz Conservatorship In Danger
RIGHT PATH American Pickers star Frank Fritz’s conservator files new financial plan as he recovers from debilitating stroke
American Pickers' Frank Fritz Still Under A Conservatorship, But There's Been An Update
Frank Fritz, of 'American Pickers,' under guardianship after stroke
FRANK'S FATE American Pickers alum Frank Fritz’s judge makes major ruling in conservatorship case after star suffers from stroke
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