Unger, Simpson on ‘Picked Off’

Jeremy Unger and Scottie Simpson of Berkeley Springs will be competing on “Picked Off,” a new series on the History Channel.

The episode with Unger and Simpson will air on Wednesday, August 8, at 10 p.m.

“Picked Off” is an offshoot of the popular “American Pickers” program. Amateur antiquers get a chance to pick their way toward a cash prize in the six-part competition series that premiered on July 11.

“It’s like a game show, where they gave us a hundred bucks and just let us loose to find certain items,” Unger said.

Weekend pickers go head-to-head in challenges to find things they think will fetch top market value. Four teams begin with $100 each to spend on one item, and the clock is ticking. Teams dig through barns and meet interesting characters along the way.

The pressure is on as they hunt for treasure and race back to the Dealers’ Room, where judges put a retail value on each item. The team whose item brings in the lowest appraisal gets “picked off” and goes home. The remaining teams go on. In the final challenge, the two remaining teams compete for a $10,000 grand prize. 

Each episode takes place in a different locale and the challenges reflect the culture and history of each location.

“We started in Alabama and worked our way to Louisiana,” said Unger. “It was my first time in that area, and it was really fantastic.”

The judges are brothers Todd and Ethan Merrill, third generation antiques dealers, who offer facts about the items and their value. Ethan Merrill is also a former Boston Red Sox pitcher.  The host is former NFL player and actor Keith Neubert.