What is Frank Fritz Doing Now? Wife, Net Worth, Wikipedia Bio.

Antiques can sell for top dollars depending on their condition, but finding valuable antiques is another thing. Fans know Frank Fritz from The American Pickers who used to star alongside Mike Wolfe & Danielle Colby before the pandemic began. Now, fans want to know what he’s up to since being fired and not appearing in its 22nd season.

This is Frank Fritz Wikipedia biography, and details on his wife, net worth, bio, and more only in this article.  

Frank Fritz Wikipedia.

Frank was born in 1965 on October 11. The 56-year-old was born and grew up in the environmentally friendly city of Davenport, Iowa. It is a known fact his highest educational attainment was high school, as he didn’t proceed to college. However, he hasn’t revealed much about his childhood or teenage years.

It’s hard to believe that he had a regular job before working with Mike on American Pickers. More specifically, he was a fire inspector for 25 years.

Frank’s collection evolved from rocks and beer cans to cars and vintage toys. He even collected firefighter memorabilia during his time as a fire inspector.

Frank was an avid collector throughout his life and amassed a vast antique collection early on. The idea to sell antiques came during the last few years of his career in the fire department.

The TV star purchased an antique for $15 and sold it for a lot of money. He then realized he could profit from his hobby; then, he retired from his job in the fire department.

He opened Frank’s Finds in Savannah, Illinois. To this day, the shop is still in operation. His collecting would prove fruitful as it would later be documented through television.

Frank Fritz on American Pickers.

Frank left the fire department and his job as an inspector to become an antique collector. He reconnected with an old high school friend, Mike, to establish their shop, Antique Archeology, in Iowa. The pair rummage junkyards and scrap piles to find antiques, have them restored, and sell them for top-dollar.

Mike’s wife, Danielle, also appears on the show as the shop’s caretaker and guides them. Things were great but would be even better after an opportunity knocked on their front doors.

The History Channel got ahold of Mike & Frank to have a crew document their journey as pickers. And in 2010, their show, American Pickers, aired its first episode on June 18, 2010.

It is still one of today’s most prominent shows with some of the highest ratings. Furthermore, the series also served as advertising for their business, increasing foot traffic to the store.

Danielle, Frank, & Mike gained immense popularity from the show, but things would be different for Mike in the long run.

What happened to Frank Fritz on American Pickers?

Frank stopped making appearances on the show’s 22nd season, taking fans by surprise. Show executives fired Frank from the show for undisclosed reasons. Rumors say executives wanted to replace him with Mike’s brother.

Mike, who goes on journeys with Frank, confirmed he would no longer make any appearances in July 2021. This was after many noticed his absence since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

In an interview with The Sun, Frank revealed that he & Mike are no longer on good terms. It turns out the American Pickers star had back surgery just before the show’s 21st season and 14th episode. The show then featured Mike and Dave until Mike confirmed his departure, and Frank revealed it all in the interview.

Frank also felt terrible Mike didn’t even bother to check up on him after the surgery. More so, Mike or any of the crew did not bother to contact him before or after the surgery.

Frank adds that the show was geared toward Mike, implying that there was preferential treatment involved. He also said that he and Mike hadn’t spoken for two years at that point.

Mike posted a photo of the trio on Instagram, saying he’ll miss Frank and pray for his endeavors. However, Frank saw it as insincere and slammed his co-star Mike for “lying.” Somebody else wrote the statement, or so Frank believes. Frank adds that it was “bullshit” and was a lie.

He hasn’t revealed the real reason for his departure. But it’s safe to say that apart from Frank’s back surgery, he felt undervalued or second to Mike.

As for fans’ reactions, well, plenty aired their dismay on various Instagram posts. Many asked for Frank’s whereabouts, and some would even go as far as telling others not to watch the show. And seemingly true to one user’s comments, Frank was indeed the show’s other half.

Is Frank Fritz Still on American Pickers

Frank Fritz has stopped making appearances on American Pickers in March 2020 and will no longer be returning. And fans want to know what the former reality TV star is doing since moving on from the American Pickers.

Frank still lives in his Iowa Farmhouse, which he purchased in May 2010 for $130,000, and is behind taxes. He’s behind by over $5,000 in taxes, to be exact.

But not all is bad as he spent his time away from the show recovering from alcoholism.

He sought rehab at Bettendorf, Iowa’s Abbey Center, for over a month and a half. He also sought help after his breakup with his long-time girlfriend and history of alcoholism in his family.

The collector now lives a healthy lifestyle free of alcohol and vices while regularly attending weekly meetings.

Frank also reveals his wishes to return to the show as he misses the adventure and his fans. And if not? Well, he’s hoping to have his own show after claiming thousands of fans want him back. He added that fans made petitions calling for him to get back on the show. Frank’s confident because he can work round the clock as he has been for the last 10-12 years.

Frank Fritz Net Worth.

Frank Fritz is a collector and reality TV star from American Pickers, and it was also his primary source of revenue.

Though he co-hosts one of The History Channel’s most successful shows, he has also appeared on other shows. Shows such as American Restoration, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Pawn Stars.

Furthermore, he authored ‘How to Pick Vintage Motorcycles’ and partnered with Libby Callaway for ‘American Pickers Guide to Picking.’ Consequently, he amassed a net worth of $6 million during his time in American Pickers and his shop in Illinois.

Is Frank Fritz Sick?

Frank is currently living a healthy lifestyle and is taking the necessary steps to prevent relapsing. Circling back, he admitted himself to a rehabilitation center for alcoholism and has since been doing great.

He’s now a recovering alcoholic and has not taken a sip of alcohol until his devastating breakup with Diann Bankson.

The facility made sure Fritz was always doing something and hasn’t had any alcohol since then. The 56-year-old battled Crohn’s disease since 2013 and turned his life around after the diagnosis.

He no longer eats unhealthy food and now goes on regular walks. Both have caused the star to lose weight. This shift to a healthier lifestyle caused Fritz to lose over 65 pounds, more on this later.

He also recently had back surgery, as the heavy lifting he did on the show took a toll on his spine.

Frank Fritz Weight Loss

His weight loss shocked fans as he was known to be quite stocky on the show. But it’s nothing to be worried about as his shift to a healthy lifestyle brought about weight loss.

Frank Fritz has lost 65 pounds after deciding to quit drinking and is a lot more active these days.

Frank Fritz Wife.

Frank was engaged to Diann Bankson from 2017 to early 2020. However, Frank alleged found out his girlfriend, Diann, was cheating on him while he was away with Mike for the show.

As per sources, she’s also one of the reasons Frank even went to rehab. They had been engaged at the time, and his wife-to-be fiance’s alleged infidelity took a toll on him.

However, Diann says it was the other way around as she caught him with another woman in bed. Furthermore, she took him to court after he mishandled a firework that gave her third-degree burns.

He made things worse by telling her to “toughen up” instead of taking his wife-to-be to the hospital. The experience shook her to the core and caused her great distress with permanent scarring.

Tattoos

Frank Fritz may seem to have a few tattoos, but it turns out the American Pickers star has way more.

Fans of the show don’t always see them. But Frank’s tattoo sleeves are visible when he rolls his sleeves up. This Instagram post shows him with his new body transformation and his sleeve tattoos.

James Hawk is the antique collector tattoo artist of choice and has been photographed in his chair.

Furthermore, his chest also has a tattoo that features a tiger, stars, and flowers, to name a few.

Frank Fritz Wikipedia