‘American Pickers’: Frank Fritz Had Business Setback Ahead of Ousting

Several years before Frank Fritz left American Pickers, the History Channel star suffered a business setback. His FFF Holdings, LLC was dissolved in December 2017. American Pickers star Mike Wolfe still runs Antique Archaeology, the store at the center of the long-running series. The History Channel and Wolfe announced Fritz would not be returning to the show in July.

Last week, The Sun reported that the business license for FFF Holdings, LLC was disolved in December 2017. The business was created more than seven years earlier in July 2010, according to the Illinois Secretary of State records. The business did not file an annual report in 2017, so it was dissolved at the end of that year. While FFF Holdings might no longer exist, Frank Fritz Finds in Savanna, Illinois is still operating.

Fritz last appeared on American Pickers in March 2020. The reason why he was missing remained a mystery until Fritz spoke out to The Sun on July 19, claiming that he had not spoken to Wolfe in two years. He accused Wolfe of never reaching out, despite knowing his co-star was facing health problems. “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,” Fritz said at the time. He also said he suffers from Crohn’s Disease, but was getting healthier after losing 65 pounds and getting sober.

In the first interview with The Sun, Fritz said he was focused on motorcycles now and lived in a $155,000 Iowa farmhouse. “I’ve been working on a couple motorcycles and stuff, but that’s about it. I was in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota in August last year. I’ve been going to Sturgis for 40 years now. I was there for the 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th and 90th anniversaries and every year in between that,” he told the outlet at the time. “I just got inducted two years ago to the Sturgis Hall of Fame.”

Fritz also spoke with The Sun last week, claiming he would be interested in doing his own show if the History Channel did not ask him back. “Thousands of people want me back, they’ve got a petition to get me back on the show,” he said in an interview published on Aug. 5. “I could go either way and find a new show, have something new, and have just as much fun. That’s what it’s all about, being satisfied with yourself and having a little bit of fun.”

Wolfe and the History Channel announced on July 21 that Fritz was not returning to the show. “I have known Frank for as long as I can remember, he’s been like a brother to me. The journey that Frank, Dani and I started back in 2009, like all of life, has come with its highs and lows, blessings and challenges, but it has also been the most rewarding,” Wolfe said. He went on to say that he “will miss” Fritz and prays “for the very best and all good things for him on the next part of his journey.” Fritz responded by calling the statement “bulls—” and does not think Wolfe wrote that statement himself.