“American Pickers” star Frank Fritz has died at the age of 60

American Pickers star Frank Fritz has died at the age of 60.

His co-star and friend Mike Wolfe shared the news on Instagram and Facebook on Tuesday. Wolfe said Fritz died Monday evening.

“It is with a broken heart that I share with all of you that Frank passed away last night,” he wrote.

He continued: “I did [known] Frank was there for more than half of my life, and what you saw on TV was always what I saw: a dreamer who was as sensitive as he was funny. Just like behind the camera, Frank had the opportunity to reach the hearts of so many people just by being himself.”

Wolfe did not give a cause of death, but Fritz was hospitalized for a stroke two years before his death.

Wolfe added: “Before the show, we set off together to places we never knew existed, with no destination in mind, just a shared passion to discover something interesting and historic.” We have countless trips undertaken and covered so many kilometers together.”

He ended his post by saying, “I feel blessed to have been by his side as he made one final journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much, I know you are in a better place.”

Fritz has co-hosted “American Pickers” since 2010. The History Channel’s long-running reality series followed Fritz and Wolfe as they traveled across the United States in search of rare artifacts and treasures to either sell in antique shops or add to their personal collections.

The History Channel and “American Pickers” producers Cineflix Production told The Post in a joint statement Tuesday: “We are sad to announce that our friend and beloved member of the HISTORY Channel and the American Pickers family, Frank Fritz, passed away on September 30th, 2024. Frank filmed American Pickers for over a decade.”

Their statement continued: “We will always remember the bearded charmer and his never-ending search for vintage motorcycles and bicycles.” Our thoughts are with Frank’s loved ones during this difficult time. We will miss him very much.”

Fritz owned Frank Fritz Finds, an antique store in Savanna, Illinois. A motorcycle enthusiast, Fritz was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in 2019.

At the induction ceremony on August 8 of that year, Fritz told the local newspaper, the Black Hills Pioneer, “This is an honor that I will speak proudly about for the rest of my life.”

When he was younger, Fritz was never interested in sports, according to the outlet. He was more interested in motorcycles and collecting stamps and beer cans. After his stepfather told him that he had to work for what he wanted, Fritz went to summer school and spent his afternoons working. During his sophomore year of high school, he was able to purchase his 1959 Harley-Davidson Sportster, which he still owned as of 2019.

The “American Pickers” star told the outlet that his greatest achievement is working hard, having lifelong friends and still owning his first bike.

In July 2022, Wolfe was again the one to share the news of Fritz’s stroke.

“I have been very reserved over the past year about Frank’s life and the journey he has taken,” Wolfe wrote at the time.

“There have been many opinions about mine and Frank’s friendship and the show, but now is not the time to clarify the matter. Now it’s time to pray for my friend.”

He was referring to an alleged feud, but Wolf and Fritz reportedly got back together in 2023 and patched things up.

A mutual friend of the “American Pickers” stars recalled their reunion in 2023 to the Quad-City Times.

“Wolfe said, ‘No one can replace you, Frank.’ He said it was Frank’s “uniquely fun personality” that made them fit so well together as a team. “There were tears on both sides,” her friend said.

The friends also told the outlet that there was no feud. Rather, after more than a decade of filming “Pickers” together, they “needed the separation to appreciate each other.”

More to come…