Thanks to History's hit series "American Pickers," people are searching for collectibles that can be turned into big money.

Now, History and the producers of "American Pickers" are giving amateurs a chance to pick their way toward a giant prize in "Picked Off," a new six-part competition series premiering 10 p.m. ET Wednesday. Pickers go head-to-head in a series of elimination challenges to find items they think will fetch top market value.

"These people come to play and they come to win," said host Keith Neubert, who played with the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles for three years. "This is their Super Bowl. I think all of us Americans have that competitiveness in us. It's just in our DNA."

The pressure is on as the pickers hunt for treasure and race back to the Dealers’ Room, where judges Todd and Ethan Merrill put a retail value on each item. Tonight's episode is in Louisiana.

A professional auctioneer and appraiser for Duane Merrill & Co., Ethan Merrill has conducted more than 300 auctions and appraisals. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox organization for four seasons before returning to his roots in the auction and appraisal business.

"I think everybody wants to know what things are worth," Merrill said. "It's like Christmas morning to them when they find something valuable."