I said from the start that the show will be a double edge sword. There there will be less "finds" out there and certainly less deals now that Rick can ask $12,000 for a restored Vendo Milk machine. In the long run, the pure hobbyists will suffer, the people that make income off the restorations will benefit in the short run but in the long run,. I think we all lose.
Just my .02
I agree that shows like Pawn Stars and Resto Rick will effect the market and our hobby but I suspect it will be short-lived. TV viewers will tire of the shows like Pickers/Storage Wars/Pawn Stars etc after a while because they have a short attention span. The hobbyists who are in it for the long haul can benefit from today's higher prices if you have to sell anything off. I am sure it is helping our friends who do quality restorations as well. In the end, we will be getting deals on a lot of this stuff down the road.
That's my .02 but restored it is worth $2!
Tim