On TV: Making Money from Other People’s Junk

A new flea market reality show debuted last tonight on the Discovery Channel.

Called Dirty Money, it is the story of two brothers, John and Jimmy DiResta, who turn dumpster-dive trash into amazing works of art, and then sell them at flea markets and swap meets.

John and Jimmy DiResta live and breathe flea markets. With the help of John’s son Matthew (AKA “Rat-Boy”), the DiResta brothers live by the mantra, “Find it. Fix it. Sell it!” Their treasure map? The Big Apple. The DiResta brothers set out scouring New York City – from the dumpsters of the Lower East Side to flea markets scattered throughout the five boroughs to various antique shops and collectors. Their treasure? Items they can completely renovate and reinvent to sell for profit. Whether it’s transforming a tattered old kids bicycle into a chain-saw powered, Evel Knievel inspired bike or taking a pile of wood and building a beautiful, one-of-a-kind Manhattan skyline bench, these brothers know how to create something out of nothing. Or at least out of a pile of junk.

A preview of the show is below.