Every pawn shop loses money sometimes. Some deals go awry for pawn shops including the Pawn Stars. In most episodes, an expert arrives and gives his estimate, but since they aren't always free. During the long period in which the series airs, Rick & co. lost tons of money on deals that went wrong. When they're not able to sell items, they go to an auction & in one such instant, Rick lost over $100,000 in a day! Read on to learn about the deals that went horribly bad, the super expansive deals that had them reach deep into their pockets and the full story behind the famous Bob Dylan episode:
Start slideshow to reveal all the crazy purchases made by the Pawn Stars team>>
When Rick Was Cheated
In a 2010-episode Rick Harrison was cheated. A decent looking man, wearing a fancy suit wanted to pawn two diamond earrings. Experienced Rick Harrison knew exactly which questions to ask. The seller had satisfying answers, and he also showed Rick a receipt. Harrison was glad to pay $40,000 for it. 3 days later, the cops showed up. It was stolen. The victim received her diamonds back & the criminal was arrested, but Harrison was lacking $40,000. Rick said it was the biggest scam he ever encountered in the pawn shop.
Cubic Zirconia
The late and great Richard Harrison said that nothing fooled him more than fake diamonds. Cubic zirconia, a synthetic diamond lookalike entered the market in the late 70's & early 80's, many pawn shops were fooled by it. Only a few knew about them and they passed the test and thought to be diamonds. Richard said that everyone in the business bought a few of them. Richard himself threw away almost $30,000. Today's pawn trade already knows how to recognize them. Richard's grandson, Corey, once filmed a DIY video called, How to Spot a Fake Diamond. The bottom line is that the fake diamonds are too perfect.
A Guitar Played By Jimi Hendrix
Many customers walk into the pawn shop with guitars, but a seller claiming to own a Jimi Hendrix' guitar is quite rare. Rick Harrison got super excited by it. He asked a local expert, Jesse Amoroso, to take a look. He confirmed that the guitar was indeed played by Hendrix. It came with documents proving its authenticity & a serial number. The expert estimated the item was worth $1 million if sold at an auction. Harrison offered $450,000 for it. The seller asked for $750,000. Harrison raised his offer to $600,000, but the seller refused. It's now still on the market.
Chumlee's Costly Mistake
Chumlee has done many un-intellectual things on camera, but his most un-intellectual move ever happened before the show started. A person walked in wanting to pawn a stand-up bass, Chumlee put it against a shelf & walked away. It fell & shattered into small pieces. Chumlee put everything inside a box that had the pawn number on it. When the owner returned to take it, he opened the box, saw the shattered bass and freaked out. It was pawned for $700, & eventually cost the Pawn Stars $20,000 since it turned out it was rare.
The Show Hurts the Business Sometimes
Parts of the well-known Gold & Silver Pawn Shop closes when they're shooting an episode of the show. It sometimes hurt the business, sales occasionally suffer because of the show. The shop's manager estimated that just 1 out of 100 people passing through the shop are there to do business. As for the rest, they're just fans of the show. The TV crew announces what it's planning for the following day just a night before. With that being said you should keep in mind that the shop's doing good and has 4,000 to 5,000 visitors a day.
Corey's Bike Accident
Corey Harrison was riding his bike in 2014, collecting supplies for his own birthday bash when a piece of his fender suddenly came off, sending him into a very fast tailspin. Luckily, Corey reacted fast, jumped off his bike and avoided crashing into traffic. He even went to the party before driving to the hospital, where they told him he broke his hand. It wasn't his first accident; in 2011, he was riding in the rain from Las Vegas to San Diego and crashed his bike. Perhaps he should consider pawning the bikes.
The Fastest Go Ahead Ever?
The studio that produces the show accidentally came across the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop after having a few drinks. Employees of Leftfield Pictures (which is the company that produces the show) found the now-famous Pawn Shop when they visited Vegas to attend a bachelor party. We're lucky they did since the show became one of the most popular and beloved reality shows in the world. On a certain Friday, Leftfield showed some sort of a teaser to the History Channel. The show was picked up four days later, that's really fast for a show to receive a go ahead.
The Nicknames
Pawn Stars fans know that everyone who works at the shop has a nickname. Three of the central characters are more famous by their nicknames: Richard Harrison is the Old Man, Austin Russell is Chumlee & Corey Harrison is Big Hoss. Earlier in the show Rick Harrison was called The Spotter & Richard Harrison was called The Appraiser, but those nicknames didn't last very long. Some of the other, less-known employees who occasionally appear on the show also have nicknames. Peaches, who's always penalized for being late, is the young blonde; Fat Back is the shop's mechanic & Audie is the middle-aged Hispanic man.
The Ancient & Stolen Coin
Pawn shops go through extreme lengths to make sure that the things they take on comply with the local laws & regulations, otherwise they might get in trouble. In one of the episodes, the pawn stars buy an ancient Tyrian Shekel, a coin historians believe Judas would've been traded when he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Sadly, a detective came to the shop to let them know that the coin was stolen, but they were still allowed to keep it since the original owner was compensated by the insurance policy.
Six Fake Rolexes
Corey Harrison literally grew up in the pawn store, but still had to learn a few business lessons on his own. When Corey was 18 he was working the nightshift and thought he knew everything. Soon enough he had six fake Rolexes he bought in one week. His mistakes cost $4,000 dollars. There are a lot of tricks sellers use on fake watches. Corey's father, Rick, gave a few tips regarding this subject. These are the places from which you do not want to buy a Rolex: the internet, Craigslist, the street. If you want to buy a used one, he recommended buying it in a pawn shop, or just buy a new one.
The Sports Signature
In an episode from the sixth season Rick made another bad gamble without asking for some expert advice. He spent $13,000 on a book he thought contains the authentic signature of the legendary baseball player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Rick was extremely excited when the item was receiving its appraisal and thought it was an incredible and rare sports signature. Jackson was illiterate and despite the seller's certificate of authenticity was questionable at best, but Rick purchased it anyway. After Rick heard from his book expert Rebecca, that the signature was probably a fake, he decided to send it to another expert who had bad news for him: it was an unconvincing forgery.
Willie Mays
Corey made a mistake worth $31,000 for what he thought was a rare game-worn Willie Mays uniform from 61'. A few things raised suspicions. Chumlee observed that the uniform was in perfect condition. It's unlikely that there wouldn't be any stains on it. The seller had no paperwork proving the uniform's authenticity. Big Hoss decided to take a gamble & it was an incredibly bad one. After an analysis made by Dave Grob, a senior uniform authenticator working at MEARS, it was determined that Mays never wore the uniform in a game since it never belonged to him.
The Fantasy Box
In an episode from the 5th season Rick made a huge mistake and bought something before having it authenticated. He paid $450 on an item thought to be a 19th century Wells Fargo strongbox. An expert examined the box and called it a total fantasy piece & one of the most faked items out there. The seller also had 2 ball-&-chain sets he believed were artifacts from the Yuma & Folsom prisons, but Rick knew they were fake straight away. Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same about the box.
A Cigar Box That Once Belonged To JFK
A seller entered into the Pawn Shop with an historical presidential item, described by the owner as a once in a lifetime item. Rick simply had to own it. The item was a cigar box that was owned by President John Kennedy and was placed on his Oval Office desk. The box contained some unsmoked cigars. Other cigar boxes that once belonged to JFK sold for more than $500k during the 1990s, so Rick knew he was onto something good when he bought it from the seller for $60k.
Fake News!
Many celebs suffer from online death hoaxes, and for some unknown reason, when the internet decided that the Pawn Stars own Chumlee was dead, many people believed it. The 1st time Chumlee allegedly-died was in 2013, when a dubious site reported that he died from a marijuana overdose. Of course it's not possible to die like this, and was totally made up. Just a year later, another website reported Chumlee was dead, mentioning a heart attack as the cause of death. Thankfully, Chumlee is still alive and well and even started exercising to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Richard Harrison Died in 2018
In 2018, Richard Harrison, better known to Pawn Stars' fans as The Old Man, died at the age of 77. Rick Harrison, his son, said that he died surrounded by the people he loved. His family, coworkers and many fans truly miss him. Rick said that he was his hero and that he felt very lucky that he had such a cool dad. Without Richard Pawn Stars wouldn't have existed. He opened the famous Gold & Silver Las Vegas Pawn shop together with Rick in the early 80's.
A Global Phenomenon
The show was translated to 38 languages, & aired in 150 different countries, Pawn Stars is a huge international hit. In every corner of the world, there are fans of the show. They even went on an Asian tour back in 2013, during which they were met as if they were the Beatles. The fans lined up for hours at numerous meet-&-greet events waiting to lay their eyes on Harrison & his son, Corey. It's astonishing when you think of it - a TV show can turn two guys from a pawnshop into superstars adored like rock & roll legends.
The Dylan Episode
Bob Dylan is a legendary musician, but he likes to stay very far from the limelight. Fans were surprised to see him on an episode of Pawn Stars. The episode features a seller presenting to Rick a vinyl copy of Dylan's album, Self Portrait, released in 1970. The customer wantd $150, and Rick eventually bought it for $50.After the purchase, Rick remembered that Bob Dylan was in town and asked Chumlee to reach out to Dylan & have him sign the album. Chumlee agreed, drove to the Vegas strip and started asking random strangers if they've seen Bob Dylan. He then notices Dylan and asks him if he can have his signature. Dylan agrees and Chumlee completes his task.
Chumlee's Version
Chumlee spoke about the Dylan episode and insisted that him meeting Dylan was spontaneous & happened after he walked around the venue for 4 hours. He said that he saw Dylan getting off a bus & then jumped on the opportunity along with his cameraman. Chumlee ran up to him and Dylan was shocked, but still agreed to sign the album. Some find Chumlee’s story hard to swallow. Running into him so easily is unlikely and also the chances of Dylan, the man who doesn't let photographers enter his concerts, allowing himself to be filmed?
The Truth About Dylan (?)
According to Chumlee's story he saw Dylan getting off of a bus, whereas in the scene, Dylan is seen walking toward a bus. Behind him is a black parked car, which he could've walked out of if we speculate that the scene was indeed staged. Chumlee is seen presenting the vinyl to Harrison, who's angry when he sees that Dylan's signature is personalized to Chumlee. He said that nobody else will want to buy an album signed to Chumlee. The likeliest explanation is that Bob Dylan, who's a history expert, is a fan of the show Pawn Stars & agreed to feature on the show.
The Pawn Plaza
After Pawn Stars debuted, its popularity just kept rising and rising, which meant more money for Rick & his family. Rick took a decision to expand his empire & created the Pawn Plaza, an attached mall with several shops & ventures. Sadly, the donut shop, pizza place & smoking shop closed. Tenants said that there wasn't enough management involved there & as a result, Rick was heavily criticized from the tenants who had to close up shop and leave. It seems that Rick might want to over-think his management methods.
Some of the Show is Staged
Since trying to film the actual everyday life at a pawn shop might result in some pretty boring TV, it shouldn't surprise anyone that the items we see brought into the Pawn Shop have been examined beforehand. Veteran store manager Travis Benton said that his brokers find unique items & show them to the producers who decide if they're worthy enough to appear on the show. Some people come with a fantastic item to sell, but they're nervous on film. Producers have left items out of the show since the seller couldn't get it together on camera.
Vic Flicks' Guitar
The Fender Stratocaster guitar is considered to be one of the most iconic rock guitars in history. When the famous studio musician Vic Flick, the guy who played the guitar on James Bond's original theme, brought his 61' Fender into the pawnshop, Rick really wanted to buy it. The expert who he brought to examine it said that Rick probably heard this guitar play much more than he realizes. Flick played with this particular guitar on well-known recordings for artists like Tom Jones, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Nancy Sinatra, Herman's Hermits, & the Beatles. Flick & Rick agreed on a fee of $55k.
Isaac Newton's Alchemy Book
When a seller named Bob entered the Pawn shop with a copy of a four-hundred-and-fifty-year-old book on the subject of alchemy that he claimed is from Isaac Newton's library, the Old Man knew he had something truly special in front of him. He invited Gary, his rare books expert, who confirmed that it's really a book from the well-known scientist's collection. Gary estimated that the book was worth $20,000. Then, an incredible thing happened and Bob, the seller, accepted the Old Man's surprisingly low offer of $7,000.
How Chumlee Got to Be on the Show
Despite being involved in legal issues, Chumlee is by far the fan-favorite of the show. Even Harrison, who appears on the show more than anyone else, knows this. Chumlee wasn't always a part of the show's plan. The show was initially just a family gig till they started searching for a 4th cast member. Ten other employees worked in the shop & they wanted a 4th person to be on the show, Chumlee was eventually chosen, the show became a smash hit and its participants turned into multi-millionaires.
The Birth of the Show
Rick Harrison knew that TV exposure did good for business. He agreed in 2003 that his show will be on Comedy Central's Insomniac, and also starred in a 2001 PBS documentary before he thought of the idea to pitch an entire show that will focus on the everyday life of the Pawn Shop. Pawn Stars' original concept initiated on HBO, but due to a disastrous pilot & a contract that expired, Harrison approached Leftfield Productions, which is the company that produces the show to this day. Harrison heard several times that no one wanted to watch 4 fat guys in a pawn shop. Whoever turned him down couldn't have been more wrong.
An Auction Gone Awry
Rick tried to make a profit by sending a few items to auction - an Indian Motorcycle from 1940 & a guitar owned and played by Vic Flick. Rick put them at Julien's Auctions in L.A. He lost $29,000 on the motorcycle & $35,000 on Vic Flick's guitar. He didn't do well with other items there, since he reported a total loss of $100,000. Rick sold most of the items he brought there, but at a very painful loss and that obviously didn't make him feel good. This made Rick feel depressed and he feared returning to the shop.
Robosaurus
Austin Chumlee Russell wanted to buy Robosaurus, a robot made in the eighties. It was a 31-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex that fed on trucks, cars & small planes. Corey said he never saw Chumlee so excited. The seller called it a money-making machine and asked for $1 Million. Harrison thought it was completely impractical and ignored Chumlee. In 2008 Robosaurus was sold for $575,000 at an Arizona auction. The seller estimated that Robosaurus could make $25,000 a day but that seemed unreal. After a 2015 San Diego performance Robosaurus was sidelined due to an "injury."
Cajun Pawn Stars
In 2012 The History Chanel started airing Cajun Pawn Stars. The original Pawn Stars were upset since they were promised no spin-offs would be made. They couldn't understand why The History Channel needed another show when Pawn Stars was making so much money for them? The History Channel referred to the new show as a southern spin – they sold vintage cars, livestock & firearms. There were no comments about the tension that the spin-off created, but eventually Cajun Pawn Stars lasted just a year, while Pawn Stars had 15 seasons and it's still going.
Vagos Motorcycle Gang
The Old Man once hosted a party that took place at his Vegas home. The party was held for the Vagos Motorcycle Club. His son, Joseph was affiliated with them and had a long history of getting into problems with the law. The Old Man didn't know what he was getting into and thought it was some sort of a charity event. The truth was that the party was held in order to cover legal fees after a major arrest the gang had suffered in which 32 members were arrested.
The Rise of Silver
After his father advised him to invest, a man decided to buy more than two hundred pounds of silver. The economy was very different back then. When he entered Rick’s shop, twelve years had passed since he invested, & the price of silver had climbed drastically. Rick was sure he could sell it and get a nice profit off it as well, so after he did some checks to make sure the silver was pure, he purchased the silver for a sum of $111k. Viewers became jealous and started looking for pieces of silver in their house but probably all of them weren't able to get a sum close to $111k for what they found.
The 32' Lincoln Roadster
The 1932 Lincoln Roadster was created in order to provide luxury. With a 150-horsepower V-12 engine, it was one of the most powerful cars of that era. When Rick & the Old Man checked out the well maintained 1932 Roadster, they realized they needed to go big if they wanted to buy the vintage car. Rick has a soft spot for cars, especially for vintage cars which are in a fantastic shape. They ended up paying $95k for it, in cash. The owner immediately put the money on the counter and bought $95k in gold.
The Guitar That Changed Rock Music
The 1961 Gibson is custom-made guitar that belonged to guitarist Mary Ford, wife of iconic guitarist Les Paul. Between 1950 to 1954, Mary & Les wrote together sixteen top ten hits & sold millions of records. The guitar had a solid body design which changed the sound of rock & roll music. It was a rare guitar that was worth even more money thanks to its actual connection to the legendary Les Paul, it would become Rick’s most expansive guitar buy of his career. After the owner asked for £250k, Rick managed to lower the price and bought it for $90k.
Corey & Chumlee's Personal Assistants
Corey & Chumlee have their own personal assistants. It seems odd to fans of the show, but it actually makes sense that they're at a point where they already have their own personal assistants helping them out. They both don't really work at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop anymore & only make celebrity appearances once in while. Their schedules necessitate a lot of organizing, and who can help them better than a personal assistant? There's no doubt they came a long way since the 1st episode of the show aired.
A Vietnam Veteran Sued Them
A Vietnam veteran by the name of Daniel Callahan sued Rick & his dad, claiming that in 2011 they attacked him inside the shop. The veteran walked in with his cane & got into a confrontation with the pair, who allegedly dragged him through the shop & threw him out. Callahan wanted a compensation of $20,000 & said that he got injured, that his cane was broken & the rifle he brought in with him to be appraised was damaged as well. Corey defended his brother and father and said that Callahan was behaving irrationally with a weapon in his hand.
The Stephen Stills Guitar
A seller entered the shop with a 1941 Gibson guitar. It wasn't just beautiful & rare, it was also owned by a legendary musician. Singer Stephen Stills from the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash owned the guitar, and Rick was very enthusiastic about it. The seller had a bill of sale signed by Stephen Stills himself, and Rick was willing to pay a lot in order to buy this folk-rock “holy grail”. After some negotiations with the owner he bought it for $85k which he considered a bargain price for it.
The Rare Coin
Many think of it as the rarest coin in America's history, a man who won it in a poker game brought the 1922 High Relief Dollar into the pawn shop. He believed that the coin, one of just ten left in the world, was worth approximately $20k. Rick Harrison asked one of his top experts to examine it, and the price went up with the incredible estimate that it's worth somewhere between $50-100k. Rick & the man agreed on a deal and it was sold for $80k.
The 32' Custom Ford Roadster
Rick & Corey negotiated for a very long time with a seller who had an immaculate jet-black 500-horsepower 32' Custom Ford Roadster. It had only 450 miles on the clock & after Vegas car custom icon, Danny Koker (nicknamed the count) fell head over heels in love with it, Rick Harrison knew he had to make a deal, and eventually paid $68,250 for it. Almost 13,000 such cars were made. It cost $495 in 1932, about $8200 in today's money. It was the 1st mass-market V-8 car in the U.S.
A 1915 Gold Coin
Rick headed to Atlanta to take part in one of the biggest coin auctions in the U.S, he needed to find a Panama Pacific Octagonal gold piece from 1915 for a customer who was willing to pay $70k for the item. Rick was surprised from the large sum the man was willing to pay for it and didn't want to pass on the opportunity to make such a nice profit. The coins were made by the U.S. Mint to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal. After finding 2 such gold coins, Rick managed to negotiate a deal on one for $67.5k.
The Upgraded Ford Mustang
In 2013, Hertz (a car rental company) formed a partnership with businessman Roger Penske in order to create one hundred and fifty limited edition Ford GT Mustangs. They upgraded the suspension & drivetrain components, as well as the classic paint scheme. Hertz has a very long history of improving Ford Mustangs A seller brought Rick one of the 1st 10 ever made, and Rick asked pro NASCAR driver Joey Logano to take it on a test drive. After he made sure that everything was working as it should, Rick made a deal and bought it for $60k.
The Hotchkiss Cannon
Chuck, a field artillery collector brought in his 1890 Hotchkiss Cannon into the Pawn shop and wanted to make a deal. Rick asked his weapons expert how much can he pay and still make a profit? The expert said $40,000 all day long. Chuck was pleased but did the biggest mistake one can do when negotiating, and said he was expecting ten thousand less. Rick immediately jumped on the opportunity & agreed to $30,000 but only if the cannon still fires. Chuck agreed to the deal and Rick managed to take advantage of the seller's low expectations.
The $30,000 Boat
Corey took quite a huge gamble when he bought a 1984 Chris Craft boat and paid $16,500 for it before having it examined by an expert. Rick & the Old Man reprimand Corey for spending so much on a risky purchase till they learn that with a restoration work of just $4,000, the boat's been restored to an estimated value of $30,000. Unfortunately for seller Dino, who revealed he bought the boat for $25,000 6 months ago and hoped getting at least $20,000 for it from the pawn shop. Dino had no idea that if he'd just spent 4 grand, he could've gotten $30,000 for it, rather than losing $8,500.
The Classic Car
Rick & the Old Man made a fantastic deal on a restored 62' Lincoln Continental. Devin, the seller, said he wanted to get between $13,000-$14,000 for it, but the classic car had a bad looking interior, so he agreed to sell for only $9,500.The original showroom price for it was $10,000, so they managed to pay less it in 2009 than what it cost new in 62' and that's quite rare when dealing with a classic car. They paid $15,000 to get the beauty back into showroom shape and had in their hands a car worth around $35,000. This meant they made around $10,000 from the deal.
The Godfather Screenplay That Was Signed by Al
Diane, the seller of this item eventually didn't part with it. She had a copy of The Godfather's screenplay signed by "Al". Rick's handwriting expert confirmed that her screenplay was really signed by Al Pacino, so Rick offerd Diane $500 for it. Diane decided to leave and said that now that she knows for a fact it was signed by Pacino she could get a lot more money for it in a fundraiser. She was right. She sold it in an auction and got $12,000 for it. When The Godfather producer Al Ruddy heard about the auction, he revealed that he was the "Al" who signed the screenplay…
The Signed NY Yankees Baseball
A seller named Clint, entered the shop with a baseball signed by the New York Yankees who won the 1951 World Series. Brenda, the handwriting expert determined the signatures were legit, but couldn't give an accurate estimate of how much it's worth. She said it mainly depends on how much money a buyer would be willing to pay for it. Clint initial offer was $3,000 and the Old Man offered just $800. Clint declined the offer and left the shop. A different expert estimated such a ball at $5,000-$7,000 so the Old Man's offer was laughably low.
The Pawn Stars Got Sued
The Pawn Stars' Pawn Shop makes most of its money from jewelry & coins like most pawn shops. There are clear laws regarding what can be sold, messed with and melted down. But there are different laws concerning gold coins & that caused a big problem for Rick & the rest of the Pawn Stars. In 2014, a small number of gold coins was received at the shop and estimated at $12,375. Since the Nevada laws don't necessitate them to wait 30-90 days before they're allowed to do something with the coins, they decided to melt them down. After the owner discovered what they did he decided to sue them. The law wasn't on his side.
The Guys Are Famous
The Silver & Gold Las Vegas Pawn Shop is a family run business. Richard “Old Man” Harrison is the big boss, his son Rick Harrison & Rick’s son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison also work in the store as well as Austin “Chumlee” Russell. The store is located along the Las Vegas strip & is highly accessible through the Las Vegas scooter tours. Although the Pawn Stars became famous thanks to their super popular reality show, they still can't believe how much they get approached to wherever they go.
The Samurai Sword
Sometimes the Pawn Shop guys totally underpay for an item. Corey negotiated on a samurai sword from the 15th century. David, the seller, said he was a lawyer who held on to the sword after a client of his chose to use it as collateral but failed to pay in order to claim it. Before negotiations started Corey admitted that he knew it was worth thousands of dollars. His opening bid of $800 was painfully low. They eventually agreed on $1,500, & an expert later estimated it to be worth between $5,000-$6,000.