If you haven’t heard of the reality television show, Pawn Stars, then you are missing a real treat. The series is currently in its second season on the History Channel and goes through the work day of a pawn shop located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The items they acquire are typically very rare and are chock full of historical significance. Below are five reasons you should be watching this show.
Pawn Stars takes place at The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The store is a family owned business run by Richard Harrison (aka “The Old Man), his son Rick, and grandson Corey (known as “Big Hoss”). Additionally, Corey’s friend “Chumlee” Russel and “Peaches” Rainey also work at the pawn shop. The show is completely narrated by Rick and Corey. They are constantly arguing and trying to one-up each other when it comes to making purchases from the customers who come into the store.
If you are saying to yourself, “This sounds sort of like the Antique Road Show you are wrong. While that PBS television series is based on the junk people find in their attics, Pawn Stars relies on the banter between the owners of this pawn shop and their employees. Sometimes mistakes are made, but more often, you get to learn about the background of some really unique items ranging from Civil War cavalry swords to extremely rare cars like Shelby Cobra. All of the items are not in perfect shape and the boys will call in experts to identify and refurbish the items into mint condition.
Each episode will go through several items that come in during the day. The owners do not claim to be an expert on every item, but they do their best to make a good deal – which is often a gamble – and come out ahead in their business. Some of the items are priced in the tens of thousands of dollars. Experts in military supplies, vehicles, autographs, and even American Indian cultures will appear on the show and give the owners their opinion about the varying items.
The format of the show allows for mini quizzes in between commercials and the haggling of an item’s worth. Often, customers will want an outrageous amount of money for something that can’t hold its value and the owners are forced to break with the negotiations.
When old weapons, such as crossbows, pistols, or 16th century hand cannons come into the store, most often they will go down to the local shooting range to test how the items work. In a recent episode where the boys bought the Shelby Cobra and had it restored for the tune of $80,000 they went to a racetrack to test drive this American classic. The show is the place to see rare items that you might never see in a museum, let alone on the street. The items can be centuries old or of such quality that only a few are still in existence.
This is a unique show that is worth watching. Two half-hour episodes appear each Monday night at 10:00pm and the show is currently in its second season.
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