Pawn Stars - General Discussion

[NikSac]

Sorry if it's been posted and I missed it, but has anyone ever been to the store while they were/weren't filming?  I was in Vegas recently and tried to go on a whim, and holy cow it was insane. There was a line all the way around the building, parking attendants, etc. We opted not to go, but I was wondering if the shop's always like this, or if it was because they were filming. I don't know if they were or weren't filming, but was surprised to see it so busy.

 

Also funny, there was a big sign outside saying open 24 hours, but they were closed the other two times we drove by.

 

I'm rarely in Vegas, so I was curious if any locals know more about the shop.

[Honey]

Sorry if it's been posted and I missed it, but has anyone ever been to the store while they were/weren't filming?  I was in Vegas recently and tried to go on a whim, and holy cow it was insane. There was a line all the way around the building, parking attendants, etc. We opted not to go, but I was wondering if the shop's always like this, or if it was because they were filming. I don't know if they were or weren't filming, but was surprised to see it so busy.

 

Also funny, there was a big sign outside saying open 24 hours, but they were closed the other two times we drove by.

 

I'm rarely in Vegas, so I was curious if any locals know more about the shop.

I would say that the times it was closed, were the times they were filming.

[NikSac]

I would say that the times it was closed, were the times they were filming.

 

Hm could be. The entire parking lot looked empty and was chained off when it was closed (no obvious TV trucks or anything), but that does make sense. If that's the case I can't believe it was so packed during the times they weren't filming. Guess the show has been good publicity for them!

[slagtemp]

I think he made the name up himself thinking it would stick big hoss ha ha ha . Im going to bring big hoss a big hole #1 with everything on it including mayo and ask 20 bucks but ill take 15 fat fuck big hoss ha ha ha whats that big thing on his nose. He should move to texas where everything is big like big hoss big stomach big thing on my nose big ass big face big head . hey big hoss hey hoss hey big hoss it just dont fit sounds fucking stupid hey duffes sounds better fat fuck thinks he knows everything big smart ass fat fuck never worked a hard day in his life big hoss is a hard working cattle ranchers name and he aint no hard worker thats for sure big hoss more like big fay lazy boy. Yep im a hater thats for sure BIG HOSS WHAT A JOKE  REALLY REALLY BIG HOSS REALLY

[cherry slushie]

I just had to revive this thread to vent. As you all know, Chumlee is the biggest low-baller of them all...taking down four to five figure estimates to crazy two to three figure numbers. On one of tonight's episodes, some guy brought in a set of band and musician name engraved matchboxes from the Starship One, a plane that 70's rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Starship used for tours. The guy who came to look at them was blown away and estimated the worth to be $2500 to $3000, and even wished the guy had brought them to him first.  So, Chumlee low-balls it down to $700, saying he wouldn't pay more than that.  The STUPID guy falls for it, no haggling at all, and then says in his talking head.. "Well, I'm not a very good bargainer and didn't need the hassle". 

 

I don't know why, but this really ticked me off.  However, I feel better now that I've vented! :)

[NEGirl]

I have a friend who went to Vegas a couple of years ago. She said the shop is closed when they film. When she went she said the line to get into the place was miles long and the store is located on a not so nice area of the strip. I has read an article in Time which stated they screen for the most interesting items and they then get on tv.  The artilce  stated the shop is closed when they film.  It also said the place has become so popular Rick, etc. do not work there except for the filming. BTW, I believe Corey and Chum Lee are both 32.

Edited April 13, 2015 by NEGirl

[Maharincess]

I used to love this show but lost track of it a couple of years ago.

What the hell happened to the show? It used to be so interesting to watch the different things people would bring in, the bargaining process etc. I found all of that fascinating.

My favorite parts were when some cocky asshole would bring something in saying he knows its worth thousands and he won't take less than 5 grand. Then he finds out its a worthless piece of crap and walks out with nothing.

I caught a marathon today and the show is terrible now. It's nothing but fake, badly acted scripted crap now. Speaking of badly acted, Corey and Chumlee's talking head interviews are painfully bad.

The episodes with Corey bringing his (adorable, beautiful, gorgeous) dog to the store was so stupid.

Corey and Chumlee both creep me out. They always look like they would smell really bad.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Maharincess

[algebra]

I was just watching the episode (311?) where the guy brought in the two-hand sword made in Solingen in 1628.

And I noticed the expert who came in quite casually noted it had a Cross of Lorraine on it.

I was surprised nobody mentioned that the Cross of Lorraine was a symbol used by the Knights Templar.

Somebody should have called Scott Woltjer.

[Ed Mck]

Corey is exactly like his dad but isn't to likeable. As one of his friends said once, this is Rick's annual batchelor party. They all are signing a prenup I assume. Or they would be making more than Corey's making. Corey's problem is his best friend's Chumlee. Chumlee's problem is he needs help to smoke 7 pounds of weed. God works in mysterious ways. We all want money and not have to want for anything. But watching these folks with more money than they need and the problems money creates should teach us something. One that having more than you need is a terrible thing. Two that money won't make you a better person. Three that money only rents Love. Next is God inflicts just a few with money but they find they don't believe in God. What irony. Now that's stupidity at the highest college degree!

[Latverian Diplomat]

Another angle on the collector discussion in last night's episode. The guy who made a bench out of his Dodger's autograph collection. This included damaging the balls and bats by drilling holes in them. He was convinced this was a "unique art piece" that enhanced the value of the collection. Too much time and too much money both, I think.

[junemeatcleaver]

Don't be surprised if Chumlee will no longer be a part of the show, he was busted for guns and drugs during a raid on his house during a sexual assault investigation.

 

 

 

Chumlee from "Pawn Stars" has been arrested for guns and drugs after police raided his home while investigating an alleged sexual assault ... TMZ has learned.

Las Vegas Metro PD says officers showed up at his home Wednesday afternoon with a search warrant in connection with a sexual assault case. We're told Chumlee is the suspect in that case.

 

Don't know what they'll do since the stupid Chumlee "character" is a huge part of Pawn Stars.

Edited March 10, 2016 by junemeatcleaver

[merylinkid]

Wow.   This might be the end of the show.   

 

Mr. "I quit drugs on my own, just decided to stop because it was bad" might have been lying all along.   At least Corey seems to have straightened out his act and acting like a responsible partner in the business.  

[GrtGzu]

might now be known as "Con Star"......

[Saylii]

I haven't watched the show in a year or so now, but they could still write Chumlee out pretty easily. Substitute him with Antwone or bring in another village idiot character.

Plus, with a good enough lawyer Chumlee might be able to get the gun and drug charges reduced. He might not spend anytime in prison. If that's the case it might just get glossed over and no changes are made to the show.

If he gets charged with sexual assault or rape, then yeah he's pretty much done with the show. If Corey or Rick have to testify to what they knew and it goes badly, it may sink the whole thing. But I've read the sexual assault case is pretty thin for criminal charges anyways. He may settle civilly but I don't know if it'll go full criminal.

[This2getsold]

I know people involved with the production of this show. None of them know much of anything. All the stuff that is brought into the show is arranged a head of time. And a production staff does the research and gives the info to Rick or who ever.

This show saved their ass. They were about ready to go under when they got signed.

[Higgins]

I think Chumlee is still having meth problems.

[magdalene]

Don't these people have to sign a morality clause in their contracts? Actors have to who are regulars on scripted TV. And yes I know all "reality" TV is scripted as well.  I would think Chumlee would be finished on the show whether he is ultimately convicted or not. Remember that young woman who was on Pawn Stars for a while and then she was fired because of nude photos? And she wasn't accused of a crime.

[merylinkid]

Sure there's a morality clause.   But the young lady wasn't one of the stars.   For reasons known only to the Supreme Being, Chumlee is popular.   People LOVE his character.   They love that his stupidity always triumphs over Rick's brains.    So he will probably get a little more leeway (depending on the nature of the sexual assault) than would a recurring character on the show.

[Saylii]

Don't these people have to sign a morality clause in their contracts? Actors have to who are regulars on scripted TV. And yes I know all "reality" TV is scripted as well. I would think Chumlee would be finished on the show whether he is ultimately convicted or not. Remember that young woman who was on Pawn Stars for a while and then she was fired because of nude photos? And she wasn't accused of a crime.

The woman was a hired actress, IIRC, even though she did actually work for the store. There was also rumors hat she was using her appearances to help sell the website where the photos appeared.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Saylii

[Snarklepuss]

My husband watches this show so I sometimes tune in.  For the last two years all I have been thinking is that both Chum and Corey look wasted and derelict like they're up all night doing drugs and getting up to no good.  So Chum's arrest does not surprise me in the least.  I am surprised that neither he nor Corey has ended up dead, to be honest.  Plus I think their banter with Rick is mean spirited and awful anymore.  Knowing the shop isn't really a real pawn shop doesn't help either.  I find I can hardly watch it anymore.

[stormy]

Plus it's overly scripted and the interactions between Rick and the rest are lame.

[KHenry14]

I've always wanted this show to tell us what happened to the stuff they bought over the years. Like that purple speed boat that they bought quite a few seasons ago. I do know that they lost money on the bowling ball cannon, I just thought it would be interesting to see what happened to some of these items.

[friendperidot]

does anyone thing he really, seriously wears a $40 watch? Ok, maybe he's worn it once or twice so that he's not entirely lying in his ad for the aviator watch, but I really suspect Rick likes his bling.

[rmontro]

Looks like the Chumlee scandal has blown over.

I see they've added a new bit to the show, where Rick walks off and looks into the camera after the interaction, and makes some comment.

I notice there is very little traffic on this Pawn Stars forum and others.  I'd like to see a graph of the show's ratings, seems like this show has fallen a long way from being very popular to being practically ignored.

[Toothbrush]

I wonder if the "old man" has retired from the show or if he's just taking a little sabbatical from the show. Hope he's OK. 

I see there are some new experts - art & toys that I can recall. Hope 'The Beard of Knowledge' is still around. I want him to have his own show.

Seems like Chumlee is not being made to act so clueless this season. A low bar for sure. Cory is still an ass.

The pirate leg gun was cool! 

[rmontro]

The old man is conspicuous by his absence.  Hopefully he's in good health, and just contemplating retirement.  Didn't look like he did all that much around the shop anymore anyway.

Chumlee called in the Beard of Knowledge guy in a recent episode to look at what turned out to be a wire cutter, so he's still around.  I think the guy thought it was a fuse cutter and wanted something like $15,000 for it.  I thought it was strange that Chum would call the Beard because he never gives a monetary value and that would have been the main thing I would have wanted to know.

[Toothbrush]

I watched the episode with the Beard of Knowledge tonight and was glad to see him. I also thought that it was strange that Chumlee told the customer that he would call a friend for a value and it turned out to be Mark, because he never gives a monetary value; just confirms if the item is genuine - or not. And in this case set them straight on what the item actually is.  

Happy to see that Rebecca is still the book expert. 

[rmontro]

On 4/21/2017 at 2:03 AM, Toothbrush said:

I also thought that it was strange that Chumlee told the customer that he would call a friend for a value and it turned out to be Mark, because he never gives a monetary value; just confirms if the item is genuine - or not. And in this case set them straight on what the item actually is.  

Happy to see that Rebecca is still the book expert. 

Yeah, I mean the customer guy thought it was a fuse cutter, which it wasn't.  Chum had no idea what it was.  What if the beard had said "Yup, that's a fuse cutter", how was Chum supposed to know how much it was worth?  IIRC, the guy was asking for a ridiculously high amount.  

Rebecca was there to verify the page from the Gutenberg Bible.  I think she valued it as higher than what the guy though.  I hate when they ask for a certain amount, then the expert comes in and values it a little higher, then suddenly they want that amount.  I can see them upping their request a bit, but it's like they suddenly get greedy.

[Toothbrush]

On 4/24/2017 at 4:01 PM, rmontro said:

 I hate when they ask for a certain amount, then the expert comes in and values it a little higher, then suddenly they want that amount.  I can see them upping their request a bit, but it's like they suddenly get greedy.

I hate that too. The woman with the Faberge brooch early in the show's run comes to mind. She had no idea what she had and asked for a ridiculously low amount. Rick offered her a fair amount (thousands higher than what she asked for as I recall) and then she asked for even more than that. 

[funky-rat]

But your guy said it was worth $8000, so how about $9500?

No, I have to make a profit.

Ok, then $9000?

[Honey]

Of all the guys, I would not want to bring an item in, and have Chum value it because he always low-balls people.  "It's worth $500, but I have to make a profit, so I'll give you $80 for it".

[Toothbrush]

4 hours ago, Honey said:

Of all the guys, I would not want to bring an item in, and have Chum value it because he always low-balls people.  "It's worth $500, but I have to make a profit, so I'll give you $80 for it".

Corey does this too; in fact, I think he is worse than Chumlee. And I hate when they use the excuse of having to frame or clean an item as a reason to offer less for that item, as I do not think their experts take this into consideration when giving a value. (Rick does this too) Not talking about items that need repairs to be functional, just touch-ups to make them more presentable/valuable. 

[Kel Varnsen]

5 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

Corey does this too; in fact, I think he is worse than Chumlee. And I hate when they use the excuse of having to frame or clean an item as a reason to offer less for that item, as I do not think their experts take this into consideration when giving a value. (Rick does this too) Not talking about items that need repairs to be functional, just touch-ups to make them more presentable/valuable. 

My most hated excuse is "this is a kind of obscure item it will probably sit on the shelf for a long time before a collector walks in the door". I really wish the seller would respond with "that makes sense, oh hey what is this camera for again? ".

[funky-rat]

Quality, proper framing is expensive, so I get that, but still, they always make a huge deal over it.

As for the obscurity thing, I get that too.  I know a guy who runs a buy/sell/trade type of thing geared at video games and pop culture stuff.  He's told me a few times that he's taken in something really cool because he was caught by the rarity factor, only to have the item still be there 3 years later, unsold.  He said he had to learn that "rare" does not equal "saleable".  But he's a small-time operation.  The Harrisons are not.

[rmontro]

On 4/30/2017 at 0:55 PM, Toothbrush said:

Corey does this too; in fact, I think he is worse than Chumlee.

I used to always think that the person I would least like to negotiate with was the Old Man, he seemed very tough.  Respectable, but tough.  Don't see much of him lately though.

The thing about Corey is I get the impression he just doesn't care.  So when he reaches his limit that he wants to pay, he's done.  I guess that's good for him, really.  With Rick, sometimes you can see that he really gets engaged in the negotiation, and sometimes really wants to buy the item.  Sometimes I wonder why he seems so excited about something when he's just going to flip it.

So I guess if I had to choose to negotiate with someone, it would be Rick.  I think he would give you a fair price, and it's his shop, so he doesn't have to impress anyone.

[anthonyd46]

I think I would want to deal with Rick if you bring something in he geeks out about he is more likely to chance versus Corey who seems to be very disinterested on a lot of items. They removed the theme song on the newer episodes for whatever reason. Looks like Brett the art guy and Johnny the toy guy are both out?

They both aren't listed on the website anymore either:

http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/articles/experts

Edited May 16, 2017 by anthonyd46

[funky-rat]

Two years ago, Johnny Jiminez was arrested for domestic violence.  That may have something to do with it (courts move slow).  Not sure.

Couldn't find anything negative about Brett Maly.  Maybe he just wanted out?

[rmontro]

On 5/16/2017 at 1:19 AM, anthonyd46 said:

I think I would want to deal with Rick if you bring something in he geeks out about he is more likely to chance versus Corey who seems to be very disinterested on a lot of items.

A lot of the items seem to be things that were before Corey's time.  Rick has been around longer so he relates to more stuff, like he remembers all the classic rock, which Corey couldn't care less about.  I would have liked to have seen Corey handle the Thundercats toys on the most recent episode, since apparently he was a fan of that show (they made a big deal about him wearing Thundercats underwear as a kid).  It would have been nice to see him act like he was interested in something.

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 6/9/2017 at 10:12 PM, rmontro said:

 It would have been nice to see him act like he was interested in something.

Yes!  And obviously Rick shows interest and people have to watch for it, but the Old Man can be very entertaining as well when he lets his guard down and shows he likes a piece.

You usually see it with old toys, or old games.  He lights up as he says things like,  "Back then, these toy figures were made of lead, and most of them were melted down for the war effort.  I'm suprised this one survived."

So much more fun to watch than Corey, who is way to cool to be interested in the background of a piece.

[Toothbrush]

Even Chumlee acts more interested and knowledgeable than Corey (when the producers let him). All Corey does is act like he doesn't know who Mick Jagger is while making fun of his dad for his "geeky" interests & offering way too little money for the items brought in. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

1 hour ago, Toothbrush said:

All Corey does is act like he doesn't know who Mick Jagger is while making fun of his dad for his "geeky" interests & offering way too little money for the items brought in. 

Good point.  Sometimes I can't tell if Corey is really dumb and really hasn't heard of these people. . . 

Or really smart, with a dry sense of humor and is just pretending as a way to get a clever age joke in on his dad and granddad.

[Toothbrush]

It's gotta be for the show and to bust dad/grandpa's chops. 

[rmontro]

10 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

All Corey does is act like he doesn't know who Mick Jagger is while making fun of his dad for his "geeky" interests & offering way too little money for the items brought in. 

I can't criticize any of these shows for not offering enough money.  It's a pawn shop.  If you want to get decent money for an item, you shouldn't be taking it to a pawn shop.  In fact, I'm surprised they offer as much as they do on the show.  I think the only reason for that is because of TV, and because they are located in Vegas, a money-rich area.  I bet if I went down to my local pawn shop, I couldn't get half what they offer.

As for Corey, it's probably all for the show, but a lot of young people don't know the stars the baby boomers grew up with.  Bob Hope, for example.  It's hard to believe he doesn't know who Mick Jagger is though.

[Toothbrush]

I was being facetious with the Mick Jagger comment, but point taken.

I agree that we are not seeing an accurate representation of the pawn business. 

[funky-rat]

We don't have any pawn shops in our area, but we frequent them when we're in my husband's "hometown".  There's one we prefer - we've done lots of transactions there (mostly buying, but I took some Jewelry down once that I didn't want anymore, and I did some bartering once), and they have a few stores in a few areas, and if we're in one of those areas, we'll look them up.  I've been in a number of pawn shops over the years.  We used to work with a kids charity, and the kid that we worked with wanted to go to a pawn shop for his birthday - seriously.  He liked the show, and wanted to know what a real pawn shop was like.  So we took him.  He was disappointed at first, because Gold & Silver Pawn is more like a gift boutique/antique store than a pawn shop than most real pawn shops to me, but after the initial shock wore off, we told the manager off to the side that being there was this kid's birthday wish, and they negotiated with him, etc.  It was cute.  And he was tickled.

I've gotten some nice stuff there over the years, including a Black & Decker mini fridge (bigger than cube size) that I paid $50 for.  You can tell it belonged to some college kids who used it for a semester or two, then turned it in.  It still had tape inside holding the racks down.  Would have cost me more than twice that in the store.  I keep it at my desk at work.  I used to be on meds I had to keep cold, but once I stopped taking them (I turned out to be mildly allergic), I decided to keep it here.  No stolen lunches!

[Toothbrush]

Awesome birthday story funky-rat! Bet he was thrilled. 

[funky-rat]

8 hours ago, Toothbrush said:

Awesome birthday story funky-rat! Bet he was thrilled. 

He was.  He's not your average kid.  The charity closed down in our area, but we still spend time with him.  He's a teen now - less than a year from being too old for the program had it continued - so we don't see him as often, but it's been fun to watch him grow.  He was always just thrilled with what most people would consider something mundane, so he kept things interesting.  I gave him a certain amount of money to spend at the pawn shop, and he ended up getting a Nintendo DS game (they gave him a good deal because I bought one or two of them myself) and he had some money left over, so he wanted to get something nice for his mom (yep - not your average kid).  The pawn people directed him to this case of boxed watch sets - the kind that come with multiple bands, etc.  They had the suggested retail tag on them - the price you'd never pay in your wildest dreams, but he was impressed that he got something for $9.99 that had suggested retail of $79.99, and left there beaming.

[rmontro]

I thought it was interesting that in the first new show last night, Rick made his most expensive purchase ever on Pawn Stars - $250,000 for Maurice Sendak art from Where the Wild Things Are.

Then in the next episode a guy was wanting $600,000 for a Libertas Americana coin/medal.  Rick told him that large a puchase would put him at financial risk so he would not buy it.  I don't know if it was solely the amount of cash involved, or if he thought the item would take too long to sell.  But it was interesting to see that there might be an upper limit to what Rick is willing to spend.

[rmontro]

In this episode Rick tells Chum and Corey not to sell the samurai sword, because he wants to keep it as a display piece.  Of course they go ahead and sell it anyway.  

They've run this storyline before:  Rick tells them not to sell something and they sell it anyway.  This must be scripted because I can't believe you can disobey your boss so blatantly and intentionally and not face any sort of consequences.  Maybe Corey could get away with it since he's blood, but not Chum.

[Abbott93]

On 15/07/2014 at 2:37 PM, MrMattyMatt said:

Apparently Cory was once 400 pounds and decided to get lap-band surgery.  Was he ever that heavy on the show?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/14/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/pawn-stars-corey-harrison-weight-loss/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9

Yeah he was a big fat gluttony greedy pig, No one should be proud of him for paying for surgery to lose weight still fat now and a big mardy spoilt brat, arrogant for no reason I don't call him big hoss I call him big arse.. He wouldn't have Jack if he wasn't bought into the business by his daddy, if he came out for a drink where I live he wouldn't last 5 mins before he'd have his head smashed in, lazy prick can't even be arsed to walk big fat lazy slob, does my head in how he tries to pick on chum as well to show off in front of people but chum is the only friend that has stayed his friend for years even though he's got about as much personality as a pork chop. Did anyone see the episode where rock made him do training and he was hitting the dummy with mardies on was like when penguins have a slapping fight ??... Good job his dad wiped his arse for him and spoilt him gave him everything he ever wanted including food, good job he got him rich or he would still be a virgin... bet he still can't see his own dick??...??????♿