Pawn Stars Strikes again.

I agree on the price of the coin, and limited people local who will pay that kind of money. If the guy needed and could not wait a month to shop/auction it around then it's a good deal.

I think it's the show in general is real, I doubt there is too much acting, although the shots of just Rick on TV are probably scripted. My hunch on the experts, these are people the shop does business with on a regular basis in some capacity and they are more then happy to come check out whatever rick calls them in for. On one show he called in a clock expert, when the expert was leaving he gave Rick a price on restoring it if he bought it. I know on one of the shows Rick sold a weapon to one of the experts. Just a hunch though.

 

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Ok. Here's what I think. Take the guy who restored the motorcycle on the same episode. He's been on there before. This is a real guy. He restores a lot of things for Rick. He has a web site. Let's say Rick bought the bike for a grand. This guy charges 2,800 to restore, then tells Rick it's worth 5K. Why doesn't he give Rick 2,000, restore it himself, and resell it himself. If there was no tv show, who would come into a pawn store looking for that particular motorcycle? No one, unless the restorer told someone about it. The restorer would have a much better selling it than a pawn shop owner. If he charged Rick 2,800 bucks to restore it, the restorer didn't pay 2,800 bucks to actually restore it. Why would he charge to restore it, then turn around and buy it, when he could have bought it as is, restore it for cheaper than he charged Rick, and sold it for an even bigger profit?

These experts don't do anything for free. They either get a kickback from the sell, or the free advertising they is enough to cover their expenses. With shows like Pawn Stars and American Pickers, I could very well see this restorer getting his own show in the future.

 

The restorer didn't buy the bike from what I saw, is that what you meant to say? Why would they have to sell stuff ONLY at the pawn shop? I would think someone that buys and sells as much as they do would put that bike in a club website classifieds for that kind of bike or craigslist or something. I am sure they have contacts at bike dealers that would put it in their shop for consignment for them too. I am sure that many of the experts are happy to appraise for free for the publicity, and I am sure they do business with Rick from time to time when they do want something. But I also imagine some, like the museum director do it so they can actually get the pleasure of seeing some of the stuff. I guess I just don't see the conspiracy here.

 

No conspiracy. It's TV. It's all for entertainment. Entertainment = Ratings = Money. No more, no less. Nobody's gonna watch a pawn store show that deals in DVD players and high school class rings. I can almost guarantee that it's the people that run the show that brings these people in. They've probably got thousands of request from people wanting to sell their stuff on TV. I still have my doubts on the validity of anyone on the show.

 

You can't fake Chum Lee.

 

Yeah you can.

 

Jethro Bodine--Bevery Hillbillies
Lenny and Squiggy--Laverne and Shirley
Potsy--Happy Days
Joey--Friends
Horshack--Welcome Back Kotter
Eb--Green Acres
Ted Baxter--Mary Tyler Moore Show
Homer Simpson

Yeah...you can fake a Chumley.

If Chumley was a regular employee at a regular pawn shop, he would have been fired a long time ago. It's his stupidity that brings in the ratings, and the money. Does anyone think he's gonna be around when the cameras are gone? He's looking for something bigger. Rick is not going to put up with his insubordination after the show is gone.

 

chumlee is the boyhood friend of the owner's son and was working there long before the show. I know lots of businesses that keep doofuses around because they grew up with the owner's son. Isn't so hard to believe.

 

You guys need to get a grip. Chumley is not an actor. He is a real life idiot on a reality TV show and my guess is he is 100% real. Furthermore, how can you speak to Rick's intentions regarding one of his employees from watching what you readily admit is a dramatized TV show. Chumley worked at the shop long before the TV show aired. If I had to guess, he is a personal friend of Big Hoss and that is why they keep him around.

 

I believe he was Corey's best friend since High School.

 

It's TV, people. Money talks-BS walks.

I'm sure these people are obviously real, but while the cameras are rolling, it ceases to be Rick's shop. Rick has absolutely no control of what is shown on TV. He's riding the gravy train as long as he can. It's just like all the other reality shows on tv.

Chumley probably is a childhood friend. He could probably get away with what he does if it were a small store, but they have over 30 employees. Chumley probably is lazy, but the producers exploit his looks and nature, and profit from it. The other 29 employees would not put up with him sleeping and his insubordination that he shows himself to be on tv.

 

So exactly how many TV shows have you produced in NW Indiana? Do you know what a pawn shop owner wants more than anything out of an employee? Someone who won't steal from them. Seems to me that your son's dim witted best friend fits that bill pretty well.

 

And what about the other 29 employees who don't get to sleep in the back room, or can't take five hours to run an errand that normally takes one? Do you think they would sit around and put up with that in real life?

The producers see Chumley as an asset to the show, and exploit it. As long as Rick is getting his 15 minutes of fame, he's gonna let Chumley do whatever the producers tell him to do. There's a Chumley anywhere you work, but after the show's done, his ignorance will not be tolerated. I'm sure he was lazy to some extent before, but not to the extent they portray him as. He's going to have to go back to the way it was.

I doubt if he does stick around. He's in training for show business.

 

At this point I am just going to reflect upon the fact that you know as much about show business as you do about coins.

 

rick said chum is like a son to him. i have a feeling his parents were not around or something, because the way they treat him. in the Christmas episode, chum was included in the grab bag with big hoss, the old man, and rick.

i have worked at family owned places that were large and small, and it seems everyone has the cousin or family friend that they put up with, because they love them.

also most of the big ticket items get put into auction. they are not a normal pawn shop. however they can make money, they will do it.

as far as the experts, i have wondered about that as well. i came up with three possible explanations.

1. the experts come in for the camera time, to get there names out there. also these people may love what they do and love to talk about items they deal with.

2. it may be worth it to spend $100, and not loose $1000. i am sure if you balanced everything out, it was worth it. after they get an item they are not sure about, they are going to have to get it appraised either way.. most of the time it works out to were the item is worth a lot. the times they think the item worth a lot and its not, it was better to spend $100 then $1000 on an item thats worth nothing. this option makes the most sense to me.

3. history channel pays these people to come in, to make the show more factual. rick does refer to these people as friends but you never really know.

 

When I was in the pawn shop I picked up some of Chumlee's cards. (The card has a photo of him shooting a blunderbuss or some sort of ancient firearm.) His card has some sort of message that he is available for events (for a fee, of course). When I get back to Colorado I will see if I can find his card and post a photo of it.

 

Bruce, your PM message banks is full........clear it bud

 

I don't know how to copy and paste. The following is taken from an article from the Las Vegas Sun-April 10, 2010.

"An inside look at Las Vegas' television Pawn Stars", by John Katsilometes

...A fair amount of staging happens in the show, no question. A five person production crew edits down and brushes up the lengthy negotiations between Harrison and their customers. When a person brings in a particularly fascinating item, the customer might be asked to return so the crew can properly capture the scene.

...When the show started, 70 customers a day was considered robust business. Now it's primarily a tourist attraction that seems to serve more as a stage set than an actual business. Corey Harrison says he spends about half his time, tops, on the pawn business. The rest is managing his personal appearances, finances--the fame thing.


The article goes on to say that everybody on the show, including Chumlee, have become rich and famous because of the show.



It's all about the Benjamins, baby.

 

Sorry. I'll get to work on it.

 

thats to be expected though.