Debuting nearly a decade ago, the History Channel and A&E Network’s Pawn Stars propelled the Las Vegas-based Gold & Silver Pawn to fame and glorified the ins and outs of what would otherwise have been a fairly standard store. There have been plenty of copies and spin-offs, but none can compare to the original show. With over 500 episodes and 16 seasons under their belts, the guys at Gold & Silver definitely know what they’re doing. Now dealing mostly in rare and valuable items, Rick Harrison and his associates are frequently tasked with appraising items and deciphering exactly what’s real and what isn’t. That’s never an easy thing to do, and, surprisingly, most of that burden relies on the seller.
In fact, there are quite a few responsibilities placed on the seller which aren’t accurately conveyed on the show. While the network makes it seem like people simply come in unscheduled off the street to peddle their peculiar wears, that’s about as far from the truth as it could possibly be. Selling things on Pawn Stars is about as complicated as it gets, and it’s a very far cry from pawning things in more traditional shops. Items are often vetted, certified, and even haggled over before the cameras ever roll, which can put the seller in a bit of an odd position. With that in mind, here are twenty rules which sellers on Pawn Stars are made to follow.
Signed Items Need To Be Certified
The Gold & Silver pawn website has a list of rules for all prospective sellers. It isn’t all that extensive, but it does come with a few interesting rules that seem to contradict what goes on with the show. Notably, the rules state that all signed items need to come with a letter or certificate of authenticity. This is strange, because the Pawn Stars guys have encountered more than their fair share of fakes over the years. In fact, deliberation regarding a product’s authenticity is often half of the show’s content, so knowing that it was most likely already deemed to be authentic from the get-go is sort of disappointing.
They Only Buy Limited Edition Artwork
This may come as a surprise given how much artwork the gang has hanging around the pawn shop, but Gold & Silver claims to only take limited edition art pieces. This means that they likely won’t deal in reprints or anything other than an artist’s genuine work, which is extremely rare to come by. Sure, a reprint of Van Gogh’s Starry Night can be found just about anywhere and isn’t worth a whole lot, but we can be sure that the original will never see the inside of the Gold * Silver pawn shop. With this rule in place, it would seem that art is pretty much a no guy, but the guys actually deal with it quite often both on and off the show.
They Don’t Buy Antiques
This may come as a major shock to most viewers, but the Pawn Stars don’t actually deal in antiques. Well, that’s not entirely true— they buy and sell small antique knick-knacks all the time— but, according to their website, they won’t purchase antique furniture. They claim to lack sufficient space for it, which is understandable. Some of that stuff can be pretty large, and there’s only so much real estate on the showroom floor. That said, if something particularly priceless came through the door, it’s hard to imagine Rick, Corey, or even Chumlee just letting it walk regardless of the rules.
They Won’t Buy Vinyl Records
Vinyl may have made a small comeback among those who claim to love the authentic sound of a needle scratch, but the gang by-and-large simply won’t buy records. This is likely to prevent the contents of an attic or basement clean-out ending up in their showroom, and it is very true that, while records can hold sentimental value, even the semi-rare ones aren’t going to be worth a whole lot. Now, if the record is signed, that’s an entirely different story, but, as previously discussed, it will be on the seller to verify that the signature is authentic.
No Collectibles
This seems to be another rule that the Pawn Stars break all the time, but their website makes it clear that they don’t deal with Beanie Babies or any other collectible commodities of that nature. This seems just a tad strange, as things like baseball card collections and other assortments of rare junk appear on the show fairly regularly. Again, this rule is likely in place to prevent someone from showing up at their door with hundreds of stuffed plushies in toe and dollar signs in their eyes. Whole collections are often hard to sell, and, more importantly, the original owners usually tend to want way more than their prized collection is actually worth to begin with.
No Modern Firearms
This seems like a strange rule given how much World War II memorabilia the gang deals with, but they do explicitly outline that weapons manufactured later than 1898 cannot be sold in their store. This may seem like an extremely strange and arbitrary circumstance, but Nevada state law actually dictates what counts as an antique piece of military history and a functional, dangerous firearm. Again, it seems very likely that the guys behind the desk have skirted the line and bought some questionable ex-military stuff, but, given their strict compliance with the law, it seems that they’ve never actually purchased anything that they shouldn’t have.
Don’t Mail Anything In
The Gold & Silver website makes it abundantly clear that they don’t permit potential sellers to mail their items for appraisal purposes. In fact, the guys only deal with people face-to-face and almost never make any deals that would require any sort of shipment or travel. This rule is likely in place to ensure that torrents of packages don’t arrive at their P.O. box. Interested sellers can get in contact with the folks over at Gold & Silver if they have any serious business inquiries or would prefer to send pictures of their items, but they can’t actually mail anything in or do any real business without physical stepping inside of the shop.
Sellers Must Supply A Physical Description Of Themselves
This sounds like a very strange rule, and one that might weird out or potentially scare off some sellers, but the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is actually required by law to take down the descriptions of the seller along with some of their basic information. This should be a familiar process to anyone who has ever had any dealing in the pawn business, though it’s always just a little unnerving. They do this because, should they have unintentionally purchased fraudulent or stolen goods, they can provide the authorities with a description of the offending party. Again, this may feel like a stranger, potentially insulting process to some, but, for the guys at Gold & Silver, it’s business as usual.
The Pawn Stars Don’t Actually Deal With Customers Anymore
This will be a major disappointment for those looking to get their fifteen minutes of fame alongside a few hundred dollars for their business, but the average seller will never see hide nor tail of any of the guys from the show. In fact, they aren’t even allowed to deal with regular customers at this point, partially because that would increase the number of bogus offers put in by people simply hoping to get a chance to meet the stars. It’s doubtful that Gold & Silver actually makes much money in the pawn business anymore— they are more than likely able to cash in on tourism alone at this point— and the men who started the shop likely haven’t dealt with any buying or selling in quite some time.
Sellers Make The First Offer
This is pretty standard practices for most pawn brokers, and anyone familiar with the industry wouldn’t second guess this rule, but, at Gold & Silver, the seller always has to make the first offer when haggling. Audience members will notice that Rick always asks someone how much they’re looking to get for their specific item and never initially suggests a price. This is because they don’t want to ruin a purchase by suggesting an inappropriate number and giving clients delusions of grandeur. Allowing the people behind the counter to make the first move is usually inappropriate in these settings, and customers should come equipped with at least a rough estimate of what they’re looking to get for their stuff.
Always Have To Haggle
Those who actually have items deemed interesting enough to make the show will quickly find out that the filming process it a lot less genuine than they make it out to be. Once an item’s history is explained and it has been properly appraised, the two parties will always spend at least some time haggling. Unfortunately, this is almost always a total farce, as the price is usually worked out way ahead of time. This is often fairly easy to suss out, as those selling items aren’t particularly good actors and can’t make the situation seem real.
They Won’t Appraise Items
Rick, Corey, and the rest of the Pawn Stars guys have been at it for so long that they ought to be able to come up with a rough estimate for just about every item that comes through their door without spending too much time doing research. That said, the producers often choose to make a big show out of the appraisal process, and Rick almost always has to call in a buddy or three to nail down exactly what he’s dealing with. In reality, the guys at Gold & Silver will never appraise an item. The simple truth here is that, if a seller doesn’t know what something is worth, the pawn shop would prefer to exploit that rather than give them a fair estimate.
Don’t Expect To Be On The Show
There have been countless Las Vegas visitors hoping to poke their heads into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and inadvertently make a cameo in the latest episode. The truth is, even those who have something to sell almost certainly won’t make it onto an episode of Pawn Stars. This is because items slated for the show are scheduled weeks or months in advance by the producers, and all of the items are evaluated beforehand. What’s more, they actually film the show in a separate room, so passers-by have virtually no chance of making it onto the show, even as an extra. Bit of shame, but that’s show business.
Expect To Wait In Lines
Anyone who has ever set foot in the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop will know that it no longer resembles the gritty, no-nonsense pawn store that it once did. In fact, it’s much more of a tourist destination these days than a functioning business, and, on particularly busy occasions, visitors may expect to wait up to three hours for a chance to get in the store. Rick Harrison made an attempt to mitigate this by opening up a plaza directly across from the place, but, according to recent reports, it hasn’t helped much. Those who plan to travel to the place may want to think of it as more of a movie set and less of a pawn shop, as it attracts nearly as much spectacle as any other building along the Las Vegas strip.
It Is Still a Pawn Shop
It’s true that Gold & Silver hardly resembles any of the other pawn shops residing in Las Vegas, but the fact remains that they still do conduct some legitimate business. Those looking to sell there shouldn’t expect any exceptional treatment, as they almost certainly won’t be receiving any. They mainly trade silver and gold bullion these days— perhaps in accordance with their name— and rarely show any genuine interest in any other items. That said, pawn shops are notoriously gruff places, and, even though this one happens to double as the set of a TV show, it’s still as harsh and bottom line-centric as any of the competition.
They Aren’t All That Eager To Buy Anymore
As previously stated, a majority of the profit earned by Gold & Silver comes through either the show or tourism generated by the show. This means that, unlike when the shop first opened in the late 80s, they don’t need to rely on buying and selling items to turn a profit. In fact, in the show’s long history, those who brought items in hoping to pawn them have been slim to none. The fact is that their revenue stream is primarily generated thanks to Pawn Stars and not anything else they do. If an item isn’t interesting or likely to be quickly turned around, there probably isn’t a great chance that the guys behind the counter will bother to buy it.
Make Way For Celebrities
It’s not impossible that a scheduled appearance on the show could be superseded by a celebrity. Stars like Steve Carell and Katie Couric have graced the show with their presences in the past, and they’ve doubtlessly knocked a few average joes out of the lineup. This doesn’t happen very often, of course, but it could actually delay the plans of a potential seller. These people are almost always there to promote something via a thinly-veiled attempt at pawning something from a show or movie set. The idea that any Hollywood-caliber actor would need to sell anything at a pawn shop— or even set foot in one— is pretty laughable.
They Aren’t Afraid To Rip Someone Off
Again, while Rick, Corey, and Chumlee may live the lives of celebrities these days, they aren’t beyond taking advantage of a clueless seller. That’s part of what makes selling things to pawn shops so uncomfortable. Yet, Gold & Silver wouldn’t be around today had they made an effort to give everyone who deals with them a fair shake. It’s the nature of the game, and, while that isn’t really showcased on Pawn Stars, Rick typically makes no bones about the fact that he is a businessman first and foremost. While most of the business he does these days doesn’t directly involve the shop, the people who do work there won’t be willing to take it easy on unsuspecting tourists.
They Won’t Travel To Check Out Collections
There are tons of cool collections out there. From video games, to baseball cards, to vintage cars, some of this stuff can be worth millions of dollars depending on the size and condition of the collection (though they still hold a firm rule against the acquisition of Beanie Babies.) That said, while the Pawn Stars guys are sometimes shown traveling to check out someones private stache of knick-knacks, they are only willing to extend that courtesy to people located in Las Vegas. Given how much of a burden transportation would be in these cases, it makes sense that the employees of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop wouldn’t be willing to foot the bill to ship massive collections across the country.
Sellers Usually Don’t Get Paid For Appearing On The Show
While most people who make their way onto Pawn Stars are probably only hoping for a brief glimpse of fame, some more invested performers may be hoping for some financial compensation for their time. Unfortunately, that very rarely happens, as those who have worked with the show in the past have stated that extras are almost never paid for their contributions to the show. In fact, some of the experts relied upon by Rick, Corey, and Chumlee aren’t even paid, which is fairly ridiculous given how much they add to the program. All in all, simply don’t expect to be paid, just be thankful for a potential appearance on one of the History Channel’s biggest shows.
