Pawn Stars Review: March 13, 2014

Thanks again for your patience, as I have fell behind in watching the show.
The week's previous show was half way decent as their story lines were only about 10 seconds long and somewhat entertaining.
In the news, The Gold and Silver Shop took in some stolen gold coins and then melted them down.  At the time, they did not know the coins were stolen because the coins were not reported stolen.
From Fox News: The famed Gold and Silver Pawn shop, featured on History Channel’s hit series “Pawn Stars,” may have melted down a precious coin collection that was allegedly stolen from a man by his niece.
A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to FOX411 that a criminal complaint was filed in Clark County Justice Court back in November 2013 by David Walters, whose said his coin collection was taken from a family member’s home by his niece, Jennifer Beckman.

Beckman then proceeded to sell its contents to Gold and Silver Pawn for $9,550 on three separate visits to the store—the first of which took place on Nov. 18, a rep for the store told us. Walters has claimed it was worth about $50,000.

Walters filed the complaint after he realized the coins were missing on Nov. 27, the rep said.
But a police office did not contact Gold and Silver Pawn until Dec. 5 to inform the store the coins were stolen, and by then they were long gone.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/03/14/pawn-stars-shop-melts-down-stolen-coin-collection-report-says/
In Rick's book, A License To Pawn", he says they wait 30 days before they sell it.  From Rick's book: "By law, any item I purchase or take on pawn must sit in the shop for a 30-day waiting period while it is cleared by the police as not stolen". (page 4)
If the story is true and Rick is not lying in his book, then it seems the Gold and Silver shop are in a bit of trouble, civil and possibly criminal.
In the first episode, the story line started as Corey left opened a jewelry because his neighbors were keeping him up with their partying and Corey supposedly didn't sleep for three days.  The Old Man suggest a shot of bourbon.  Not exactly a good suggestion, considering Corey is a former drug addict.  In the end, Corey fell asleep in the Old Man's chair, which the Old Man did not like.
I guess they are back to their stupid story lines.

The first guy brought in German 2 Hand Sword.  The sword was 67 inches long, about 5 1/2 feet long and it was made in 1628.  Even though the sword was large, it only weighed around 10 pounds.  The guy wanted $22,000 and time for an expert, Craig who said the sword was real and worth about $13,000.  That's not what the seller wanted to hear.  Rick offered $10,000 and the guy wanted $18,000.  Rick offered $11,000 and there was no sale.

The next guy brought a set of 1933 baseball cards.  Each one was sealed in a plastic case and in pretty good shape, for the most part .  The cards were autographed and they were graded.  The guy wanted $100 apiece and he had 23 cards.  Time for an expert, Jeremy.  He said they were worth about $1500 and Corey offered $400.  The guy came down to $1000 and Corey offered $600 and that was the sale price.

The next guy brought in a letter to Marilyn Monroe telling her she was fired from acting.  http://www.biography.com/people/marilyn-monroe-9412123
When the guy was telling Rick the story about the letter, you can hear a director yell cut.
The letter was from 1947, before she hit it big and it was from 20th Century Fox.  A year later, she was signed by United Artists.  The letter was authenticated.  The guy wanted $30,000.  Rick offered $8,000 and then $10,000 and the guy went down to $25,000 and there was no sale.
In the 2nd episode, the story line is about the store's web site.  Chumlee offered to create a new web site.  The Old Man said the Internet is a fad and will go away soon.  Chumlee and the web designer met at the store and Chumlee wanted a different kind of web site with games and a dating site.  Rick wanted an e-commerce web site.  Rick won out.
Here is their web site: http://www.gspawn.com/
Rick had a root canal done and the Old Man yelled at Rick for not coming back to work after the dental work.

The first guy brought in 2 Reid knucklebusters, a small revolver/brass knuckle.  It was a 32 caliber pistol and held 5 bullets.  The guy wanted $5000 for the both of them.  Time for an expert, Rick.  Rick offered $3000 and the guy came down to $4500.  Rick went to $4000 and walked away.  Corey said ok at $4100 and that was the deal.

The next guy brought in 1960 NFL yearbook.  It originally cost 50 cents.  The guy wanted $50 and Rick offered $20 and that was the selling price.

The next guy brought in a Navy World War 2 Embalming kit.  Rick was a bit creeped out, especially when a sponge came out.  The kit looked like it was used.  I'm surprised that Rick didn't ask his dad about it since it came from the Navy.  The guy wanted $2000 and Rick didn't give an offer.  No sale.
That's the end of the show.  Thanks for stopping by and I am almost caught up.  Maybe by next weekend, I will catch up.

Pawn Stars Review: February 27, 2014

Yep, I am trying to catch up on all these Pawn stars, slowly but surely.
A reader sent me this link and the link shows a tour of Rick's house here in Las Vegas.  It's pretty impressive, with his garage pretty much as big as most houses in the Valley: https://tv.yahoo.com/primetime/rare-look-inside-pawn-star-062612913.html
Of course the idiots who shot the video also gave away the area Rick lives in.
From the 2nd episode on 2/27/2014:

The first guy brought in a 1965 Fender guitar that was supposedly played by Jimi Hendrix.  Rick said it was the "Holy Grail" of guitars. The guitar was not played in concerts but in the studio.  The guy wanted $750,000 and time for an expert, Jesse from Cowtown Records.  Jesse said the guitar was one of Hendrix's guitar.  Jesse played the guitar and it worked as well and Jesse thought the guitar was worth $750,000 to $1,000,000.  Rick offered $450,000and then $550,000 and the guy stuck at at $750,000 and there was no sale.  As the guy was leaving Rick offered $600,000 but still no sale.  I hope the guy has good security because every good thief out there knows he has a very expensive guitar.
The next guy brought a collection of Viking items (umm, no, not the Minnesota Vikings) http://www.hurstwic.org/history/text/history.htm
The man had a gold Viking bracelet and other jewelry, and spear and arrow head.  The guy wanted $1000.  Time for an expert, Laird.  He said the collection, except the gold bracelet, was Baltic Viking: http://www.lkf.lv/vikingi/ENG/vikings.html#3
These were not the true Vikings but imitators.
The gold bracelet was a legitimate piece and he said it was worth about $9400.  Rick offered $200 for the smaller pieces and then $250 and that was the sale price.  The guy wanted $8000 for the gold bracelet and Rick offered $7000 and that was the sale price, for a total $7250 for the seller.
The story lines of the day were several different segments, lasting about 10 seconds.  Hey maybe they are listening to me and my complaints.  One story line had Chumlee using a sword to cut up a pillow with Rick's face on it.

Laird came in with 2 Viking swords.  Both swords were quite rusted.  Rick wanted to buy 1 but Laird didn't want to sell.
That ends another episode of Pawn Stars.  This was actually one of the their better shows as their story lines very short and a little entertaining.
Thanks for stopping by.

Pawn Stars Review: January 24, 2014

The letter above was sent to an boy with autism who wanted to pawn a Game Boy.



From the LVRJ: The cast of “Pawn Stars” has given one young boy a lasting memory after being made an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Reddit user MrsLeslie posted on Wednesday a photo of a note Rick Harrison of “Pawn Stars” had written in response to a fan with autism who had written to him.
The boy, referred to as Little J, is a huge fan of “Pawn Stars,” set at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, according to MrsLeslie.
MrsLeslie said that, according to LittleJ’s mom, LittleJ wrote to the show’s cast and offered to sell them his GameBoy for $30.
“I added a cover letter describing J and his autism — and although I told them that I didn’t expect them to actually buy his GameBoy, I did ask if they could at least reply,” his mom is quoted as saying.
Harrison responded, but went one step further, enclosing $30 to pay for the GameBoy.
“I’m donating the GameBoy back to you for being such a loyal viewer, so keep enjoying it and think of us when you play with it,” Harrison wrote.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/pawn-stars-cast-counters-autistic-boy-s-offer
In the first episode, the story line was Chumlee and Corey went to Henderson to get hamburgers.  They started by taking the Old Man's truck without permission.  While getting the burgers, they saw a 1962 Corvette and they decided to chase he car but instead the truck broke down.
The place they went to, Hometown Classic American restaurant, which, if you know Henderson/Las Vegas, is across the street from St. Rose Hospital on boulder Highway and near Lake Mead.  The road they travelled doesn't look like a road they would go on to Boulder City, about a 15 mile trip.  They actually could have walked to the Clark County Museum, where Mark works. They went walking in the desert and ended up by the PRO Gun Club. http://progunclub.com/  But that store is in Boulder City, and it is in the opposite direction of where they are supposed to go.
They shot some machine guns and were really bad shots. And the guys from Danny's shop came down and they also took some shots.
And no one brought back the Old Man his hamburgers.  In the end, Chumlee had to take the Old Man on his errands.
(BTW, the hamburger place they went to kind of sucks, at least the one time we went there) S, this story line is full of crap... like most story lines are.

The first guy brought in a medieval mace.
The good wanted $3800 and time for an expert, Craig.
Craig said the mace came from the 1500's and was used as a weapon.  He said it was worth $2500and the customer disagreed.  The customer wanted $3500and Rick offered $1800 and then $2000.  He then went to $2100 and that was the sale price.

The next guy brought in a 1893 English made pocket watch.  Rick offered $100 and then $120 because there were many old watches out there and Rick was firm on the price.  There was no sale.

The next guy brought in a cap gun collection.  They looked like guns used in the wild west of the United States.  The guy wanted $250 and time for an expert, Johnny.  The holsters didn't go with the guns and the holsters were worth more money.  He said the collection was about $135 and Rick offered $60.  The guy went down to $85 and Rick offered $65 and that was the sale price.
In the 2nd episode, the story line was Chumlee playing on the computer while looking at his stocks he has purchased.  He wanted to use to the profits to buy a Lamborghini.  Chumlee went to his financial advisor and he found out he has to work a lot to buy the car.  It also turns out to be a day trader in the stock market and he lost most, if not all of his money.  Corey  did buy Chumlee a toy Lamborghini. 
The first guy brought in a Charlie Chaplin's driver' license.   http://www.charliechaplin.com/
The guy wanted $8000 for the license.  Rick offered $3000 and then $3400 and there was no sale.
In the background of one of the shots, they showed the biggest Ferris wheel in the world, the Linq:

Rick then sent Chumlee to do something with a picture frame and the seller had a Picasso for sale.  The name of the piece was Goat Skull on Table.

Chumlee called Rick to see if he wanted to buy the painting.  They wanted $16,000 and Rick/Chumlee offered $11,000 and that was the selling price.

The next guy brought in a 1940 Sports Sedan.  It was supposed to be owned by Fidel Castro from Cuba.
The guy wanted $35,000 and time for an expert.  Steve was an expert and he said the car was modified quite a bit- engine and transmission and the brakes sucked.  He said the car was worth about $14,000 and the owner strongly disagreed.  Corey offered $15,000 and there was no sale.
That ends another 2 now episodes of Pawn Stars.  Thanks for stopping by and I think there are 2 new episodes next week.

Pawn Stars Review: January 9, 2014

In an ABC story, it is revealed  that Chumlee lost 75 pounds: 
“Pawn Stars” fan-favorite Austin “Chumlee” Russell is all about making money for the store, but also all about losing weight … lots of weight.
The 31-year-old has lost 75 pounds, according the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I’m going to the gym six days a week,” he told the Review-Journal. “I’m eating right. Well-balanced diet. I drink a juice smoothie every morning.”
Russell added that losing his father was also an inspiration to shed the weight.
“My dad died from pancreatic cancer at 54 … I’m making sure I’m eating my vegetables and staying away from the red meat,” he said.
To show off his new, slimmer look, Chumlee and his girlfriend Tany Hyjazi, who’s a chef at a major casino in Vegas, posted Instagram pics of the two of them on the beach in Hawaii for New Year’s.  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/01/pawn-stars-funnyman-chumlee-sheds-75-pounds/
In the first episode, the story line is Rick shows how smart he is when it comes to trivia.  Chumlee had a trivia and Rick challenged Chumlee and the others that they could not stump him, and if they did, he would buy them lunch.  Chumlee lost. 
The first guy came in with a custom made motorcycle.  Corey revealed that he had 13 motorcycles now.

The motorcycle was a 2006 Thunder cycle and it was made for James Caan.  http://www.tv.com/people/james-caan/
For more information on this motorcycle: http://www.chapmanlasvegas.com/Las-Vegas-NV-Used-Cars-2006-Thunder+Cycle-Eddie+Trotta-734016-CAI.htm
The guy paid $45,000 and the sale price on the above web site is $22,000.  The bike had only 500 miles on it.
The guy wanted $22,000 and Corey needed an expert.  Chris was the expert and he thought that James Caan would have no effect on the price and Chris thought the bike was worth $10,000.  There was no sale.
The next brought in Playboy collecting cards.  http://www.pbcd10610.com/ (no pictures)
The cards were covers of magazines.  The guy wanted $500.  Rick didn't make an offer because he didn't they would sell.

The next lady came in a lithograph of Charlie Chaplin: http://www.charliechaplin.com/
The lithograph was made by Al Hirschfeld.  http://www.alhirschfeld.com/index2.html
The picture was named "The End".  The lady wanted $5000 and Rick called in an expert, Brett and he said it was worth about$4-6,000.  Rick offered $2000 and the seller came back $4000.  Rick went to $2300 and stayed there and that was the selling price.
In the 2nd episode, the storyline was Rick and the Old Man went to coin conference. 
The first guy brought in a piece of jewelry from Liberace.   http://www.biography.com/people/liberace-9381642
Liberace also had a museum here in Las Vegas:  http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/07/liberace-musuem-nice-place-to-visit.html
This is the piece the seller is selling:

For more information on the piece and the auction it was in: http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/Home/4/1/73/1014?articleID=115172
The guy wanted $25,000 and Rick offered $10,000.  There was no sale.

The next guy brought is signed Baby Air Jordans.  On e-bay, without them being signed are going for less than $20.  the shoes were signed by Michael Jordan.  The guy wanted $8000.  Time for an expert.  Steve Grad came in and said that the signature was real and worth $2000-2200.  Corey offered $1500 and the guy wanted $1800 and the sale price was $1500.

The next guy brought in a WWII ammunition hand cart. It was old and rusty and missing parts of the bottom.  The guy wanted $500 and Rick called on an expert, Bob Yuhas.  He said it wasn't in bad shape and was worth about $1500-2000 and double if it is restored.  Rick offered $400 and that was the selling price and a picture once it is finished.  It was restored at the cost of $1400 and could sell for $2800.
Another story line was it was the security guard, Antuwan's birthday. (sorry about the selling) and the party got out of control with some cake throwing and splattering, compliments of course, Chumlee.  Rick wanted Corey and Chumlee punished and the Old Man said he would do it but he was bought off by a piece of cake and there was no punishment.  This part looked like a filler segment, like they had time to kill.
Thanks for stopping by and next week is another 2 new episodes.

Pawn Stars Review: December 26, 2013

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and that Santa Claus was good to everyone.
I'm sure everyone has heard what is going on with the Duck Dynasty fiasco.  I'm sure that the guys in the show have been told to keep their moths fairly quiet about controversial subjects and the closest anybody on Pawn Stars came to be controversial was when Rick Harrison went on the Mark Levin show, a conservative show and Rick ripped ObamaCare and other problems he had with the Federal government: http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2013/03/pawn-stars-rick-harrison-on-mark-levin.html
Tonight, there are two new episodes, the first segment was the guys talking about the best deal the Old Man got.  they joked about how old he is and he traded a couple of rocks for a dinosaur bone.

Chumlee went to a house, uninvited and wanted to check a Bowden Spacelander bike.  http://nbhaa.com/indexbowden.html  (be prepared to look at a bunch of legal stuff before you get to the article)
The guy got it for Christmas in 1960.  The guy wanted $20,000.  Chumlee offered $7,000.  The guy went to $12,000 and Chumlee went to $8700 and that was the deal.  Rick had no idea Chumlee bought it.  Rick backed up Chumlee on the deal.  Chumlee got a $1000 bonus but the Old Man was none too happy.  Chumlee said he might want to buy some gold teeth instead of investing it.  Instead he bought 4 bobbleheads including one large of him self.  Chumlee made a bet with the Old Man that he would sell one.  Chumlee sold one for $10 so, Chumlee won the bet and the Old Man lost the bet and won $1000.


The next guy brought in a CragStan Crapshooter game.  The video above shows how it is supposed to work.  It was from the 1950-60's.  The game was broken.  The game was in perfect shape but did not work so Rick offered $25 and then $50 and that was the selling price.

The next lady brought in a antique lap desk that was owned by Dr. Samuel Mudd, who helped John Wilkes Booth after he shot President Abraham Lincoln.  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lincolnconspiracy/mudd.html
Mudd went to prison and made the lap desk for Army officer's wife.  The lady had some paper work to go with it.  She wanted $100,000 and time for an expert, Mark.   He thought the lap desk was made Samuel Mudd, so Rick offered $2500 so there was no deal.
In the 2nd episode, Chumlee revealed that he had a nutritionist and the guys got into a bet to see who walked the most.  The loser had to drive the "company truck", which was like an advertisement on wheels.
Corey cheated by having his pet dog connected to the waking monitor, though the dog just sat mostly sat around.

The first guy brought in a wanted poster of John Dillinger.   http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/john-Dillinger
The poster was 1934, so it was almost 80 years.  Rick thought the poster was real.  The guy wanted $450 and Corey countered with $300 and that was the deal.  If the seller shaved his head just a little more, he would look like Rick.  Corey also put his monitor on a paint shaker at a hardware store.  He went to Meads Hardware (http://www.meadshardware.com/) which is a very long way from the shop.
The winner of the competition was Corey but he cheated.  The Old Man was last.  Because Corey cheated, he had to drive the truck.

The next guy brought in a 1967 Lambretta Scooter.  It was a 125 cc.  It's an Italian scooter.  http://www.lambrettausa.com/default.aspx
The scooter had 62,000 kilometers on it.  The guy wanted $6000.  Chumlee convinced Rick to take it for a spin and took it out for a long time- 45 minutes.  When he took it out the machine was really smoking.  He also took it to get lunch. Rick offered $3500.  The guy came down to $4000 and Rick went to $3600 and that was the sale price,
The next guy came in with dinosaur poop that was in a petrified rock.  The guy found it  in Wyoming.  Supposedly it is a pretty stone when cut and polished and the fossils weighed about 40 ponds.  The guy wanted $40 pound or about $3200.  Time for an expert, a gemologist from the store, Jeff.  He said it was fossilized poop and worth about $10-15  pound.  Rick offered $1000 for the rocks and then $1100 and that was the sale price.
At the end, Corey ended up driving the store's truck and Corey's dog, Skeeba, went for a fun ride.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Years Eve and Day.
See you next week with hopefully 2 new more episodes.