Pawn Stars: Difference between revisions

** Corey had to reprimand one customer for pointing a gun he was selling at him. Granted it was actually a lighter, but it was made to look so much like a real gun, his concern is justifiable. (And as Rick's original pilot indicates, there are numerous guns under the counters ready to be used on anyone trying to rob the place.)

** Played a little more straight with the customers. Whenever they are handed a gun, no matter how old, the Pawn Shop employees always check to see if it is loaded. Granted, the ones still loaded are often 150+ year old muskets which most likely WON'T shoot, but they don't take that chance.

* [[As You Know]]: It's often quite obvious the customer either already knows the history of the item or isn't interested in it, and the history is only being given for the audience's benefit.

* [[Awesome but Impractical]]: Many items that come through the door, either because they're ''inherently'' impractical (but possibly still valuable), or because they can't be sold for a profit in a downtown Las Vegas pawn shop:

** Gun Key? Try Gun ''[[Up to Eleven|Desk]]''. Or for a very literal case of [[Bling Bling Bang]], a Gun ''Ring''.

** Rick sometimes won't even make an offer on items because he doesn't think any of his customers will want to buy them (e.g., Native American totems, TV scripts, animatronic restaurant displays).

** On other occasions, he passes because he doesn't think he can sell them at a profit (e.g., [[Doom It Yourself]] classic car restoration projects and pretty much anything else that will cost more to repair/restore than he can sell it for).

** And then there are the items that, while they might be profitable, are simply more trouble than they're worth. Rick once declined a Baldwin piano because it would take up too much space for too long a time in his shop, while he told the guy offering him an automatic corn-shucking machine that if some kid got his hand caught in the thing, the resulting lawsuit would put him out of business. Or the titanium ignition keys of a Russian space rocket and many other things shown in the show, which are very awesome but are also very expensive and there are so few people collecting them that it would not be profitable.

* [[Cool Sword]]: The shop also has its share of weird and exotic swords.

* [[Creator Thumbprint]]: Rick is obviously in the pawn business to make money, but he also has a genuine passion for American history, culture and heritage, which he indulges with his work.

** The July 2011 arc starts with Harrison calling the pickers to find a [[Cool Car|1957 Chevy]] to restore and give to the Old Man on his birthday. The ''Pickers'' episode ends with the sale and goes right into the ''Restoration'' episode which deals with Rick Dale's effort to restore the car. He also buys an old neon sign from Mike and Frank and partially restores it. The ''Restoration'' episode, in turn, leads into the ''Pawn Stars'' episode where Dale and his team finish the project and Harrison gives it to the old man. The kicker: It's estimated that it would take 6 to 8 months to restore the car. [[Impossible Task|Rick needed it in three]].

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Pretty much the entire core staff, except for Chumlee.

** Even Chumlee gets his moments. When a man brings in an animatronic restaurant display installed on the back of a novelty firetruck, Rick doesn't make an offer because he doesn't think he'll be able to sell it. The display is so weird that it looks like something out of a [[Terry Gilliam (Creator)|Terry Gilliam]] film, and Chumlee quips that he could probably travel through time with it.

*** And then there was the time Chumlee and the Old Man were dealing with a woman who wanted to sell a collection of glass Disney figurines:

* [[Dirty Cop]]: When a customer brings in a 1930s-era Chicago police badge, Rick recounts how [[Al Capone]] had the entire Chicago police force on his payroll. You could be beaten up by the cops, and there wouldn't be anything you could do about it.

* [[Dirty Old Man]]: Subtle, but some fans have noted that Old Man using the kid gloves when haggling with attractive women. The most egregious case has Old Man talking Rick into paying $20 for an antique printing press that had rusted into scrap metal because [[Not So Different|"It's cool."]] The customer in question had some [[Gag Boobs|very interesting haggling techniques.]]

** When someone brings in medical records of [[Elvis Presley]], he says this about him (and the circumstances behind his death)

{{quote| '''Rick''': Yeah, it's easy to understand why he had a heart attack, because he just kept ''(stares at Chumlee)'' gaining weight gaining weight gaining weight...<br />

** Possibly ''[[Storage Wars]]''

** See Dueling Shows above as well.

* [[Franklin D Roosevelt]]: The Old Man's favorite president.

* [[Genius Ditz]]: Rick buys a radio-controlled car for cheap because it's broken and won't run. He needs to get it fixed, and Chumlee immediately volunteers for the job. Believe it or not, Chumlee actually ''succeeds'', and Rick pays him $50 for getting the car running. The episode ends with Rick playing with the car with a big shit-eating grin on his face.

*** An art dealer friend of Rick's brought in a painting of [[The Beatles|John Lennon]] by speed painter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Dent Denny Dent]. As Rick and the art dealer are discussing Dent's accomplishments and how they once saw him paint, Chumlee jumps in by pointing out how [[Bill Clinton]] invited Dent to paint him at the White House. Rick is rather surprised, and admits that he didn't know that.

* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: The Old Man when counting the money from the swear jar. "Holy *bleep*, this is a lotta swearin'."

** Rick's given Corey and Chumlee grief for buying things without getting them appraised, but he ended up making the same mistake when he bought a Native American vest for $1,300. He got it appraised ''after'' he'd already bought it, and the expert pointed out that it was a replica made for the tourist trade. You could practically see the steam coming out of the Old Man's ears when he found out.

* [[I Can't Believe I'm Saying This]]: "The Count," who appraises vehicles when Rick might want to buy them, tells him to "pass" on a limo owned by Jackie Gleason. (It turned out that there was some barely noticeable rust damage on the car that would have raised the total cost too high after repairs were factored in.)

** Another example of a Jerkass customer is the guy who brought in a Perseus and Pegasus statue, and when Rick told him it was a reproduction and he didn't want to buy, the guy basically told him he was full of shit. The customer was such an ass, he almost got thrown out by the shops resident [[Scary Black Man|Bouncer]].

** And then there was the guy who wanted to sell Rick a classic 1980 car for $28,000. When he started the car, Rick decided that something didn't sound right with the engine and asked [[One Episode Wonder|Fat Back]], the shop's house mechanic, to look at it. Fat Back confirmed Rick's suspicions, pointing out a number of problems that would need to be fixed, and recommended against buying the car. The customer was rather insulted, particularly when Rick offered him only $4,000 for the car, and sneered at Fat Back, asking him where he went to mechanic school. Needless to say, Rick didn't buy the car.

** One guy brought in what he claimed was a private poem written by Jimi Hendrix, which was just black marker on plain white paper, and claimed it was given to him by a family member that was a personal friend of Jimi. The expert explained that pretty much everything about the document screamed "fake" including the fact the handwriting looked nothing like Jimi's, but the owner sniffed he didn't need an expert to tell him it was fake, he ''knows'' it is real because his family lived it.

** A guy brings in a salvage motor from a Porsche, and Rick brings in the Count to evaluate it. The owner scoffs at Kount's evaluation of his observations that the engine shows obvious signs of being out in the elements unprotected, and could have possible unknown problems that means the engine could be ruined. The owner demands that Rick bring in a "real mechanic" to give a second opinion. Kount is almost inches away from going ballistic on the guy but restrains himself, which impresses Rick.

** In a advertisement for the show, Rick is showing off one of his antique katanas and notes that if he took it to Japan, it would be confiscated as a national treasure.

* [[Know When to Fold Em]]: Rick and his customers are sometimes confronted by this when they can't agree on a price. Either Rick draws a line in the sand and refuses to go any higher, or the customer has to decide whether to accept Rick's final offer or simply break off the discussion and just keep the item.

* [[Lethal Chef]]: When Rick buys a glass decanter than can be used to store and pour four separate drinks at once, Chumlee uses it to try and brew his own homemade alcoholic beverage. He gets the other guys to try it, and they all (except the Old Man cause he could handle the stuff) think it's disgusting, although Chum himself still enjoys it.

** Chumlee had more luck with a coffeemaker that Corey later bought. The Old Man actually really enjoyed the coffee Chumlee served him.

* [[Like Father Like Son]]: Present with all three generations of Harrisons. Rick has inherited the Old Man's occasional willingness to offer customers higher prices than what they were asking for, while Corey has begun using his father's [[Catch Phrase]] of only wanting something if he can get it "for the right price." All three of them are also master [[Deadpan Snarker|Deadpan Snarkers]].

* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: Rick knows many different people who are experts at appraising or restoring almost anything he can bring them. Some of them have almost become regulars on the show themselves with the number of times Rick and the boys have called them for assistance.

** Now their car restoration specialist is getting ''his'' own spinoff. It appears that the Harrisons' success has a tendency to rub off on their friends.

* [[The Millstone]]: Chumlee, so very much. One [[Eyecatch]] reveals that he once broke a $15,000 Bass violin. He's gotten more competent as the show has gone on, though.

* [[Mis Blamed]]: When the Old Man buys a pair of Western studio dummies for $500 (for the pair), Rick blows a gasket. He thinks that Chumlee was the one who purchased them, given his apparent record of dumb purchases, and [[In-Universe|is floored when the Old Man speaks up and reveals the truth]]. He bought them because he thought they were neat; he even named them Ed and George.

** A customer brings in a figurine of the ancient Greek hero Perseus, and goes crazy when Rick tells him it's a fake. This prompts Rick's security guard [[Scary Black Man|Antwaun]] to come marching up, ready to lay down the law...and Rick waves him off.

** Rick is offered a 17th century treasure chest with an extremely elaborate lock involving no less than eight deadbolts. They have to get an expert locksmith down to open the chest, and everyone wonders what's inside...and the chest turns out to be empty. Even so, the scene ends on a positive note as the chest itself is still valuable and Rick buys it anyway.

** A customer comes in with a framed [[Wanted Poster]] for John Wilkes Booth, the guy who shot [[Abraham Lincoln]]. Knowing that it could be very valuable, Rick calls in Dana, a dealer in American historical documents, to verify it. Unfortunately, Dana finds that the customer's poster is a worthless copy. However, the ''authentic'' John Wilkes Booth poster Dana brought for comparison is for sale, and Rick tries to buy it. Dana wants $180,000 for it, and Rick counters with $120,000...and again they just can't agree on a price.

* [[Mistaken for Gay]]: When one guy brings in a fairly large assortment of [[Mickey Mouse]] phones, after lining them up on the counter he says he's selling them because his girlfriend is moving in with him. Chumlee gives him a mildly surprised look and says "You have a girlfriend?"

** Forget the cannon. The [[Civil War]] era ''gatling gun'' definitely belongs here. [[Up to Eleven|And because that apparently wasn't enough]], the same guy invites Rick out to see if he wants to buy the bastard offspring of the two, a '''gatling cannon''' that uses one pound shells.

* [[Mr. Exposition]]: There are many situations where it's clear that the discussion between the brokers and customers about how an item works and/or the history either behind it or the company is something that is being filmed to give information to the viewer more so than anyone on screen.

** In fact, all three (related) stars are legally named "Richard Harrison." Their middle names differ, with the Old Man's being Benjamin, Rick's being Kevin, and Big Hoss's presumably being Corey.

** Their antiques restorations guy is also named Rick.

* [[Oh Crap]]: When customers find out that the items they're trying to sell aren't nearly as valuable as they thought (or counterfeit). One man had what he thought was an actual whip used in the production of [[Indiana Jones]], which could go for upwards of 5,000 dollars if actually used by [[Harrison Ford]]. When it was appraised, he was told that without any documentation there was nothing proving it was anything other than a normal whip. You could almost see his face droop to the floor.

** Or the rare occasions when the staff bought something hoping it turns out to be worth a lot of money only to find out it isn't.

** Also the woman who bought a carved ivory tusk for a lot of money in Taiwan, only to find out it was bone shaped over a wood frame that was hardly worth $100.

* [[Only Known By Their Nickname]]: ''Nobody'' calls the Old Man by his real name (Richard); this has been true since he was originally dubbed "Old Man", when he was in his ''thirties'', although Rick will call him "Pops". And Chumlee (real name Austin) is always Chumlee. Not even Chum Lee.

** If you were offered a set of five mint condition Pete Rose bubblegum baseball cards, would you think the opportunity was too good to be true? If so, you're smarter than the customer who had these cards and tried to sell them. A suspicious Corey called Rick over to look at them, and Rick didn't even need ten seconds to realize they were fakes. Along with explaining all the defects that showed they were forgeries, Rick [[Lampshaded]] just how incredibly unlikely it would be to have ''five'' mint condition cards. Needless to say, the customer wasn't happy. Of course, this was possibly [[Foreshadowing|foreshadowed]] when the seller claimed he would bet Pete Rose's reputation on the cards being real. Not ''his own'' reputation, but Pete Rose's. He likely either knew the cards were fake or at least had a suspicion.

* [[The Scrooge]]: The Old Man has been compared to the [[Trope Namer]] more than once.

* [[Self Made Orphan]]: The Old Man occasionally thinks that Rick and Corey are doing crazy things on purpose so he'll have a heart attack and die, leaving them free to take over his share of the business.

* [[Senior Sleep Cycle]]: "Old Man" would sleep at his desk during work. And still works harder than everyone else there. [[Unreliable Narrator|Or so he says.]]

{{quote| '''Rick''': You didn't even go fast enough to mess up your hair!<br />

'''Old Man''': At least I have hair! }}

* [[Squick]]: Rick is usually more than willing to buy anything if he thinks he can make a profit. But there are some items that make Rick have a squick moment and he refuses to buy for some reason, whether it be on moral a/or other grounds.

** One person brought in [[Those Wacky Nazis|Nazi]] war spoils, which a family legend said was ransacked from one of Hitler's own private camps and belonged to Hitler himself. Rick was able to authenticate it as actual Nazi memorabilia, but knew it didn't ever belong to Hitler. Even then, Rick said he won't offer anything for it as the items themselves and the market for them just creeps him out.

* [[The Watson]]: Chumley often plays this role accompanying Rick when he makes deals.

* [[We Buy Anything]]: With only a few exceptions, the Harrisons are willing to buy almost anything they think they can profit on. These exceptions include anything stolen, anything illegal (items made of ivory after the ban on the ivory trade, for example), guns made after 1898 (weapons from before 1898 are considered "antiques" while guns made after that date require gun dealer permits to sell), Nazi items and those rare items that are just too disturbing to buy. Otherwise, just about anything is fair game-Rick once said that he'd be willing to buy a fifty pound pile of manure if he thought he could sell it to someone.

** The boat, however, made sufficient money that it actually caused Rick to get rid of the shop's "no boats" policy, and went on to make good money from buying another one later. In that case, it was played quite straight, as Rick made money and acknowledged Corey's accomplishment, but took some time to be gracious about it.

** And then there are the times when Rick is just being an asshole to Corey when he has absolutely no reason to:

** In one episode, he was giving Corey grief for spending "too much" money on getting a car restored, even though they'd be able to sell it at a nice profit when the car was ready. It got to the point where the Old Man intervened and bluntly told Rick to shut up, stating that they were going to see the project through.

** Came close to being invoked by name in ''Blaze of Glory'':

{{quote| Hoss: "Just say 'good job, son'."<br />

Rick: "I ain't sayin' it." }}

** One time, Corey buys a program from the 1932 NFL Playoff Game for $2,750, giving justifiable reasons for ''why'' it's worth it. Rick and the Old Man both chew him out for it until he gets it looked at by an expert who reveals it's worth $10,000 for pretty much the same reasons Corey thought it was valuable (it's extremely rare, there only being around four in existence, one of which is in the Football Hall of Fame and in ''worse'' condition than the one he bought). When Corey, reasonably, asks for an apology, they chew him out ''again'' even though he was completely right about it.

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: One episode has Rick testing Corey's knowledge of shop merchandise. If he wins, he gets 2500 dollars but if he losses he has to work the graveyard shift. Corey gets 3/4 right. The Old Man steps in, says he fails, and punishes Rick too for arranging the bet without his permission. To the Camera Crew, Old Man explains that neither one of them would win. He himself wanted a break from one of them and regardless of how the contest ended, one of them would not be working during the day.