O.K. - "Pawn Stars" - What do you think???
oly
and flunkey Chumley at their Pawn Shop in Las Vegas??? (Well,
actually, it doesn't belong to Chumley).
It's really one of the few TV shows (besides Wheel of Fortune) that my
wife and I can sit down and both enjoy.
It's frequently contrived (it has to be, it would take years and years
for all that good stuff to come in off-the-street, although you might
see most of it over one or two decades), and I think that the prices
paid tend to be difficult to believe - at least somewhat high, I would
guess. Probably slightly glorifies a hard-nosed and tough business.
Also, television shifting from the supposedly profitable "house-
flipping" to "guess what I just gotta pawn today" is a sign of the
times.
But still, a really good TV show.
Anybody have any insights???
oly
Mr. Jaggers
When is it on? If that show airs opposite any of my favorite FoxNews shows,
I'll miss it.
James the Conservative
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
Well, new episodes appear on Monday nights. My wife records them on
the VCR and we watch them later. Channel??? Heck, I'm not even sure
of that.
Last Monday, a guy walked in with the 1896 Educational $1 bill, $2
bill and a $5.
Luckily for the seller, the 1896 $5 bill was superb (he said he had
$7,500 in the three bills and his wife was extremo pissed-off).
On the strength of the $5, the trio changed-hands for $8,500.
A fellow named Leonard, who claimed to be an old ANACs person, came in
a did an informal appraisal on the bills for the shop. I seem to
remember the guy from coin shows many years ago.
"Pawn Stars" is very interesting, kind of like "Antiques Roadshow"
without the soignee touch.
oly
Reid Goldsborough
> It's frequently contrived
I can't watch it for this reason. It's a typical unreal reality show,
largely faked reality, scripted and heavily edited so that all realism
disappears. In this case, the guy who runs the shop often affects
knowledge of esoteric items that you know he couldn't possibly have. To
counter this fakery, he does call in experts about other items. Still,
the overall quality of the show may be best summarized by a statement of
one of the pawn shop's customers, who professed knowledge of the
authenticity of some medieval item she brought in because she saw
similar items in movies, a statement that elicited no response.
--
Consumer: http://rg.ancients.info/guide
Connoisseur: http://rg.ancients.info/glom
Counterfeit: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos
Frank Provasek
course, scripted -- the production
company pre screens the people and stuff that gets on the show. The
production company even has
advertised seeking neat items nationwide, with free travel to Las
Vegas for the right stuff.
The people coming in with stuff who end up on the TV show almost
surely get an appearance fee in
the $100 to $500 range, but they are not supposed to divulge that.
A comedy writer suggests appropriate insults. It is filmed in the
real store, Rick will
answer the phone if you call.
They are on ebay at http://stores.ebay.com/Gold-and-Silver-Pawn-Shop
As the manager of a coin and jewelry store for 10 years in the 1990s
many of the situations are
familiar, such as people who have convinced themselves that an obvious
fake is real, or thinking
that if an item is worth $1000 retail, that a store is going to PAY
them $1000.
oly
wrote:
The pacing of the television show has to be contrived, because the
viewer can't be expected to sit there for three or four months hoping
for (maybe) five really nice items to come in.
IMHO, the practical experience of working in a Pawn Shop for over
twenty years could very well offset the apparent lack of diploma-like
credentials from some institution of higher learning. Also, these
folks have books, they have internet access. And, they still don't
claim to know everything.
In one of the last two episodes, Rick Harrison was shown a U.S. Civil
War encased 3 cent postage stamp, a nice one, and readily adimtted
that he didn't know what it was. And he readily called in an expert
for help.
As for the customers, many come into the shop with some of the
hackneyed bullshit stories known to mankind. The people who know
their stuff is dross always have the best stories!!!
Of course, Rick Harrison might just indeed know everything, as he is
actually your identical twin brother, Reed, accidently separated at
birth.
oly
--------------------
Sorry, I want responses to my OP, just not from Gainsburger.
Mr. Jaggers
Well, that was encouraging, at least Jagerschnitzel wasn't cast in the same
dim view.
James
Mr. Jaggers
Well, that was encouraging, at least Jagerschnitzel wasn't cast in the same
dim view.
James
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
If you let me call you Meathead, and laugh at that, you are a
reasonable and well-balance person.
Which I know from several personal meetings on various Midwestern
bourse floors.
Even if you don't realize that everything on FOX is the absolute
Gospel truth.
oly
Mr. Jaggers
Well, of course I'm reasonable and well-balanced. All us pablum-pukers are
that way.
> Which I know from several personal meetings on various Midwestern
> bourse floors.
Shhh, oly, people are starting to talk.
> Even if you don't realize that everything on FOX is the absolute
> Gospel truth.
Hey oly, would you be interested in buying those big smokestacks in the
south end of Springpatch? I'm looking to flip 'em for a very small profit.
You can make 30%-35% on your investment and have it paid for in just a few
years. Such a deal I make you!
James the Wheeler-Deeler (apologies to Ken Barr)
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sorry, you can't catch me on those smokestacks at City Water Light and
Power - I already bought them several years ago!!!
I suppose that CWLP will send me my dividend checks sooner or later,
but right now I am rather more concerned about not yet receiving my
$20,000,000 from the estate of my late great-uncle who lived (and
apparently died) in Lagos!!!
oly
-------------------------------------
Now, not even I am fool enough NOT to appreciate that the residential
electrical rates offered by our city-owned utility are less than 60%
of the residential electrical rates surrounded by the corporate Ameren
(formerly Illinois Power).
I spend the savings on coins.
Reid Goldsborough
> IMHO, the practical experience of working in a Pawn Shop for over
> twenty years could very well offset the apparent lack of diploma-like
> credentials from some institution of higher learning.
He really worked in a Pawn Shop for all this time? I guess that's some
kind of more proper pawn shop, a noun of a different case. From you
postings I can also see how you would say that this is the equivalent of
a college degree in art history, archeology, or a similar topic, an
offset to this. Perhaps he could get a college degree for such
salt-of-the-earth real-world experience then use it to teach in a
college setting, setting straight those elitist ivory tower snobs and
know-it-alls with their vacuous book learnin' and field research.
Mr. Jaggers
Pick up anything neat lately?
oly
wrote:
Pretty weak there, even by Reed "standards". Mr. Harrison could
possibly have excellent academic credentials, but he doesn't wear them
on his sleeve (like some people). He is apparently a very successful
businessman (unlike some people).
BTW, what are your formal academic credentials, there, Gainsburger?
oly
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
In the last month, I've bought several Vatican City silver coins, Pius
X 10 Lire, 1958 Sede Vacante, 1963 Sede Vacante, several Paul VI 500
Lire. I bought a nice 1787 George III shilling, but I have others
nicer. I bought several West Germany 5 marks from the 1950s and
1960s. I bought two 2010 Uncirculated Mint sets to throw in the
pile. I am looking for a 1958 Pius XII 500 Lire.
I am not very disciplined, sometimes (often) and would have a better
collection if I didn't get carried away.
Book-wise, I acquired and just finished "When Money Dies" by Adam
Fergusson (reprint of 1975 original edition), an anecdotal book on the
Weimar inflation. I am also reading several books on Winston
Churchill.
oly
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
I think it's actually Pius XI 10 Lire... typo... pretty nice looking
coin, but common enough...
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
I am still looking at numerous William III stuff, being more
interested in that era following my visit to Hampton Court a few
months back.
Have you picked up anything neat, mon vieux?
oly
Mr. Jaggers
[lengthy palaver snipped]
> Have you picked up anything neat, mon vieux?
When the Bowers hardcover on "colonials" was released in the spring of 2009
I was shocked to see that he had catalogued as colonials all the Condor
tokens relating to Thomas Paine, with the blessings of Ken Bressett, of all
people, who intimated that they might one day occupy a berth in the Redbook.
They would take their place next to all the other quasi-early American
material, such as the Washington coppers. Thought I, being the
philosophical twin of the honorable Monsieur Paine, I'd better acquire a
couple examples before prices reach the stratosphere as the result of
Redbook inclusion. Dave Sardella came up with both a Spence "positive
attitude" piece, as well as an End of Pain "negative attitude" piece. I'd
not mind getting a Paine farthing, but as you know, Conder farthings are
pretty scarce. Anyway, I'm ready. Quintuple in price, you bad boys!
James the Speculator
oly
I recall Mr. Sardella as usually having one or more specimens of the
"End of Pain" Conder in stock, pretty consistently, in all the years
I've known him (probably since 1988 or 1989). He always seems to have
that "Map of France" thingie too.
I do have a "Bladon (Blandon?) founded Bath through his Swine"
farthing, and it is rather a nice piece.
Thos. Paine was damn lucky not to meet the National Razor back in the
day.
oly
Mr. Jaggers
He was, in fact, scheduled to meet it, but the accident of an open prison
door spared him.
oly
>
> - Show quoted text -
Josephine Beauharnais just missed it too. Would have been there
except for the sudden fall of jolly Robespierre.
oly
Bremick
"oly" <oly...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:519f1de1-ada4-47f7...@q1g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...
My wife and I and another couple stopped in there last October enroute to
St. George, UT for the Huntsman Senior Games. Hardly anyone in the place,
compared to what the scene looks like today in the latest episodes. The
only "regular" there at the time was the Old Man and he happily(?) posed for
a photo with us. Then he left, hopped into his purple pickup truck and
drove away. The couple we were with bought a diamond ring and were quite
happy with it. Otherwise, most of the effort in the shop seemed to involve
the display and sale of Pawn Stars T-shirts.
I agree that the whole show seems contrived with people bringing items to a
pawn shop that they could easily sell elsewhere for more with minimal
effort. Especially coins. I saw common date silver dollars in their
showcase for $25 apiece. I have to wonder what they paid for them. I
should have asked what they would offer. IMO, it is interesting and it's
the only reality-type show I come close to watching. I see too much reality
every day without using the TV.
oly
> "oly" <oly2...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
I can think of at least a half-dozen old timey coin dealers who fell
out of exactly the same mold as "Old Man". His wife or somebody got
him off some bad habits in just a nick of time. He's a gem.
There's nothing wrong with selling tee shirts, IMHO. It's fairly
honest and straight-forward.
Many sellers could get a lot more for the good stuff, especially by
bringing in a specialized auctioneer, but the sellers apparently
aren't the types who can plan much ahead. Gotta have cash today,
friend??? That's a service you're gonna pay for.
oly
Bremick
"Reid Goldsborough" <reidgol...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:40ohar....@news.alt.net...
> On 8/22/2010 2:17 PM, oly wrote:
>
>> It's frequently contrived
>
> I can't watch it for this reason. It's a typical unreal reality show,
> largely faked reality, scripted and heavily edited so that all realism
> disappears. In this case, the guy who runs the shop often affects
> knowledge of esoteric items that you know he couldn't possibly have. To
> counter this fakery, he does call in experts about other items. Still, the
> overall quality of the show may be best summarized by a statement of one
> of the pawn shop's customers, who professed knowledge of the authenticity
> of some medieval item she brought in because she saw similar items in
> movies, a statement that elicited no response.
I think that's part of the attraction of the show-- seeing how stupid and
gullible some people can be about the value and authenticity of the items
they bring in, much of which they seem to "find" in their grandfather's
gtarage. That, along with the price they expect to get from a pawn shop.
In contrast, I also get a kick out of watching the Rick get a $7,000
appraisal by one of their experts and then offering the seller $750. It
sure beats watching "amateurs" sing and dance each week. Bring back Arthur
Godfrey and Ted Mack.
oly
> "Reid Goldsborough" <reidgolduse...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour!!! Bring back the original "high
test" Milk of Magnesia. Great-Aunt Em lived 97 years thanks to the
stuff.
When I was really young, I had a hard time distinguishing between
Arthur Godfrey, Ronald Reagan and my Great-Uncle Elmer. They all
looked the same to me, Ronald Reagan might have been a touch younger
looking than the other two.
oly
Bremick
oly
******************
I wouldn't be surprised if Rick was pulling in more income than most English
Lit majors with Doctorate degrees, even without the TV deal and maybe even a
high school education. Looks like he has more fun, too, without six figures
remaining on his school loan.
The way his restoration experts butcher some of the rusty hulks he buys in
the name of "restoration", I'm surprised he doesn't polish all the old coins
he takes in. His "restored" vending machines, juke boxes, gasoline pumps,
old cars, etc. would make any serious collector of these items gag.
Bremick
**************
Don't forget Geritol and Serutan ("Natures" spelled backwards!)
**************
When I was really young, I had a hard time distinguishing between
Arthur Godfrey, Ronald Reagan and my Great-Uncle Elmer. They all
looked the same to me, Ronald Reagan might have been a touch younger
looking than the other two.
************
When I was a kid and Arthur Godfrey was making his transition from radio to
TV, he was like the Walter Cronkite of his day. I don't recall your
great-uncle Elmer.
oly
> "oly" <oly2...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
Based upon the deafening silence, does Reedie even have a legit
bachelor's degree???
Exactly how people feel about "working-on" stuff varies from hobby to
hobby. For instance, in military medals (rather similar to coins),
polishing is absolutely O.K.
If I don't know some genuine collectors in an area, people who've made
it clear to me what's the norm, it's difficult to say whether
restoration is good or no.
In coin collecting, cleaning is a blanket excuse for dealers not to
buy if that's how they feel at any given moment. However, we know
what happens all the time.
oly
Bremick
******************
If I had a Civil War Confederate pistol or a set of Educational notes and
had done enough research to know that, I would at least try a couple antique
dealers and coin shops before settling on a pawn shop. But who knows, maybe
these people did just that.
I didn't buy a T-shirt.
Frank Provasek
>
> Pretty weak there, even by Reed "standards". Mr. Harrison could
> possibly have excellent academic credentials, but he doesn't wear them
> on his sleeve (like some people). He is apparently a very successful
> businessman (unlike some people).
Rick mentioned he dropped out of high school in the tenth grade
because he was making $2,000 a week
----
Frank Provasek Rare Coins www.frankcoins.com
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/frankcoins Texas Auction License
11259, Board member of Texas Coin Dealers Association,
Member TNA, ANA, PCGS, NGC, ICTA - Full Time Since 1991
Reid Goldsborough
> Mr. Harrison could
> possibly have excellent academic credentials
This also is hilarious. Yes indeedy, he probably does have excellent
academic credentials. Isn't it obvious by how much knowledge he displays
on the show? But the word "excellent" here is highly subjective. I
suspect, from your posts, you'd consider this as having graduated from
high school. Or was graduated from, if you're a Miss Thistlebottom type,
though this passive construction is no longer considered the only
correct one now makes you look fuddyduddyish.
With your trying to hard to poke fun at me by misspelling both of my
names over and over, I know you're no Miss Thistlebottom and suspect
without a Google search you even know what this means. You're much more
of a Mr. Harrison, actually very much like him, come to think of it.
Just the type, in a general kind of way, from what I've seen of his TV
persona anyway.
But feel free to share your SAT scores, GPAs, degrees, academic honors,
and anything else you feel is of academic relevance, since you're asking
so vociferously about my academic background and suggesting I didn't
graduate from college. I did, with a bachelor and then a master degree.
But I don't regard what a person did in preparation for a career as
being the best indicator of that person's current proficiency or
expertise. Relevant background, yes, useful, mostly, necessary, not
necessarily, depending.
Bremick
********
Some of the ones that amazed me were bastardized vending machine and gas
pump restorations that included pirated parts from various unrelated pieces
and original innards replaced with the restorer's interpretation of what
best filled the space. The results looked nice (almost TOO nice) and may
have brought a profit, but not likely from a collector. I suppose that's
the shop's bottom line anyway.
Another one was a 1960's Lincoln Continental that they sent out to be
restored. It came back with little authentic innards left, yet they
envisioned getting a price for it that a true and faithful restoration might
bring. Never heard the results.
*********
Jud
> When is it on? If that show airs opposite any of my favorite FoxNews shows,
> I'll miss it.
>
> James the Conservative
GASP!!! "It's the big one Elizabeth!" <Fred Sanford>
Richard L. Hall
"Bremick" <rem...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:i4se2b$voi$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_Stars
he was pulling down $2000 a week when he dropped out of 10th grade.
Richard L Hall
> Anybody watch "Pawn Stars"??? Rick Harrison, the Old Man, son Corey
> and flunkey Chumley at their Pawn Shop in Las Vegas??? (Well,
> actually, it doesn't belong to Chumley).
One of the few programs that I enjoy watching. It is more like a
collectibles program with everything having a historical aspect--appropriate
for the History Channel.
>
> It's really one of the few TV shows (besides Wheel of Fortune) that my
> wife and I can sit down and both enjoy.
>
> It's frequently contrived (it has to be, it would take years and years
> for all that good stuff to come in off-the-street, although you might
> see most of it over one or two decades), and I think that the prices
> paid tend to be difficult to believe - at least somewhat high, I would
> guess. Probably slightly glorifies a hard-nosed and tough business.
It has to be contrived. I can't imagine a company having a camera in the
parlking lot and asking every customer what they have to sell and how much
they want for it. The experts are pretty interesting also. Talking to a
friend the other night, he suggested that maybe the customers go to the
experts first with something to sell and the experts send them to the pawn
shop when that something is interesting. I can imagine the the experts'
businesses have been helped by the exposure they receive on this show.
>
> Also, television shifting from the supposedly profitable "house-
> flipping" to "guess what I just gotta pawn today" is a sign of the
> times.
>
> But still, a really good TV show.
>
> Anybody have any insights???
>
It must be successful because a takeoff on it called "Hard Core Pawn" (about
a pawn shop in Detroit) debuted a week or so ago on the crime channel,
TruTV. The contrast is dramatic.
--
Richard
http://www.richlh.com
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as
well dance
oly
wrote:
FWIW, I have the pedestrian old, run-of-the-mill Bachelors Degree (BS
in Business Administration) from the College of Commerce and Business
Administration, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Entered
August 1977, Graduated May 1981 (the standard eight semesters). Made
the Dean's List twice, First Semester and Last Semester. University
of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana usually ranked in the top fifty
American schools. My ACTs and SATs were excellent, for whatever tests
taken 33 years ago are worth today. I took business classes, history,
classics, literature classes, foreign languages and did well in all;
my advanced math classes were mostly pissy. I had a very strong minor
in beer drinking. This U of I degree has been leveraged into a 30
year career in government, mostly commercial bank examination.
oly
El Kabong
"oly" <oly...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:519f1de1-ada4-47f7...@q1g2000yqg.googlegroups.com...
> Anybody watch "Pawn Stars"??? Rick Harrison, the Old Man, son Corey
> and flunkey Chumley at their Pawn Shop in Las Vegas??? (Well,
> actually, it doesn't belong to Chumley).
>
> wife and I can sit down and both enjoy.
>
> It's frequently contrived (it has to be, it would take years and years
> for all that good stuff to come in off-the-street, although you might
> see most of it over one or two decades), and I think that the prices
> paid tend to be difficult to believe - at least somewhat high, I would
> guess. Probably slightly glorifies a hard-nosed and tough business.
>
> flipping" to "guess what I just gotta pawn today" is a sign of the
> times.
>
> But still, a really good TV show.
>
> Anybody have any insights???
The show is rigged but enjoyable in a perverse way.
The old man is repulsive and should be taken out back and shot!
I find it impossible to believe that the average seller would not be aware of
eBay or regular auction venues to sell their goods, rather than taking them to a
pawn shop where you obviously aren't going to make as much.
oly
> "oly" <oly2...@aol.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
My only note is that the coin biz used to have lot and lots of guys
just like Old Man. Most of them apparently didn't have a wife or
somebody to pull 'em back from the edge.
I guess Reek isn't going to tell us about his GED in Art History.
oly
oly