History debuts Pawn Star$, Sunday July 19

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By April MacIntyre Jul 6, 2009, 1:18 GMT

It's a sign of the times as Pawn shops and their owners rate a reality TV series. PAWNED: Sixteen carat gold dentures inlaid with seven carats of diamonds and three rubies are displayed at State Pawners and Jewelers in Chicago, Illinois, USA 18 November 2008. The set of teeth were brought in last week by a man looking for a 1,500 US dollar loan to pay college expenses for his daughter that were due that day. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

PAWNED: Sixteen carat gold dentures inlaid with seven carats of diamonds and three rubies are displayed at State Pawners and Jewelers in Chicago, Illinois, USA 18 November 2008. The set of teeth were brought in last week by a man looking for a 1,500 US dollar loan to pay college expenses for his daughter that were due that day. EPA/TANNEN MAURYHistory took the bait and has Pawn Star$, to premiere Sunday, July 19 at 10pm ET on their channel.Did you know that Pawn shops are considered to be one of the oldest forms of banking, and until the 1950s, it was the leading form of consumer credit in the U.S.? Now, the fascinating world and history of the pawning business is revealed in the new 30-minute/14-episode personality-driven series premiering Sunday, July 19 at 10pm ET.Pawn Star$ takes viewers inside the doors of the only family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas, where three generations of men from the Harrison family – grandfather, father and son – amusingly clash while running the business together. Think "Antique Roadshow" with an air of desperation, as this family uses their sharp-eyed skills to carefully assess the value of items their colorful and cash needy customers bring in, objects ranging from the obscure to the truly historic. From a 15th century samurai sword to a Picasso painting, there isn’t much these guys haven’t seen or heard, inevitably making them experts in rare collectables as they must carefully appraise the worth of each item, determine if it's real or fake and then reveal the often surprising answer to "What's it worth?" And, when these amateur historians don’t have the answer, they call upon their network of experts for help.Each episode features an array of characters attempting to sell, purchase or pawn items. Everything and everyone has a story and it’s the Harrison family’s job to decipher fact from fiction, because in this business the customer isn’t always right..Meet the PAWN STAR$THE OLD MAN “The Appraiser” (Grandfather)

After serving in the U.S. Navy and losing a million dollars in the real estate market, Richard Harrison uprooted his family and moved to Las Vegas in pursuit of a fresh start. Opening the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in 1988, he had to learn a little about a lot real fast. From Rolexes to antique cars, Richard is now armed with the rare skill of assessing the value of anything accurately. With uncanny precision, Richard is the king of purchasing underpriced merchandise, even from archrival pawn shops, which helped turn his initial $10,000 capital into a multi-million dollar business. Disciplined, wise and cunning, Richard drives a hard bargain and is NOT easy to please!RICK “The Spotter” (Son)

After 28 years in the business, Rick Harrison is an expert when it comes to spotting anything fake or stolen. As far as big-ticket items, Rick is the man for the job. Spotting a fake Cartier watch that most people would mistakenly purchase for $30,000 is just one of his many skills. Often acting as the middleman between his father and his son, Rick is the glue that holds this family and business together. Trained in the pawn business from the age of 13, Rick was born a hustler. He even dropped out of high school to pursue his $2,000-a-week business of selling fake Gucci bags. With enough money to partner with his father at the age of 23, he never looked back. COREY “Big Hoss” (Grandson)

Corey Harrison began working at the pawnshop at the age of 9. Expertly trained in the art of appraisal, Corey not only has the brains to spot a cheat but the brawn to back it up. He is not afraid to throw his muscle around, especially when it comes to protecting his family. He also handles everything when it comes to hiring and firing employees and managing eBay clients. Oftentimes treated like a slave, Rick believes that Corey needs to earn his keep. Without a real stake in the business, Corey is hoping that all of his hard work pays off.

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PhilJul 6th, 2009 - 13:51:55

I've seen some short previews of this show and if the episodes hold true to the snippets, the store that this series is based upon would be considered the 'dregs' of the Pawn Industry.
Of course I know that this is what 'sells' these days. There are many shops around the country today that the owners would cringe at the tactics used by these 3 yahoos!
If I saw one of my employees pulling one of these stunts they would be walked to the door and fired on the spot and escorted off the property.
Of course there are shops that operate like this and to say that these guys are the only ones like this would be a lie. We are hoping that clean, nice, bright and 'moral' operators will eventually cause these type of shops to fall by the wayside. Looks like there is still plenty of work to be done before that happens. If you do watch the show, try to keep an open mind and realize again that when the scouts were looking for a shop to sign for this series I''m sure that the 'good guys' were passed by.

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mr plus taxJul 19th, 2009 - 19:20:05

i had an idea to make a reality show about a day in a pawnbrokers shoes.i thought bout this like maybe 5 yrs ago. hopefully these guys dont make us pawnbrokers look bad.

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SteveJul 20th, 2009 - 05:31:49

These guys r misfits. They do not represent a well run clean pawn shop operations of today.

These guys r not what the pawn industry needs right now. People watching these guys will be left with a typical bad taste in there mouth about pawnbrokers. There one step a way from not writting up the transaction and doing back alley deals. OH Well.

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paddyboyAug 8th, 2009 - 20:23:30

Pawn brokers are mostly scum bags who benefit from the misery of those whose fortune has taken a turn for the worse. The History channel should be thoroughly ashamed for airing such garbage as 'history'.
I USED to be a huge fan of the History Channel. Now I wonder if the network should just change the name of the channel.

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