Pawn Stars is a hugely popular reality TV show on the History Channel. It centers on the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a 24-hour pawn shop that was opened in 1989, operated by Richard “Old Man” Harrison, son Rick Harrison, grandson Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
Pawn Stars is the History Channel’s second-highest-rated show. At the height of its popularity, it was second only to Jersey Shore across all networks. The Pawn Stars have seen a lot of treasures pass through their shop, but there are certain finds that were so remarkable that they made them rich overnight. Some finds, on the other hand, were more strange, than profitable. But after years in the pawn business, nothing surprises this crew too much anymore. So, without further ado, these are the best and downright strangest Pawn Stars finds in the history of the show.
Four 1Kg Gold Bars
One of the most expensive buys the Pawn Stars ever made also ended up being one of their most lucrative. They purchased and then flipped four solid gold bars that each weighed a kilo. The bars sold for $128,000. Not a bad day’s work. Gold is still one of the most valuable things you can buy, and it’s certainly profitable to resell—just ask the Pawn Star crew.
OJ’s Ford Bronco
During the most recent season of Pawn Stars, the crew got a unique purchase opportunity. They had a chance to buy O.J. Simpson’s Ford Bronco. Yes, that Bronco. The car doesn’t have an exact value, and while they seriously considered buying the vehicle, ultimately, they decided to pass. They guessed that its value was somewhere between three hundred thousand and a million dollars.
A Dutch East India Trading Company Bell
It’s very rare to find a piece of ship wreckage that is still fully intact. That’s one of the reasons why this 17th-century bell was so valuable. It was originally part of a ship in the Dutch East India Trading Company fleet. This piece of history was just sitting around unrecognized for its historical significance until the Pawn Stars came across it. A woman brought the bell into the shop, unknowingly, because she was tired of it taking up space in her house. It was verified as authentic and she went home with $15,000 in her pocket.
200 Pounds of Silver
This was one of the biggest Pawn Stars finds ever, and it wasn’t even an item. The Pawn Stars bought over two hundred pounds of silver. One of their customers had been investing in silver for more than ten years and sold it to the Pawn Stars for $111,000. The Pawn Stars are casting the silver into Pawn Stars coins bearing the likeness of the Old Man, and selling them for $70 a pop.
1932 Lincoln Roadster
The Pawn Stars love buying cars, which is why they were thrilled to come across a 1932 Lincoln Roadster. The fact that the car had a V-12, 150hp engine made the pot even sweeter. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, and Rick grabbed the car for $95,000. He was happy with the purchase.
1932 Ford Custom Roadster
Another great car the Pawn Stars made their own was a custom 1932 Ford Roadster. The vintage car had an incredible 450 miles on the odometer and a 500hp engine. Price negotiations were intense and took a while. They eventually settled on a sale price of $68,250. It was one of the most expensive Pawn Stars finds in the history of the show.
Panama Pacific Coins
A Gold & Silver Pawn customer came in one day asking if they had any 1915 Panama Pacific Octagonal $50 gold coins. Unfortunately, they were fresh out. The customer told Rick that he’d pay $70,000 for one of the rare coins, and Rick was off to the races. Rick was able to acquire two of the coins at an auction and sold one of them to the customer for $67,500.
Vic Flick’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster
You may not recognize Vic Flick’s name, but you certainly know his work: He recorded the original James Bond theme. Rick was able to acquire the 1961 Fender Stratocaster that Flick used to play the theme—a huge find! The pawn shop acquired the guitar for $55,000.
Les Paul’s 1961 Custom Gibson
Another great guitar find was a 1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Custom. The guitar was actually originally owned by Les Paul himself, and his wife, Mary Ford. The seller asked the Pawn Stars for an audacious $250,000, but they were able to negotiate the seller down to $90,000—an impressive bit of haggling. For an even more impressive instrument.
2001 Superbowl Ring
Typically, extra Super Bowl rings produced every season, and those rings usually make it onto the market and are very valuable. The Pawn Stars got their hands on a 2001 New England Patriots ring at a steal. They paid just $2,600 for it. That may seem like a lot of money, but they eventually flipped the ring for a cool $80,000. Not a bad margin.
1922 Proof Peace High Relief Dollar
A man won this coin in a poker game, and it wound up being a financial windfall for him. He originally intended to sell the coin to the Pawn Stars for $20,000. Then, an estimator revealed that the coin was one of only ten such coins that were still known to exist. At minimum, it was worth $50,000, and might be worth as much as $100,000. Rick bought it for $80,000. The coin should keep appreciating in value indefinitely.
Joe Greene’s Olympic Medals
Joe Greene took home gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 for the long jump. He did it again in 1996, in Atlanta. Believe it or not, Greene himself brought his medals into the shop to sell them. He bought them just to display them. They’re worth an estimated $30,000, but are not for sale.
Spanish Fleet Gold Coin
If you can get your hands on rare historical coins, do it. They tend to be some of the most valuable items you can resell. When a woman brought a coin she inherited into the shop, she didn’t know exactly what she had. Turns out it was worth a lot of money. An evaluator placed the value of the coin at $18,000. It was from Peru and was minted in 1715.
1941 Gibson SJ-200 Guitar
Gibson guitars are one of Rick’s specialties, and this one was a true gem. It was originally owned by Stephen Stills, one of the titular members of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Stills himself signed the guitar’s bill of sale, and the Pawn Stars bought it for $85,000.
Greek Didrachm
The Greek Didrachm is an ancient coin that is worth a great deal of money today, dating back to 325 BC. It’s another one of those items that increase in value as time passes. The Pawn Stars picked one up for relatively cheap.
Antique Book of Mormon
Antique books can be very valuable as well as very tricky to authenticate, price, and sell. Someone came into Gold & Silver with this 5th edition of the Book of Mormon wondering how much it was worth. Its print date was 1842. Rick paid the seller $24,000. He later had an appraiser look at it, and it turned out to be worth $40,000.
Order of the White Eagle Medallion
Rick rolled the dice on this piece, buying it for $6,000 while not totally sure of its historical significance or market value. Turns out he made the right call. The medallion is from the Russian occupation of Poland and was made by Faberge’s main competitor in Europe. An appraiser placed its value at between thirty and forty thousand dollars.
JFK’s Humidor
You don’t see politicians smoke anymore, but that wasn’t always the case. John F. Kennedy was especially fond of cigars, and one of his humidors wound up coming into the possession of the Pawn Stars. The seller had an opening ask of $95,000. Rick eventually haggled him down to $60,000.
Spanish Gold Bar
A seller was lucky enough to find this bar of genuine gold in his attic. He brought it into the shop not knowing exactly how much it was worth. The bar was pulled from the wreck of a 1554 Spanish ship off the Texas coast. The Pawn Stars bought it for $35,000. Its real value is estimated at somewhere around $50,000.
No. 3 Gold Piece
As stated before, antique coins tend to only appreciate in value. The Pawn Stars acquired a No. 3 gold coin from the 1800s in mint condition. The coin was minted in 1859 and was absolutely pristine. Its value was placed at $2,650.
Diamond Earrings
What looked on the surface to be a huge win turned out to be a major loss for the Pawn Stars. A seller came in offering a pair of diamond earrings (not the ones pictured) that Rick snapped up. He bought the earrings for $40,000, and it turned out that was not a wise investment, as the earrings had been stolen!
A Blunderbuss from 1750
A “Blunderbuss” is a kind of antique gun. They’re pretty rare, so it was a big day when a seller brought one into Gold & Silver. The gun was evaluated by a weapons expert and the Pawn Stars bought it for $3,000. Considering how good of shape the gun was in, it was a prudent investment.
2014 Hertz Penske Mustang GT
This is a very rare car. It’s the product of a marketing effort between Roger Penske and Hertz Rental Cars in 2013. They produced 150 of these limited edition Ford Mustang GT’s. The Pawn Stars knew they probably weren’t going to get another shot at acquiring one, so they bought it for $60,000.
Edward Curtis Photogravures
When a woman brought in a collection of old photogravures (a photo produced from etching an image into a copper plate and using a gelatin to produce an intaglio print), she only wanted $50 for them. After some research, Rick learned they were from the famed American photog and sold them for… $20,000!
Mummy Dearest
While Ancient Egyptian mummies can date back as far as 5,000 years ago, this painted mummy face mask that appeared on Pawn Stars is estimated to date back only 1,800 years to Roman Egypt. When he was lowballed, the owner was getting ready to walk away, but Corey Harrison just couldn’t watch this amazing bit of archaeology slip away from him. He purchased it for an astounding $30,000.
“If the Missile Fits…”
You can see how uneasy being around this next piece makes Rick Harrison, but when the item in question is the cover to a thermonuclear warhead and it has to be tested on the real thing, how can you blame him? To check the authenticity of this fossil of the Cold War meant taking it to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop’s friendly local Nevada National Security Site to see if it fit on a defused bomb. It sold for $650.
War Pawns
This medical kit dates back a century to the First World War. Its owner announced that his great-great uncle had brought it back from the trenches of the Western Front, where it had been used by the German Army to perform field surgeries. The kit contains an impressively extensive assortment of tools that would have been used in the heat of battle.
Beat the Clock
Why not make a statue of yourself to put by the side of your pool in your mansion? That’s exactly what O.J. Simpson did, and it was presented in the shop to Chumlee on Pawn Stars by rapper Flavor Flav. Naturally, Chumlee was bemused by this oddity, and even more so by the opportunity to haggle with this rap star. But when he offered $80,000, Flavor Flav wasn’t satisfied.
Pawn Stars’ Own Pinball Wizard
Chumlee had already proven his chops as a bona fide pinball expert, but it was Rick Harrison who ended up being presented with this ‘fantastic’ game. From the flashing lights to the platform shoes, this is hands down the most famous pinball machine in the world. This is like seeing the 1970s encapsulated in one device, and it was released following Elton John’s larger than life performance in the film version of rock band The Who’s Tommy. Its wizard of an owner was unwilling to relinquish it for less than $1,800.
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
The seller made just $50, but his original copy of Bob Dylan’s 1970 Self Portrait album ended up sparking one of the most exhilarating moments in Pawn Stars history. Chumlee probably could hardly believe his ears when Rick tasked him with getting Bob Dylan’s autograph—immediately. As it happened, this larger-than-life music icon happened to be in town for a gig at Caesar’s Palace, and like spotting a tiger in the wild, they found him and got his autograph on the album increasing its worth exponentially.
A Tale of Stan Lee and Chumlee
When it comes to creating comic book superheroes, Stan Lee is the undisputed king of kings. So when a 1970s newspaper comic strip of Spiderman shows up at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, and its owner claims that the man himself signed it, who can prove it? In yet another Pawn Stars wonder, Stan Lee happened to be on hand to do just that! That was just what Chumlee needed to hear, and the comic instantly sold for $5,000. “You’re a lucky guy,” Stan remarked.
The King’s Speech
You can’t put a price on peace, but perhaps peace itself can be tangible. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was America’s greatest voice for peace and equality. When a signed speech of his came onto Pawn Stars, you knew it would be taken seriously. This 1967 pamphlet featuring a speech against the Vietnam War penned by Reverend King and graced with his signature sold to Rick and Corey Harrison for $10,000. They can surely be proud to be in possession of such an important document.
All The President’s Suits
History buffs, this is sure to delight you. Rick Harrison himself, flabbergasted, said that he would have loved to get coffee with this Founding Father, more than anyone else in history. This three-piece suit came to Pawn Stars. Its owner? George Washington.
Though its original pink hues have faded over the past two and a half centuries, the fact that this suit actually was worn by the first American president and is still intact is nothing short of a marvel, but its $2.5 million price tag proved too much for Rick.
An Offer He Could Refuse
It’s one of the most celebrated films of all time, and its plot points and catchphrases have wound themselves into the very fabric of modern popular culture. When an original copy of the script for The Godfather made an appearance on Pawn Stars, the excitement was palpable. But was that autograph in the book, “Al”, penned by Pacino? Turns out, it was not. After turning down Rick and Corey’s offer of $500, the book’s owner managed to sell it at auction for a comfortable $12,000. The buyer? The wife of Godfather producer, Al Ruddy—the man behind the mystery.
Can’t Buy Me Love
This is the agreement signed between the Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein, and Rick Harrison got to have a gander at it. The very document that launched the Fab Four’s career like a rocket ship is no trinket. The owner wanted no less than a million, and though Rick Harrison tried to bargain, in the end, he just had to let it be.
Where The Wild Things Are Auctioned
Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are is among the most celebrated children’s books of all time. Its illustrations of lovably monstrous beasts are an essential part of its success, and Rick Harrison had the chance to see some of the original drawings. Rick was giddy with excitement when he managed to buy this fanciful set of drawings for an extraordinary $250,000.
Gold and Silver Beach
It’s the most famous battle in the history of modern warfare. If the plans for D-Day had fallen into the wrong hands, it would have been catastrophic. Thankfully they didn’t, and seven decades later, it was Rick Harrison and the Old Man who got their hands on it. Listed under the code name Operation Neptune, seeing the blueprint for the amphibious invasion of Normandy was a tremendously exciting moments on Pawn Stars. Because the precious document is so fragile, and the print fading, it would be impossible to frame, so they had to pass.
Arachnofabulous
Until the Russian Revolution, the House of Fabergé was renowned for the exquisitely intricate jewelry it produced. Most famous of all were the dazzling eggs made for the Empress. But it wasn’t one of these Easter treasures that made it to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. The lady owning this brooch had no idea she was in possession of a real Fabergé piece, among the most expensive jewelry in the world. She expected $2,000, but Rick Harrison forked over a surprising $15,000.
A Ghoulish Sale
Before Hollywood and before the Halloween costumes, Dracula was the most famous horror novel of all time. An original copy of this legendary vampire thriller, signed by its Irish author Bram Stoker just months after its 1897 publication, made its way onto Pawn Stars. The on-site expert couldn’t help but smile as he verified the book as being authentic, albeit slightly worn and fraying at the corners. Its subject might be fantasy, but this very real gem of supernatural lore fetched a respectable $2,350 from Corey Harrison.
Infamous Prints
Occasionally, an item appears on Pawn Stars that’s just so creepy that Rick Harrison is made to confront a moral dilemma. A seller who had himself been connected to the capture of brutal Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein entered the shop and presented the tyrant’s fingerprints. Rick Harrison has stated in interviews that he will not purchase items connected so intrinsically to the suffering of others, such as German WWII paraphernalia. Though he acknowledged the shock value of the fingerprints, his offer didn’t fly, being far below the seller’s $10,000.
Voodoo Child (Sales Return)
Behind his head, with his teeth, upside down, Jimi Hendrix sure could play, and when his Fender Stratocaster was presented on Pawn Stars, it was electrifying. The guitar’s presenter noted that it could sell for up to $1,000,000 at auction, and refused to budge from his sales offer of $750,000. Rick Harrison had to pass.
Rome Wasn’t Sold in a Day
“It’s, like, literally Game of Thrones,” Rick gushed, and even Shakespeare himself would have gasped. This coin is not just another cool ancient artifact. It’s from a brief and epic moment in Roman history: the two years between Caesar’s assassination and Brutus’ defeat. Apparently, Brutus was proud of how he rose to power, as the coin features daggers and the helmet of freedom. But Rick was nonetheless wary of the Ides of March, and as the client would accept no less than $140,000, he walked.
Fast and Furious
One of the coolest and certainly the most memorable car to appear on Pawn Stars was an exact working replica of the Batmobile driven by Michael Keaton in the 1989 Batman film. And Chumlee got to take it for a test drive. While it didn’t end up getting sold, everyone went home happy. “This is the best day of my life!” Chumlee exclaimed.
Rick and Chumlee, You’re My Only Hope
No film series has generated more fans than Star Wars, or more merchandise. A most unusual action figure, however, would have to be Princess Leia in hologram form. The twist? It’s signed by none other than Hollywood royalty, the late actress Carrie Fisher. Rick Harrison and Chumlee got to peruse this novelty figurine. Though it’s not from the films’ release, it was specially issued during a ComicCon convention in 2005. Rick bought the toy, still in its original packaging, for $550.
Party On
It was an iconic moment in pop culture history when Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, and friends all headbanged in a car to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the 1992 comedy film Wayne’s World. And it wouldn’t have been the same without the vehicle itself, a sky-blue 1976 AMC Pacer. As it would happen, Rick Harrison is a big fan of the movie, and the moment he found out who owned the car, he simply had to check it out for himself. This party wagon ended up selling for $9,500.
Not Your Regular Omelette
Timing is of the essence. A woman entered the shop hoping to sell a pair of dinosaur eggs. They were identified as belonging to a duck-billed hadrosaurid, and she believed that the prehistoric find could fetch a hefty sum. Agree with her? Think again.
Would you believe that dinosaur eggs are surprisingly cheap? Over time, these relics of millions of years ago have become excavated far more often than one would assume. In the end, they sold for $500, and Corey hopes to auction them for $1,200.
The Gentleman’s Saber
Guardians of the peace in feudal Japan, a samurai was never without his sword, and swordcrafting became the most elegant of art forms for its time. Crafted by the Yasutsugu line of swordsmiths, this 15th-century marvel was presented to Corey Harrison. Its owner was ready to part ways with this medieval weapon, and Corey bought it from him for $1,500. Joke’s on him, though: with a bit of delicate repair and polish, the samurai sword could possibly be sold for $15,000!
Smooth Ride
When Rick and Corey Harrison stepped out of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop and into the rocky Nevada desert, they were amazed to discover that hovercrafts are real. It can sometimes be hard to impress Rick, but the Pawn Stars maverick swore that this hovercraft was the “coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life”. Unfortunately, it was not compliant with EPA standards, and not yet ready for use.
Apple of His Eye
A book from Isaac Newton’s own library appeared on Pawn Stars, but it had nothing to do with gravity. Isaac Newton was a man of his times, and he loved studying some rather outlandish topics, like the lost island of Atlantis, magic, and alchemy. Many of Newton’s personal books have been lost or destroyed, and this 17th-century treatise on the pseudoscientific art of transforming metals is exceptionally rare. The Old Man managed to buy the book at $7,000, despite its actual worth being around $20,000
Space Oddity
An eager 11-year-old came into the Pawn Stars shop with a yellow toolkit with bits of the heat shield protecting the ship from the 1969 moon landing, Apollo 11, he said, which his great-grandfather had found washed up on the beach in the Bahamas. This honeycombed shrapnel was indeed connected to the Apollo space program, but it could not be determined whether it was from the actual rocket itself. The appraiser stated that it may have been from one of the test rockets, and Rick Harrison couldn’t take it without knowing its value.
(Not A) Heart-Shaped Box
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain remains one of rock music’s most recognizable icons. His distinct grunge sound — gritty, heavy, and thunderous — would have been impossible without specially-designed distortion pedals for his guitar. He tossed one into a San Diego crowd, and it wound up on Pawn Stars. Although memorabilia from the singer’s short life is scarce, it was very difficult to gauge the pedal’s worth. Its owner’s wife caught the pedal at a December 1993 concert, and he was unwilling to part with it for less than $5,000. Corey was impressed but had to pass.
Liquid Pistol
It’s no secret that guns are among the most collected items worldwide. Compressed with carbonic acid, this rare “liquid” pistol was sold to the shop for $2,500 but might be worth much more to a gun collector. Invented by Paul Giffard in 1872, the model was later bought by Colt’s Manufacturing Company for an astounding one million dollars. This revolutionary invention was particularly beneficial in combat, as the gun required no gunpowder to shoot. According to Craig Gottlieb, the Stars‘ go-to gun expert, less than 500 of the original models were made, and he estimates that as few as 100 exist to this day.
John Belushi’s Autograph
John Belushi was a famous comic who is credited as being one of the founding cast members of Saturday Night Live. Despite a tragic drug-related death at the age of 33, Belushi’s acting legacy lives on to this day. He is known for his legendary roles in Animal House and The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd.
An extra on the set of The Blues Brothers movie, filmed in 1979, acquired Belushi’s signature during the filming of the movie. Penned on the invitation from Universal Studios, it was sold to the shop for $501. Considering that the value of this autograph was confirmed at about $700, the seller walked away a winner.
David Hasselhoff Autographed Buoy
David Hasselhoff might be old news these days, but in the 90’s, he was a major contender in the TV heartthrob department. His career started out on daytime soap The Young and the Restless, although he is most known for his iconic role as Mitch Buchannon on the hit Baywatch. The Hasselhoff autographed buoy has a resale value of about $500-$600, and was sold to the shop for $375. Despite it being a cool collector’s item for a Baywatch fan, most die-hards are out to get their hands on Pamela Anderson merch. As Rick says in this sequence, “we’re talking David Hasselhoff, he’s not that cool.”
“Death of Prohibition” Corkscrew
The Prohibition era in the United States lasted a whopping 13 years, from 1920 until 1933. The Bridgewater “Death of Prohibition “corkscrews were patented in 1932, right before booze gained legality once again. The sets featured a corkscrew, shot glass and wine stopper tucked neatly into a coffin-shaped box; the corkscrew masterfully crafted into a seemingly dead Volstead. Although this is a super cool item that has a ton of historical significance, the seller only walked away with $325 for the set.
Grammy Award
An award of this caliber is culturally significant and monetarily valuable. It’s no surprise why Rick jumped on his chance to have one in his shop. The award is issued to Ronald Dunbar & General Johnson for their songwriting collaboration for 1970’s hit, “Patches”. The award was sold to a lighthearted Rick who got a kick out of the seller’s sense of humour. Seller walked out the door with $2,350 and we assume it will sell for much more than that to a music lover.
Limited Edition Pepsi Cans
The Pepsi company itself dates back almost 125 years, originally producing a carbonated beverage coined “Brad’s drink”. Since then, the drink has changed names twice, to PepsiCola in 1898, and finally to its shorter abbreviation of Pepsi in 1961. Sadly, vintage cans are not high on the list of high-auction Pepsi items. Some of the old school coolers and display racks sell for a few hundred dollars, but the cans are a different story. The seller came in with a lot of about 7 cans and asked for a mere $50. Rick countered with $20 and a deal was made.
Rolling Stones Promo Record
Here’s another item that was sold for far lower than one would expect. A promotional, limited edition Rolling Stones vinyl from the 60’s, never commercially released. This type of record would have been sent out to radio stations to promote their tours. The seller arrived with a cost of $4,000 in mind. Doesn’t seem too far-fetched, considering how sought out Rolling Stones’ collector items are. Unfortunately, when Rick brought in the expert, it was determined that the resale value was actually closer to $150. Apparently there are a ton of these EMI records available online, on auction sites like eBay. He shook on $60 which probably got him at least a couple of burgers in Vegas.
First Issue of Playboy Magazine
The very first issue of Playboy magazine was published in December 1953, and featured Marilyn Monroe as the “Sweetheart of the Month”, or, as we call them today, Playmate of the Month. Only 54,000 copies were printed, as founder of Playboy, Hugh Hefner, was unsure of the magazine’s success. They all sold, and Hefner began to build an empire that would be worth half a billion dollars by the millenium.  The magazines first issue is the most sought after, with an estimated value of up to $2,700 for a good condition copy. The seller walked away with $1,400, and Rick acquired an item that will bring in a pretty sweet profit.
JFK Luncheon Invitation
Here’s another pretty neat bit of JFK memorabilia. A seller came into the shop with a JFK luncheon invitation for the day he died, November 22, 1963. The luncheon, hosted in Dallas during JFK’s visit, was organized to discuss the election with Texan business leaders. Perhaps what makes this invitation more interesting is the fact that JFK was on his way to the luncheon when he was assassinated.
Unfortunately, the value dropped significantly when Corey realized the invite was not addressed, and never mailed out. Had it been addressed to someone, it might be worth more. What could have been a super seller ended up earning the owner just $150.
Super Mario Statue
The first Mario Bros. Nintendo game was released in 1983, with Super Mario Bros. coming out two years later. More than 30 years later, over 40 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. This giant Mario statue was originally housed in a video arcade, and given to the seller as a prize for winning a Mario Kart competition (of course). Considering it’s worth probably anywhere between $1,000-$1,200, the seller got a pretty good deal signing off at $550 for this piece.