Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison is facing some legal trouble coming from his mother, Joanne. She filed suit against her son over the alleged mishandling of a family trust, valuables, ownership shares of their company, and other investments. In 2016, Austin "Chumlee" Russell had his home raided by police investigating a sexual assault complaint. While never charged with a sex crime, the raid proved devastating for Russell.
The cast members of “Pawn Stars” are skilled negotiators. A rare and valuable book.
When producer Al Ruddy heard of the auction, he said he was the "Al" who signed the script. This made the Pawn Stars’ valuation wrong for an entirely different reason, leaving their expert with no credibility. Another near-miss for a cheated customer came with a baseball signed by the 1951 Yankees.
In 2010, Rick discussed a time he was cheated by a man pawning diamond earrings. Harrison asked the right questions but the seller gave false answers and had a fake receipt. Deals depend on rarity, condition, and seller desperation. Isaac Newton book.
The show has real and staged elements. Extra Mike Hoover bought a Cartier watch as a tourist. "Cajun Pawn Stars" stars had property illegally seized and now seek justice. The Russian swords didn’t sell. At auction, one went for $2,400.
The show captured fans’ imaginations about riches hiding in their grandma’s attic. The cast features rough-and-tumble dealers.
In October 2010, the shop’s traffic reached over 1,000 customers a day, up from 70 to 100 originally. The "Pawn Stars" cast found themselves at the center of a battle in 2014.
Despite the show’s problems, the network has kept renewing it because of its popularity. Visiting the pawn shop in Las Vegas is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Rick grew up in a family of pawnbrokers and honed his skills at a young age. In the late 1980s he and his father established the pawn shop, which became very successful.
Gold & Silver Pawn is a real pawn shop in Las Vegas, but it’s now more of a tourist attraction. The deals are arranged beforehand.
Viewers may assume Rick Harrison is in the store every day, but that’s not the case. The cast is prompted by staff and provided historical background, often right on the set.
According to Mike Hoover, who claimed to be an extra on the show, "It didn’t appear to be scripted very much, but they did reshoot a couple of the negotiations."
Like most reality shows, Pawn Stars has scripted drama between the cast. The items featured are researched and prepped beforehand.
After filming, the shop is handled by fifty other staff, while the four main cast stay at the back rooms trading autographs.