Trato Feito

Been a fan of the show since the first series. Corey and Rick seem good guys and good luck to them. I don't understand why Chumlee is some kind of hero in America. He isn't funny- and he pretends to be dumb like Paris Hilton (albeit with slightly more facial hair) but spoils the show. Would be better if Chum went- Rick and Corey would do the selling and the Old Man would complain in-between. Chum, the scripted story and constant laughing at stuff that isn't funny are the downsides to the show. Would be much better if the staff didn't pretend they were working and produced a show where they come out of the back for great items only...we know they don't work on the shop floor off camera and it's insulting that they still carry on the pretense after all these years. I have been to the shop - very poor touristy style attraction...not a pawn shop as such. Just cashing in on the T-Shirts and other low quality merchandise. Don't go to Vegas just to visit there - you'll regret it.

To comment on classicalsteve from Oakland, CA's post. The most important point was, as with ANY business situation. : Do your homework on current market values! I don't think in the case of Pawn stars that these guys necessarily make an offer based on what YOU think you should get for it, but rather, what they think or know they can get for the item. No different than any other wholesale to retail business.

Although there are similarities to antique roadshow, these guys are offering INSTANT CASH in most cases. When they are unsure of an items value, they bring in experts in their field, and they do it while the customer is there. It is funny when the expert says an item is worth 3000 retail and then the customer expects 3000. As Rick says over and over, I can't stay in business paying retail.

As to Steve's comments on collectibles; I don't think they are making 10x what an item is worth. Anyone that stupid to sell so cheaply deserves to get hammered in my opinion. If you are a collector, then you should be doing your own homework on channels to sell through, and there are plenty of them. If you feel your best option is to sell to a pawn broker, then what would you be expecting? Steve, I'd like to know in your opinion, what exactly the value of "culture" is, as you state in your post. They are pawn brokers. That's what the show is about. Your post suggests that the SELLERS of the items are not interested in the money, which is clearly not the case. Every single person is most interested in what they can get for their item. And I also don't agree with your assessment of "the poor seller at their mercy due to lack of knowledge." Knowledge is something that can be acquired, and sellers should obviously have acquired some concerning their items value before entering the arena of buying and selling. Also how could they tell the buyer what they intend to resell the item for when they really never KNOW what they're going to get. Market forces are constantly at work. Personally I think you paint a picture here that these guys are crooks, when in reality, this is business as usual. Buy low, sell high. You are clearly not a businessman. The interaction between the characters is highly entertaining, and somewhat informative as well.

Mike

I do quite enjoy this show, even though it may not reflect what goes on in a real Pawn Shop.... I mean, if I had some ancient artefact, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try and hock it at some dodgy LA pawn shop....it's all played out for the cameras. But what really boils my blood about the show is the way uber-smug Rick cackles out loud at his own 'jokes'.....so annoying! Corey is extremely rude to some of the customers as well...he and Rick have got extremely overblown egos...Chumlee's the best character in the show. I like Rebecca who comes into the shop when they've got a rare book as well. But I've heard about people on vacation who've been into the store and it's absolutely nothing like what you see on TV...the show cast are never there unless they're filming an episode, when they close the shop anyway...completely fake....and I just feel the need to put my foot through my TV when I hear Rick Harrison overblown ego wetting himself laughing at his own 'quips'. The only reason people laugh at their own 'jokes' is because they aren't funny.

I thought this show was an inspired mix of Orange County Choppers and Antique Roadshow. That's a bit like mixing beer and milk, but it works.

I Tivo it... near the top of my list actually. But, it is getting stale.

I have a little pet peeve I work around with the fast forward button, and that is any scene with Chumbutt. It kind of gets to me when someone purposely acts stupid and annoying just for the attention. I mean, more power to him getting rich with this schtick. He is clearly stoned and/or drunk in many scenes. Drooping eyebrows, messed up hair, slurred speech.

And you had better believe this is a scripted show. Rick is the only one that can read from a script in a believable way. But, it has to be that way, you can't have a crew sitting around waiting all day for an interesting scene.

I do like the beard of knowledge. I would love to see someone pump something fresh into the show. I'd love to see more outside the shop stuff, like the episode where they did the bar trivia challenge. I'm still watching, fast forwarding around chumplee and I hope they find a way to keep it on the air a few more years.

This staged show has gotten horrible. how can chumlee be the fan favorite? my god. he is sooooo coached and he cant hide it. totally annoying. . knowing rick walks through a warehouse of items pre show and the fact that the deals are made beforehand makes this show ridiculous to me now. phony phony phony. too american. stopped watching