Pawn Stars

I have just recently gotten into Pawn Stars and I find it to be a great mix of entertainment and history lessons. The main draw for me is the simple give and take that goes on between the Pawn Store operators and the people who bring items in looking to make quick money. Clearly the biggest draw for this show is Rick, the pawn store owner. Although his dad (the old man) and his son (big hoss) are big parts of the show, it is Rick who makes this show interesting and worthwhile. I don't think that Hollywood could have scripted someone who could make a pawn store owner a truly likable and complex individual. Rick manages to show interest and respect to every person who brings in something for sale while managing to explain his position in understandable terms. The bottom line is that a pawn shop is a place for people in need of quick cash to sell just about anything, just at bargain basement prices. If someone wants to get maximum money for their goods they would have to do market research, team up with a reputable auction house, or go on ebay and roll the dice that someone may make a high enough bid. Otherwise, you can go for the easy money of a pawn shop (albeit much less money.)

A couple of final notes about the characters on the show, as I stated earlier Rick is far and away the star of the show and he is really what makes it watchable. His father doesn't contribute a whole lot other than some standard old man talk. His son (Big Hoss) is pretty much a waste of space and contributes nothing to the show unless you like to watch a very (very) large person walking around in Ed Hardy jeans acting like some kind of tough guy. He is a very simple person, clearly having missed many of the complexities of human nature possessed by his father. Finally, Chumlee is one of the most enjoyable characters ever to grace television, the large man-child with a good heart and a simple mind. All in all I would definitely recommend watching this show to anyone.

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.

Why is everyone in the family obese? 1000s of guns but not one vegetable at dinner?

Hubby and I were looking for something on one night (lets face it, 500 channels and mostly nothing of worth on to watch) so we switched to this show out of boredom.

Honestly, its fascinating.

I LOVE this show.

The interaction between the owners and the workers is great to watch. Last night gave me a total laugh when the father said his son was too busy to ride the balloon and Chum was too stupid (and btw, he is. I swear the guys nearly mentally retarded, just not quite which only makes him stupid).

And the items that these guys pick up are just incredible. I'd LOVE to visit this store just once. They must have a treasure trove of museum quality items.

If I'm ever in Vegas, I'm heading to this shop.

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.