Las Vegas Weekly

March 10, 2010 · 3:02 PM

Photos: Popular new tourist attraction is a History Channel success

By Robin Leach

The History Channel's Pawn Stars.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Forget about the view from the re-created Eiffel Tower on the Strip. Fuggedaboutit -- the faux New York skyline, in this case -- and the dancing fountains splashing sky-high to Italian opera. The newest and most unexpected tourist attraction in Las Vegas is headed up by four of the most unlikely TV stars.

Incredibly, 1,000-plus people wait in line every day for entry, and earlier this week, 6 million people watched it on television. According to one TV ratings company, another 3 million watched the same night’s later re-run.

The History Channel’s Pawn Stars has become a reality TV phenomenon -- and a major boon for Las Vegas tourism. Rapper Ludacris admitted on Twitter this week that he’s become a hopeless fan and will somehow work them into his next hit.

Meet the son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, the father Rick “The Spotter” Harrison, grandfather Richard “The Appraiser” Harrison and good pal Austin “Chumlee” Russell from Pawn Stars. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue took his cameras to Harrison’s Gold & Silver Pawn Shop to memorialize three generations of the family for this exclusive Vegas DeLuxe photo gallery.

Long before banks, ATMS and check-cashing services, there were pawnshops. Pawning was the leading form of consumer credit in the U.S. until the 1950s, and pawnshops are still helping people make ends meet. The Harrisons and The History Channel take viewers inside the colorful world of the pawn business at their Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on the outskirts of Las Vegas. It’s a family business, and the show’s cameras capture the clashing and camaraderie every step of the way.

They use sharp eyes and skills to assess the value of items from the commonplace to the historic, including a 16th century samurai sword, a Super Bowl ring, a Picasso painting and a 17th century stay of execution. They determine what’s real and fake, as they greet their visitors and provide often surprising answer to the questions on everyone’s mind: “What’s the story behind it?” and “What’s it worth?”

You know me and my thirst for fun facts, so here are some of the items you might find at their store:

*A 1750 Blunderbuss is one of the oldest guns sold by Pawn Stars.

*One of the most valuable items is a 2001 Super Bowl ring valued at $60,000.

*The most expensive items ever sold were four one-kilogram gold bars valued at $128,000.

*The most valuable old coin is an 1859 No. 3 gold piece in mint condition valued at $2,650.

*One of the oldest items is a Greek Didrachm from 325 B.C.

*Pawnshops are recorded in history from more than 3,000 years ago in China.

*There are more than 12,000 pawnshops in the U.S.

*An estimated 25 million Americans do not have a checking account, so pawnshops serve them with a source of short-term loans.

*More than 70 percent of all items pawned today are reclaimed.

*The average loan granted for a pawned item is $75.

The shelves at Harrison’s Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, more than any other similar store in America because of our gaming-based economy, are filled with an eclectic array of items from the ordinary to the unbelievable, each with its own story and past. As a result, this “museum” of monetized memorabilia has become an attraction.

Rick said: “Each pawned item is registered to prevent the sale of stolen items. Pawnshops are repositories of history, holding antiques, jewelry, furniture and other items that have been passed from generation to generation. Their owners may genuinely know their source or offer tales of where they believe items came from and how much they are worth. Of course, pawnbrokers do their own assessment of each item, estimating its age, authenticity and value on the open market. Along the way, we develop a unique set of skills, sniffing out the authentic from the fake, the valuable from the worthless and the art of driving a hard bargain.”

Pawn Stars, not to be confused with porn stars, has become a ratings hit. Loyal viewers have now made it their first stop on the must-see, must-do list of Las Vegas attractions. The crowds keep growing every morning waiting for the doors to open. They want to amble the aisles, browse the bargains, scour the shelves and have their photo taken with the four new TV stars. What a story!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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