Are these people for real?

I'm sitting in my hotel and flipping through the channels (nothing else to do I guess) and I discovered this stupid show, pawn stars (I don't have cable at home so all these dumb reality shows are off my radar). Anyway, are these people (the customers) for real? I mean, this dude comes in with his grandfathers bomber jacket from WWII to sell. He says "I'm just hoping someone will buy it who will appreciate it." Really? Don't you appreciate it? You grandfather risked his life flying a airplane full of explosives over the enemy, risking his life for you.
That one just irked me, nothing big. The ones that made me slap my forehead in disbelief came later. This dude brings in some 100 year old military jacket he didn't know much about. Before going in he tells the camera he would like to get $300-$400 I think. Anyway, he brings it in, they have it appraised for about $300. He asks for $200 and they offer him something stupid like $50. The pawn dude says "if you want $300, just get a business license, open your own shop and charge $300." I was thinking, uh, to to www.ebay.com....... He settles for some small amount and later says "Yeah, I settled for less, even though I think it might be worth more." MIGHT BE WORTH MORE?? You just had it appraised by a professional and you took a quarter of it's value but think it might be worth more?
Then there was the best one. This guy brings in a book, old book. He says he thinks it belonged to Isaac Newton. Again, an antique book expert comes in and says it was printed in the mid 1500's and was indeed owned by Isaac Newton, it was one of his alchemy books and has his notes written in the margin. There is no doubt that it was one of his books. This thing has the antique book expert salivating. The appraiser says it's worth $20,000, no problem. The guy asks for $15,000. They offer him $2,000 I think. He starts dropping his price and ends up taking $7,000. WHY!!!!? The guy was well-dressed and from what he said I didn't gather that he was trying to keep his family supplied with crystal meth or anything like that. Why wouldn't you contact a rare-book expert and double your money?
I know it's kinda stupid but I was just amazed. I've never pawned something before. Aren't there almost as easy ways to get close to full value from your stuff?

There is no easier way to get cash right now than pawning. That is why. If they were good planners, they wouldn't be in a pawn shop.

I can't even imagine unloading one of Isaac Newton's books... now he can buy himself a used Kia!

DILYSI Dave wrote: There is no easier way to get cash right now than pawning. That is why. If they were good planners, they wouldn't be in a pawn shop.

True, but only mostly. Sometimes you just want to get rid of crap without having to pay evilBay fees, deal with idiotic craigslisters, or bother with the local Nickel ads. I had a pile of junk that wasn't worth shipping out so I brought it in to a Pawn, collected a couple of bucks, and walked out (sold outright). Otherwise it would have gone in the trash or to the curb with a free sign.

That "Newton" book turned out to not have been Newton's book.

You're watching this show for the wrong reasons. Watch it and make a drinking/betting game out of it. That's what I did, and it makes it so much better.

One should always take appraisals with a strong grain of salt. Estimated value varies tremendously from one appraiser to another, as well location and time.

Equally, just because something is worth a whole lot of money (according to someone), doesn't mean it will sell for a whole lot of money. As a whole lot of real estate speculators have been learning in recent years for example.

There's another Pawn show on, I saw three minutes of it. What Dr. Boost described sounds like Pawn Stars, a family run shop in Vegas. This other one, don't know where it is, ir run by a skinny angry guy. Typical Pawn, bring in your junk, we give you money, on pay day pay us the money + interest, you get your junk back.

There's a line going out the door of people picking up their junk, musta been pay day. One woman starts lipping off and shoving, she wants to be first in line. What about the people that were here ahead of you? She starts mouthing off and all hear are bleeps. She got what she wanted, her junk, said she'd be back next week. It was enough to make me skip this channel in the future.

Between the Kardasians, Housewives of I don't care where, fake drama, fake deadlines, self induced stress, it's enough to make me drop cable.

Dan

It's reality TV. You really think all of this is real? Silly you. Reality TV isn't real!

Good thing, eh?

I saw that episode with the guy selling his dad's flight jacket. Not a lot of sentimentality in that family, I guess.

I do understand the lowball offers the pawn guys give these people, after all they have to make money on the things they purchased. However, I can't figure out why these people go for it instead of selling the item themselves. I guess there's convenience in getting the money right away, plus they want to be on TV.

The funniest one to me was the episode where the guy showed up with a truckload of old VHS tapes that had belonged to Sammy Davis, Jr. It was just stuff Sammy had recorded off TV, like episodes of Matlock, but the guy figured they were worth thousands of dollars.

I must admit I actually kinda like Pawn Stars, but some of the people who come in to sell stuff have me yelling at the TV. But then again I'm not the type who'd sell a family heirloom that's been in the family for 3 generations to buy a new flatscreen that'll end up in the trash five years from now.

I stopped watching Pawn Stars when I realized the entire thing was staged. Hardcore Pawn (the angry little skinny dude) is slightly more amusing, because it sort of looks real. Not real enough to make me watch it......

And really, if I want the dregs of society, I'll watch Cops.

I like Pawn Stars. I don't mind that it's staged at all. The main guy, Rick, seems to really enjoy the history behind things, so while he's out to make money, he appreciates the items (often far more than the seller). I also want to be the "Old Man" when I grow up.

I can not watch these pawn guys. I am too busy watching "guidos" shout at each other while they make cakes!

It's all crap!

mndsm wrote: I stopped watching Pawn Stars when I realized the entire thing was staged.

It's like antiques roadshow, but with slightly less pompous douches. I kinda like it.

The historical stuff on that show is neat, regardless of being staged or not.

I find the one about the guys who bid on storage lockers to be unbelievable. Why the owners of the storage locker place doesn't hire someone to sort through the crap and get the $40K coin collections and 25K worth of cash out first is beyond me. They own the crap after people fail to pay so why don't they make a tidy profit on it rather than auction it off?

For everyone saying it's crap, there sure seems to be a lot of people watching that crap!

nocones wrote: I find the one about the guys who bid on storage lockers to be unbelievable. Why the owners of the storage locker place doesn't hire someone to sort through the crap and get the $40K coin collections and 25K worth of cash out first is beyond me. They own the crap after people fail to pay so why don't they make a tidy profit on it rather than auction it off?

That's really how it works, though.

nocones wrote: I find the one about the guys who bid on storage lockers to be unbelievable. Why the owners of the storage locker place doesn't hire someone to sort through the crap and get the $40K coin collections and 25K worth of cash out first is beyond me. They own the crap after people fail to pay so why don't they make a tidy profit on it rather than auction it off?

No only that, but it looks totally set up. I saw about 5 minutes of one episode and that was enough. "Hey, what's that behind the stack of soup cans and dirty diapers? Oh, it's a mind condition vintage Fender Strat!" BullE36 M3. I've also seen about five minutes of that retarded pawn show with similar results.

I normally watch Pawn Stars just to see some of the odd ball stuff that is brought in. I love some of the historic items that have been on the show. I have the same thoughts about what idiots some of these people are and I have also found myself wondering how some of them can let some of the items go.

It is also always funny to see the idiots reactions when the pawn guys tell them their crap is fake and they can't get any money for it. Some of the old firearms and other weapons are just cool.

not all of pawn stars is staged, regardless its all stuff that people brought in to the shop. sometimes there are people browsing around the store, other times its empty.

I watch on occasion. +1 on old guns, +11 when they fire old guns, +111 when they make Chum fire it first in case it blows up

I like Pawn Stars. My Monday evening TV consists of American Pickers and Pawn Stars. So far they have made us some decent money.

Every so often we will see something on there and remember that there was something like that in all the junk we brought home and put in the garage attic when we were settling her mother's estate.

Dig it out clean it up a bit and take it around to the Antique Dealers around here (dozens of them). Probably should inventory and research the stuff. But it is easier to let the TV shows do the research.

American Pickers on History frequently comes across lots of vintage autos and MC's plus collectibles. Lots of advertising and signage, they recently ran across a 390 '67 Fairlane GT, '64 Galaxie 427, original Ford dealership signs. It's great to know this stuff is still out there and is a real education. Of course all these Pawn/ Auction/ Collectible shows are of professional middlemen buying from everyday collectors and selling waaay up the collector chain, so if you can, market it and sell it yourself.