The reality show Pawn Stars is one of the most successful and memorable shows in recent history. Let's follow the Harrison family and their beloved pawn shop, World Famous Gold & Silver in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While we now know Pawn Stars employees as genuine reality TV stars and celebrities, let's not forget that the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop began in 1989 as a true real-life family business, as that was when Richard “Old Man Harrison first opened the store that operated as a 24-hour family business.

Despite being now superstars in their own right, Harrison, his son Rick, his grandson Corey, and family friend Austin "Chumlee" Russell were originally normal folks who worked in the business, before they hit it big with their show. of TV.
Although it originally started out as a simple family business, the truth is that old man Harrison always knew that his store was a special place and that, in fact, one day he might make them all famous.

And actually, years before the TV show began, Harrison had been regularly pitching the idea to various networks. They kept saying no over and over, until one chain finally said yes, but it would even be a while before they really hit the big time.

"I thought a show would mean free advertising, and free advertising would mean more business," he told the Star-Telegram .
Although Harrison was determined to make a success of his shop and the television gold he knew he could produce, he also knew that the odds were against him. The more I tried to introduce the show, the more people kept rejecting it.

"Everybody told me that nobody wants to watch a show about four fat guys at a pawn shop," he said. Little did they know that one day the world would be paralyzed by that very thing.

The store first appeared on Comedy Central's Insomniac, before being briefly broadcast on HBO. We bet you didn't know about the history of your previous channel ...
Worldwide fame

"Buenos Aires, the Philippines, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi," he said. "All over the world, people know about the program."

"The more money you make, the more people demand it," Harrison told Fox News . "People will always… eventually go to sue him for something."

"It's all hand painted," he told Heavy . “It is on a scroll down with each bodily fluid. Everything is really exaggerated. It's kind of creepy and then after I bought it I realized my mother was walking into the pawn shop so I couldn't put it on display. "

The man claimed that he had taken them from a dental school, but the others weren't convinced. And it's probably no surprise to hear that Harrison refused to buy these creepy items.
You wouldn't believe some of the things that have been insisted on on the show. Did you think you had already seen all the weird and wonderful things that have been in the store?

But from the ancient Slash ID to a life-size submarine, the strangest thing ever brought in was probably a didrachm, a rare coin from none other than ancient Greece, dating to around 325 BC!
Although the ancient Greek coin was one of the most notable, it was not actually what brought the TV show to the headlines. One of the most controversial and surprising items came when a woman brought a collection of gold coins which, according to store policy, Harrison melted down for reuse.

But it ran into trouble when it emerged that the coins were stolen and the store was sued for melting them without permission. Whoops!
Damage control
You might think that most of the most memorable objects and events that happen in the store are due to the strange and quirky customers at the pawn shop and the things they bring, but the truth is that the stars of the show only bring as much chaos as they are. Your clients.

Take Chumlee, who once accidentally broke a super valuable $ 20,000 double bass, and didn't even tell anyone! He just quietly put it back in the box and went about his day. LOL.
Unfortunately, one of the dangers of working in the pawn business is that people will often try to bring in stolen goods to get money while disposing of evidence at the same time.

And this also happened on Pawn Stars , when Harrison paid $ 40,000 for a pair of diamond earrings, which were later revealed to be stolen. The thief got his due and some jail time, and the original owner got his earrings back, but unfortunately Harrison didn't get the $ 40,000 back. That's the nature of the business, Harrison told NPR .
Plan ahead
The history of earrings shows how unpredictable and chaotic work can be in the pawn business, but the truth is that some of these deals are the exact opposite.

Because, did you know that many of the deals made at the famous gold and silver pawn shop are made in advance, long before filming? That's how it is! The staff coordinates the plan with potential clients via email, making sure the right items arrive at the right time of filming. Well thought.
We are all probably familiar with the experts on the various items brought to the pawn shop, and Harrison often draws on his seemingly endless list of friends who are experts on almost every type of valuable item.

But did you know that most of the experts on the show are not actually Harrison's personal friends, but actual professionals chosen by the show's producers? The experts are not there for friendship either, but to promote your career through the exhibition. Maybe everyone will go out for a beer afterward.
Running a script

Well, the truth is that for this program a lot of scripts are written and the potential salesperson is instructed on how to behave and negotiate, so that he does not seem too nervous or uncomfortable. They are not told exactly what to say, but they use their skills to influence what they say. Fascinating!

The regulars are served by Travis Benton, who is basically the store manager in real life. Who would have thought!

Because, did you know that even though she was pulled from the show, she was never actually fired as a store clerk? That's right, he still works there. The production company simply stopped introducing it when they were filming.
A family business

And the rest is history, as the fans love it!
However, although Chumlee is the most popular member of the cast, his life and story are not without its ups and downs and there is often a lot of controversy. Because, in 2016, the police raided his home, initially on sexual assault charges, but ended up finding several types of illegal drugs and, no less than, eight unregistered firearms.

He was eventually released on bail and escaped from jail in exchange for accepting three years of probation and therapy.
And that's not the only time Chumlee has had a serious run-in with the law. Even further back, in 2012, he was involved in a fight on Hollywood Boulevard, and his opponent was left bleeding badly on the ground.

Chumlee couldn't even pretend it wasn't him, as he was caught on multiple cameras getting into the dispute. However, he insisted that it was in self-defense, but we're not really sure what actually happened on that night.
And believe it or not, Chumlee isn't actually the only star of the hit show to have had occasional trouble with the police. Because Corey Harrison has had his fair share of controversial encounters too, like getting drunk and causing a mess after drinking at a bar in Big Bear, California, in 2011.

So much so that she ended up in a big fight with another gambler, was called the police, and ended up spending the night in a jail cell.
Despite the fact that Harrison originally dreamed of bringing the show to television as a way to raise the store's profile and thereby increase and improve the business, the truth is that the show became so successful that in reality its Fame can now increase in the way of regular business. Can you imagine it?

On Twitter, store manager Travis Benton revealed that many people now come to see the store as tourists, who get in the way of actual customers who attend. Not only that, but during filming times, the store needs to be closed.
And it's not just that the store's popularity means that many of the visitors aren't regular customers. In fact, it has become so incredibly popular as a tourist destination that it has become the most visited non-gambling site in all of Las Vegas!

At times, lines of fans line the entire street, the sidewalks packed with tourists eager to catch a glimpse of their TV heroes, though they are rarely actually seen there.
And it's not just legions of fans who travel miles to see the super famous and popular pawn shop. Also, the stars themselves make many trips a year as part of their national tour.

That's it! Rick and Corey Harrison tour the country themselves, offering VIP experiences, a chance to meet and greet them, and an inside look at the comings and goings of the super famous family.
In addition to his successful TV show and pawn shop, Rick Harrison turned his attention to his personal life with his beloved Deanna Burditt, getting married in 2013.

But did you know that Harrison and Burditt were allegedly involved in a huge legal dispute with Burditt's ex-husband, who was tried for a variety of sex crimes? He was eventually convicted and sent to prison, and this was not the most romantic and stress-free start for the new couple.

Unfortunately, the pressures to be the center of attention caused his marriage to suffer, and he eventually divorced in 2015. Harrison had a brief relationship with Roxy González.

We love a bit of adventure, but these reckless antics are too much for us.
It seems to be the way things happen in show business: Once you reach a certain level of fame, you become the victim of an online death hoax. And as for Chumlee, this has happened to him more than once, first in 2013 after an overdose and again after suffering a heart attack.

Chumlee himself took to Twitter to confirm that he was indeed alive and wrote: "May we live long, Rich forever."
Although he assured his followers that he was not dead, unfortunately another member of the shop did, indeed, succumb to mortality. Unfortunately, Richard "the old man" Harrison passed away in 2018, at the age of 77.

"'The Old Man' Harrison passed away this morning surrounded by his loved ones," wrote Rick Harrison on Instagram. "Our family, the Gold & Silver Pawn team and his many fans around the world will miss him tremendously. He was my hero and I was fortunate to have a great 'Old Man' as a father."

"There are a lot of memories here," Rick said in the episode. "And most of them are with my father."
Even though the world was united in their grief over losing the Old Man, his family was going through some secret difficulties behind closed doors as they worked out post-death arrangements.

Because the truth is that Harrison had excluded one of his sons from his will: although Rick and Joseph were included in his inheritance, his other son Chris was completely excluded. The family claimed that this had already been discussed, but we do not know the reasons behind this surprising decision.

After surgery and a complete diet overhaul, Harrison managed to lose more than 200 pounds. Amazing!
Have you ever noticed how much the Pawn Stars stars eat throughout each of the episodes? You may not have given it much thought, but if you look closely, you will see that most of the time they eat, they are nothing but Subway sandwiches.

And this isn't just because they love a good meatball sub, it's because Subway is actually one of their backers, which means they get paid high sums of money to make sure their 'wiches are regularly featured on the show.

You can buy things like mugs, glasses, and t-shirts, as well as a signed chumlee doll!
A show is known to have really taken off when they start bringing in celebrities. It's usually reserved for sitcoms and shows like that, but Pawn Stars became so popular that it attracted more customers than are on a list!

Celeb guests to the store include Phil Collen, Joe Elliot, Jeremy McKinnon, Katie Couric, Vic Flick, Meredith Vieira, legendary singer Bob Dylan, and even much-loved and fun Steve Carrell!
Although the Harrisons are undoubtedly business savvy and incredibly successful television personalities, you may not necessarily think of them immediately when thinking about who might be the next big thing in the beauty business.

But did you know that Corey Harrison has indeed proven his worth in that area? He is none other than the co-owner of a Las Vegas beauty salon and club called Beauty Bar. It has been open since 2014 and has become a huge success.
And Corey Harrison isn't the only star on the show who has branched out with other adventures. Because Chumlee also opened his own store, guess what he's selling?

The answer is none other than sweets! Chumelee revealed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he loves candy, so it made sense for him to go into the confectionery business. "My brother and I wanted to do something fun and candy is fun," he said. We can't argue!

Rumor has it he was sent to the military as punishment for stealing a car, but whatever the original reason, it clearly worked out very well.

"I'm at a point in my life where if I don't like it, I don't have to," Harrison revealed to Las Vegas Now .
We all know and love Richard "Old Man" Harrison, and his legacy lives on long after his passing. But did you know that his nickname actually earned it long before he became an old man? Sure, he was 68 when the show began airing, but he had been known by his nickname years before this.

In fact, that's what they actually called him when he was only 38 years old!
After Richard "Old Man" Harrison passed away, he received a fitting farewell with a beautiful funeral ceremony, in his hometown of Las Vegas. Many people know that his loving family gave him an emotional farewell, but not everyone realizes that fans actually had the opportunity to say goodbye as well.

Because the family opened the funeral home to the public for a few hours, allowing fans to come and pay their respects in person.
Chumlee is arguably one of the most popular members of the Pawn Stars cast , but have you ever wondered where he got his unusual nickname?




