The Rare Guitar That The Pawn Stars Missed Out On
When you run a pawn shop, the supply and demand of an item significantly impact the negotiation. If an item is highly desirable and will sell fast, the guys at "Pawn Stars" have no problem with paying a little extra for it. They know they will likely make a quick profit. On the other hand, when a rare item comes into the shop, and it might sit on the shelves for a while, the deal is less enticing. This happens more often than not and is what makes the pawning world go round.
That's exactly what happened in Season 6, Episode 21, "Kick the Can" when a woman brought in a rare guitar that wouldn't be seen on most stages today. Corey and the Old Man are interested but have no clue who would buy it. Nonetheless, it's still an incredible piece of musical history and a very desirable item for any collector. Unfortunately for everyone, the guitar ended up leaving with the owner.
Check out this rare guitar that the "Pawn Stars" missed out on.
The problem with pedal guitars
In this episode, a woman named Miriam brings in a Sho-Bud pedal steel guitar, and it's in excellent condition. The only problem is Corey and the Old Man don't know many people who still play on this guitar. At first sight, it looks like a cross between a piano and a guitar, as Corey points out. According to the Old Man, it's one of the most challenging instruments to play. Still, it's in excellent condition, despite having the fretboards replicated and replaced. Miriam asks for $4,000 before Corey calls in Jesse, owner of Cowtown Guitars and the "Pawn Stars" guitar expert.
Even he doesn't know how to play this instrument. Despite the lack of practice, Jesse gives a great explanation of both the historical significance and the structure of this instrument. On top of all that, Jesse proves it's in working order. Jesse gives his final estimate of anywhere between $2,500 and $3,300. Miriam drops her price down to the former, but Corey drops it even further to $1,200. They negotiate a little bit and land on a final offer of $1,500 from Corey and the Old Man, but no deal is made.
Although this is a rare and significant guitar, both Corey and the Old Man were hesitant to go any higher because they know it will take space in the shop for a while. That's because, in this industry, it costs you not to sell an item. After all, the "Pawn Stars" could have used the area to display something more alluring.