How Much Value Do Autographs Add To Items On Pawn Stars?
When someone brings an autographed item into the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on "Pawn Stars," both the buyer and seller know a good chunk of change will be involved, as long as the signature is legitimate. Throughout the 17 seasons of the show, the guys on "Pawn Stars" have seen some pretty rare signatures. Some of these signatures include a signed contract from The Beatles, a signed Babe Ruth rookie card, and a gold record signed by KISS. These have all cost the "Pawn Stars" a lot of money, but it's always worth it when they own a rare piece of history.
The guys have seen hundreds of signatures go through the shop. Occasionally, the signatures will be fake, and you will find out how much the item would have been worth if the signature was real. In one instance, Chumlee tracked down Bob Dylan to get his autograph, instantly increasing the value.
So how much value do autographs add to items on "Pawn Stars"?
It depends on who signed it and where
According to their website, all signed items require a Certificate or Letter of Authenticity, no matter what the item is or who signed it. There isn't a clear-cut definition of how much a signature can increase an item's value. It all depends on several factors. The first and foremost is who signed the item. A signature will increase an item's value, but it has to be the right person to sign it. Fans want memorabilia signed by The Beatles, specifically by John Lennon. While signed items from the rest of the Beatles would still garner a significant profit, it wouldn't be as much as a John Lennon signature. The best possible scenario would be to have all the Beatles' autographs on an item.
In Season 10, Episode 5, "Pawn Apocalypse," Ray Tabano, Aerosmith's original guitarist, brought in some shirts designed by him and Steven Tyler. Rick calls in their rock memorabilia expert, Warwick Stone, to better understand how much they are worth. Warwick examines the shirts and decides they are worth about $300 to $400. However, if Tyler signed the shirts, they would have been worth up to $2,000.
It also depends on where the item is signed. For example, in Season 11, Episode 11, "Bucking Bronco," a man brings a signed copy of Red Hot Chili Peppers' self-titled debut album from 1984. Rick, a big fan of RHCP, was hesitant to buy this record because the band signed it on both sides of the record. This lowered the value of the record because it makes it harder to display.
It depends on how rare the item is
Another factor to consider when bringing an autographed item into the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is what the thing is. Of course, a signature adds value to an object, but if the item itself is rare, then you might have hit the jackpot. For example, a signature from George Washington is worth a lot of money. However, a George Washington signature attached to his leather-bound copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, along with personalized handwritten notes, set the record for the most expensive autograph at $9.8 million, per Finance 101.
It shouldn't come as a surprise to find out the "Pawn Stars" have also been asked for millions of dollars for a handful of signatures. In Season 9, Episode 6, "Can't Buy Me Love," a man brought in The Beatles original contract, with all members signatures, including manager Brian Epstein. The seller was hoping to get $1 million for this piece of history. Unfortunately for the "Pawn Stars," that was a little too much money for them to spend, forcing Rick to decline the purchase.