The Viking Artifacts That Fetched Thousands More Than Expected On Pawn Stars
Some of the most challenging items Rick from "Pawn Stars" ever has to deal with are the rare items not often found in the United States. These items can range from ancient battle gear to rare Italian books. When these items come into the shop, Rick knows there's a lot of money on the table. So when a man brings in an assorted collection of Viking artifacts, Rick knows every piece could be worth thousands. Fortunately for Rick, not all owners know the value of their own goods. Despite the owner only asking $1,000 for the entire collection, Rick does the right thing and calls in someone who knows more than both of them (one of the several things that the "Pawn Stars" regularly do on the show).
The collection is interesting, but it is incomplete, with some bits and pieces in better condition than the rest. It comes to light that the original owner had traded some of his other collectibles for this collection, and he's hoping he didn't make a big mistake.
Check out the Viking artifacts that fetched thousands more than expected on "Pawn Stars."
Viking gold is worth a lot of money
When Rick sees this collection of Viking artifacts, his eyes are drawn to one item in particular — a Viking gold bracelet. Since Rick rarely sees these artifacts in the United States, let alone his store, he dealt every piece with care. After all, even the smallest broken piece could be worth thousands of dollars.
Rick calls in his friend Larry, who is an expert in Viking artifacts and works at the Viking exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He quickly separates the collection into a couple of groups. The first group is Baltic Viking artifacts, according to Larry. These could be considered "pseudo-Viking" artifacts. Although they existed around the same time as the actual Vikings, this tribe mirrored Viking culture, while maintaining a more civilized lifestyle. These items are often seen in auctions, making them almost worthless.
The second group contains more interesting items. Larry first analyzes the two copper bracelets, which were often used as currency for Scandinavian Vikings. These are real and are valued at around $200. At this point, the owner seems disappointed with what he's hearing. Fortunately for him, the gold bracelet is the last to be analyzed. The bracelet is established as authentic Viking gold and valued around 6,000 to 8,000 British pounds, which translates to around $9,400. This excites the owner so much that he swears on camera. Rick only wants a handful of things from the collection and offers $6,200. The owner tries to get as much as he can from Rick but ultimately has to accept $7,250.
Although the owner could have tried to bargain for more money, Rick had the upper hand, knowing the man had initially asked for only $1,000.