The Charles Lindbergh Doll That Sold For Hundreds On Pawn Stars
When you find yourself in possession of a super creepy doll that looks as if it's about to spring to life and start ordering murders, there's only one thing to do: Get rid of it fast. That's exactly what seller Josh hoped to do when he brought his 1928 Charles Lindbergh doll to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. In this case, however, he didn't even seem to realize the doll looked possessed.
"People might think it's a little weird to love dolls. I don't," he asserted. "It's a wonderful hobby for a grown man to have."
Kudos to him for owning his eccentricity and also to Rick and Chumlee, who barely batted an eye upon "meeting" the stuffed figure. Granted, it's not as if Charles Lindbergh himself was anyone to fear — quite the opposite, in fact. The pilot was hailed as a hero after successfully making the first nonstop solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927, which explains the appearance of the doll a year later.
Lindbergh's feat earned him a solid base of fans, and decades later Rick and Chumlee were among them. In other words, conditions were primed for Josh to make the deal of a lifetime.
Lindbergh was a rockstar
Chumlee nailed it when he called Lindbergh a "badass." As Rick explained, the pilot took up a challenge to make the nonstop flight when a hotel owner offered a prize of $25,000. Over the years, others died in the attempt, until he finally did it. "Charles Lindbergh was a rockstar back then," Rick said.
Lindberg's status as a pilot earned him promotional deals after the flight — to the tune of $5 million, according to Josh. "In today's money, that's like $65 million," he added.
With all this money talk, it almost felt like the show was about to jump ahead to the sale, and the outlandish numbers pointed to the possibility that the doll might be worth quite a lot. It certainly didn't hurt that it had been lovingly cared for; it was in excellent condition and even came with the original goggles.
As Rick looked over the doll, Josh grew sentimental. "If it wasn't for my wife and my daughter, I'd still have it on display in my house," he said, seeming to waver. For the first time, the sale seemed like it might not happen after all.
Good-bye, dear friend
When it came down to it, Josh didn't have much choice. His wife hated the doll, he told Rick, and his daughter screamed when he put it in her room. For Rick, this was good news. He knew collectors would come running for a Charles Lindbergh doll (scary smile notwithstanding). "What price are you looking for?" he asked, cutting to the chase.
Josh's starting price of $1,200 seemed reasonable after all the discussion of Lindbergh's worth in the 1920s. But for all his interest, Rick wasn't having it and shot the dealings down to the $400 range. The seller looked more wounded than shocked, even after he was offered a little more. "How can you sell your best friend for $500 bucks?" he asked, sadly.
But Rick wouldn't budge, so Josh turned to his only companion for an answer. "What do you think, fella?" he asked the doll.
Viewers didn't get to hear Charles Lindbergh's answer, but apparently it was in the affirmative. Rick and Josh shook hands and a deal was made.