How Much A Replica Ryumon Sword Really Sold For On Pawn Stars
Lots of swords have changed hands at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop over the course of the 12 years that History's "Pawn Stars" has been on the air. In Season 6, Rick Harrison bought a Civil War-era sword for $500, and a season later, Rick's son Corey followed in his father's footsteps by buying a samurai sword for $1,500 — a great deal according to the show's experts. But these swords pale in comparison to the Japanese tanto that one seller brought into the shop in Season 18 — and then took home with her to investigate if it was actually owned by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the leader of the WWII Pearl Harbor attack — that might have been worth $20,000!
The Las Vegas pawn shop doesn't just buy swords, though — they also sell them. And that's exactly why buyer Mark came to visit Corey Harrison in the Season 8 episode "Open and Shut Case." Mark is in the market for a katana — a long, curved Japanese sword — and Corey has a similar Ryumon that was made in Longquan, China, a famous location for sword manufacturing.
The Ryumon was forged by hand in 2006 following thousands-of-years-old traditional instructions, so it's super close to the real-deal antiques. In this vein, Corey tells Mark, "Really the only way you're gonna be able to tell the difference is just the quality of steel that they're able to make now. You know, they just got whatever they got out of the ground back then, and now they've got the best steel they can possibly make of these." Mark is clearly smitten with the sword, so it's only a matter of price — how much will it take for the pawn shop to let go of this dangerous beauty?
Corey Harrison wants to sell the Ryumon sword, but isn't giving it out for free
Corey Harrison reports that thanks to movies like "The Last Samurai" and "Kill Bill," samurai swords have become increasingly popular among collectors in the American market. This should mean big bucks for the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, so long as the buyer, Mark, is serious about taking home a sword of his own. And to make this Ryumon even more enticing, it even comes with a scabbard, a protective case, and scroll that serves as the sword's certificate of authenticity. It's the whole package, but how much will it set Mark back?
After admiring the sword for its fine carbon steel, Mark cuts to the chase, asking Corey what he wants to sell it for. Corey responds that the shop is asking $1,250 for the Ryumon, a price which Mark totally balks at. He tries to bring the cost down to $800 or $850, citing prices he saw for similar swords online, but Corey retorts that those prices don't take into consideration shipping fees, which he won't charge, as he has the sword ready to take home right then and there.
Negotiations get tense as Corey tries to make maximum profit
As viewers of the show, we already know that the shop purchased the Ryumon five months prior for only $500, so Corey definitely has some room to negotiate. But he's also wary of accepting too low of an offer. He tells the camera in his pre-sale interview, "We have some time and money invested in [the sword, so] ... I'm gonna have to play hardball to make sure we turn a profit."
Always trying to get the other party to name their price first, Corey asks Mark to make a more realistic offer, to which the buyer responds $1,000. After some deliberation, Corey agrees, and the two shake on it. In the post-deal interview, a satisfied Corey tells the camera, "I knew he wasn't going home without it, and we doubled our money, so everybody won." Indeed!
This deal just goes to show that, although riddled with behind-the-scenes scandals, "Pawn Stars" does bring joy to a lot of sellers and buyers, who either walk away with some much-needed cash in hand or an exciting new piece to add to their collections. And, most importantly for us at home, the show — now in its 18th season — continues to provide consistent entertainment, even after over a decade of episodes filled with all sorts of samurai swords.