The Hardest Deals The Old Man Ever Made On Pawn Stars
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The staff of the Las Vegas World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop on History's "Pawn Stars" are well known for their haggling abilities. Whether one is facing owner Rick Harrison, Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, or any of their other staff members (except maybe Chumlee), few should ever expect to be able to pull the wool over their eyes. And while the current staff maintains the shop's reputation, no "Pawn Stars" staff member's ability to make a tough deal quite compares to that of Richard "Old Man" Harrison, the late patriarch of the Harrison family, who died in 2018.
With a short temper and a nose for nonsense, the Old Man referred to his role on the show as that of "an old grump" (via "License to Pawn"). The Old Man served in the Navy for more than two decades and often had an affinity for old war memorabilia and a dislike for most modern things. Here's a recap of some of the Old Man's greatest deals.
Counterfeit money made by Banksy
The Old Man isn't wildly impressed when someone brings in a "legitimate counterfeit" of a £10 note with Princess Diana in place of Queen Elizabeth II. However, the counterfeit isn't a scam because it's actually a piece of art designed by Banksy, a street artist. According to History, various Banksy's counterfeit £10 bills were distributed at a carnival in London in August of 2004.
The Old Man notes that while he isn't familiar with Banksy, some of the practices described by Chumlee remind him of Andy Warhol. Chumlee notes, "It's hard to convince the Old Man that anything new can be worth money." The seller is looking for $1000, but true to Chumlee's prediction, the Old Man simply says, "These damn kids don't know what the hell they're talking about," later remarking that he has never heard of Banksy and he doesn't care if he ever does again.
Always one to keep an eye out for money, however, the Old Man agrees to bring in an expert to confirm the authenticity of the Banksy buck before making his final decision. After the bill is authenticated, the Old Man decides to let Chumlee handle the sale. Chumlee agrees to purchase the bill for $400, a substantially lower price than the seller initially had in mind.
1941 Navy Sextant
Even though he decides to go through with the purchase, the Old Man is clearly never in love with Banksy's modern art. However, a 1941 Navy sextant is undoubtedly more in line with his usual interests. According to History, a sextant is a tool used to determine a ship's distance to the equator and was first invented by an English mathematician in 1731.
The owner of the piece tells the "Pawn Stars" crew that he came into possession of the item after he bought it from a sailor. The sailor initially bought it off the U.S.S. Hector, a repair ship used by the Navy during World War II, the Korea War, and the Vietnam War. After more than 43 years of service, the U.S.S. Hector was decommissioned in 1987 (via NavSource). Because of his Navy service, the Old Man takes a particular liking to the device.
"It took real skill to be a navigator," the Old Man says. "Put someone like Chumlee in charge of one of these... You might set off for Hawaii and end up in the North Pole."
The seller, also a Navy man, offers to sell it to the Old Man for $390 before eventually settling on $265. Happy with his purchase, the Old Man remarks, "This is a very nice piece, not like that GPS crap that people used to get around."
Savage 1861 Navy gun
Equally as attractive to the Old Man is a 36-caliber Savage Navy civilian gun that noted gun enthusiast Rob brings into the shop one day. Rob has appeared in several episodes of "Pawn Stars" and is always eager to sell a firearm of some type.
Upon opening the case, Rick dubs the gun "ugly," but the Old Man responds, "That's not an ugly gun, Rick. That's a Navy gun, and it's pretty to me."
According to History, Savage Navy revolvers were designed by Henry S. North and Edward Savage in 1860, and about 20,000 were produced during the American Civil War. The uniquely designed weapons were noted for their double trigger and were used by both Union and Confederate soldiers. However, the gun's design did not prove as popular as other firearms, and the guns quickly became collectors' pieces.
To learn more about the gun, Rick calls in Craig, an expert in military antiques. Craig values the firearm at anywhere between $1,800 to $2,000. Despite his loyalty to the Navy, the Old Man quickly notes that the shop is unlikely to profit from the piece if they purchase it for more than $800. However, Rob is unwilling to part with it for that low price, and Rick agrees to be a bit more generous, purchasing it for $1,400.
A Ghostbusters proton pack
While the Old Man is enthralled by Navy weapons (even poorly designed ones), he doesn't quite share the same obvious level of affection for Hollywood weapons, particularly the kind that shoots laser beams. When a man walks in with a replica of a proton pack from "Ghostbusters," the Old Man isn't quite sure what to think. While Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison uses the opportunity to show off his knowledge of "Ghostbusters," the Old Man studies the fictional weapon with a close eye.
The replica owner tells the story of the item's creation, noting that he traveled to Hollywood to take photos of the original screen-used proton packs to create a screen-accurate duplicate. The proton pack is made of fiberglass, plastic, various electronics, and even a few spare car parts. As noted in the original 1984 film, the unique collection of pieces creates "an unlicensed nuclear accelerator" that shoots a proton beam when you press the "intensify" button. Despite his apparent initial trepidation, the Old Man decides to try out the weapon, smirking when the device lights up and makes a noise.
The owner asks for $2,000, but the Old Man responds with a cold "ain't no damn way." As an alternative, the owner proposes $1,200, but the Old Man sets a firm ceiling at $1,000. Ultimately, however, Corey agrees to throw in an extra $50, just so the seller feels "like he won."
The seller later says, "I think the Old Dude would make a good Ghostbuster. He was trying to pretend like he wasn't into it, but I could tell he was having fun." Asked by his grandson if he wants to go watch "Ghostbusters," the Old Man responds, "Hell no. You get your ass back to work."
A giant novelty Native American statue
While it's unclear how much the Old Man actually enjoys the "Ghostbusters" proton pack, he certainly enjoys a giant novelty Native American statue. When the piece is first brought into the store, he cleverly remarks that he was "looking for somebody to replace [Chumlee] anyhow."
According to History, large statues of Native American men were used for advertising tobacco shops in the 17th century. Today, some of these statues are valued at up $50,000. The man who brings in the figure tells the "Pawn Stars" crew that the statue previously sat outside his grandfather's tobacco shop. Decades later, the man realized he didn't have any use for it and decided to see how much it could be worth.
The hand-carved piece is about 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. According to the Old Man, "the cigar wooden Indian came to be the symbol for a tobacco shop back in the late 1800s, so the people that couldn't speak English and couldn't read English knew where to go."
Looking over the statue, the Old Man says that the piece is "quite nice," noting that the paint isn't faded and appears to be in condition. The owner asks for $900, but the Old Man counters with an offer of $400. While the owner tries to pull $600 out of the deal, the Old Man remains firm at a maximum of $400. Eventually, the owner accepts the $400 offer.
A similar statue was also featured in a famous episode of "Seinfeld."