Walk into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on Las Vegas Boulevard today and it’s a weird vibe. You’ll see the t-shirts. You’ll see the bobbleheads. You might even see a line of tourists stretching out the door like they’re waiting for a roller coaster. But the stars of Pawn Stars? Honestly, they aren't usually behind the counter haggling over a 19th-century sword or a dusty Gibson Les Paul anymore.
Success changed everything.
When Rick Harrison and his late father, Richard "Old Man" Harrison, first signed on with History Channel back in 2009, they were just running a family business that happened to be open 24 hours a day in a gritty part of town. Now, it’s a global franchise. People forget that before the show, the shop was lucky to see 70 to 100 customers a day. After the show exploded? That number jumped to thousands. You can’t really run a functional pawn shop when 500 people are trying to take a selfie with you while you’re trying to authenticate a Civil War medal.
The Rick Harrison Empire and the "Old Man" Legacy
Rick is the engine. He’s basically the guy who memorized the encyclopedia because he had epileptic seizures as a kid and couldn't do much else. That’s a real thing—he spent his childhood reading because he was stuck in bed, which is why he knows so much about random junk. Rick’s role has shifted from being a daily pawnbroker to a full-blown businessman and media personality. He’s savvy. He knows that the stars of Pawn Stars are the brand, so he spends a lot of his time filming, doing public speaking, or managing his other ventures like Rick’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ and the Pawn Plaza shipping container park next door.
Then there’s the void left by Richard Harrison.
The "Old Man" was the soul of the shop. When he passed away in 2018 at the age of 77, it wasn't just a loss for the family; it shifted the entire dynamic of the show. He was the grumpy, Navy-veteran counterweight to the younger guys' antics. His death revealed a lot about the family's private complexities, too. It came out later that he had actually cut one of his sons, Christopher, out of his will. It’s those kinds of real-world details that remind you these aren't just characters on a screen. They’re a family with messy, complicated lives.
Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison and the Struggle for Control
Corey has grown up on camera. Literally. If you watch the early seasons, he looks like a completely different person. He lost a massive amount of weight—somewhere around 190 pounds—after a doctor told him he was pre-diabetic. That’s a huge life change to navigate while the world is watching.
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But Corey’s journey hasn't just been about health. It’s been about ownership. For years, the tension on the show was about whether Rick would give Corey a stake in the company. Eventually, Corey got his 5%. It sounds small, but in a multi-million dollar empire built on the back of reality TV fame, it’s significant. He handles a lot of the day-to-day operations that Rick is too busy to touch, though even Corey isn't at the main counter as much as fans hope.
He’s had his fair share of headlines, too. Divorces, legal scrapes, and the general pressure of being a Vegas "celeb" have followed him. It’s the price you pay when you’re one of the most recognizable stars of Pawn Stars.
The Austin "Chumlee" Russell Phenomenon
If Rick is the brain and Corey is the muscle, Chumlee is the... well, he’s Chumlee. He’s the childhood friend who became an accidental millionaire.
Most people don't realize that Chumlee isn't actually a Harrison. He’s just been around so long he’s practically family. He’s also the one who has faced the most serious legal trouble. Back in 2016, his house was raided during a sexual assault investigation—charges were never filed on that front, but police found a massive stash of weapons and drugs. He ended up with three years of probation. It was a moment where the show almost got canceled.
Somehow, he pivoted.
Chumlee leaned into his "lovable loser" persona and opened a candy shop. It’s called Chumlee’s Candy on the Blvd, and it’s right across from the pawn shop. It’s a smart move. He realized that the stars of Pawn Stars have a shelf life, and he’s diversifying. He’s also lost a ton of weight—over 150 pounds—after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery. He’s a survivor in the weirdest way possible.
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Why the "Experts" are the Secret Sauce
The show would be nothing without the guys they call in.
- Mark Hall-Patton: The "Beard of Knowledge" from the Clark County Museum. He never tells them what something is worth—only if it’s real. He’s actually retired from the museum now, but he’s still the gold standard for authenticity.
- Rick Dale: The restoration guy. He got his own spinoff, American Restoration, because people loved watching him turn a rusted coke machine into a masterpiece.
- Sean Rich: The arms and armor expert. These guys are the ones who actually provide the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) that makes the show credible.
Without these experts, the Harrisons are just guys guessing. The experts provide the historical context that turns a "junk show" into an educational program.
The Reality of Reality TV
Let’s be real for a second. The shop you see on TV isn't exactly the shop you visit.
The filming happens in "closed" sessions. If you happen to be there when they’re filming, you’ll likely be asked to sign a waiver and stand in the background. The big items—the tanks, the planes, the $100,000 coins—are often scouted in advance. People don't just walk in off the street with a 1961 Fender Stratocaster and hope for the best. The producers often know what’s coming.
Does that make it fake? Not necessarily. It’s "produced." The negotiations are real in the sense that the money changing hands is real, but the spontaneity is a bit of a television illusion.
The stars of Pawn Stars are essentially actors playing themselves at this point. They have scripts, or at least "story beats," they need to hit. They need to argue. They need to make fun of Chumlee. It’s a formula that has worked for over 20 seasons and hundreds of episodes.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you’re planning a trip to see the stars of Pawn Stars or you’re thinking about bringing an item in to sell, you need to understand how the business actually works.
First off, don't expect to see Rick or Corey at the window. They have a staff of regular employees who handle the 24/7 pawn business. If you want to meet the stars, your best bet is checking their social media for scheduled appearances or visiting the shops they own nearby (like the candy shop or the BBQ joint).
If you are looking to sell something "cool" in hopes of getting on TV:
- Email them first. The show has a casting process for items. Don't just show up with a cannon.
- Know your history. Rick loves a story. If you can prove the provenance (the history of ownership), the value skyrockets.
- Be realistic about "MSRP." A pawn shop isn't a retail store. They have to make a profit. Usually, they’ll offer you 30% to 50% of what they think they can sell it for. If you want full value, go to an auction or eBay.
The legacy of the show is its ability to make history interesting. It turned a dusty Vegas pawn shop into a landmark. While the faces have aged and the "Old Man" is gone, the core appeal remains the same: the thrill of the find and the gamble of the deal.
To get the most out of the Pawn Stars experience, focus on the history of the objects rather than the celebrity of the owners. Visit the Clark County Museum to see where Mark Hall-Patton worked. Research the items before you buy "souvenirs" at the shop. The real value isn't in the autograph; it's in the story behind the piece.