50 Fun Facts About Pawn Stars

On which US network does Pawn Stars air?

It became the network's highest-rated series, which annoyed some viewers who missed the military documentaries.

Which production company makes the show?

Its founders, Brent Montgomery and Colby Gaines, got the idea during a 2008 weekend in Las Vegas.

In which year did the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop open?

The Harrisons had waited for the city's population to hit 250,000 so a new pawn licence could be issued.

In which year did the series debut?

The first episode aired on July 19, and the show climbed to No. 2 among reality series by 2011.

Which reality show outranked it as the No. 2 reality series on TV in 2011?

That year Pawn Stars was pulling in 7.6 million viewers.

What was the show's working title before a staffer suggested Pawn Stars?

The final name is an intentional pun on "porn stars", which the network thought more memorable.

To which network was the series originally pitched?

That network wanted a Taxicab Confessions-style show set at the shop's night window.

Which network president picked up the show?

She wanted mainstream programmes to balance the channel's heavy slate of military documentaries.

Which comedy series featured the shop and Rick in a 2003 Las Vegas episode?

Rick spent the next four years pitching a show about the shop without success.

In how many countries is the show broadcast?

It has been dubbed into 38 languages along the way.

What was the first spin-off, starring restorer Rick Dale?

It premiered in October 2010, two years before the second spin-off.

Which auto expert stars in the second spin-off, Counting Cars?

Known as "The Count", he runs Count's Kustoms; his show debuted on August 13, 2012.

In which Louisiana city is Cajun Pawn Stars set?

The Silver Dollar Pawn & Jewelry Center is run by Jimmie DeRamus and his family.

Which comedian hosted the 2014 game show Pawnography?

Rick, Corey and Chumlee sat as panelists while contestants played for items from the shop.

What is the most commonly pawned item at the shop?

The vintage and antique items shown on TV are the exception, which other pawnbrokers have pointed out.

How many items did the shop hold in inventory as of July 2011?

Around 5,000 of those are typically being held on pawn at any one time.

Roughly how many customers a day did the shop draw by October 2010?

Before the show it averaged 70 to 100, and it hired nearly 30 new staff to cope.

To what size did the $400,000 showroom expansion take the shop?

It was the tenth expansion since the shop opened and grew the floor by two thirds.

Which band performed the 2013 theme song "Winning Isn't Everything"?

It lasted barely a year; an uncredited artist's theme replaced it in June 2014.

Which show did Pawn Stars replace when it moved to Thursdays at 9 p.m. in 2013?

For its first four years the show had aired on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET.

What nickname has Rick earned for his eye for rare items?

He started in the pawn business at 13 and co-founded the shop with his father at 23.

What does Rick say he was selling when he dropped out of high school?

He claims the sideline was bringing in $2,000 a week when he quit in tenth grade.

Which era is Rick's favourite subject to read about?

Childhood epileptic seizures kept him in bed for long stretches, which turned him into an avid reader.

How old was Rick when he co-founded the pawn shop with his father?

He had already been working in the family's coin shop since it opened in 1981.

What was the Old Man's full name?

He was also nicknamed "The Appraiser" and died in June 2018.

In which branch of the military did the Old Man serve for 20 years?

He enlisted in 1958 after a judge offered him a choice between the military and prison for stealing a car.

At what age did the Old Man earn his nickname, according to the episode "Fired Up"?

He was first into the shop every morning and claimed not to have taken a sick day since 1994.

Which car did Rick and Corey restore for the Old Man's 50th wedding anniversary?

He was the shop's car enthusiast and once suggested converting an electric Electra-King into a golf cart.

In which Virginia city was the Old Man born?

His family moved to Lexington, North Carolina, when he was one; he drove a school bus there at 14.

What did the Harrisons open in Las Vegas in 1981, before the pawn business?

The 300-square-foot Gold & Silver Coin Shop was all they could manage with the $5,000 they had left.

What is Corey Harrison's nickname on the show?

He is being groomed to run the shop and makes more purchases than anyone else there.

How old was Corey when he started working at the shop?

He went on to manage the shop's day-to-day operations and around 30 employees.

What partnership stake did Corey receive after threatening to leave the shop?

He had demanded double that, but accepted the smaller share plus a raise.

What is Chumlee's real first name?

Austin Lee Russell was born in Henderson, Nevada, in 1982.

Chumlee's nickname comes from a walrus on which cartoon?

A friend's father coined it when he was about 12, citing his large face and chin.

How old was Chumlee when he started working at the shop?

He had been there five years by the time the first season was filmed in July 2009.

Which items did Chumlee cite as his area of expertise in a season-two episode?

He later spotted fake Air Jordan V sneakers and fixed a gas-powered toy car on camera.

For how much did Chumlee sell half of his merchandise company to Rick in 2010?

The deal let the shop handle orders for his T-shirts and novelty items more efficiently.

What kind of business did Chumlee open across the street from the pawn shop in 2017?

It is called Chumlee's Candy on the Boulevard.

In Chumlee's 2020 NES-style video game, what is he searching for?

Chumlee's Adventure was built by Cayhan Games in the style of the classic NES title Kung Fu.

What is the 2022 spin-off in which Rick, Corey and Chumlee travel the country buying from fans?

Rick and Chumlee followed it in 2025 with the Pawn Stars After Dark podcast.

On which Nickelodeon sitcom did Rick, Corey and Chumlee appear as themselves?

The episode was titled "iLost My Head in Vegas".

Which Las Vegas mayor gave the cast the key to the city in March 2010?

Two years later the four served as grand marshals of a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What is the title of Rick's 2011 autobiography?

Hyperion published it, with the Old Man, Corey and Chumlee each getting a chapter of their own.

Which company unveiled a Pawn Stars slot machine at the 2012 Global Gaming Expo?

The same year, History had already launched Pawn Stars: The Game on Facebook.

How many viewers watched the January 24, 2011 episode, then a record for the channel?

Nielsen confirmed it as the most-watched telecast in the channel's history at the time.

A 2016 New York Times study found the show most popular in the rural parts of which state?

The study mapped Facebook likes for the 50 most-liked TV shows.

What did the Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot try to sell Rick in a 2011 NHL Awards sketch?

The awards were held in Las Vegas that June.

Which US senator's Senate floor chair did the shop lend to the Clark County Heritage Museum?

The Old Man made the loan on July 17, 2012, the day the county declared Pawn Stars/Gold & Silver Pawn Day.

Which truTV series is named as an imitator of the format?

History launched its own clone, Cajun Pawn Stars, in January 2012, reportedly without telling the original cast.