Pawn Stars is a unique type of reality television.
Because it has been popular for over a decade, the History Channel increased the episode runtime from 23 minutes to 44 minutes for its 16th season. And why wouldn’t it?
It’s part history lesson and part gambling show. Having said that, viewers have questioned whether the events depicted in the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop are staged for dramatic effect or are simply true.
Because of the show’s prolific output of new episodes and special features, these rumors have grown in recent years. Here’s what we’ve discovered so far.
Is Pawn Stars a real show?
The setting for Pawn Stars is the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, which was founded in 1989 by Richard “Old Man” Harrison.
Rick Harrison, with Rick’s son, Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Chumlee Russell, a family friend, do the daily business that we see on-screen.
And, contrary to what the Pawn Stars would have us believe, this small band of close-knit guys does not run the entire show.
To begin, Rick goes off the grid for half of the year and lets the rest of the crew ride it out. And what about that tight-knit group of guys?
The store is run daily by an army of seven hundred employees. Rick and Russell, for example, are only seen when the cameras are rolling.
To be fair, the cast of the show did not set out to be celebrities. But now that they are, they must follow a set of specific rules.
They can’t, for example, just pick something that looks interesting. Before including something or someone on Pawn Stars, they must actively vet the sellers and go through a pre-negotiation procedure.
They must also adhere to a script. With what we’ve presented thus far, it appears simple to place the show in many reality shows that are so devoid of their namesake.
However, it turns out that it is only a partial solution. The participants who bring in their treasure are 100% real and are compensated in very real cash.
Putting the Truth Up for Sale?
Mike Hoover told The Sun that the filming crew approached him while he was on vacation in Las Vegas and asked him to be an extra in the show.
He explained that the scene was for a deal that lasted an hour but was only shown for five minutes. As a result, there were a lot of scripted takes.
He added that, even though the cameras rolled and rerolled, a museum expert who had come in to validate the goods appeared to be quite genuine.
Customers were not permitted to enter the store, and only a dozen people were permitted to enter during the filming.
The Pawn Stars is segmented, according to Travis Benton, the shop manager. When a pawnbroker notices something interesting, he or she shows it to the producers, who approve it.
The next step is scheduling, in which the sellers are asked to arrive on time. Meanwhile, they are prepared to appear in front of the camera.
Benton also stated that many sellers are nervous about being photographed, even if they have something cool to sell.
And there have been times when the show had to cut a segment entirely because the sellers couldn’t keep their cool.
The sellers are also closely scrutinized by the producers to ensure that the item is being sold with integrity. Otherwise, the sellers want to be the center of attention.
The Shop’s Realities
To be clear, Benton is the manager of the shop, which is located in Las Vegas. Having said that, he has also stated that, while the show has been extremely beneficial to them, there are some drawbacks to their clout.
He told the LV Review-Journal that Pawn Stars has hurt their sales. This is because when the cameras arrive, they must kick out every potential customer and replace them with extras.
Benton also claimed that the show shoots two to five times a day, seven days a week. Working around the shop’s busiest hours is nearly impossible due to the extensive travel schedules and off-site filming of the main faces.
He only said he gets the call sheet the night before filming, which lists the times and locations of where and when filming will take place.
When workplaces or retail locations are closed for filming, the employees have little to do except clean, organize, and interact with the show’s extras.
While all of this may appear to be a bit much, Benton stated that they all want the same thing—to succeed.
So, while the entire show is a hoax, the motivation behind it all is very real.
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