Recently I have been liking the show Pawn Stars.  I find it intriguing because it is unlike any show on television right now.  It is about this man, Rick Harrison, who runs a pawn shop in Las Vegas with his dad and his son.

How it works is people bring in items to him.  It is mostly items that someone gave them and has been sitting around their house all day.  Harrison takes a look at the item and tells the person the history about their piece.

After Harrison talks to the person, he then asks them if they want to pawn it or sell it.  Pawning basically means a loan.  They negotiate and find a price, Harrison gives him the money, and the person has a certain amount of time to pay him back.

If Harrison does not know the item that someone brings in, he has multiple people that he know, which are usually experts on certain items, and he calls them up to come in and look at the item.  The expert usually gives a brief description about the item.  He then looks to see if it is in good condition or if it has been torn up and scratched over the years.  Harrison then asks the expert what he thinks the price is.

My favorite part about the show is the bargaining.  After either Harrison or the expert has looked at the item, they establish a price in their head.  If the person wants to sell the item, Harrison then ask the owner of the item how much he or she wants for it.  The person usually always says a higher price then Harrison was thinking.  Harrison then says a more realistic price.  He and the owner eventually narrow down the price and make a deal.  The best part about the deal is that Harrison gives the owner cash.

I think the thing that is so appealing to me about this show is that it is not like any other pawn shop.  I have been in pawn shops and most of the time the shop just has jewelry and guitars.  However, this pawn shop has all that and more such as paintings, official documents, and old collectibles.