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Pawn Stars messes up big time

Started by Bookery,

120 posts in this topic

Bookery

Bookery

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Posted

 

Pardon me if this has come up before, as it's not a new story. But I just saw a re-run of a Pawn Stars episode that really annoyed me when it first ran (last Fall, I think). This is the one where the guy is selling a signed Bram Stoker edition of Dracula.

 

They determine that it's not the true 1st edition (London... this copy is printed in NY... duh!). But they believe it's a 1st American edition (not even close... doesn't even remotely look like the American first). But they call in their signature "expert" (Dean Max, I think), who confirms that it's Bram Stoker's authentic signature (dated September 1897, the year of the 1st edition). He tells the crew that it's worth $5,000, and they offer accordingly.

 

Apparently this Max has a truly horrible reputation in the signature-collecting world, as a number of chat-board posts were listing a litany of errors he's been known to make in the past. A lot of posters were showing the difference in this signature from known Heritage Auction sales.

 

The rub is... none of that makes any difference.

 

(1) The signarure is dated September, 1897, four months after the London 1st edition apperared. However... this is an Americam edition. Even if it were the American 1st edition, that book didn't appear until 1899! Clue #1 this a fake!

 

(2) But it's not even an American 1st... it's the Country Life edition by Doubleday (we get a quick glimpse of the title page) published in 1927! What's more... this copy doesn't even have the dust-jacket. It's probably not worth $50. Clue #2 this a fake. Why? Bram Stoker died in 1912!

 

I see this a lot, not just on this show, but on things like Antiques Roadshow. If the object is somethinhg I personally know about, they almost always get it wrong. Which means a pretty large percentage of everything they show is probably wrong.

 

No wonder the customers that bring in stuff to sell have everything so twisted around! These shows may ignite interest in antiquities... but if none of the information can be trusted, it may do more harm than good.

 

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Bookery

Bookery

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Next you'll tell us that Storage Wars is fake! :o

 

No. I have it on good authority that collections of rare coins and/or ivory really do turn up in about every third storage locker around the country!

 

 

 

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lizards2

lizards2

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I see this a lot, not just on this show, but on things like Antiques Roadshow. If the object is something I personally know about, they almost always get it wrong. Which means a pretty large percentage of everything they show is probably wrong.

 

 

This same theorem is true about any kind of magazine or newsprint article - if it is anything you know personally about, it is usually riddled with errors.

 

I used to submit accurate articles to newspapers, and sometimes they would purposely 'spruce up' some articles to tie things in, and whenever they did this, they would always introduce errors into the source material. Pretty terrible.

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Bookery

Bookery

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Do you ever think that all of this a set up, made up by the company to get people hooked into watching the show?

 

On Pawn Stars, sadly, this appears to be the case. There are lots of online reports that much of the stuff you see is arranged and brought in by people they already know. I wouldn't care so much if they had a disclaimer along the lines of "certain scenes are recreations of prior deals or similar buys made at the shop", as just seeing some of the items is interesting enough by itself. But then again... if you can't trust even the data they give you about the items...

 

From what I've read online, Storage Wars is a little more legit. Though obviously, on the filmed auctions they must have most of them as invitation-only, and there may even be rules about letting the "stars" only bid on certain lockers. Notice how it's rare for one of the stars to win more than one auction? They usually divide them up so they can have the "competition" at the end to see who won.

 

I suspect the storage locker owners have an idea when there is some good stuff in some lockers, and may tip off the show's producers. There may be a lot of stuff filmed that doesn't get used as well. Actually... when you really analyze what they are buying... most of it really is junk. The average person doesn't own a junk shop in which to sell stuff like most of their stars... and would have no real means of moving most of the items they show.

 

Moreover, they way inflate values for purposes of their "competition", and they act as if a "list value" is as good as actually being sold. In one episode they pick up something like 200 used CDs and claim they can get $3 apiece for them... so that's $600! Even at $3 each, you'd be lucky to actually sell more than 10 or 20 CDs out of any such random lot... and that's assuming they're not damaged or un-playable.

 

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comix4fun

comix4fun

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But Pawn Stars expert has a GIANT magnifying glass. How can you say he ERRED?

 

It's not Possible!!!! :ohnoez:

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Here's an old thread where a Whiz Comics #2 made an appearance on the Pawnathon show and was being questioned for authenticity and the accuracy of information provided during the airing of the episode. One of the Pawnmasters from the show even chimed-in on the thread.

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Ares

Ares

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Do you ever think that all of this a set up, made up by the company to get people hooked into watching the show?

 

On Pawn Stars, sadly, this appears to be the case. There are lots of online reports that much of the stuff you see is arranged and brought in by people they already know. I wouldn't care so much if they had a disclaimer along the lines of "certain scenes are recreations of prior deals or similar buys made at the shop", as just seeing some of the items is interesting enough by itself. But then again... if you can't trust even the data they give you about the items...

 

From what I've read online, Storage Wars is a little more legit. Though obviously, on the filmed auctions they must have most of them as invitation-only, and there may even be rules about letting the "stars" only bid on certain lockers. Notice how it's rare for one of the stars to win more than one auction? They usually divide them up so they can have the "competition" at the end to see who won.

 

I suspect the storage locker owners have an idea when there is some good stuff in some lockers, and may tip off the show's producers. There may be a lot of stuff filmed that doesn't get used as well. Actually... when you really analyze what they are buying... most of it really is junk. The average person doesn't own a junk shop in which to sell stuff like most of their stars... and would have no real means of moving most of the items they show.

 

Moreover, they way inflate values for purposes of their "competition", and they act as if a "list value" is as good as actually being sold. In one episode they pick up something like 200 used CDs and claim they can get $3 apiece for them... so that's $600! Even at $3 each, you'd be lucky to actually sell more than 10 or 20 CDs out of any such random lot... and that's assuming they're not damaged or un-playable.

 

Actually I think storage wars has said its a recreation of the biggest finds.

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Do you ever think that all of this a set up, made up by the company to get people hooked into watching the show?

 

On Pawn Stars, sadly, this appears to be the case. There are lots of online reports that much of the stuff you see is arranged and brought in by people they already know. I wouldn't care so much if they had a disclaimer along the lines of "certain scenes are recreations of prior deals or similar buys made at the shop", as just seeing some of the items is interesting enough by itself. But then again... if you can't trust even the data they give you about the items...

 

From what I've read online, Storage Wars is a little more legit. Though obviously, on the filmed auctions they must have most of them as invitation-only, and there may even be rules about letting the "stars" only bid on certain lockers. Notice how it's rare for one of the stars to win more than one auction? They usually divide them up so they can have the "competition" at the end to see who won.

 

I suspect the storage locker owners have an idea when there is some good stuff in some lockers, and may tip off the show's producers. There may be a lot of stuff filmed that doesn't get used as well. Actually... when you really analyze what they are buying... most of it really is junk. The average person doesn't own a junk shop in which to sell stuff like most of their stars... and would have no real means of moving most of the items they show.

 

Moreover, they way inflate values for purposes of their "competition", and they act as if a "list value" is as good as actually being sold. In one episode they pick up something like 200 used CDs and claim they can get $3 apiece for them... so that's $600! Even at $3 each, you'd be lucky to actually sell more than 10 or 20 CDs out of any such random lot... and that's assuming they're not damaged or un-playable.

 

Actually I think storage wars has said its a recreation of the biggest finds.

 

I think you mean storage hunters (Ton and Allen)

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Ares

Ares

Posted
Posted
Do you ever think that all of this a set up, made up by the company to get people hooked into watching the show?

 

On Pawn Stars, sadly, this appears to be the case. There are lots of online reports that much of the stuff you see is arranged and brought in by people they already know. I wouldn't care so much if they had a disclaimer along the lines of "certain scenes are recreations of prior deals or similar buys made at the shop", as just seeing some of the items is interesting enough by itself. But then again... if you can't trust even the data they give you about the items...

 

From what I've read online, Storage Wars is a little more legit. Though obviously, on the filmed auctions they must have most of them as invitation-only, and there may even be rules about letting the "stars" only bid on certain lockers. Notice how it's rare for one of the stars to win more than one auction? They usually divide them up so they can have the "competition" at the end to see who won.

 

I suspect the storage locker owners have an idea when there is some good stuff in some lockers, and may tip off the show's producers. There may be a lot of stuff filmed that doesn't get used as well. Actually... when you really analyze what they are buying... most of it really is junk. The average person doesn't own a junk shop in which to sell stuff like most of their stars... and would have no real means of moving most of the items they show.

 

Moreover, they way inflate values for purposes of their "competition", and they act as if a "list value" is as good as actually being sold. In one episode they pick up something like 200 used CDs and claim they can get $3 apiece for them... so that's $600! Even at $3 each, you'd be lucky to actually sell more than 10 or 20 CDs out of any such random lot... and that's assuming they're not damaged or un-playable.

 

Actually I think storage wars has said its a recreation of the biggest finds.

 

I think you mean storage hunters (Ton and Allen)

That one is called Auction Hunters...

They are all blending in the same...

 

I was watching an episode of Auction Hunters were they mentioned their nemesis Big Bill and showed a "Confrontation..."

 

Then I few weeks later I am watching storage wars and I see Bill in the background

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Posted
Do you ever think that all of this a set up, made up by the company to get people hooked into watching the show?

 

On Pawn Stars, sadly, this appears to be the case. There are lots of online reports that much of the stuff you see is arranged and brought in by people they already know. I wouldn't care so much if they had a disclaimer along the lines of "certain scenes are recreations of prior deals or similar buys made at the shop", as just seeing some of the items is interesting enough by itself. But then again... if you can't trust even the data they give you about the items...

 

From what I've read online, Storage Wars is a little more legit. Though obviously, on the filmed auctions they must have most of them as invitation-only, and there may even be rules about letting the "stars" only bid on certain lockers. Notice how it's rare for one of the stars to win more than one auction? They usually divide them up so they can have the "competition" at the end to see who won.

 

I suspect the storage locker owners have an idea when there is some good stuff in some lockers, and may tip off the show's producers. There may be a lot of stuff filmed that doesn't get used as well. Actually... when you really analyze what they are buying... most of it really is junk. The average person doesn't own a junk shop in which to sell stuff like most of their stars... and would have no real means of moving most of the items they show.

 

Moreover, they way inflate values for purposes of their "competition", and they act as if a "list value" is as good as actually being sold. In one episode they pick up something like 200 used CDs and claim they can get $3 apiece for them... so that's $600! Even at $3 each, you'd be lucky to actually sell more than 10 or 20 CDs out of any such random lot... and that's assuming they're not damaged or un-playable.

 

Actually I think storage wars has said its a recreation of the biggest finds.

 

I think you mean storage hunters (Ton and Allen)

That one is called Auction Hunters...

 

Yes. There are so many different programs its getting hard to keep up.

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Bookery

Bookery

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They are certainly interesting concepts, and like I said, have the potential to get a lot more people interested in antiquities. It would just be nice, if they do screw up, to have a follow-up, or a disclaimer at the end..

 

"We apologize to our viewers about an error made in last month's episode. Our expert identified an item as an original Picasso oil painting from his Blue Period, and valued it at $20 million.

 

It turns out this was incorrect. The item was actually a reproduction of "Dogs Playing Poker" discovered when an old Motel-8 was torn down for a freeway.

 

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused, and being Vegas, our expert "wandered" into the desert and has not been seen since."

 

 

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MedicAR

MedicAR

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I did see the Pawn Stars where a page of McFarlane Spider-Man art was brought in. It think it was like a 2/3 splash with SpideyI want to say the owner wanted $10,000 for it but they wouldn't even make an offer without "some kind of paperwork" to verify it's authenticity.

:eyeroll:

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