Atari on "PAWNSTARS"

[Rik]

Anyone see Pawnstars last night on HISTORY channel?This is a show about a Pawnshop in California,i think L.A.They show customers bringing in various items to pawn,sell,trade.This guy brought in a 2600,Woody,don't recall if it was a 4 or 6 switch,and a huge box full of games,must have been 100 games in there or more.The guy got $100 for it all,that was cool too see.

Edited March 10, 2010 by Rik

[Albert]

Hmm, I should have that recorded, will have to look on my TiVo..

 

..Al

[4ever2600]

Pawnstars is actually filmed here at a Las Vegas pawn shop. I've been in it before, prior to the show several years ago. The guys there are pretty cool. Funny show...

[Fixitguy74]

I saw that too. I wonder if there was anything rare in the box of games. Watching the part of them play Boxing was funny.

[tremoloman2006]

Great show... here's the wiki on it. One of my favorite shows on TV currently.

 

Pawn Stars is an American reality television series appearing on the American cable TV network the History Channel. Produced in Manhattan by Leftfield Pictures, the series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, who opened the shop with his father in 1988, and Rick's son Corey, who has worked there since childhood, and who is being groomed to one day take over the shop. The show debuted on July 26, 2009, and it presently airs on Mondays at 10pm Eastern Time. Two episodes are aired in an hour block.

 

Described by reviewers as a "cool Antiques Roadshow," the series depicts the staff's interactions with customers, who bring in a variety of artifacts to sell or pawn and who are shown haggling over the price and discussing its historical background, with narration provided by Rick and Corey. The series also follows the interpersonal conflicts between Richard, Rick, Corey and Corey's friend Austin "Chumlee" Russell, another employee of the shop, which led one reviewer remarking that the series resembles Antiques Roadshow that was "hijacked by American Chopper's" Teutul family.

[Philflound]

The Atari episode is rather old and has been discussed on here. Though I'm very lazy to look it up and link it.

 

On a separate note, have you noticed the two commercials now airing featuring Atari. One is the hand-me-downs car commercial where the kid is playing Space Invaders. The other I think is for one of those online trading places if I remember right. Two guys are there, one is always showing the other the "newest" electronic thing while the years pass. I don't know if they showed the screen, but I could swear I was hearing Space Invaders again.

 

Phil

[Mirage]

...The other I think is for one of those online trading places if I remember right. Two guys are there, one is always showing the other the "newest" electronic thing while the years pass. I don't know if they showed the screen, but I could swear I was hearing Space Invaders again.

 

Phil

 

I think you're talking about the new Intel commercial. In the first scene, they're kids playing a game with CX-40 joysticks (I can't remember if it shows the console or not), then various "newest" electronic things while the years pass, finally ending in the new Intel processor, the i5 or whatever it's called.

[Rik]

Pawnstars is actually filmed here at a Las Vegas pawn shop. I've been in it before, prior to the show several years ago. The guys there are pretty cool. Funny show...

In LAS VEGAS,okay thanx for the correction.I mistakenly thought it was in Los Angeles.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Rik

[tz101]

I'm surprised a pawn shop is giving anything for 2600's these days. I pawned mine back in the early 80's for $50 which I promptly paid back and still have it and the games to this day. All I see in pawn shops around my area are newer gen systems like 360 and PS2. Most pawn shops do not loan money on older stuff like that, from my experience.

[Philflound]

But as Rick says, if he can make money on it, then he'll buy it. Anyway, Chumley loves it so much, I wouldn't doubt that he bought it.

 

Phil

[cvga]

I think they take some things they normally wouldn't because of the show. I've only seen a few episodes (unfortunately the atari episode wasn't one of them) but I've never heard anyone tell them they want to pawn an item. Everyone wants to sell.

[Philflound]

I think they take some things they normally wouldn't because of the show. I've only seen a few episodes (unfortunately the atari episode wasn't one of them) but I've never heard anyone tell them they want to pawn an item. Everyone wants to sell.

 

Actually there was a guy who wanted to pawn a vintage hand held sundial. At least he was going to until he found out he was going to get a ton of loot. They talked about how 60% of the items that come in are pawned and how people have 120 days to pick up said item. There were 4 episodes I saw from the past 2 weeks on Monday night, so I don't know if it was last weeks or this weeks episodes.

 

Phil

[Zwackery]

...The other I think is for one of those online trading places if I remember right. Two guys are there, one is always showing the other the "newest" electronic thing while the years pass. I don't know if they showed the screen, but I could swear I was hearing Space Invaders again.

 

Phil

 

I think you're talking about the new Intel commercial. In the first scene, they're kids playing a game with CX-40 joysticks (I can't remember if it shows the console or not), then various "newest" electronic things while the years pass, finally ending in the new Intel processor, the i5 or whatever it's called.

The sticks certainly look like CX-40s, but those have been so copied that they just look classic/retro. The console is just some rectangular black plastic box. The sounds are most definitely SI, and for just a moment you get a quick flash of the screen from an oblique angle and SI can definitely be recognized. I was zipping through some DVRed stuff last night and watched it several times. What I don't get is why use a 2600 game and not show a 2600 - they can be obtained without much trouble and I can't imagine a copyright issue being involved.

[jhd]

I'm surprised a pawn shop is giving anything for 2600's these days. I pawned mine back in the early 80's for $50 which I promptly paid back and still have it and the games to this day. All I see in pawn shops around my area are newer gen systems like 360 and PS2. Most pawn shops do not loan money on older stuff like that, from my experience.

 

Around here, most places will not even take in PS 2 games and hardware -- though many places still have older stock laying around that is still for sale (usually filthy and/or at inflated prices).

 

Cash Converters (a more high-end, national chain) will still take 2600 stuff, I believe.

[Philflound]

I think there's a pawn shop sort of nearby me. Something you don't really see too commonly in northern NJ. At least I never searched them out. I've been meaning to stop in and see what they have, but still haven't. I'm curious as to what they possibly could have in the ways of video games.

Phil

[EricDeLee]

I think they take some things they normally wouldn't because of the show. I've only seen a few episodes (unfortunately the atari episode wasn't one of them) but I've never heard anyone tell them they want to pawn an item. Everyone wants to sell.

 

Actually there was a guy who wanted to pawn a vintage hand held sundial. At least he was going to until he found out he was going to get a ton of loot. They talked about how 60% of the items that come in are pawned and how people have 120 days to pick up said item. There were 4 episodes I saw from the past 2 weeks on Monday night, so I don't know if it was last weeks or this weeks episodes.

 

Phil

 

That sundial was actually pretty cool. It was from the 16th century and the expert they called in had never seen a better example of it before. It was pretty sweet.

[Rik]

Pawn Stars is now my fave show.Very interesting and without a doubt the most educational that covers all parts of history

[cvga]

I've seen them call in experts for many items. In most cases they already have a relationship with the expert. We were watching one night and my wife proclaimed that it was a great idea to call in an expert because the person selling the items knows they aren't getting ripped off. I countered by asking if she thought it was possible that their experts estimate the value on the low side given that they have a relationship with the pawn shop, know they want to make a profit, and want to be called again in the future. I don't know if they do or not but it would be interesting to see how much some of those items actually sell for.

[Philflound]

I've seen them call in experts for many items. In most cases they already have a relationship with the expert. We were watching one night and my wife proclaimed that it was a great idea to call in an expert because the person selling the items knows they aren't getting ripped off. I countered by asking if she thought it was possible that their experts estimate the value on the low side given that they have a relationship with the pawn shop, know they want to make a profit, and want to be called again in the future. I don't know if they do or not but it would be interesting to see how much some of those items actually sell for.

 

Well, you have to consider they are being put on national television, so the world is seeing their reputation. Do you think they'd risk cheating someone on tv to help out the pawn shop? I think they're probably more than fair and sometimes it looks like Rick wants to kick them out of the shop before they say the value.

 

What I think is ridiculous is how the expert will quote a value, Rick asks how much they want, and the customer says the value the expert quoted. People don't understand how business works many times.

 

When I had my business and someone thought I was being unfair, I always was willing to let them walk away. Very few times did I ever "really" want something not to leave my store. Anytime I heard, "I could get more on Ebay". I would tell them go ahead, type up the description, take photos, answer questions, wait for the money (this was back when you could accept checks/m.o.), hope that it clears, pack it up, waste gas to go to the post office, and then hope the buyer doesn't have a problem and want their money back.

 

The extra profit is sometimes not worth the hassle. Plus you have to pay fees for listing, hope that it does sell, especially if you want "more" for your items, final value fee, and of course now the paypal fee. Between Ebay and paypal, they take somewhere on average of 15-18%.

 

This show is great with history and I learn many things because of it. I think Rick is an ass many times. But again, it's business. When I made a buy, especially one that I paid low not knowing if I'd make money, I would kick back some more money if I made out much better than I thought I would. This of course were people coming into my business, not me going to yard sales or flea markets.

 

Phil