‘Pawn Stars’: 10 Most Expensive Purchases Ever

In their 15 years on the air, the Pawn Stars crew has made some massive purchases, betting that they could draw a profit if they re-sold the items in their shop.

The Harrison family did not keep Golden Gavel Pawn afloat for so many years with small, safe purchases and re-sales. The shop is known for taking on big risks and — hopefully — pulling in big rewards. Over the course of the series, we have seen Rick Harrison and his staff pay out for everything from celebrity keepsakes to prohibition memorabilia, betting that they can flip the items for even more money. Time and time again, they make it happen.

Still, sometimes it is shocking to watch Rick count out a massive payment for an item, not yet knowing for sure what he will be paid for it in return. The perennial shopkeeper was often caught between his impulsive son and his grumpy father. The lines between reckless and cautionary were blurred, but that is simply part of the job when you make deals for a living.

This summer, Richard “Old Man” Harrison passed away, leaving the cast one sharp-tongued member short. In addition, History has not officially announced plans for a sixteenth season, and as fall approaches, many fans are worried that the series has quietly come to a close. Still, with 15 season behind us, there is plenty to pick apart in Pawn Stars‘ history. Here are the top ten most expensive deals they ever made.

10 Vic Flick’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster Guitar

Number ten on the list was a Fender Stratocaster. It was brought to the shop by Vic Flick himself, a legendary studio musician who played the guitar riff on the James Bond theme. He confirmed that his particular instrument was used on historic recordings of songs by The Beatles and Tom Jones. Rick Harrison paid $55,000 for the guitar.

9 JFK Cigar Box

One of the most historic items ever to pass through Golden Gavel pawn was a cigar box that belonged to President John F. Kennedy while he was in office. The box was on the president’s desk in the Oval Office, and even had a handful of cigars still in it. The shop paied $60,000 after considerable haggling, hoping they could make even more off of the piece of American history.

8 2014 Hertz Penske GT Mustang

Of courses, cars are some of the most pricey items on the show, though they are usually classic cars. However, Rick paid quite a bit for a 2014 Ford GT Mustang made in collaboration between Roger Penske and the rental company, Hertz. Considering it was one of the first ten of its kind, he was happy to pay $60,000 for the car.

7 1915 Panama Pacific Octagonal Gold Coin

Rick was all in on rare coins when he attended a specialized auction in Atlanta, hoping to find a 1915 Panama Pacific Octagonal Gold Coin. He had a buyer waiting to pay $70,000 for the piece, so it wound up being worth it for him to pay a staggering $67,500 for it.

6 1932 Custom Ford Roadster

It is no surprise to see a car nearly 90 years old on the list. Rick haggled hard over the custom jet-black Roadster, with his son Corey taking part as well. In the end, he managed to snap it up for $68,250 — a sum that would have horrified motorists from the 1930s, who paid around $300 for it.

5 1922 Proof Peace High Relief Dollar

The 1922 High Relief Dollar is frequently described as one of the rarest coins in American history, yet somehow a man brought it to Golden Gavel claiming to have won it in a poker game. He had some idea what it was, however, saying that he believed there were 12 of them or less left in the world, and that he wanted $20,000 for it. He ended up making far more, as Rick brought in an expert that valued the coin between $50,000 and $100,000. Mercifully, he paid the man $80,000 for the ultra rare piece.

4 1941 Gibson SJ-200 Guitar

Another celebrity guitar makes the list, thanks to Stephen Stills of Crosby, Still, and Nash. The folk rock legend once owned the instrument, and the seller had an official bill of sale to prove it. WIth that in mind, Rick paid an eye-watering $85,000 for it.

3 1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Guitar

The third and final guitar on the list was previously owned by Mary Ford — the wife of Les Paul himself. She even co-wrote a number of massive hits with the guitar legend. This particular guitar would have been a rare and valuable instrument even without the history behind it, but considering that it came from rock royalty, Rick had to pay $90,000 to get his hands on it.

2 1932 Lincoln Roadster

The luxury version of the Roadster came in for even more money than the custom one, but there was no way the Harrison family could pass it up. This immaculately maintained car cost Rick $95,000, and the owner happily traded the cash back to him for an equivalent amount of gold.

1 200+ Pounds of Silver

Finally, the most expensive purchase in the show’s history was aggravatingly simple: raw precious metal. A visitor to the shop brought in 200 pounds of silver, purchased 12 years previously when the price was much lower. Rick paid out $111,000 for the mound of metal, knowing he could parcel it out himself for a healthy profit.