Indians Pennants on Pawn Stars.

[GrayGhost]

This weeks Pawn Stars had two awesome looking 1948 Indians pennants, and got 500.00 for the pair. Good deal?

[yanks12025]

I was watching. I thought $500 would be market but i also no nothing about pennants.

[Rob D.]

Five to 10 years ago, the combined retail value of those two pennants was in the $500 range. Today I bet you would pay $175-$200 each on eBay.

Here's a scan of one of one of them (not the actual one from the show). I own the other version but don't have a scan. The other version features a scroll of the roster of players, which always is desirable to collectors, but I think the pennant below is tougher.

[GrayGhost]

Well, of course the guy had them framed up and such, and they APPEARED to be in really nice shape.

[slidekellyslide]

I'm surprised they didn't edit out Rick's stupidity.....

"There was no Major League Baseball during the war."

[Rob D.]

I'm surprised they didn't edit out Rick's stupidity.....

"There was no Major League Baseball during the war."

Good point, Dan. I think my response to that line scared my neighbors.

[perezfan]

Is there anything "real" about the show (I haven't seen it). I put little stock in reality television, and believe 95% of it is pre-determined.

In real life, a pawn shop might offer you $100 for that pair. Rob nailed the $350 - $400 total value on ebay, but a pawn shop would never pay someone full retail (much less $100 over that).

This story, combined with the ridiculous Coach's Corner Gehrig Jersey lead me to believe the show is staged. Any further insights?

[steve B]

A lot of pricing still depends on where you are and who is selling/buying. The internat in general and especially Ebay has changed that a lot, but it still works that way.

I sometimes go to shows for other collectibles, and baseball stuff is usually very expensive or very cheap. Same for stamp stuff at a baseball card show.
Normal first day covers of the 1939 stamp are about half price at a stamp show because they're nothing special. The ones for the 1969 stamp are much cheaper than they are from a baseball dealer.

Certain cities and markets will ask for and get silly prices, usually from non collectors.

My favorite example? At a Ct flea market I was looking at a couple rough condition brass steam guages. Nice, but damaged a bit, and common ones like you'd find on a home heating boiler. The price seemed high but the guy standing next to me asked if I could decide quicker because he was waiting to buy them. I hadn't even asked the price yet. When The seller said they were $40 each I handed them to the guy waiting so he could buy them. After he paid I asked him what I'd missed since they seemed like common ones. He said he mounted them on walnut wall plaques, all polished up with new glass, and sold them to a decorator in NYC for around $600 each!

I could see a pawn shop in Vegas getting good money for those pennants from a non collector who hit a jackpot the night before.

Steve B

Fixed spelling, gotta proofread better

[mcgwirecom]

I don't collect them but I thought the guy made out pretty good. I can't imagine you getting $500 on Ebay for the pair. Sometimes I think the prices are just a shot in the dark. I was thinking if I walked into my local pawn shop with those pennants one of two things would happen...1) I am told they can't use them, no market. Or 2) I get an offer of about $30...

[slidekellyslide]

I don't collect them but I thought the guy made out pretty good. I can't imagine you getting $500 on Ebay for the pair. Sometimes I think the prices are just a shot in the dark. I was thinking if I walked into my local pawn shop with those pennants one of two things would happen...1) I am told they can't use them, no market. Or 2) I get an offer of about $30...

The Pawn Stars show has been demonstrated many times over to be fake...I'm sure this particular transaction never took place. The whole scene with the Woodstock The Who Contract was also completely faked...at least I hope so. Is there any pawn shop in the world that would call in an expert and have an item evaluated right in front of the customer?

Even though the show is faked I still like watching it just to see what cool items they're going to show...a few weeks ago a lady brought in a box full of American League baseball passes from 25 consecutive years...I think Rick offered her $1,000 and she declined. Those passes were all pristine with the leather cases...I noted one even had a 1939 Centennial schedule that was very cool.

[Tigerden]

This is the other pennant Rick bought and can be purchased BIN for $249. I missed his comment about baseball being cancelled during the war. I was probably paying too much attention to the pennants rather than listen to Ricks "expert" opinion on the subject. I think the signed Lou Gehrig jersey fiasco is proof that his knowledge of expertise excludes sports memorabelia.

[BosseFieldBoy]

I had the same reaction. It may not have been the highest caliber of baseball, but at least it continued.

[36GoudeyMan]

I will grant you that any particular transaction may not reflect a depth of knowledge that it probably should, but they typically reach out for help, and probably should have with those pennants.

What amazes me is the stuff that people bring in to pawn/sell. I mean, this isn't an old-time community where colonial, Civil War or WWI stuff would reasonably be thought to be in people's attics.. this is Las Vegas!!

[E93]

I'm surprised they didn't edit out Rick's stupidity.....

"There was no Major League Baseball during the war."

What war? The Korean War?
JimB

edited to add: The pennant was for 1948. I hope he did not mean WWII.

[baseballart]

The War of 1812, or more certainly the War of the Roses

[lefty147]

I had a guy here in Idaho wanting to sell me an old football and I gave him an idea of what I thought it was worth. He said he was going to Las Vegas the following week and would take it with him to see what "The Pawn Stars" would give him for it. They ended up buying it for about the same price as we had talked about. When he got back we talked again and he said that place had a line of people just waiting to get in the store. They seem to close it when they film. And when the "stars" came back from lunch people act like they are movie stars. I agree with Mark that it is all staged. But I wonder how many people visiting to Vegas decide to bring some of the smaller packable items with them so they can sell to these guys for extra gambling money. Mike