Yes, the characters on the show do run a pawn shop, but that’s probably as real as it gets. Rick Harrison never actually works behind the counter, and the interactions are all carefully curated.
It shouldn’t even come as a surprise that all the items on the show are cleaned and vetted before being aired on the show.
A Special Invite from Bon Jovi
The cast was lucky enough to see a private show from Lynyrd Skynyrd as if that wasn't enough! They were also personally invited to a concert by Jon Bon Jovi.
According to Chumlee, Bon Jovi's son wanted to meet them, and so the free gig was bartered in exchange for the meeting. It was a haggling approach that the guys can certainly understand and probably appreciated.
The Show Was Accused Of Overworking Scriptwriters
So apparently, "reality" shows require scripts. Who knew? Back in 2013, The Writers Guild of America issued a statement alleging rampant exploitation and overwork of the scriptwriters. One of their methods was to give them last-minute rewrites, forcing the writers to work long hours to have the final draft turned in by the deadline.
While there were no numbers for the individual pay lost to writers put in these positions, the report estimated a total of $40 million per year that might be owed to these writers.
Chumlee Drops the Bass
Before the show's airing, a man once walked into Gold & Silver wanting to pawn his stand up bass. He handed it to Chumlee who leaned it against a shelf nearby, moments later the bass fell and bike into dozens of pieces. Chumlee didn't think much of it and swept all the parts into a box.
So when the man came back, Chumlee gave over the box and as we would expect, the man was distraught. The bass was valued at $20,000.
Chumlee's Arrest
Chumlee has been in trouble with the law lately, as he was charged with assaulting a woman. The assault charges ended up being dropped, but when the police conducted a routine search of his home, the authorities found large quantities of weapons and ammunition.
They also found several Ziploc bags and jars filled illegal substances that he had been selling.