Extremely Expensive And Strange Items Sold for Millions In Pawn Stars

Got a call from a [music] guy who says he has two of the rarest coins ever. If these pieces aren’t real, this could be a very expensive day.
>> This is the Libertas Americana. This is absolutely great. Benjamin Franklin had this commissioned in France, right?
>> $800,000 for the pair.
>> Damn. Um, that is a lot of money.
A woman walks into the gold and silver pawn shop carrying something that looks like junk from her garage. She’s ready to get rid of it because it’s taking up too much space. But hidden beneath centuries of corrosion and salt damage is an artifact worth more than most people make in a year. And she has absolutely no idea. This is what happens when ordinary people discover they’re sitting on fortunes. When a toy from the 1960s becomes worth more than a new car.
When a purple rock nobody’s ever heard of turns out to be rarer than diamonds.
When Mickey Mouse ears designed by a supermodel become a battleground for serious money.
Mickey Mouse was wildly popular in the 1930s, but the stuff that was built wasn’t built to last, and there’s hardly any of it around today. [music] Welcome to the wild, unpredictable world of Pawn Stars, where treasure hunters, desperate sellers, and shrewd negotiators collide. Where Rick Harrison and his team have seen everything from ancient shipwreck relics to celebrity designed accessories walk through their doors. But here’s the question. How do you know when you’re holding a fortune?
And more importantly, how do you keep from getting ripped off when you finally decide to sell it? Stay with us as we dive into the most expensive, bizarre, and jaw-dropping items ever sold on Pawn Stars because some of these deals will leave you absolutely stunned.
The shipwreck bell that survived 400 years underwater.
Let’s start with something that sounds like it came straight out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. A woman enters the shop carrying a bell. Not just any bell, a massive, heavily corroded piece of metal that looks like it’s been through Helen back because it has. She claims it’s from a VOC shipwreck dating back to602.
Now, if you don’t know what the VOCC is, let me educate you. The Dutch East India Company, Verinig Oindesher Company, is considered the first multinational corporation in the world. They were the Amazon of the 1600s, controlling global trade routes and amassing wealth that would make modern billionaires jealous.
Their ships carried treasures across the world. And when those ships went down in storms, [music] they took fortunes to the ocean floor. The woman explained she bought this bell at an antique shop some time ago for $700 in cash. She didn’t think much of it at the time, just an interesting piece of history. but now it’s taking up too much space in her house and she wants it gone.
Rick’s eyes light up immediately. He loves shipwreck items because they’re worth serious money and they sell fast.
Collectors go absolutely crazy for authentic maritime artifacts. If this bell is real, it could easily be worth 10 times what she paid for it. But there’s a problem. The old man, Rick’s father and the shop’s resident skeptic, has serious doubts. He’s been in this business long enough to know when something doesn’t add up. I don’t think it was submerged in the ocean, he says, examining the bell’s condition. [music] If it had been underwater for 400 years, it would be in much worse condition than this. Think about what he’s saying. If this bell really spent centuries at the bottom of the ocean, it should be completely destroyed. Salt water is incredibly corrosive. Metal deteriorates. Things fall apart. So, either this bell is fake or there’s something unusual about how it was preserved. Rick knows they need expert verification before dropping thousands of dollars on what might be an elaborate reproduction. He calls in a maritime expert who specializes in Dutch East India Company artifacts.
The expert arrives and immediately starts explaining the historical significance. The VOCC was founded in6002, [music] the same year this bell allegedly dates from.
>> I’ve seen enough VOCC material and I’ve seen enough fake VOC material. I’d lay my reputation on it.
>> If authentic, it would have immense historical value beyond just its monetary worth. He examines the bell closely, checking the metal composition, the casting techniques, the wear patterns. He’s looking for telltale signs that only genuine period pieces would have. Minutes feel like hours as everyone waits for his verdict. Finally, he looks up and says the words that change everything. The bell is authentic. It’s authentic. Can you imagine the adrenaline rush in that moment? The seller just confirmed she’s sitting on a genuine piece of 400-year-old history. But now comes the really important question. How much is it actually worth? The expert delivers his valuation.
I think you could find this in a treasure auction catalog for around about $15,000.
$15,000 for something she paid $700 for at an antique shop. That’s over 2,000% profit just sitting in her house collecting dust. The expert leaves and now the real battle begins. Because knowing what something’s worth and actually getting that price are two completely different things.
How much do you want for it? Rick asks.
Maybe around $11,000, she responds. She’s smart. She’s starting high but being realistic. She knows Rick needs to make a profit, but she also knows what she’s holding. The old man, still skeptical despite the expert’s authentication, offers $3,000.
$3,000, less than a third of its appraised value. The seller refuses immediately and starts to reconsider the whole deal.
Maybe she should just take this bell back home and find another buyer. Maybe she should go to an auction house where she might get closer to that $15,000 retail value. But then Rick steps in with a new offer. I’ll give you $7,000 in cash. [snorts] $7,000 cash right now. No auction fees, no waiting months for the right buyer, no uncertainty.
But the seller isn’t biting yet. $8,500.
She counters. Rick shakes his head. No, let’s see how this ends. There’s a moment of tension. Is this deal about to fall apart completely? I’ll give you $7,200, Rick [music] offers. The seller pauses.
She’s thinking about the math. She paid $700.
She’s being offered $7,200.
That’s still over 900% profit, and it’s cash today with no hassle. Well, I want it to go to someone who truly appreciates it, she says. $7,200.
Deal. Rick presses. Yes, let’s do it.
And just like that, a 400-year-old shipwreck bell changes hands. The seller walks out with over 10 times what she paid. Rick gets an incredible piece of maritime history that he knows he can flip for profit. But here’s the question for you.
>> [music] >> Would you have taken $7,200?
Or would you have held out for more, risking that the deal might fall apart completely?
The holy grail of Batman toys.
>> I brought in my official Batman utility [music] bill from 1966.
>> Now, let’s talk about something that proves childhood toys can be worth more than you’d ever imagine. A woman walks into the shop carrying a box.
Inside is something that makes Rick’s jaw drop. An authentic 1966 Batman toy utility belt. Not a reproduction, not a knockoff. The real deal from the Adam West era of Batman.
How much do you want for this? Rick asks, already knowing this is going to be expensive. $17,000, she responds without hesitation. Holy cow, that’s a lot of money, Rick says, probably channeling his inner Robin with that exclamation.
The woman explains she bought this belt at an antique shop back in the 1970s.
She’s kept it all these years, and now she wants to sell it to buy a car. A practical reason for parting with a piece of pop culture history. But here’s what makes this belt special. It’s complete. Rick can’t believe his eyes.
The belt comes with all its original accessories. The bat boomerang, the bat cuffs, the bat gun, everything. For collectors, finding a complete set like this is like finding the holy grail. And that’s exactly what the toy expert says when Rick calls [music] him in. This thing is amazing. Can I see it? The expert asks, his excitement barely contained. He explains that for Batman collectors, this belt represents the ultimate prize. It was a toy designed to be played with by children in 1966.
Kids wore these, ran around pretending to be Batman, lost pieces, broke things, threw away boxes. Finding one today with the original box and in excellent condition is almost impossible.
Think about your own childhood toys. How many did you keep in pristine condition with the original packaging? Probably none. That’s exactly why this belt is so valuable. But the issue is that she’s asking $17,000 for it, Rick tells the expert, clearly concerned about the price. The expert provides perspective.
He’s seen just the belt alone without accessories, without the box, sell for thousands of dollars. Since this one is complete and in remarkable condition, they shouldn’t have any trouble getting $6,000 for it in their shop. Notice what just happened. The retail value in the expert’s estimation is around $6,000, but the seller is asking $17,000.
That’s nearly three times what the expert thinks they can sell it for. This is the gap between what sellers think their items are worth and what the market will actually pay. The expert leaves and the negotiation begins.
I’ll give you $10,000, Rick offers.
$10,000. That’s significantly lower than her asking price, but still a massive amount of money for a toy belt from the 1960s.
Oh, no, no, no. I’d accept $15,000, she counters. She’s coming down from $17,000, but only by $2,000.
She still believes this belt is worth far more than Rick’s willing to pay.
Rick explains the brutal mathematics of running a pawn shop. At $15,000, there’s no profit margin. He needs to buy it at a price that allows him to resell it and make money. That’s how businesses survive. I’ll offer you $11,000, Rick says firmly. The woman tries to negotiate higher, but Rick has reached his limit. $11,000.
Anything more wouldn’t make sense,” he states plainly. She realizes this is the best offer she’s going to get. $11,000.
All right, deal. Just like that, a Batman toy belt from 1966 sells for $11,000.
The woman gets cash to buy her car. Rick gets a piece of pop culture gold that Batman collectors will fight over. But here’s what’s fascinating. If that expert valuation of $6,000 retail is accurate, Rick just paid $11,000 for something he can sell for $6,000.
That would be a $5,000 loss. So, either Rick knows something the expert doesn’t, or he’s banking on finding exactly the right buyer who will pay a premium for such a rare complete set. Would you take that risk? The purple gemstone nobody’s ever heard of. Let’s shift gears to something most people have never even heard of, Kunzite. A man enters the shop carrying what looks like a large purple rock. He claims it’s a rare gemstone called Kunzite and believes it’s worth around $1,000.
“Are you sure it’s not just fancy glass?” Rick asks skeptically. “Are you saying it’s not real?” The seller responds defensively. And this is where things get interesting because Concite is real, but it’s also incredibly obscure. It was discovered in 1900 and named after George Frederick Cuntz, a famous gemologist. The stone is extraordinarily difficult to find in nature and even harder to preserve because it loses its color when exposed to sunlight. That’s right. This gemstone literally fades if you leave it in the sun too long, which makes you wonder why anyone would want to own one in the first place. But rarity creates value.
And if this stone is genuine natural kunzite, it could be worth significantly more than the seller realizes.
Rick explains all this, but admits he has serious doubts about whether the stone is 100% natural or some kind of enhanced or synthetic creation. So, he does what he always does when he’s out of his depth. He calls an expert. He says, “This is kunzite. That would be great,” Rick tells the gem expert when he arrives. The expert explains it’s very rare to find kunzite in this particular shade of purple and especially in this size. Natural kunzite gemstones of significant size are extremely uncommon. He pulls out a specialized refratoter, a device that measures how light passes through a gemstone. Different minerals have different refractive indexes, [music] which is like a fingerprint that can confirm what you’re actually looking at.
The expert places the kunzite under the device and checks the readings.
>> Our inclusions that tell me that this is natural. It has the right refractive index to be counzite. So yes, [music] this is >> a real counzite.
>> It is a natural counzite.
>> I told you. I told you it was real.
>> It has the correct refractive index for kunzite. Yes, everything points to it being natural, he concludes. I told you it was real, the seller says triumphantly. But now comes the moment of truth, [music] the valuation. How much is it worth? Rick asks.
Something of this nature, this size and this color would probably go for $30 to $50 per carat, the expert explains.
[music] $30 to $50 per carat doesn’t sound like much until you ask the next question.
Okay, how much does it weigh? The expert places it on a precision scale. 323.8 carats. Let’s do the math. At the low end, $30 per carat. This stone is worth $9,714.
At the high end, $50 per carat. It’s worth $16,190.
The seller thought he had a $1,000 stone. He’s actually sitting on something worth 10 to 15 times that amount. The expert leaves and the negotiation begins. I’ll give you $5,000. Rick offers. $5,000?
That’s reasonable given the experts valuation range, but it’s also at the lower end, giving Rick plenty of room for profit.
$15,000, the seller counters. He’s shooting for the absolute top of the valuation range, which makes sense. Why shouldn’t he try to get maximum value? No, Rick responds flatly. $10,000.
Give me $10,000.
The seller tries again, coming down but still holding firm. No, please, Rick says. Now Rick explains his reasoning.
Kunzid is rare. Yes, but it’s also incredibly difficult to sell. Most people have never heard of it. The market for obscure gemstones is tiny compared to diamonds, rubies, or emeralds. It could sit in his inventory for months or even years before the right buyer comes along. And remember, it fades in sunlight, [music] so he’d have to store it carefully, insure it, and hope it doesn’t lose value while he’s waiting for a buyer. I’ll accept half, $7,500, the seller offers, now coming down significantly. I’ll give you $6,000, Rick counters. [music] $6,000.
That’s right in the middle of the conservative valuation range [music] and represents a fair price for both parties given the risk involved. $6,500.
Come on, be reasonable. The seller pushes for just a bit more. Rick pauses.
$500 more is nothing in the grand scheme of this deal.
All right, $6,500.
Let’s do the paperwork. The seller agrees. And there it is. [music] A rare purple gemstone that most people have never heard of sells for $6,500.
Far more than the seller initially expected, but less than its theoretical maximum value. Would you have held out for more? Or would you take the guaranteed $6,500 and walk away happy when Mickey Mouse ears cost more than a used car?
Now, let’s talk about something that sounds absolutely ridiculous until you hear the full story. Minnie Mouse ears.
A young man walks into the shop holding a pair of sparkly, oversized Minnie Mouse ears. They’re flashy, they’re shiny, and they look expensive.
I’ve never seen Minnie wear earrings that big, Rick jokes. Well, maybe she had an important meeting. The young man fires back. These aren’t ordinary theme park souvenirs you can buy for $29.99 at Disneyland. These are Minnie Mouse ears designed by supermodel Heidi Clum.
They’re encrusted with crystals, [music] beautifully crafted, and according to the seller, Disney only made 500 of them worldwide.
“How much do you want for them?” Rick asks. “I was thinking $10,000,” the young man responds. Disney dollars or real dollars? Rick asks, barely believing what he just heard. Real dollars. [music] $10,000 for Mickey Mouse ears. Let that sink in for a moment. The young man explains his mother bought them for $600 originally.
Based on his research into limited edition Disney collectibles, he believes they’ve appreciated significantly in value. Rick loves their quality. They’re clearly wellmade and in pristine condition, but he has no idea what the market for celebrityesed Disney ears actually looks like. So, he calls in his Disney expert. I’m thinking of buying this accessory. It’s shiny. It would look beautiful. Rick tells him. The expert explains that Disney has been selling ears since the 1950s, and over the decades, they became a huge collector phenomenon. There are themed versions, limited editions, celebrity collaborations, entire communities of people who collect these things. He examines the Heidi Clum ears and confirms they’re in excellent condition with the original tag still attached. The tag is crucial for collectibles because it proves authenticity and shows the item was never used.
So, how [music] much do you think they’re worth? Rick asks the critical question. I’ve seen some sell for $2,500 in recent months. The expert reveals $2500, not 10,000. The seller’s asking price is four times what the expert says they’re actually selling for in the current market. This is a common problem with collectibles. People research what items were listed for, not what they actually sold for. Or they find one anomaly sale where someone overpaid and assume that’s the standard market value. The expert leaves and negotiations begin. $10,000 is crazy, so I’ll give you $1,500.
[music] Rick offers. $1,500 for Mickey Mouse ears is still insane by normal standards, [music] but it’s well below both the asking price and the expert valuation. How about $1,800?
The young man counters. He’s only asking for $300 more. That’s a reasonable negotiation move. We’ll do $1,700.
Rick offers. They’re getting close. The numbers are converging.
$1,750.
The seller tries for just a bit more, but Rick has a different idea. No, $1,740, and we’ll both be happy. $1,740.
A weirdly specific number, but it lands right between their positions. “You did a great job negotiating. You deserve it,” Rick says, acknowledging the young man’s skill.
All right, $1,740.
Deal done. Mickey Mouse ears designed by Heidi Clum sell for $1,740, far [music] less than the $10,000 asking price, but still a massive profit from [music] the original $600 purchase price. That’s a $190% return on investment. Not bad for Disney merchandise, but imagine if you were that young man’s mother. You bought Mickey Mouse ears for $600 as a collectible investment. Years later, they’re worth nearly three times that.
But you also thought they might be worth $10,000.
Would you feel satisfied with $1,740?
Or would you regret not holding out for more? The signature that was too good [music] to be true. Let’s end with a cautionary tale that proves not everything that glitters is gold [music] and not every signature is real. A man enters the shop carrying a book. Not just any book, but one allegedly signed by baseball legend Sholess Joe Jackson, one of the greatest players in baseball history and also one of the most controversial due to his involvement in the 1919 Black Sock scandal. “Do you know how rare it is to find a signature like this?” The seller asks Rick. Not at all, Rick admits honestly. The seller explains he found this book in a foreclosed house. [music] He was probably going through the property, clearing it out, and stumbled across what appeared to be a piece of [music] sports history worth serious money. It’s the rarest sports signature in the world, the seller claims. And here’s why he’s right to think that. Sholess Joe Jackson was illiterate. He barely knew how to write his own name. The number of authentic Joe Jackson signatures in existence is extremely small, making them incredibly valuable to collectors.
How much do you want for it? [music] Rick asks. I’d like around $30,000.
The seller responds.
$30,000 for a signature in a book found in a foreclosed house. Now, if this signature is authentic, that price might actually be reasonable or even low. Genuine shoeless Joe Jackson autographs have sold for tens of thousands of dollars at auction. But there’s a massive problem, authentication.
Because Jackson’s signature is so rare and valuable, it’s also heavily forged.
People create fake Jackson signatures all the time, hoping to fool collectors and make a quick fortune. Rick knows this is risky, very risky. But he also knows that if it’s real, he could make a huge profit. So he takes a gamble.
I’ll give you $3,000, Rick offers.
$3,000.
That’s only 10% of [music] what the seller is asking, but it’s still a significant amount of money for a signature that might be fake. The seller accepts immediately. Think about what that tells you. If you genuinely believed you had a $30,000 signature, would you accept $3,000?
Or does accepting such a low offer suggest maybe you’re not entirely confident in what you’re selling? Rick takes the book and calls in his authentication expert. This is where the story takes a dark turn. The expert examines the signature carefully, comparing it to known authentic examples. He looks at the pen pressure, the letter formation, the flow of the signature, and he sees problems, [music] inconsistencies, things that don’t match authentic Jackson signatures. He recommends sending it out for community authentication, a process where multiple experts examine the item independently and reach a consensus. The results come back and they’re devastating. We were unable to certify the autograph. [music] It is fake. The signature is fake. Rick just paid $3,000 for a worthless forgery. This is every pawn shop owner’s nightmare. You take a calculated risk, you pay real money, and you end up with nothing but a lesson learned the hard way.
The lessons hidden in every deal. So, what can we learn from these incredible transactions?
First, the value of an item isn’t always obvious. That woman had a $15,000 shipwreck bell sitting in her house taking up space. The Kunzite owner thought he had a $1,000 stone, but was sitting on something worth much more.
Second, expert authentication is crucial.
Rick calls in specialists for almost every significant purchase because the difference between authentic and fake can be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Third, negotiation is an art form. Watch how Rick moves numbers, how he reads sellers, how he knows when to hold firm and when to budge just a little bit to close the deal. Fourth, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
Rick got an incredible deal on the shipwreck bell. He took a calculated risk on the Batman belt and he got burned on the sholess Joe Jackson signature. That’s business. That’s life.
your turn to weigh in. Now it’s your turn. Which of these deals shocked you the most? Would you have negotiated differently? Do you think Rick overpaid for any of these items? Or did the sellers leave money on the table? And here’s the bigger question. Do you have anything sitting in your house right now that might be worth a fortune? That old toy from your childhood? That weird piece of jewelry your grandmother gave you? that book collection in your attic.
How would you know? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Tell us about the craziest thing you’ve ever sold or bought. Share your own pawn shop stories. And if you found these deals as fascinating as we did, smash that like button and subscribe so you never miss another deep dive into the wild world of collectibles, [music] antiques, and the fortunes people discover in the most unexpected [music] places.
Because somewhere out there, someone is sitting on a fortune and doesn’t even know it. Could it be you? Thanks for watching and we’ll see you in the next one.