My Moment of Fame - Pawn Stars
Never Thought I’d Grow Up To Be A Pawn Star!
A popular reality TV series on the History Channel, “Pawn Stars” follows the daily operations of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas….
Chris, Ash, and I with Rick in his best selfie attempt.
Owned by the Harrison family, including Rick, his late father Richard "Old Man" Harrison, son Corey, and friend Chumlee, the show features a variety of customers bringing in items ranging from rare antiques to unique collectibles. Each episode includes item appraisals, expert consultations, and negotiation segments. Beyond entertainment, "Pawn Stars" serves as an educational tool, providing viewers with expert evaluations that often delve into the provenance and significance of items, offering a mini history lesson in each episode.
My moment of fame…
began when the Pawn Star crew traveled to Seattle to film an episode of their newest season, "Pawn Stars Do America." This series takes Rick, Corey, and Chumlee on a road trip across the United States to expand the show's scope beyond the confines of their Las Vegas pawn shop. By hitting the road, the cast uncovers rare and fascinating items that might not make their way to the Las Vegas shop. In each episode, they explore America’s rich history through the unique artifacts and collectibles they find. The Harrison family visits iconic locations and meets with local collectors, history buffs, and everyday people looking to sell or appraise their items, highlighting the cultural and historical significance of the items the cast encounters on their journey.
“In between throwing fish at Pike’s Place Market, Rick, Corey, and Chum are hoping to find gems in the Emerald city; Along the way, they’ll check a few larger-than-life Lego, grunge, and Chihuly collections, and even try their hand at glassblowing.”
The episode Emerald City Adventures brought the crew to my doorstep where they explored the unique treasures of the Pacific Northwest. On the History Channel, the episode is described as follows: In between throwing fish at Pike's Place Market, Rick, Corey, and Chum are hoping to find gems in the Emerald City; Along the way, they'll check a few larger-than-life Lego, grunge, and Chihuly collections, and even try their hand at glassblowing.
The crew arrived in Seattle and began their treasure hunt - consulting, negotiating, bartering, and appraising the various items brought to them. Local collectors, history buffs, and everyday people around the region lined up to show their treasures in hopes that they could score worthwhile payouts. Along the way, Rick was presented with a Chihuly piece by a local business owner and glass enthusiast, my former boss. This is how they found themselves taking a trip to the glassblowing studio where I worked at the time of the episode’s filming. My then-boss had a few Chihuly pieces to showcase in the studio, and the crew was interested in the glassblowing process. Not only did they want to see how it was done, they wanted to try it themselves! I bet you can guess where this is going…
Watch the crew blow glass with me!
Take One - Action!
Corey, Rick, and Chumlee discuss strategies and practice their lines in the studio.
Once filming was all arranged and added to the crew’s schedule, I was invited to participate. I agreed of course! Accompanying me were a few co-workers, Chris and Ash. Upon arrival on the day of filming, I was given the task of teaching the guys how to handle the tools and equipment, and how to get glass out of the furnace. While all the cameras and set were being set up, the crew watched our team make a few things out of glass. We walked them through each step so they would know what to do during filming. It was a bizarre process, the director would say, ‘Stand over here.’ or ‘Say this scripted joke as you walk over there,” all while my co-workers and I also barked at them, “Don’t touch that, it’s hot!’ It was a bit like herding cats, but they were learning about the glassblowing process by diving head-first into it. Respect. Even still, It was pretty hilarious to watch Rick and Chumlee struggle with the glass after all the episodes I’d seen of them speaking so matter-of-factly to customers.
Conversations on Set
During filming, I talked with Chumlee about glass vessels and which shapes are the hardest to make. I told him (in my opinion) that bowls were one of the more challenging shapes. This led to him saying, ‘I want to make a bowl so I can beat Rick!’, explaining that before filming they made it a competition to see who could create the best thing out of glass (Chumlee won by a technicality). Once we showed him how to make a bowl, he said, ‘Wow, I’d definitley eat cereal out of that.’ The director heard him and shouted excitedly, “Oh! You’ve gotta say that on camera!” So our conversation became part of the script on set. When the time came, Chumlee delivered the line, “I can’t wait to eat cereal out of mine” while holding his beautiful red bowl up to the camera. For the record, Chumlee did not make the bowl. Chris and Ash made it while the crew was filming me working with Rick, but that’s showbiz, baby.
Me and Chumlee are homies.
Teaching Rick how to handle hot glass!
After Filming
After filming, my co-workers and I shut down the shop while the camera crew packed up their cameras. After we were finished we all went out to dinner. We all ate chicken and waffles while Rick told us about the flamethrower and cows he kept on his 80-something-acre land in Oregon. We had a great time. After dinner, the crew went back to their hotels to rest up for another long day of filming in the morning, and that was a wrap! It was a valuable learning experience for everyone involved and an unforgettable day in the hot shop!
One of many Pawn Star memes
