Q&A With Rick Harrison

“Pawn Stars” is one of the most popular shows on cable. Its new episodes on Jan. 24 earned 6.7 and 6.9 million viewers respectively, nearly doubling the ratings of the top show on any competing channel that night. Its principle character is Rick Harrison, a Harley-riding brainiac who knows everything there is to know about your heirloom and can call in an expert on the off chance that he doesn’t. We called Rick up to pick his brain about his appearances in Indiana, his show and the craziest thing he’s ever seen come into his shop.

WEEKEND In the last few months you’ve come to the Hoosier Park Casino in Anderson and also to Stoney’s in Evansville. What do you like about making appearances in Indiana?
HARRISON It’s just a great state out there. I love the people.

WEEKEND As the show has gained more popularity, you’ve seen a lot more of the off-the-beaten-path and unique items that you won’t see in your average pawnshop. Do you still operate like other pawnshops and see smaller items like XBoxes and the like?
HARRISON Oh, yeah. I still see all that stuff. What you don’t see on television is that I write at least three thousand pawn tickets a month.  

WEEKEND Is most of your business still in those smaller items?
HARRISON I do a lot of business in those, but I’ve always been a more high-end pawnshop. The fact is I know a lot more than most pawnshops. I’ve done this since I was a kid, and I’ve been a bookworm since I was a kid, so I’m pretty good with a lot of rare antiques and a lot of high-end stuff.

WEEKEND Where did you get your expertise on so many various fields?
HARRISON I’ve done this all my life, and I’ve always been a huge bookworm. And it’s always been either history or science books.  

WEEKEND Why do you think people are so interested in the pawn business and learning about it?
HARRISON As far as my show goes, I think the reason people like it so much is because it’s a little bit of everything. It’s “Pimp My Ride.” It’s “American Chopper” one weekend. It’s a history lesson. There’s the family aspect. There’s all those things.  

WEEKEND Is there anything that has come into your shop that you don’t have an expert or buddy you can call up to learn more about?
HARRISON Not that I can think of. I mean, I know so many people. What you don’t see in the show is the zillions of other people I know. I never throw away a business card.

WEEKEND In 2003, Dave Attell did an episode of “Insomniac” on Comedy Central where he came into your shop and talked with you. At the time, did you ever expect your pawnshop to be the center of its own cable reality show?
HARRISON You know, we pitched the show for a few years, and the next thing you know, it ended up happening. Anytime I was on Dave Attell or something like that, it really boosted business, and so I figured, if I get my own show, it’ll boost my business all the time.

WEEKEND If you had to narrow it down to one item that stands out among the rest as the most unusual, what would it be?
HARRISON It would probably be a book on alchemy that was in Sir Isaac Newton’s library. It’s on how to transmute base metals into gold. It doesn’t work.

WEEKEND Have you tried?
HARRISON (Laughs) No, I haven’t. But I’m pretty sure.