Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ guest brings 5 million-year-old fossilized whale bone — Rick Harrison pays her just $130 (marketrealist.com)
Prehistoric Pawn: Big Deals for Ancient Bones on “Pawn Stars”
Ancient relics occasionally surface on the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars,” but two episodes featuring prehistoric fossils proved particularly memorable.
In one episode, a seller presented a fossilized whale vertebra, a family heirloom passed down from her marine biologist grandfather. Hoping for $600, she watched as Rick Harrison and Chumlee, unsure of its value, consulted expert Andre Lujan.
Lujan identified the vertebra and estimated its age at a staggering 5.3 million years old, but valued it at only $200. After some back-and-forth, Harrison secured the fossil for a mere $130—a “sweet” deal for the pawnbroker.
Another episode showcased an even more impressive find: a dinosaur leg bone. The seller, requesting $40,000, hoped the fossil would fund a makeover and a Hawaiian vacation.
Harrison, wary of potential fakes, again called in expert Andre Lujan, now executive director of the Texas Through Time Museum. Lujan identified the fossil as a Camarasaurus leg and, despite discovering plaster casts of the toes, confirmed the authenticity of key bones – the humerus, radius, and ulna.
He appraised the fossil at $25,000. Following negotiations, Harrison purchased the dinosaur leg for $18,000, exclaiming, “I just bought a dinosaur leg.
Guess there is a first for everything!” Although a significant sum, it wasn’t the first time Harrison acquired a unique piece of history.
From multi-million-year-old fossils to dinosaur skulls, “Pawn Stars” continues to unearth fascinating glimpses into the past.