Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ guest gets angry after expert values signed record at less than half the asking price (marketrealist.com)
A “Pawn Stars” episode featuring a Led Zeppelin I vinyl signed by all four band members took an unexpected turn when the guest’s asking price and the expert’s valuation were worlds apart.
The guest hoped to sell the record, signed by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, for $22,000. While the signatures’ authenticity wasn’t in question, their placement was unusual.
Page’s signature was on the front, while the others signed the back. The guest explained Page, as the band’s leader, considered the album “his baby” and refused to sign with the others.
Handwriting expert Steve Grad verified the signatures but agreed the unusual arrangement was a drawback. He valued the record between $10,000 and $12,000.
The guest disputed the valuation, suggesting Grad’s expertise was limited to signature verification, not appraisal. Grad, a 25-year veteran, countered that the average buyer wouldn’t be swayed by the story behind the signatures’ placement.
Rick Harrison offered $8,500, but the guest wouldn’t budge below $17,500. Ultimately, no deal was made, leaving the rare record unsold.