Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison pays $300 for toilet seat that was made for NASA astronauts (marketrealist.com)
Pawn Stars Scoops Up Out-of-This-World Toilet Seat for $300
In an episode that’s sure to have viewers doing a double-take, “Pawn Stars” honcho Rick Harrison recently shelled out a cool $300 for a rather unusual item: a toilet seat designed for NASA astronauts. Yes, you read that right – a space-grade commode accessory.
The initial reaction from Rick and his son, Corey, was a mix of bewilderment and laughter when a seller presented the seemingly mundane item. However, the guest quickly clarified that this was no ordinary porcelain throne cover. “This is a NASA space shuttle toilet seat,” he declared, instantly piquing the Harrisons’ interest.
What makes a space toilet seat so special? For starters, its design is anything but standard.
The hole in the seat was notably smaller than a conventional toilet, a feature the seller explained was crucial for maintaining a tight seal in zero gravity, preventing any unwanted “floaters” in the shuttle. Astronauts, it turns out, need to strap themselves in to do their business, a visual that conjures up quite the image.
The seller was initially seeking $400 for his unique piece of aerospace history, stating he wouldn’t go below $100. But before any serious negotiations could begin, Rick, ever the shrewd businessman, called in an expert for authentication.
Enter Mark Hall-Patton, the resident “beard of knowledge,” who, much like the Harrisons, got a chuckle out of the item. Hall-Patton confirmed the seat’s unique construction, noting it was made of foam and vinyl to ensure a proper seal. He also shed light on the rather ingenious (and somewhat comical) system where a person’s posterior would connect to a tube.
However, the expert delivered a crucial piece of information: this particular seat was likely a prototype. While genuine space toilet seats would have a titanium backing and a serial number, this one lacked those identifiers, suggesting it never actually made it to the final frontier.
Armed with this knowledge, Rick entered negotiations. He started his offer at $200, eventually settling on $300, a price the seller found agreeable.
And so, another quirky piece of history, albeit one that never quite left Earth, found its new home at Gold & Silver Pawn. It just goes to show, you never know what treasures (or, in this case, necessities) might walk through those doors.