'Pawn Stars' guest walks away rejecting Rick Harrison's offer — minutes later, he returned to the store
Rick Harrison is a tough negotiator for anyone who walks into “Pawn Stars” with a vintage item or a collectible. He keeps trying to clinch deals at low prices, and if things don't work out, sellers simply walk away and never come back with the same item. However, something rare happened with a guest who had brought a gambling machine from the early 20th century. He said that his wife wanted him to get rid of the item, but he said no to a deal with Rick Harrison over $50.
But then, the very next day, he was back at the store. The item in question was a gambling machine that was used by several business owners to get around the law. Back then, it was illegal to gamble, and so slot machine companies made gambling machines such as this that looked a lot like a gum dispenser but had a wheel with horses on the top. One could bet against the storeowner or their own friends.
The item looked magnificent, and the guest said that he wanted $3,000 for it. He had done his research well enough, as he revealed that the auction estimate for such a machine would be worth more than $4,000. Harrison knew that this was someone who knew what he was talking about and did not need to call in an expert. However, the two never saw eye-to-eye when it came to price.
The negotiations led to Harrison offering $2,700, but the guest stood firm at $2,750. Neither party budged from their respective position, and that led to a rather cold end to negotiations. However, the guest came back after being reprimanded by his wife, who wanted the machine gone, for not taking a deal for $50. He also revealed that he would have originally accepted $2,600 for it, but just pushed Harrison in hopes of getting the price up.
“So, did you change your mind?” Harrison asked. “Well, my wife changed my mind,” the guest said, which drew a hearty laugh from the pawn shop owner. The guest then said that he was willing to take $2,600 for the machine. However, Harrison stuck to his word and offered him the $2,700. Despite the initial round of negotiation not working out, the two agreed on the deal on a good note.
Harrison felt confident about selling it and about his hunch that the seller would return. “I thought he’d come back,” he said to the camera afterwards. Harrison does not want to spend a lot of money, but on this occasion, he paid the man what he had initially promised.
Fans also appreciated this gesture in the comments. “Respectable of Rick to keep his word on that offer even though he knew he could haggle him down more,” one fan wrote under the clip on YouTube. “I like that he's a fair businessman. When he makes an offer, he stands by it firm, even if the seller makes a mistake in price. To me, that's good business ethics,” added one more.
