'Pawn Stars' boss Rick Harrison pays $350 for old Pepsi cooler even though it was 'pretty beat up'
The guest said that he had purchased it for $750, about 15 years ago, which was way too much money.
Sept. 7 2025, Published 10:45 a.m. ET
"Pawn Stars" boss Rick Harrison is notorious for his ruthless negotiations and has even let precious collectibles slip through his fingers when he couldn't get his way. That's why a Pepsi cooler is the last thing someone would expect him to spend money on. The guest, who brought the unusual item to the pawn shop, had purchased it about 15 years ago and paid $750 for it. That was also the guest's asking price, but Rick and Corey Harrison were able to get it for $350.
The Pepsi cooler was yellow and red in color, which was a bit odd considering blue and red are the company’s usual colors. Such items were made during the 1930s, a time during which the guest believed refrigerators had not yet been invented.
However, Rick Harrison clarified, “No, they’ve had refrigeration long before then. Most people don’t realize that rural America did not have a lot of electricity. So, little corner stores, gas stations, these were a great thing to have to sell Pepsi at. The cooler had a significant bit of information written on it, as it said, 'Double Size,' which was significant of the cola wars between them and Coca-Cola at the time."
“Back in the 1930s, Coke and Pepsi came in six-ounce bottles and cost just a nickel. Then Pepsi introduced a 12-ounce bottle with the slogan Double Size, and the cola wars had begun,” Harrison explained. The guest said that he took it to some of the softball games he played, where the cooler carried a lot more than cola.
There was a dent on one side of the cooler, but despite the damage, Harrison was confident that he’d have no problem selling it. “This thing is pretty beat up, but I’ve learned with old Coke and Pepsi stuff, it really doesn’t matter. People will buy it in just about any condition,” the pawn shop boss added. He knew that he had to seal the deal at a decent price.
The guest initially asked for $750, which was absolutely not going to happen. Corey Harrison refused to shell out that kind of money for a beat-up cooler. He explained that it would require a couple grand to restore it, and then it might be worth $3,000. So, he offered $200 for it. This was too little for the guest, and he countered with $500.
Corey believed that if he could get it for $350, they could sell it for $500 without having to do any restoration work. Finally, all parties agreed on $350, even though the guest would have liked a bit more money for it.
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