'Pawn Stars' boss Rick Harrison loses out on a fighter jet because he refused to pay $5,000 more
The guest reduced his asking price by $40,000 and it still wasn't enough to convince Harrison.
Oct. 8 2025, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
Rick Harrison has seen weapons concealed in furniture and crutches, and even a missile system on "Pawn Stars," but a military aircraft is the last thing anyone would expect to see in a pawn shop. When it did turn up on the show, it was a 1942 North American AT-6 Texan, which was used during World War II. However, Harrison didn't even want to pay $5,000 more than his last offer for it, and the deal fell through.
It was Chumlee who found out that the aircraft was up for sale, but Rick and Corey Harrison refused to take him and the old man to check it out. The plane seemed to be in fantastic shape. The guest revealed that it used to have 30-caliber guns fitted on the wings for combat purposes and that it was used to train pilots during World War II. He also said that it was used during the Korean War.
Corey was excited about getting into the cockpit and seeing how all the controls looked from inside. He was surprised to find out that there was immense space even though it looked small from the outside. The cockpit was also fitted with a roll cage so that if a pilot flipped the plane on the ground, they’d be protected from any serious injury. When asked how much he wanted, the guest quoted $185,000.
This was a lot of money, and the Harrisons called in an expert to take a look at the plane. This expert was a naval pilot with 18 years of experience. He had been flying modern jets, so such a plane was a throwback. The expert, too, was impressed with the condition of the plane, but the only way he could place a value on it was if he took it for a spin.
So, he and the owner of the plane got inside the cockpit and took to the skies. They did a few loops and barrel rolls before bringing it down on the runway. The expert admitted that the plane flew a lot better than he had expected. When the time came for a value to be placed on it, the expert said that it would be worth $170,000. However, that was not all.
Such a plane required the owner to rent a space in a hangar and have regular maintenance done. This aircraft needed to be airborne frequently to be in good working condition, and of course, the parts needed regular lubrication. All in all, the storage and maintenance aspect would cost about $1,000 a month. Rick Harrison said that he’d be willing to offer $140,000 for it, and not a dime more.
The seller came down to $165,000, then to $157,000, and then to $145,000. However, the Harrisons did not agree to any of those prices. Ultimately, no deal was struck between the two parties over a difference of $5,000. “I’m shocked that they didn’t take that offer,” the seller said afterwards.
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