Even 'Pawn Stars' cast members have to follow certain rules most fans would have never expected

As a reality show where people can sell anything from memorabilia to antiques, “Pawn Stars" has become one of the most popular despite being unorthodox. The stars of the show, Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison, and Austin Chumlee are recognizable personalities across America. However, to maintain their success and popularity, the stars need to follow rules that regular pawn shop owners don’t have to.

According to an official government document, pawnbrokers in the state have to submit a daily transcript of transactions to the sheriff or chief of police and the reality TV stars are not pardoned from this state law either. The pawnbrokers even have to provide a description of the sellers to the local authorities. This includes information like hair color, skin color, and facial appearance of the seller.

But apart from this very common rule, everything else works quite differently for the "Pawn Stars." For example, and this perhaps goes without saying, the shop must be closed during filming for obvious reasons. No one wants a bunch of people inside the shop trying to get themselves on TV and interrupting the filming process. However, as per Looper, there’s a full host of prerequisites that need to be fulfilled before the cameras start rolling.

First and foremost, the makers can’t just film any random item that comes into the store. Sure, it’s a regular pawn shop at the end of the day that should cater to everyone’s needs but that won’t be too entertaining for reality TV. There is always a screening process to determine if the items are interesting enough to have a place on the show. And it’s not just the items that get screened, the people do too.

This is required since there’s the occasional seller with unrealistic expectations and zero interest in budging from their price but not everyone can be like that. Hence the potential sellers carry out the negotiations in advance behind the camera, for a smooth filming experience. Intoxicated sellers are also immediately disqualified from the screening process for obvious reasons.

While the showrunners try to make it as organic as possible, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Pawn Stars” is scripted to a degree. However, the sellers who come are just common people and the items they bring are real. However, the stars of the show cannot work regular hours behind the counter when filming is stopped. This is due to Nevada’s privacy laws.

Not working the counter when not filming does not mean that they don’t work at all at any other time. Every single member of the cast has a normal 9 to 5 job. It’s just not the one everyone expects it to be. One rule of the show that viewers might not enjoy is that the Pawn Stars aren’t allowed to appraise the items. They also have certain items that they do not sell for marketing purposes. "It's what keeps people coming back into my store. Before I had the television show I needed that draw," Rick Harrison had said.

In addition to all this, those appearing on television regularly need to have a squeaky-clean public image. A former star on the show, Olivia Black found that out the hard way as she was fired when a few scandalous photos of her were leaked to the public. There are also certain items they cannot buy such as antique furniture, Beanie Babies, or firearms manufactured after 1898.

These are all the official rules they have to follow to make the show successful. But to make their business successful, one of the golden rules the Pawn Stars follow is to never offer their price first.