ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Chumlee from 'Pawn Stars' pays $3,500 for an 'ugly' guitar and Rick Harrison's reaction said it all

The worst part was that Chum never even called in an expert to take a look at the guitar.
PUBLISHED JUN 15, 2025
Rick Harrison with Chumlee and the expert looking at the guitar (Cover image source: YouTube | Pawn Stars)
Rick Harrison with Chumlee and the expert looking at the guitar (Cover image source: YouTube | Pawn Stars)

“Pawn Stars” creator and the owner of America's most famous pawn shop, Rick Harrison, is known to splurge on rare guitars that he considers holy grails. But as much as he trusts his judgment, before calling in experts to confirm the value, Harrison isn't too positive about Chumlee's eye for vintage instruments. That's why Chumlee faced flak from Harrison when he bought an unusual-looking guitar for a lot of money. When an expert got to take a look at it afterwards, he said that it was not worth the money that was paid for it.

The guitar was a custom Les Paul by Gibson, but the problem was that it was themed after the US Open. The instrument’s body had pictures of old tennis players like Andre Agassi and Billie Jean King. The guest who brought it said that he had received it as a gift. However, he wasn’t big on tennis, and the guitar just did not look good enough for him to go on stage and perform with.

Lee was the one behind the counter at the time, and instead of calling in an expert, he decided to do the deal all by himself. The guest had asked for $5,000, but Lee agreed on a deal at $3,500. He felt like it was a good deal, as Gibson’s Les Paul models are among the most sought-after by collectors and guitar enthusiasts. He felt that having a US Open-themed Les Paul brought together the best of both worlds.

Screenshot showing the guitar on
Screenshot showing the guitar on "Pawn Stars." (Image source: YouTube | Pawn Stars)

That’s why Chumlee thought that it was worth a lot of money. However, when Harrison came into the shop the next day and saw the instrument, he wasn’t best pleased. “What the hell is this?” he asked upon seeing it. “It’s ugly,” he added. An expert was already in the office at the time, and it seemed like he had already given a valuation to Lee. It’s no surprise that he was a bit squirrely in front of his boss.

When Harrison asked how much Chumlee paid for it, the reply was, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.” The pawn shop boss knew something was wrong and pushed his employee further about the matter. That’s when he learned how much was paid for it.

Screenshot showing an irate Rick Harrison on
Screenshot showing an irate Rick Harrison on "Pawn Stars." (Image source: YouTube | Pawn Stars)

Harrison was not happy when he heard this and asked the expert how much it could sell for. The expert said that it was worth $3,000, which was less than what Lee had paid for it. The 60-year-old almost lost his calm and said, “No one’s gonna buy this.” Thankfully, he calmed himself and asked his employee to call in an expert about things like this in the future.



 

One of the funniest parts of the entire clip was when Chumlee asked the guest if the guitar was tuned up and working. He did not even plug in the guitar to see if it actually worked, and just decided that it was in good condition.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The iconic "Jeopardy!" champion has been hosting the show for many years now.
12 hours ago
The host remembered the times he was bullied as a young kid after hearing the chant.
15 hours ago
The greeting caught Steve Harvey by surprise, and he took several seconds to regain his composure.
18 hours ago
The nascent nature of the company prevented the sharks from investing in it.
2 days ago
Harvey seemed quite annoyed after the guest revealed her surprise and rightfully so.
3 days ago
Both Rick and his son Corey had a lot of luaghs while talking about this item for obvious reasons.
3 days ago
She was just happe to be with Drew Carey on stage, and perhaps did not expect such a big win.
3 days ago
The segment started with a couple of people entering the stage wearing cakes over their heads.
3 days ago
The valuation he asked for was as crazy as the outfit he wore, and the sharks said no.
3 days ago
The contestant's answer had no lewd intention but Steve Harvey made sure it did.
4 days ago
Fans of the gameshow are known to be vocal about their needs and this was just an example of that.
4 days ago
The guest stood firm at what he wanted and Harrison was forced to raise his low-ball offer.
4 days ago
The contestant was confident in his abilities and he steered his team to an impressive win.
4 days ago
The sharks could not believe what they had just witnessed but it sure was entertaining.
5 days ago
The guest said that she wanted $15,000 but had to settle for just a couple grand.
5 days ago
Fans of the show were shocked she was not able to get it right after coming so close.
5 days ago
Corcoran was confident that the entrepreneur would take her deal but that was not the case.
6 days ago
The host's expressions upon seeing the answers on the board were absolutely priceless.
6 days ago
The guest was a friend of the Harrisons and he turned out to be quite the negotiator.
6 days ago
The guest had an item that was presumably made in the pre-1800s era, which made it valuable.
7 days ago