'Pawn Stars' boss Rick Harrison spends $550 on coffee grinder — it could fetch huge money at auction
The pawn shop owner did not expect the grinder to be worth so much money.
Aug. 25 2025, Published 12:46 p.m. ET
Rick Harrison is ruthless and stingy when it comes to negotiations on "Pawn Stars" because he always has eyes on his profit, despite being fascinated by a piece of art or a historic item. His bargaining skills were on display when he came across a coffee grinder from the 1800s. Harrison was intrigued by the object right from the get-go, but would only buy it for a decent price. There was a lot of work to be done on its aesthetics, but the grinder worked just fine.
The guest said that he had received it as a graduation present from his grandfather and was hoping to get $500 for it. Right at the beginning, Harrison noted that it worked incredibly well given how old it must have been.
It turns out that the item was made in Chicago, which was the industrial hub of the world at the time. This coffee grinder was made of high-quality cast iron, which was the biggest reason behind its longevity. However, the paint had faded off, and the item was dusty. That made sense as it had not been used for decades. The pawn shop owner knew that he would have to shell out some of his own cash to make it look good again.
The guest said he wanted $500 for it, which was a nominal price to begin with. However, Harrison wanted to squeeze it out for an even lower price. He said that he’d have to get a lot of work done on it, which would cost him around $300 to $400, before he could sell it. As a result, he offered the guest $200. The guest just wanted to get some money and get rid of it, so he was happy to take the offer, and the pawn shop owner was happy to get a good deal for it. Now, Harrison had to get some work done on it. He took it to a man named Rick Dale, who made it look like it was made yesterday. The coffee grinder shone with its new coat of paint, and it did not even look like the same item that had been brought to the store. The whole process cost Harrison around $350.
That made the total cost of the grinder go up to $550 for him. Thankfully, Dale revealed that it could fetch up to $2,500 at auction. Harrison was stoked to hear that. He believed the item to be worth a good amount of money, but not this much. Before he sold it, though, he said he’d make Chumlee grind coffee for him with it every morning.
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