'Pawn Stars' guest wanted $6,000 for his 'vampire defense kit' — Rick Harrison paid him $16,000
Something like a vampire defense kit in this day and age may sound like a prop from a horror movie, but back in the 19th century, people took these things seriously. From guns in crutches to wanted posters, a number of bizarre and historical items have turned up on “Pawn Stars.” The show's creator and host, Rick Harrison, may be very stingy about several vintage items, but for something not so useful, he readily paid $16,000.
The guest who had brought it in asked for $6,000 for it initially and said that it was 100 years old. One of the reasons he could say that was because there was a letter inside the kit dated 1890. The kit had everything one might need if they encountered an actual vampire, as described in supernatural stories. These included holy water, wooden stakes, objects made out of silver, and much more.
Rick admitted that it was an incredible item, but had no idea how much its value could be in today’s market. He also called it quite creepy before bringing in an expert, who was immediately fascinated by it. He even asked Harrison to give him a call if he purchased it. When it came to placing a value on it, he said that the latest one that was at an auction sold for $25,000.
This brought a smile to the guest’s face as it was much higher than what he had been expecting. Ultimately, Harrison ended up paying $16,000 for a kit designed to repel vampires. Things like these take time to sell, as it’s hard to find the right buyer. As for the reasons behind someone making an entire defence kit for vampires that do not exist, the expert said, “Well, 1880s, 1890s, this is like the apex of the Victorian fascination with spirituality. You had famous people in society who believed in vampires. It was a fascination with the occult.” Harrison had initially felt that someone could have made it as a joke.
Even though there are no vampires around, the objects in the kit could individually be worth a lot of money. A couple of Victorian pistols with massive barrels would be a treat for weapon collectors. There was a silver dagger in there as well, and a letter from a bygone era. These objects may have helped raise the value of the kit to a five-figure sum.
Harrison might not have the mind to pay $6,000 for a vampire defense kit in the first place, but had he not called in the expert, he’d have paid a lot less than what he ended up paying and made a massive profit out of it. Unfortunately for him, that did not happen.
