'Pawn Stars' boss Rick Harrison agrees to pay $11,000 for Batman toy considered a 'Holy Grail'
Toys may not exactly be considered rare artifacts or family heirlooms, but action figures, Lego sets, and Hot Wheels cars are rapidly gaining popularity among collectors. They are even making their way to popular TV shows such as "Pawn Stars," where the shop owners Rick Harrison and Chumlee have an eye for vintage toys. The owner of a 1966 Batman Utility Belt, Karen, amazed Harrison with the mint condition of her collectible. Along with a toy expert, she managed to convince the pawn shop boss to fork up $11,000 for the 'Holy Grail' of toys.
The guest brought the toy to the pawn shop looking for some cash in exchange for buying herself a new car. "I came to the pawn shop today to sell my Batman utility belt from 1966. I got the belt in the 70s at an antique mall, and I'm looking to get $17,000 for my belt. If I sell my belt I'm gonna buy a new car," Karen revealed.
Harrison was immediately intrigued by the belt, and said, "Batman has been a pretty amazing brand since the 1930s because there's everything from the cartoons to the comic books to the movies, and it never seems to end."
He further noted that the TV show came out in 1966, and the belt was a part of the show's toy collection. "It was one of those shows that sort of rocketed straight to the top," he added. Coming to the toy set, Harrison noted that it had all the items, including a Batarang, the Bat-Cuffs, the Bat Gun, and a Bat Rocket Grenade. "It's all there. I just find it amazing," he exclaimed.
After hearing the hefty price tag of the toy set, Harrison decided to call in his toy expert, Steve Johnson, the owner of Rogue Toys, to make sure the item was the real deal. Coming into the shop, Johnson was also surprised to find the iconic toy in such great condition. He explained that such toy sets weren't necessarily meant to hold up, as kids would rip the boxes apart and play with them. However, the item he had in front of him was untouched, which made it a rare find for collectors. "I'll tell you what, for Batman collectors, guys, this is the Holy Grail," he commented. "This is in incredible shape. It has not been removed, it has not been played with there's no stress marks on it," he further added.
Coming to the appraisal, Johnson estimated that the box would easily be worth about $16,000. "I've seen the belts, just by themselves, sell for thousands of dollars. In the case of this, I think you've got an absolutely great piece. You have tons of Batman collectors, tons of superhero collectors, so you can't miss on the market," he reasoned.
After Johnson left, Harrison kicked off the negotiations. He made the guest a low offer of $10,000, saying that he needed to keep a margin to make money off the item. However, the guest wasn't willing to come down below $15,000. Seeing this, Harrison tweaked his offer to $11,000, and after some thinking, the guest accepted the deal.
In the end, Harrison warned his sidekick Chumlee not to touch the item, but he snapped back at his boss, saying, "It's a size 32, it won't fit you anyway."
