I have this special thing towards vintage items. I could buy broken things and have it restored to its pristine condition, if not, to its presentable or usable state. If you know certain high-end brands and realize that they are worth a fortune when you buy it brand new at the store, then suddenly you see it at a vintage shop with tolerable flaws (which you know in your mind that your trusty repair guy at the shop could do something about it), then well, you could say you've hit the JACKPOT!
With this being said, it is not much of a wonder why I am fascinated with SKYcable's History Channel (Channel 5). I particularly follow it because they feature uniquely interesting shows for the 'vintage' person that I am. I personally watch Pawn Stars and The American Pickers.
Pawn Stars: The Harrisons' pawnshop
Pawn Stars is about a family store owned by the Harrisons in Las Vegas. If you're a fan of the show, you wouldn't miss the cast behind it: Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison, and of course, Chumlee! The 'Old Man', the family's patriarch Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. died in 2018. I used to see the grandpa being part of the show in 2015 and he usually had the last say in decision making, like in accepting items from walk-in customers. I missed those days when the Old Man was having funny conversations with the others in the show, mostly reprimanding Corey and Chumlee! Chumlee is Corey Harrison's best friend, by the way.
As a backgrounder, long before the famous show hit on television, Pawn Stars shop was known as pawnbrokers giving loans in exchange for valuable things. The Harrison family-owned Gold and Silver Pawnshop in Las Vegas, which had a wide range of items from a 1763 Stradivarius violin to a 1973 Husqvarna Enduro motorcycle. See, everything has a history, and everything has a price. At Pawn Store, you will never know what is going to walk through the door. That is, I say, is the most exciting part of hunting and selling for vintage items.
American Pickers' journey to 10
The American Pickers is another show on History Channel that I look forward to every time I have the chance. It's the duo of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz who are both always on the road across the country turning rust to riches and revealing United States’ history one piece at a time. With their office manager Danielle Colby back at their home base, Mike and Frank travel the roads of America meeting fascinating people while searching for rusty gold and uncovering history hidden in junk piles. It never fails to satisfy me seeing them get a bargain of a noted collectible item and get it appraised at a much higher value when they get back home. A lot of vintage items enthusiasts have come to love this show and it warms the heart knowing they are celebrating their 10th year on the run.
My husband watches these shows, too, but he also loves watching the other guys' shows on History: Forged in Fire and Counting Cars. A little something like flipping ugly old items into shiny, new ones. I'd try to write about them in my future blog posts.
How about you? Do you also watch shows on History Channel? Comment your thoughts down below :)
