Rick Knows Libraries!

This week's Time Magazine (3/5/12) has an article about the popular History Channel show "Pawn Stars". Rick Harrison, a co-owner of the Las Vegas pawn shop featured on the show, relied on public libraries for much of his education. Libraries are mentioned 3 times in the article:

1.) "In pre-Internet days, Harrison, 46, would spend nights at the library researching the oddities that people offered him."

2.) "In 1991 a woman walked in with four photographs of Native Americans...Intrigued, [Rick] bought them for $50. Then he got his library card out. After a few hours of going through some books, [he] found out they were Edward Curtises...[and] Harrison ended up selling the four photos for $20,000."

3.) "By ninth grade, [Harrison's] formal education ended. The rest he would get in the library and by trailing the Old Man at swap meets and flea markets..."

The pawn shop owners are always astonished by how clueless their customers are. People haven't researched the potential value of their item nor do they know the history of the circumstances which created the item. So let this be a lesson to all you collectors and second-hand sellers. Visit your public library first and know your stuff--- because Rick Harrison sure does!