Lionel "Pink" girls train set featured on Pawn Stars

And if the "expert" knew how to throw an e-unit lever. . .

It's television.  Television lies.  

All prices are negotiated prior to the filming on Pawn Stars.

To anyone who thinks PAWN STARS is on the level...I have several bridges in the NY area for sale

I saw that episode, the toy guy had no knowledge of trains, you could just tell. When the light came on, I said the same thing. Play with the e unit. But it is TV, but I do like that show. I have learned some history lessons on it and investment ideas. Buy silver...LOL

I saw the episode in 2019 and if I remember correctly I was talking to my computer screen so much, I saw so many problems with the "expert", that I lost interest and was shaking my head. Reminds me of the American Pickers plunder with a Lionel two-tone brown Transcontinental Set. Finally, I visited their store, trying to get home from seeing 4014, and it was very underwhelming. In other words, yes, a lot of television lies and "magic".

These days with the interweb and tons of research available, the trainset owner wasn't very savvy nor proactive to know ahead of time what he had.

IIRC, not long ago, on the American version of Antiques Roadshow, Noel Barrett reviewed a girls set whose quality, I recall, was great to excellent condition. Noel did quote a $$ figure in the seven thousands...

At least Pawn Stars is honest at times. Once in a while they put a group of expensive items they can't sell up for auction. On most of them, they loose a LOT of $. The only "Pickers" screw-up" admitted to was paying too much for a Lionel standard gauge set due to re-painted roofs and missing hand rails.

$7,500 may have been the sets true "value," but a pawn shop owner can't pay the seller that.  Remember, the shop owner has to cover overhead (who knows how long that thing will sit on a shelf?) and make a profit.  Understand you will not get anywhere near full value at a pawn shop!!

Chuck

Why worry about what happened on a rerun?

Rusty

Pawn Stars and American Pickers are reality tv and as such aren't all that real, they are not what they seem. It is fun watching Pawn Stars, seeing what people bring in, they do see some interesting things, but I wouldn't put too much stock on prices and such you see on the show, as others point out these things are negotiated off screen and then are 'acted out'. Like American Pickers, these guys make money selling items, so they won't pay full retail, and the other thing is their experts are not necessarily that good an expert. A show like Antiques Road Show, on the other hand, is different in that they are pretty much what they seem, people come with stuff to a roadshow event, and get their stuff evaluated and if it is interesting, it is shown on the show. The experts they have there generally are real experts and if they don't know they will bring in someone who does. I know a bit about it because the dealer where my son bought his violin is a well known Philadelphia dealer, and while instrument valuation can be a bit of a racket (a famous shop there, that closed a while ago, was found out to have done some really questionable certifications on who made a certain violin), he is one of the more respected ones around, and has worked with AR when they did shows in Philadelphia. With AR the stuff is the show, with AP and PS it is the 'personalities' behind it. 

@redjimmy1955 posted:

These days with the interweb and tons of research available, the trainset owner wasn't very savvy nor proactive to know ahead of time what he had.

IIRC, not long ago, on the American version of Antiques Roadshow, Noel Barrett reviewed a girls set whose quality, I recall, was great to excellent condition. Noel did quote a $$ figure in the seven thousands...

Call me jaded, but my guess is that most of the owners do a lot of research beforehand and then intentionally play "Mickey the Dunce" when they are featured on the show - either on their own so they can be "shocked" when the appraiser tells them how much the item is worth or as coached by the shows producers for dramatic effect.

The sellers on Pawn Stars and American Pickers are vetted and staged for entertainment value.  Having them screw up occasionally is part of the entertainment.  And those stores do a lot of online selling, playing on the TV exposure.

My main complaint about the features with trains is that it perpetuates the myth that every old train is worth big bucks.  If their choice of train experts is any indication, it makes their other "experts" dubious by association.

Well, as described above, no wonder AR is the only one l have watched, and they do seem to bring in antique pros who could find the light switch in the dark.

Thx for the add ons, Ritchie and Mallard. I had realized all you stated, but it is ingrating to see folks dream of BIG$$$ when just hearing the Lionel name. OY Vey!  People will pony up BIG BUCKS for a Lionel...but a modicum for Lionel Ritchie.....lol

I drive by "Pawn Stars" (Gold & Silver) shop  once in awhile. It is about half way between the north end of the "strip" and downtown Fremont street. There is an armed guard outside and a line to get in. There is a taxi stand and a limo parking area. (not right now because of C-19)

The place itself is not at all a modern clean building. But, the tourist flock there and seem to have a good time. The Chumlee T-shirts probably pay for all of their overhead.

Of course most of it is staged to a degree, but not fake.  I have a friend that had an item and he made it to the last meeting before being eliminated. So to say it is all fake is totally incorrect. I know a couple of the local experts that have been on and they are exactly what they are introduced as. The curator of the museum can be seen about any day that you go to the museum. 

2cents, keep the change

Two pages of discussion from a year ago.

Lionel Girl’s Train On Pawn Stars

My friend was on the Antique road show in Massachusetts years ago(didn't make it to the TV), LOL. He has prewar green tinplate cars. I think 3 of them although I don't think he had the engine. So he was in line for hours!! only to finally get to the guy (thinking he had something worth a lot of money)  The guy looks it over, ahhh, you've got a nice train here....probably thinking it worth some money..(my friend smiling)

hundred bucks  the guy says and practically tosses it back to him.   LOL.