Times The Pawn Stars Should Not Have Called In An Expert
By Ava Barnes
In a 2020 episode of "Pawn Stars," a man named Dennis was looking to sell off a very old, very well preserved long gun, one that took three different handlers to get a handle on its true worth (of which Dennis seemed already keenly aware). Corey Harrison identified the firearm as being of French origin and something unique, so for a second opinion, he called in his father, Rick Harrison, a lover of historical relics, who immediately realized they had a Boutet rifle on their hands. "He was like a Rembrandt of guns," the elder Harrison said of Nicolas-Noel Boutet, the official gunsmith of King Louis XVI of France and post-revolutionary conqueror Napoleon, who "was like the first one to really combine" function and artistry and catered to very wealthy customers in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Dennis wanted $10,000 for his treasure, but before offering any amount, the Harrisons brought in Alex Cranmer, CEO of International Military Antiques, to assess the value. A visibly excited Cranmer said "Holy moly!" when he first laid eyes on the piece, and after admiring its detail and ornamentation (and giving it a try on a shooting range), he estimated its potential auction selling price at $30,000. Dennis upped his asking price to $20,000, and Rick Harrison talked him down to $16,000, far above the ten grand the customer first offered.
