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‘Pawn Stars’: Rick Harrison Got in Heated Negotiations Over 1800s Pocket Watch

History buffs everywhere can get excited over this “Pawn Stars” clip from season six. We all hope to go to a yard sale and walk away with some hidden treasure that’s worth thousands of dollars – but it just doesn’t happen. Though maybe it does once in a while, because a very lucky patron of the Las Vegas pawn shop did just that – when she stumbled on a Civil War-era pocket watch.

Not only was the watch extremely rare – it had an engraving on the back which dedicated the piece from one Civil War veteran to another. This personal touch made all the difference. Especially if the marking could be validated as authentic.

“Saved my life,” the engraving read. At this moment in the clip, Rick Harrison appears to get very excited knowing that the watch likely came from the late 1800s. However, he’s been in the game for a long time – and he knows when to call in the experts to be sure.

Meanwhile, the woman who found it said she thought it was neat at the time when she saw it at a garage sale. But she doesn’t collect pocket watches and she just wanted to see if it was worth anything. The rare pocket watch was also in pristine condition and worked. The woman paid $20 for it.

Interestingly, when an expert examined it, he said the serial numbers along with the maker appeared to be correct. The pocket watch engraving also mentioned the battle of Cross Keys – an early Civil War battle and lesser-known to the general public, thus making it appear even more authentic.

‘Pawn Stars’ Patron Makes a Deal

So now that the pocket watch was verified, it was time to make a deal. Knowing she had something worth way more than $20, the woman begins her negotiation at $2,000. But the “Pawn Stars” star knows how to negotiate if nothing else. He countered with $700. The woman still wasn’t having it and the discussion got tense. At least, until the two landed on $1,300 – a $1280 mark up from what the woman originally paid.

In the end, Harrison was super happy with the antique – and the woman walked away with some fun money for Vegas. It was a win-win situation all around.

“I know so many Civil War collectors who’d be lining up for this piece,” Harrison said.

During its many seasons on the History Channel, the “Pawn Stars” dealers have seen many interesting items. Some are incredibly cool and rare, others appear to be authentic and then turn out to be junk. Despite this, it’s always fun to see what treasures people bring in – and even better- what people are willing to part with, and for how much.