# Why are there so many reality shows about buying, selling, or having items appraised? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524 "2010-12-09T12:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/21 "2010-12-10T15:59:34Z")
I’m actually surprised it took so long for _Antiques Roadshow_ clones to get popular. From what I’ve seen, _Antiques Roadshow_ is super popular in America and the UK and people from all walks of life enjoy it. I’m a boring midwestern girl with not a stitch of antique anything in my family and I will watch it any time it’s on. Almost everyone I know would admit to watching and enjoying the show. In fact, PBS started running promos for _Antiques Roadshow_ a few years back, showing all sorts of people sitting around trying to guess prices while watching Roadshow. It was one of those commercials you’d see and think “that is so true!” Shortly after that, I think, is when all these other shows started popping up. Seems like PBS had to admit out loud that _Antiques Roadshow_ is one hell of a popular show then all of these other networks said “oh yeah, we want one too!” I also wonder how these sorts of shows are related to the popularity of the shows like _Clean Sweep_ and _Clean House_ where people come in and make you get rid of all your junk. Makes me wonder if the viewing audience wasn’t all “no, don’t throw that shit away! You can make MONEY!” (generally not true) and producers decided to start homing in on the money-for-stuff angle as well. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/22 "2010-12-10T16:04:41Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And you take a drink every time they say “veneer” ! Don’t forget to mute when the information on the beautiful city of Harrisburg comes on. 😃 I felt the same way as the OP when I first heard about Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on Bravo. It’s just one show but it seemed such a bizarre concept. Coming in to take over and help fix a terrible restaurant makes sense because cooking shows are pretty popular…but a hair salon? I got surprisingly sucked into watching an episode this week, though. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/23 "2010-12-10T16:35:04Z")
> [@monkeylucifer](#): > > The one I absolutely find very hard to watch is Hardcore Pawn. The guy who runs the shop is a grade-A sleezebag and most of the customers are downright destitute, after all it is in Detroit. A lot of the customers are downright a-holes as well. The whole show is like a half an hour of pure misery and chaos. The whole TruTV lineup seems to be designed from the ground up to appeal to the lowest common demnominator. Yeah, and I’m not sure I’d put \*Hardcore Pawn \*in with _Antiques Roadshow_. \*Pawn Stars \*is kind of the bridge between the two, and actually does represent a pretty creative bricolage of old and new ideas. Much of _Antiques Roadshow_ is built around people who either have been able to keep family heirlooms around for generations or folks who scour flea markets and finally find that one gem that will net them a substantial profit. \*Pawn Stars \*took the “how much is it worth” meme and transplanted it to a more “everyman” venue where EVERYTHING is fair game–antiques, firearms, art, memorabilia, the whole schmear. Then they added the occasional history lesson on top of it (which is often faulty, BTW–\*Pawn Stars \*is somewhere south of Wikipedia when assessing accuracy). It’s a fun show, mixing good parts from _Antiques Roadshow_, _Mythbusters_ (when Rick gets an interesting gun in, he has to fire it), and a dash of _Springer_’s “WTH are they thinking?” appeal. The folks who make _Hardcore Pawn_ saw that and thought, correctly, that pawn shops don’t work like that. People don’t pawn really interesting stuff very often; in the real world, that stuff goes on eBay (though I can give Rick and the crew a little latitude since they’re in Vegas–I’m glad they don’t show what folks eventually do with the money) and pawn shops content themselves with an unending flow of jewelry and small electronics. _Hardcore Pawn_ is \*Pawn Stars \*for the _Cops_ audience–the middlebrow thrill of the appraisal has been replaced by the lowbrow thrill of sleazy pawnbrokers throwing unruly Detroiters out of their store. It’s as interesting as counting car accidents on the first snowy day. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/24 "2010-12-10T17:36:35Z")
> [@monkeylucifer](#): > > I can tell you that for the most part, these people selling items to pickers and pawn shops are getting pretty fair treatment. Maybe. Actually I think I was probably conflating two things there: people who _were_ getting low-ball offers, and people who were getting fair “market” offers for things that I didn’t think should be sold at such a price, since–for me–the intangible value would be much greater. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/25 "2010-12-10T17:45:24Z")
I’ve been watching _Antiques Roadshow_ for years. For me, the entertainment value is watching granny’s expression when she finds out that the Chinese cat blender her husband bought back fro’ t’ war is worth more than her lifetime income. And the obligatory, “oh, I’d never sell it” when she regains her composure. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/26 "2010-12-10T18:22:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’ve been watching _Antiques Roadshow_ for years. For me, the entertainment value is watching granny’s expression when she finds out that the Chinese cat blender her husband bought back fro’ t’ war is worth more than her lifetime income. > > And the obligatory, “oh, I’d never sell it” when she regains her composure. If I ever go on the show, no matter what they say, I’m going to respond with, “That’s pretty much what I figured!” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/27 "2010-12-10T18:39:59Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > As someone who grew up with antique-dealer / collector parents, and as someone who spent MANY a weekend morning getting up at “way too fucking early for a kid” o’clock with my dad to go to flea markets, garage sales and collector’s fairs, it is just…interesting, to see this world I know so well portrayed on these shows and evolve because of it. > > The world of collecting and dealing was much more insular - no different than folks finding each other online who share medical conditions, sexual proclivities, geeky interests, etc. > > …and it was a lot easier to find a hidden gem back then ;):mad: My mom was an antique dealer, I feel your pain … > [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > I didn’t know it was a genre now, but I’ve seen _Antiques Roadshow_. It’s watchable. > > The other part of the appeal is that it’s kind of like a quiz show that you can play along with at home. You see the item, take a wild guess at what a collector might pay for it, and then find out how closely your appraisal matches the actual appraisal. We used to watch it but fell out of the habit. Anybody else watch Lovejoy? We used to jokingly refer to it as the watchers guide to faking british antiques … =) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/28 "2010-12-10T19:12:47Z")
I’ve always enjoyed the contrast between the British and American versions of _Roadshow_, not only in the items brought in but in the reactions. On the British version, you have people bringing in Roman urns and ancient Celtic torcs that they dug up out of their back garden. I haven’t really ever seen anything older than about 200 years on the American version. On the British version, astronomical values are met with “Ah…bit of a nest egg, in’nt it?” On the American version people’s eyes pop and they all but scream when it’s worth anything over $1000. ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/29 "2010-12-11T16:34:11Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Yeah, and I’m not sure I’d put \*Hardcore Pawn \*in with _Antiques Roadshow_. Yeah, they are loosely related within the genre, but I’m talking about reality shows based upon things being bought and sold. Antiques Roadshow inspired Pawn Stars. Then TruTV ripped off Pawn Stars with Hardcore Pawn. Hardcore Pawn is a hunk of crud but you can’t deny that it was produced just because Pawn Stars was a hit. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/30 "2010-12-11T16:44:04Z")
According to the grandson, Pawn Stars was created because a TV producer was in Las Vegas and saw the shop and liked it. He decided to do the show because he wanted a reason to make trips to Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/31 "2010-12-11T18:00:07Z")
> [@monkeylucifer](#): > > Here’s a list off the top of my head of ones currently airing: > Antiques Roadshow (the grand daddy of them all) > Cash in the Attic > Pawn Stars > Hardcore Pawn > American Pickers > Auction Kings > Auction Hunters > Storage Wars > Hollywood Treasures > American Restoration How could you not remember **Pawn Queens**? ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/32 "2010-12-12T21:31:20Z")
> [@monkeylucifer](#): > > Yeah, they are loosely related within the genre, but I’m talking about reality shows based upon things being bought and sold. Antiques Roadshow inspired Pawn Stars. Then TruTV ripped off Pawn Stars with Hardcore Pawn. Hardcore Pawn is a hunk of crud but you can’t deny that it was produced just because Pawn Stars was a hit. Oh, absolutely. \*Hardcore Pawn \*basically takes the elements that _Pawn Stars_ does not have in common with \*Antiques Roadshow \*and fills them out with probably the most blatant selections of ethnic profiling on television. \*Pawn Stars \*links AR and HP, but the two don’t resemble each other in isolation. There’s very little appraisal in _Hardcore Pawn_–they have their customers over a barrel and take full advantage of that. It’s like _Cops_, but without the good guys. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/33 "2010-12-12T21:38:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The Dahl story is [“Parson’s Pleasure”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parson%27s_Pleasure_%28short_story%29) from _Tales of the Unexpected_. Now there’s a story that always provokes _schadenfreude._ I’m so burnt out on the commercialism that we are constantly bombarded with that my take on these shows is that they are primer to keep our acquisitive society constantly wanting something more, something new. How else can we keep the economy afloat? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/34 "2010-12-13T14:27:19Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] On the British version, you have people bringing in Roman urns and ancient Celtic torcs that they dug up out of their back garden. I haven’t really ever seen anything older than about 200 years on the American version. [/QUOTE] Wasn’t there a Doper who lived in the UK who would quip about us Yanks something like “I have furniture that’s older than your country.”? To describe much of the North American continent as sparsely populated through history would be kind, so there are hundreds of thousands of square miles that just won’t have any significant artifacts in the earth. Even today, Montana’s pretty desolate. Most likely, if there’s anything there, it was dropped by someone passing through on the way to somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524/35 "2010-12-13T14:30:40Z")
Or a dinosaur. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-many-reality-shows-about-buying-selling-or-having-items-appraised/563524.md?page=1)