The twenty-third season of Pawn Stars kicks off with an episode packed with unique items and interesting characters walking through the doors of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. The show begins with a customer bringing in what looks like a futuristic model – a salesman’s sample from Bigelow Aerospace. The seller explains that this isn’t just any model; it’s an aluminum representation of what was supposed to be a revolutionary idea in space exploration. Bigelow Aerospace had this wild plan to basically create timeshares in space, where businesses could rent space stations to conduct their research. It’s the kind of thing that sounds like science fiction, but was actually a real business plan. Rick Harrison, who’s seen just about everything in his shop, admits he’s never heard of this company, which makes him both curious and cautious.

To get to the bottom of this space mystery, Rick calls in his expert known as the “Beard of Knowledge.” This expert reveals the fascinating story behind the model – it turns out Robert Bigelow, the same guy who owned Budget Suites hotels, decided to venture into the space business. His big idea was to create expandable space units that would be cheaper to rent than paying NASA for time on the International Space Station. While this particular concept didn’t make it to the stars, Bigelow did eventually succeed in creating a different version that actually became part of the International Space Station. Despite this cool history, when Rick offers $300 for the piece, the seller decides he’d rather keep it in his man cave, feeling it’s worth more than that.

The show then moves to a particularly interesting segment with Chumlee, who gets to examine something truly unique – a Darth Vader nutcracker made in Germany. This isn’t just any souvenir shop item; it’s a piece crafted by Steinbach, a company that’s been in the woodworking business for over two centuries. The seller tells the story of how he bought it back in 1997 at the FAO Schwarz store in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. The nutcracker shows some wear and tear, which they humorously refer to as “space battle damage,” but it still has its original box and most of its charm intact. The seller initially hopes for $595, but Chumlee explains that while it’s cool, it’s definitely a niche item. After some back and forth, they settle on $100, which seems fair given its condition and unique nature.

The episode takes an interesting turn when a seller brings in what he claims is a D’Aquisto guitar from the Fender custom shop. This isn’t just any guitar – the seller believes it was personally built by Jimmy D’Aquisto, one of the most respected names in guitar making, and asks for a whopping $90,000. However, when the guitar expert examines the instrument, things get complicated. While it’s definitely from the Fender custom shop, there’s no solid evidence that D’Aquisto himself built it. Instead, it appears to be more of a collaboration, likely involving Steven Stern, another respected master builder. Without proper documentation proving D’Aquisto’s direct involvement, the expert values it at around $10,000 – quite a drop from the asking price. The seller, understandably disappointed, decides to take the guitar back and look for documentation to prove its prestigious origin.

One of the most interesting segments features a piece of Las Vegas sports history – vintage Formula 1 racing tickets from the 1981 Caesars Palace Grand Prix. These tickets, ranging from $50 to $250 in their original prices (which would be worth thousands today), represent a fascinating chapter in Las Vegas racing history. The seller got them from his old roommate who worked as an executive at Caesars, and they’re in remarkable condition. Rick, recognizing their historical significance especially with F1’s recent return to Las Vegas, negotiates and eventually buys the set for $350, seeing both their collectible value and their connection to local history.

A special highlight of the episode comes when pop icon Taylor Dayne visits the shop. She’s there to sell some of her iconic stage outfits as part of celebrating her 35-year career in music. Among the pieces is the famous “Tell It To My Heart” skirt and other custom-made outfits from her performances and videos. There’s a great moment where they discuss her rapid rise to fame, including how within six months of her hit, she was opening for Michael Jackson on his Bad tour. While she hopes to get $25,000 for the skirt alone, Rick manages to negotiate a deal for one of her performance tops for $1,500, planning to make it a special display piece in his shop.

The episode continues with an interesting piece of country music history when Corey examines a Music City News award that was supposedly presented to Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton. There’s an amusing detail here – Dolly’s name is actually misspelled as “Patron” on the award. When they bring in a music memorabilia expert, they learn something fascinating about the history of country music awards. While these awards were legitimate, they were considered among the less prestigious ones in country music, as there were numerous award-giving organizations at the time. The expert explains that everyone from the Country Music Academy to the Truck Drivers Association was giving out awards in Nashville back then. After learning this history and the award’s true value of around $600, Corey manages to purchase it for $250.

A particularly interesting segment involves Chum examining artifacts from Papua New Guinea – a stone axe and a currency stone. The seller, who got these items while doing missionary work, hopes to get $4,000 for both pieces. However, when expert Bob Dodge examines them, he reveals some interesting details. While both items are authentic, they’re not as valuable as hoped. The axe, while made correctly, shows little evidence of actual tribal use, which significantly decreases its value for collectors. The currency stone, known as a “mok mok,” is interesting but not particularly old. When Chum offers $500 for both pieces, the seller decides their sentimental value outweighs the monetary offer and keeps them.

The episode concludes with a highly entertaining segment where Chumlee, who owns a candy shop, presents Rick with three custom ice cream flavors he’s created. The first flavor, “Chumlee’s Cherry Jubilee,” actually gets Rick’s approval. However, things go downhill from there. “Big Hoss’s Sweet and Sour” contains chewy candy that Rick finds too difficult to eat in ice cream, and “Boss’s Butter Ball” literally contains chunks of butter – a concept that Rick finds completely absurd. The episode ends on a comedic note when Chumlee reveals he’s already purchased 10 gallons of each flavor before testing them, leaving Rick laughing at his friend’s predicament.

This episode perfectly encapsulates what makes Pawn Stars so engaging – it’s not just about buying and selling items, but about the stories behind them. From space station models to pop star wardrobes, from Formula 1 history to country music awards, each item brings its own unique tale. The show manages to be both educational and entertaining, teaching viewers about history while keeping them engaged with the personalities and negotiations. The way the episode ends with Chumlee’s ice cream experiment adds that perfect touch of humor that fans have come to expect from the show, reminding us that amid all the serious business and historical artifacts, there’s always room for a good laugh at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

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