The Surprising Way That Pawn Stars Rakes In The Cash

While the Vegas-based Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, the location at which "Pawn Stars" is filmed, sees everything from antique china to Lamborghini Murcielagos pass through its doors, its branded merch is unquestionably its most consistent cash cow. Lines are often out the door for blocks, and most visitors don't have anything to sell. Instead, they come to see the famous shop, leaving with a commemorative key chain, T-shirt, or "BIG HOSS bowie knife."

The store itself is actually quite small, and the items in stock most often aren't the coveted collectibles featured on TV. Half of the shop is, in fact, a gift shop selling nothing but merchandise advertising the series, its cast, and the shop itself. As one visitor put it on Quora, "Think you're going to see a Jimi Hendrix autographed guitar on the wall? Forget it. Now, if you're in the market for a used Rolex watch, well then you're in business." Once the merchandise available from the show's website and its History Channel listing is factored in on top of in-person sales, it's clear that the biggest moneymaker for "Pawn Stars" is its own fame.