Pawn Stars, I don't have a problem with. Strike that, I don't have a problem with any idiot retarded enough to go somewhere they know for a fact won't get maximum value for it. Hihi, meet eBay. Before the net, maybe these places were an option. Now, it's an option for idiots. But anyway, Pawn Stars is dealing with historical items that are more auction material. Their value is extremely questionable. An estimate can be way too much, or if you have two bidders, it can be a fraction. These historical items all depend on the buyer.
Most of what those guys deal with is jewelry and a large percentage of their business is loans, but that isn't too interesting for the show, so they concentrate on the more exotic items.
I like the spin off show American Restoration, what that guy can do to restore an old piece of junk is amazing. The interesting thing they did a while back was to tie together Pickers, Restoration, and Pawn Stars to find and restore an old car, it really established where those guys stand in the financial pecking order. The pickers are the bottom feeders, driving around the country, digging through the garbage, picking up items to make a marginal profit on. The restoration guys have a real skill that earns them a steady income based on maintaining a regular client base. The pawn guys clearly stand at the top of the totem pole.