Recently on The History Channel's 'Pawn Stars', a lady approached the counter with a large, jeweled brooch in the shape of a spider.
To be certain, I would have to record the episode on my computer (through cable) when it re-runs, and I could pause the video at the precise moment that the box that came with the brooch is on screen. I think the box says "Faberge", and I know the piece was signed by Faberge.
The question now presents itself:
How long has that particular lady lived in the Stone Age? I am almost inclined to think that if the word 'Faberge' was written twice in relatively plain sight, and she STILL didn't know the value of the piece that she owned, she deserved to be taken by the owners of the pawn shop!
The client asked for $2,000, but Rick said that because he does have somewhat of a conscious (and that is questionable, at best!), he said he would immediately offer her $15,000 as his final offer. He did ultimately increase the offer to $16,000. She should have immediately thanked him for being somewhat honest, and took her brooch back, and left the shop immediately.
The next steps in her quest should have been to take her brooch to several different respectable high quality jewelers and had it appraised. She should have been upfront with the all of the jewelers, telling them that she is having the brooch appraised by several different jewelers, and after these appraisals, she would would ultimately decide if any, which jeweler she was going to sell to. I have seen internet appraisals of that brooch going for $50,000 - $70,000, and I have read several comments stating that if the cameras weren't on them, Rick would have offered her a flat $2,000. She would have had the choice to take the $2,000 or walk.
I am not as gullible as some reality TV viewers out there. I am completely schooled in the fact that "reality TV" is **not at all**, in fact, reality based. While I do believe he is knowledgeable, not for one second do I believe that Rick intellectually knows every detail that he mentions on the show about every item that comes on the show. The producers research these details, and he is briefed before that segment is filmed. In the same manner, I do not believe that when the customers that appear on the show walk into the shop, this is the first time that the employees of Pawn Stars and the camera crew have seen these people. These people have been interviewed, probably at length, and they have had to sign contracts before the filming. This gives the producers of the show time to do research on the item that they are trying to pawn, so they can fill in Rick for his 'informative segments'. In my Humble Opinion: Rick knew about that brooch, and he 'saw her coming'.
The moral of this particular saga is 'Do your own homework!" Considering the free-to-inexpensive costs for a home computer and internet service, combined with book shops and other readily available information resources, there is absolutely no reason anybody should not recognize the word 'Faberge'. That, in itself, is a grim reminder of increased speed that 'the dumbing down' of society is occurring, and that anything of high quality is quickly being discarded or forgotten.
At the end of this blog, I will post links to a part series about Faberge Eggs, the Russian Czars, and their history. At the end of the last clip, you hear the narrator's profound closing statement:
(Relating to Fabrege eggs):
"They are of a time and place that is no more, and will never come again."
That statement can be applied to Architecture, music, a lot of 'art', fashion, and almost anything produced today. In general, people are becoming increasingly lazy. Their focus has become 'What can you do for me NOW?', and their grasp has become an unequal balance between past, present and future. In order to have a well balanced, sustained society, we need to have an EQUAL grasp on the past, present and future. When that gets out of balance, the result is today's society! In Asian, Arabic, European countries, there are buildings, for example, that are easily over 1,000 years older than when this continent was discovered. One would be inclined to think that since the USA is relatively young in comparison, the citizens would be striving to maintain and preserve as much history as possible. Instead, the sad joke, "Let's demolish this building and build a parking garage or strip mall in it's place!" has embarrassingly be attached to us.
As promised, here is the 5 part series recorded from The History Channel on Faberge Eggs, the Russian Czars, and their detailed history.
I have posted all 5 clips from YouTube, but you can watch the first video, then look over in the right hand column of related videos. Find the next clip in the sequence, or you can click on the individual links below.
As I previously stated, at the end of the last clip, you will hear the narrator's profound closing statement: (pertaining to Faberge Eggs, or anything with true artistic value and detail):
"They are of a time and place that is no more, and will never come again."
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Here is another example of the now commonly accepted American value of bring proud of poor workmanship and quality. Yesterday, I heard a commercial on the radio. It was for a company that made windows. The line in the commercial that absolutely stunned me was this:
"If you plan on being in your current home only 3 - 5 years before you sell it, these windows are what you need for your home!"
I know my chin was on my chest for a half an hour! There are so many things wrong with that statement:
1) Being in your home 3 - 5 years before selling it. What is wrong with that statement? Does anybody else besides me remember the time that people made a careful choice as to where they wanted to live for the rest of their lives, and they bought that particular house, and it was passed down for generations in the family? Those days are long **GONE*!
2) The poor sucker that is buying that home after the 3 - 5 year period will have holes in his walls! WHAT THE HELL? Why proudly advertise poor craftsmanship, and continue to encourage a fickle, vagabond American society?
Unfortunately, the generation that is now raising today's youth never had these morals and standards instilled in them, either. It is the responsibility for each individual person to stop living a lazy, bland life, and to maintain strong standards for detail.
- Michael
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