The World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop was not created just for Pawn Stars — not by a long shot. The pawn shop game has been a part of the Harrison family for decades now. It began when the late Richard "The Old Man" Harrison and his wife, Joanne Rhue, relocated to Las Vegas after her real estate business failed, per Wikipedia.

With only $5,000 to their name, Richard and Joanne were attempting to get a footing in the new city. So, Richard and Joanne decided to open up their first shop: The Gold & Silver Coin Shop. Aided by their son Rick, this initial location was housed in a 300-square-foot space at 1501 Las Vegas Boulevard.

After five years, the business was relocated to a bigger space at 413 Fremont Street. However, the family lost their lease at that location after only two years. Luckily for them, they scored a huge victory when they received their license to buy and sell secondhand goods in 1987.

With that license, the business pivoted from precious metals only to what would become the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop at 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South. They now deal in a variety of rare goods.

When Richard died in 2018, Rick assumed control of the shop. Ever since Pawn Stars began in 2009, the show has been filmed at the 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South location.