Vintage 1940s National Mandolin Featured on "Pawn Stars" TV Show

[Ed Goist]

This coming Monday at 10PM eastern time, on the History Channel, here will be a new episode of Pawn Stars (http://www.history.com/shows/pawn-stars/episodes/current-season#slide-1) that will have a segment about a vintage National mandolin from the 1940s.

[allenhopkins]

Saw the previews; apparently a Triolian steel body from the very late 1930's, up to the discontinuance of National production in 1941, since it has the "chicken foot" coverplate, which per Brozman's book, was introduced late 1936 or 1937. Polychrome finish. Will be interesting to see what value Cowtown Guitars assigns to it.

[P.D. Kirby]

Based on Cowtown's current web pricing I expect it will be on the high side of astronomical. But then I'm sure being in Vegas they have the clientèle that will pay the big bucks. Providing Chumlee doesn't do the negotiating they will get it for half of astronomical.

[allenhopkins]

Well, surprisingly defensible treatment of the National mandolin on Pawn Stars. Instrument was quite "whipped," pickguard missing, tuner buttons replaced with homemade wooden lumps, chipped headstock overlay, no tailpiece cover. The Cowtown guy correctly ID'ed it, said it might be worth $1K "as is," which struck me as pretty generous. Rick paid $500 for it, gave it to Cowtown to restore, and got back a nice restoration at a very reasonable $150 -- cleaned up, new pickguard made, tuner buttons replaced. Estimated value in that condition was $2K.

Couple odd things about the mandolin. It looked like a late '30's Triolian, with the "chicken foot" ("V" piercings looking like chicken tracks) coverplate, and I thought it had the painted "polychrome" finish, but when it was cleaned up, it seemed to have a greenish-gray finish with the sand-blasted Hawaiian palm trees on the back. Most Triolians had a paint finish, either polychrome or faux walnut (the "piano" finish), and the back decor was painted on, floral or Hawaiian motifs. So a bit of an oddity, but with Nationals, oddities seem less odd than non-oddities, if you catch my drift...

Anyway, after some really unrealistic episodes with vintage instruments, Pawn Stars seems to have gotten this one substantially right.

[P.D. Kirby]

Allen, I think Rick Harrison might be reading the Cafe. I was completely amazed with Cowtowns $150.00 restoration price and it was good looking work, it seems as you said they got this one right to a degree. I still think in the current market you would be hard pressed to find a buyer at 2k for a refurbished one when these pop up several times a year here and on e-pay in excellent original condition for the same price point. I just wish they would have found a real Mandolin player to demo it. Comparatively speaking it made me feel good about my picking.

[JeffD]

I just saw this episode. I wish I could have taped it to see it again. It looked as if there was a problem with the strings in the restored instrument - the E strings were farther apart, it seemed, than the other courses.

[journeybear]

The episode is titled "Buyer Beware." Keep an eye out for it on listing guides like zap2it (http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCGrid.do) (my main source). Also, if you have On Demand, they rotate these shows (not currently available; keep checking).