Digital Social Hour – Chumlee: How Chumlee Transformed His Brand Beyond Pawn Stars | DSH #1525
Release Date: September 6, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Chumlee
Overview
In this episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Chumlee, the beloved star of "Pawn Stars," to discuss how he's grown far beyond his reality TV roots. Chumlee reveals the intentionality behind his on-screen character, his evolution as a businessman, and his current multi-faceted ventures—from collectibles and Pokémon to coins, candy, and even beef jerky. The conversation is candid and energetic, full of behind-the-scenes insights, entrepreneurial lessons, and honest talk about fame, negotiation, and building a personal brand in the digital age.
Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points
1. Crafting the Chumlee Persona on Pawn Stars
- Intentional Character Design: Chumlee shares that his persona on "Pawn Stars" as the comedic relief was a conscious choice based on TV archetypes.
- Quote: "What I did was just took my natural character flaws and just like over exaggerated them times 10...with the goal of, you know, when you go to Thanksgiving dinner and everyone likes Uncle Billy, but Uncle Billy's just a little bit different." (01:12)
- Character Evolution: At nearly 43, Chumlee appreciates the opportunity to grow up on TV and mature as a person and businessman.
- Quote: “This year I’ll be 43. That’s the age Rick was when we started filming Pawn Stars.” (02:09)
2. Business Beyond the Pawn Shop: Collectibles, Pokémon, and More
- Flipping Hustle: Chumlee discusses being labeled both a businessman and a scalper, and his philosophy on buying/selling.
- Quote: “In Pokemon, there’s a thing called the Game Piece Army...they want everything to be worthless. And then the collectors, the investors—they want everything to be worth money.” (03:19)
- Deal Strategy: He dissects margins, negotiation tactics, and how he decides when to walk away.
- Quote: “I’ll tell people straight up, ‘this is the exact percentage I’m paying for it...If you can get a better offer somewhere else, take it.’” (09:29)
- Platforms & Expansion: Talks about live-selling on TikTok, Whatnot, eBay, and moving into coins.
- Quote: “On TikTok shop, I go wide. I’m selling football, One Piece, Pokémon, Disney Lorcana, vintage Naruto...I can put everything in there.” (10:29)
3. Negotiation, Learning, and Business Wisdom
- The Art of the Deal: Insights from over two decades in the pawn shop, and how negotiation has changed in the digital era.
- Quote: “Rick’s number one rule is know when to walk away. Some of the best deals that you make are the ones you walk away from.” (20:13)
- Education: Recommends the book "Surrounded by Idiots" for anyone in sales or negotiation.
- Quote: “It helps you to identify what color or combination of colors people may be...It helps you in negotiating with certain types of characteristics.” (18:53)
- Marketplace Evolution: Transparency about how online groups and direct sales have changed the value equation for resellers.
- Quote: “Now you can go on a Facebook group and sell it for 95–100%. Ten, twenty years ago you were limited.” (21:07)
4. Chumlee’s Entrepreneurial Ventures
- Beef Jerky Brand: Launched Chumlee’s Awesome Jerky, working on rebranding to break into retail aisles.
- Quote: “We’re running through the last bags, and we’re going to rebrand it...to fit into the beef jerky aisle.” (27:00)
- Candy Shop: Opened near the pawn shop to provide for his brother and connect with fans.
- Quote: “I started it...just didn’t want my brother to have to work for anyone. So, like, oh, let’s just open a candy shop right here.” (45:56)
5. Collecting Trends and Community
- Pokémon & Card Breaks: The modern collectibles boom, community, rarity, and creating childhood memories.
- Quote: “We’re selling a memory and experience, because these people...are also creating a memory that gives them an interaction to have a moment with someone that they grew up watching.” (12:24)
- Emerging Fads: Boo Boos (K-pop collectibles)—an overview of new collectible trends and market dynamics.
- Quote: “I spent $55,000 on these this week. I see they're gonna make or break.” (29:52)
- Personal Collection: Most cherished item? A 500-year-old samurai sword.
- Quote: “Samurai sword. It’s about 500 years old.” (33:51)
- Minimalist at Home: Despite dealing with thousands of items, Chumlee keeps his own home minimal.
6. Dealing with Fame and Internet Culture
- The TikTok Effect: Chumlee explains how social media transformed the Pawn Stars brand and revealed he’s “the guy from TikTok.”
- Quote: “I realized they’re watching Pawn Stars episodes on TikTok...So I was like, I’m the guy from TikTok now.” (42:54)
- Personal Brand Longevity: Discusses being underestimated, surviving internet memes, and building trust with fans.
- Quote: “If you’re not changing year by year, then, you know, what are you doing? ’Cause you got to progress in life.” (26:26)
7. Life, Poker, and The Vegas Hustle
- Gambling Roots: Swapping stories about early hustles, from selling candy and sports bets as a fifth grader to high-stakes poker as an adult.
- Quote: “My mom’s boyfriend...would bring me home the point spreads...I would take bets from everyone all day, and we would shoot dice under the playground.” (15:06)
- Poker Approach: More intuition than analytics, playing at stakes he’s comfortable with (“1,3 or 2,5”).
- Quote: “I’m just purely body language and try to make, like, does my play make sense from the very beginning?” (17:52)
- Vegas Realities: Why he doesn’t gamble much anymore—risk and dopamine.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “They see me from Pawn Stars...where basically I’m the butt of the joke or the comedic relief. But to be fair, Chumlee, the name comes from Tennessee Tuxedo...the dimwitted sidekick walrus.” (00:43)
- “If the deal’s not right, you got to walk away.” (06:22)
- “You’re selling an experience. That’s what card breaking is, basically.” (13:54, Host)
- “I work in the pawn shop. Every day I’m inside of that giant collection...That’s why at home I’m a minimalist.” (34:28)
- “No one uses shadows like Dali, and that’s, I think, what makes his art so special.” (39:44)
- “I’m an introvert who does really well extroverted, but I prefer not to be extroverted.” (41:57)
Timeline of Important Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:43–02:25 | Evolution and intentionality behind Chumlee’s persona on Pawn Stars | | 03:19–05:40 | Business of collectibles, flipping, and margins | | 06:31–10:29 | Negotiation tactics, deal percentages, and platforms (eBay, Whatnot, TikTok) | | 12:24–14:00 | Community aspects of collectibles and live breaking | | 18:53–20:13 | Book recommendations and negotiation philosophy | | 21:07–22:13 | How online selling and Facebook groups have transformed the collectibles marketplace | | 25:45–27:00 | On early hustles, gambling, and building new ventures | | 27:00–28:05 | Launching and rebranding Chumlee’s Awesome Jerky | | 29:06–32:47 | Boo Boos collectibles—navigating new collectible fads | | 33:51–34:28 | Most prized collectibles, minimalism at home, pawn shop stories | | 39:06–39:44 | Diving into art—admiration for Dali and art market nuances | | 41:57–42:11 | Introversion, handling fans, and traveling with Pawn Stars | | 42:54–43:39 | Social media’s effect on Pawn Stars and personal branding | | 45:56–47:09 | Candy business, working with family, managing multiple businesses | | 47:18–end | Final plugs (Pawn After Dark podcast, candy shop visits) |
Closing Thoughts
This fast-paced, insightful episode of Digital Social Hour goes far beyond the memes and TV edits, revealing Chumlee as a street-smart entrepreneur and collector with a sharp eye for negotiation and an adaptable hustle. Full of business takeaways and colorful stories, it’s a must for fans of collectibles, negotiation, Vegas lore—or anyone looking to level up their side hustle.
Check out Chumlee’s current projects, including the Pawn After Dark podcast and his candy shop, for a chance to meet the legend in person.