via press release from History] HISTORY(R) PUTS A SOUTHERN SPIN ON ITS MEGA HIT SERIES WITH… CAJUN PAWN STARS
New Series Premiering on Sunday, January 8 at 10pm ESTNew York, NY, December 2011 – Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, made internationally famous in HISTORY’s hit series Pawn Stars, isn’t the only family-run shop in America that’s bursting at the seams with one-of-a-kind historical items and fascinating stories. Silver Dollar Pawn & Jewelry Center in Alexandria, Louisiana owned and operated by Jimmie DeRamus and his family, is a colorful place that collects an eclectic array of historical merchandise, with a daily stream of quirky local characters attempting to sell, purchase or pawn items – including livestock.Now, the fascinating world of a southern pawn shop is revealed in the new 30-minute/14-episode series – Cajun Pawn Stars premiering Sunday, January 8 at 10pm EST.
Jimmie, a.k.a. “Big Daddy,” has been buying and selling for over 27 years and, no matter whether he’s haggling over the price of a vintage 1936 Ford flathead V8, a herd of donkeys or Jerry Lee Lewis’ first recording, he’s as savvy as they come. That said, it’s also important to Jimmie that both parties leave the deal with smiles on their faces. That’s how they do things in central Louisiana, where many of his customers are his neighbors.
Jimmie is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to valuable and historic collectibles. He’s a cautious buyer – one has to be to survive in this business – but also unafraid to make a bold move when he spots a true gem. For example, in the premiere episode, he doesn’t think twice about making a staggering $500,000 offer to acquire rare $10,000 and $5,000 bank notes.
Silver Dollar Pawn is one of the biggest shops in the south, a whopping 20,000 square feet that houses more than 100,000 artifacts. It’s a veritable museum, frequented by school and bus tours. Each episode will focus not just on interesting items but the unique dynamic of Jimmie and his family, his daughter Tammie DeRamus and his younger brother Johnnie DeRamus, and their circle of expert appraisers and buyers from the area.
Cajun Pawn Stars is produced for HISTORY by Leftfield Pictures. Executive Producers for HISTORY are Paul Cabana and Mary Donahue. Brent Montgomery and David George are Executive Producers for Leftfield Pictures. Joel Patterson is Showrunner for Leftfield.
I have found out by experience that the general consensus of most people in tourism and in city government around here is to ignore it till it slaps them in the ass and then they scramble to try to take some credit for it. It is my understanding that our city government in no way encoraged or took part in it’s becoming a reality.
(That may end up being a good thing.)
Alex
