Alex Carson
American Restoration is a spinoff of the hit reality television series Pawn Stars. While Pawn Stars focuses on the family-owned business the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, American Restoration follows the business of Rick Dale. Rick Dale has appeared multiple times on Pawn Stars to appraise and restore various items of value. His work became popular through Pawn Stars, and after a while, it was decided he should have his own reality TV show.
Many fans of Pawn Stars tuned in to the new American Restoration. The genre was similar to Pawn Stars, but with a slightly different focus. Despite its title, American Restoration wasn’t only popular in America. It was broadcast internationally under the title Kings of Restoration, so it would appeal to a wider audience. People in Canada, Australia, and even New Zealand loved watching American Restoration, as well!
American Restoration took place in Rick Dale’s shop, Rick’s Restorations, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rick Dale works as both a metal artist and a restorer of antique items. The show, however, mainly focused on his restoration abilities. In Rick’s Restorations, he worked with his teenage son and several staff members, where they restored valuable antique items.
The Seven Seasons
The show aired on October 25th, 2010, and it ran for seven seasons before it eventually ended on April 1st, 2016. The seventh and final season, however, was quite different from the previous six seasons. The cast was replaced entirely, and rather than focusing on one restoration shop, the show followed five separate restoration shops. Viewers were dismayed by the change, and the show was canceled after season seven.
Of course, you should never let the term “reality television” deceive you. Every reality TV show hides at least a few dark secrets, and American Restoration is no different. In today’s video, we’re going to look at some of the shocking behind-the-scenes secrets of this beloved TV show. Make sure you stick around until the very end, where we’ll reveal Rick Dale’s surprising origin story.
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Facts Verse Presents: Dark Secrets Behind American Restoration
Rick Has a History of Cheating Customers
An important part of owning a business is making sure you never do anything that could tarnish your reputation. However, Rick Dale seemed to become quite self-assured after his shop became famous due to his new television show. As a result, he may have engaged in a few less-than-savory business practices.
One man, an 85-year-old named Angel Delgadillo, kept a memorabilia shop. He allowed the crew of American Restoration film inside it so he could ask Rick to repair a jukebox that was no longer working. He wanted to use the jukebox to play music for his guests. Rick saw the sweet old man and knew he had found a great opportunity. He agreed to fix the jukebox for what he said was a fair price – $4,000.
The jukebox took Rick two months to return, and Angel Delgadillo agreed that it looked much better than it once had. However, even though he had paid a beastly $4,000, the jukebox still didn’t work! Angel tried to contact Rick Dale for ages, using both letters and phone calls, but he got no response. He was lucky, however, because the Internet started taking interest in his story. To avoid a bad reputation, Rick Dale finally agreed to take the jukebox over to someone good with electronics, and he paid for the restoration himself.
If the story hadn’t garnered the attention of the press, who knows if Angel Delgadillo would have ever gotten his jukebox in working order?
Kowboy Is Rude To His Fans
There’s nothing more depressing than finding out a celebrity you look up to is incredibly rude in real life. Kowboy is a zany character in American Restoration who specializes in polishing metal in Rick’s shop. Throughout the show, Kowboy is described as being grumpy, and he is well-known for his irritability. While this personality trait may seem funny and even charming onscreen, it’s not so pleasant in person.
One poor woman visited Rick’s Restorations with her fiance for a tour. Just as the couple was about to leave, however, they ran straight into Kowboy. The two were excited to meet him, and the woman asked if he would take a picture with them. Kowboy’s grumpy response? “I don’t do photos.”
Confused, the woman asked if Kowboy was joking. He responded once more, saying “I’m quite serious,” and then he walked away.
Of course, Kowboy could have simply been having a bad day. Celebrities are often pestered 24/7 for photos. And, of course, if he doesn’t like to take photos, he doesn’t owe anybody a picture. Still, there are more polite ways of explaining your preference than grumpily walking away! Click the like button if you think Kowboy should have been more polite.
Everyone Hates the Public Tour
Thousands of American Restoration fans flock to Rick’s Restoration in Las Vegas, Nevada. There, they can take a tour of the shop, and see the space where the characters on the show work and film. While this may sound like a great vacation idea, many visitors warn it is an awful experience.
Most agree that the whole tour is designed to make as much money as possible. There are two different tour options for visitors; one lasts for ten minutes and is ultimately centered around the gift shop. The tour is so fast, there’s hardly a chance to see any of the people who appear on the show. While you can look through the windows of the shop, you’re also not allowed to take any pictures.
The second version of the tour is significantly more expensive. It costs $50, but the only differences are that you are allowed to look at some of the items that are being restored, and you’re allowed to take pictures. Furthermore, if you pay an added $25, the crew will mail a picture of you and Rick to your home address. If you feel like spending tons of money on a bogus tour, go right ahead! But don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The Show’s Timeline is Fake
This one may not come as a surprise to most people, considering the whole business of reality TV is to warp reality for entertainment. Sadly, this is no different when it comes to American Restoration. Television would love to have you believe that working in a restoration shop is exciting, but the cold, hard truth is that it is often boring. To spice things up, conversations with customers are often scripted, and the show often stretches the timeline to make it seem as though items take longer to restore than they actually do.
Guests on the show will usually be filmed twice; once as they discuss the product, and a second time as the finished product is revealed. However, in one case, a man named Howie Cohen opened up about his experience on the show. Instead of filming the product discussion first and the finished product later, the show filmed the product’s reveal first. Then, months later, they brought him in again to film him discussing the product. When the scenes were edited together, it made it look as if more time had passed.
Customers Complain of Poor Workmanship
While American Restoration would like to have you believe that the employees of Rick’s Restorations are the best in the business, reality is a far cry from television. Of course, this isn’t to say that Rick and his crew aren’t incredibly talented people. For the most part, they are very good at what they do. However, many customers have complained that the shop jacks up the price due to their fame, and the results aren’t worth the price.
Some customers have mentioned chipped paint, crooked wheel installations, and many other problems. It seems that, in some cases, Rick and his crew rush to get the job done so they can collect their hefty paycheck. Many people agree that, if you want an item restored, it’s best to go to an honest business where the employees aren’t world-famous.
They Don’t Get Always Get Along With Other Businesses
In season seven, after Rick Dale was removed by the show, he was replaced by several new cast members. One of these cast members was Dale Walksler. However, Dale didn’t seem to get along too well with his community. He attended a council meeting to discuss the potential reopening of a bar near his shop. While Walksler should have remained calm the entire time, he soon started a wild argument that would last four hours.
While he did bring up good points, saying that the bar had once brought in lots of seedy clientele, including biker gangs and drug users who often ended up in the parking lot of his shop, his tone was so aggressive that the other members of the council didn’t want to listen to him. The bar was reopened anyway.
Rick’s Secret Origin
Did you ever wonder how Rick got into the restoration business in the first place? Rick grew up in extreme poverty. His dad would find old, discarded items in dumpsters, and refurbish them. When Rick was just nine years old, his father found an old bike that had been thrown away. Together, father and son fixed up the bike, and Rick discovered a new passion. Today, he devotes his life to fixing up old trash and returning it to its former glory.
Despite its many dark secrets, American Restoration was a very popular show. Were you more surprised to learn that the employees sometimes perform poor work, or that Rick got his start in restoration from childhood poverty? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
