A LABEL on a vintage suit has made its value upwards of $12,000.
The rare item was bought by a collector for its unique look and association with magic, but they were unaware of its famous history.
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The collector, Peter, took it to Pawn Stars’ Corey Harrison for an evaluation during a recent episode to learn more about it.
Corey initially directed Peter to a vintage clothing shop down the street upon his initial viewing of the suit.
That was before Peter explained that he would’ve done just that, but before giving it away, he looked at a label stitched into its side.
It read “Kodell,” and some quick research made him believe it could’ve been tied to the legendary magician Jack Kodell.
Kodell was considered to be a pioneer among American magicians.
Corey asked Peter if there were any secret compartments in the suit or info he could pass along that could indicate its worth.
“I really don’t know much, man, not much at all,” Peter admitted.
The Pawn Star decided it was best to bring in an expert for a second look to get more insight on exactly where the vintage suit came from and if it did belong to Jack Kodell.
FUNNY STORY
Magician and comedian Murray SawChuck later stopped in the shop to take a second look at the item.
Murray gave a more detailed rundown on Jack Kodell, who started performing in Las Vegas at 19 years old and was the first magician to do so.
Kodell was also paid $1,500 a week to do the shows, a salary that equates to around $16,000 today.
“This could be really valuable, this could be huge,” Murray told Peter.
Murray suspected that the vintage suit could’ve come from a famous true and funny story in magic history.
Kodell was once performing his show on ice at Empress Hall in England and was asked by a producer to wear a white suit (similar to the one Peter had) instead of his typical maroon outfit.
Most Lucrative Pawn Stars Deals
The Pawn Stars have seen some incredibly rare items and collectibles in and out of the store over the years. Below are a few of the most valuable finds in the show’s history:
- George Washington Suit: $3 million
- O.J. Simpson’s Getaway Car: $1.3 million
- 45-Foot Dinosaur Robot: $1 million
- Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar: $750,000 to $1 million
- Signed Beatles Contract: $500,000
- Where The Wild Things Are Artwork: $250,000
- 2,000-Year-Old Roman Coin: $150,000
- 200lbs of Silver: $111,000
- New England Patriots Super Bowl Ring (2001): $100,000
- 1932 Lincoln Roadster: $95,000
Credit: WatchMojo
He obliged the producer’s wishes despite voicing that the audience would likely not be able to see it well given the white suit, ice, and white doves in the act.
Turns out Kodell was right, and he quickly went back to the maroon suit, but no one knew where the white suit went.
CRUCIAL INSCRPITION
“Is there anything on this that would guarantee it was from that show?” Corey asked.
Murray confirmed that the confirmation would lie on the tag with Kodell’s name.
The suit would’ve been crafted by Cyril Castle, one of the best tailors in England at the time, who had an assistant by the name of B. Alster.
Sure enough, the label on the inside showed “Cyril A. Castle LTD” and a marking from none other than “B. Alster.”
“That’s the original label,” Murray exclaimed.
DEAL DISAPPEARED
Given the verification, he valued the suit between $9,500 and $12,500.
While Peter wanted $12,000 for the suit from Corey after Murray’s appraisal, the Pawn Star couldn’t make it happen.
The pair went back and forth on price before hitting a fork in the road at a $10,000 offer, and Peter decided to keep it to sell somewhere else.
It would be the first famous suit to come to the Pawn Stars, either.
A suit once sold for $40,000 to the shop thanks to its special rock n’ roll history.
The jacket that belonged to a legendary actor also sold for $8,500.
