After discovering a hidden gem inside the wall of a property he was remodeling, the Lakewood man recently found himself in Las Vegas taping an episode with his wife Diane.

“This was basically a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Mathews said. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Mathews said the journey of appearing on “Pawn Stars” begins several years ago when he bought a property on North Main Street in Jamestown. With intentions of turning the property into a rental and commercial unit, Mathews has been renovating the interior for the last few years.

Over the summer, while removing a wall, Mathews came across an antique item more than 100 years old. Because he signed a non-disclosure agreement, the Lakewood man said he couldn’t give away too many details regarding the item other than to say it was used in the medical industry and was manufactured in Ohio.

The Mathews are pictured with Rick Harrison in Las Vegas. Submitted photo

Not sure of the antique’s value, Mathews listed photographs on an online auction site.

It was then he received an email from a New York City agency expressing interest in having him appear on the show.

“Pawn Stars” features the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. The show, which first aired on the History channel in July 2009, stars Rick Harrison, his son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison and Corey’s childhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. The reality show has been one of History’s highest-rated series and has made the pawn shop a tourist destination in Las Vegas.

After talking to producers about the antique, Mathews agreed to appear on the show. He and his wife flew to Las Vegas on Nov. 9, and arrived at the shop for filming three days later.

Mathews said it took about two hours from beginning to end to film his segment of the show with Chumlee.

“I’ve been a loyal viewer of the show,” he said. “I’ve probably been watching it for the last 10 years. I never expected this to happen. … Me and my wife were thinking about going to Vegas, and that’s when all of this happened.”

Although Mathews can’t say what came of the antique after appearing on the show, he said the entire experience was worth the cross-country trip.

“It was great to see all of them in person,” he said of the show’s stars. “You learn a lot about the show that you don’t see on TV.”

Mathews wasn’t told when his segment might appear on the show, though producers said it would be during the next season.