So, what are you looking to do with it today? Pawn it or sell it? Sell it, well the best I can do is $10.

"But ya' gotta understand... if I buy that list from you, it's gonna sit on the shelf until exactly the right kid with the same wishes comes in, and shelf space costs money.

I can go $25, $27 *tops*."

< cut to new set >

"I gotta tell ya'. I'm pretty excited that I got that list for only $27. I mean, it's original list from early in Santa's collection. Restored, it's worth wayyy more than that, and I know just the guy to take it to. I just hope my idiot son didn't blow that profit on another boat."

"You've got a solid gold safe filled with hundred dollar bills? I can go forty on that. Yeah, I know it seems low but I'm going to have to go in for WD40 for the hinge and the solid gold safe market has been down this year"

"Pawn Stars" does lowball the HELL out of stuff.

But you know what? If you find out that something is worth $10000, and are offered $3000, and TAKE THE OFFER, it's your own stupid fault.

Every time I watch "Pawn Stars", all I can think is "Haven't any of these people heard of eBay?".

Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

realmolo: "Pawn Stars" does lowball the HELL out of stuff.

But you know what? If you find out that something is worth $10000, and are offered $3000, and TAKE THE OFFER, it's your own stupid fault.

Every time I watch "Pawn Stars", all I can think is "Haven't any of these people heard of eBay?".

Its Vegas and they are going to go triple up that money on the tables as soon as they leave the shop. Ebay would take a weeks to get a sell, then they gotta ship it... plus you sort of need a bank account for the paypal and currently that's overdrawn....

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

Pawn shops used to have way better stuff before the payday loan places took the serial hockers off the market.

It's simple, really. I don't understand why people don't farking get it.

See, until I sell something, it's actually worth $0. I don't care if it's been "appraised" at $10k, because until I move it I have $0.

If someone offers me $3k for it, and I accept that offer and take their money, then that was a good deal. Because I had $0. Now I have $3k and the responsibility of the item has been lifted from me.

"But it was worth $10k! You lost money!" and other such rabble.

By taking the $3k I am agreeing to something. I am agreeing that I am terrible at selling things. I could have gotten $10k according to appraisal. But then I have to make a listing. I have to wait for people to find it, or advertise the listing myself by stapling some flyers on some boards. I have to deal with people who are going to haggle me. I have to store the item before I sell it. I may have to deliver the item by either physically taking it somewhere, or sticking it in a box and shipping it. The customer might pick it up, so now I have to arrange the details on when and where. I might get mugged during the pickup or delivery, or when I get it there the customer might try to "Oh, I know we said $10k, but I only brought $6k, deal anyway?" last minute haggling bullshiat. Or I could get a Paypal fraud scam and lose my money to an unscrupulous customer after I've already shipped the item. This doesn't even mention sales tax or any of the other commerce related bullshiat people just flat ignore when they're selling their stuff privately.

By taking the $3k I am agreeing that it isn't worth my time to deal with all that. Just give me the cash and I'm out. It's your problem to sell the thing for $10k now. And they're better equipped to do it. They have a store to sell things from. Organized shelves. A customer base they've built up over being in the business of selling things for so long. An advertising budget and a relationship with the local news to get deals on their advertising dollar. A staff to keep the store open all day long on the chance that someone might come in and buy something. An accountant to handle their sales tax and pinch all their pennies. That shiat costs them money to keep and organize. Hence why they "lowball" you in the first place. If they can't make a dollar on it, it isn't worth their time to try and sell it as much as it isn't worth your time to try and sell it yourself.

I like browsing pawn shops. No shame in saving money. Got a great deal on my first banjo & second.

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

I WISH I could find a pawn shop with circa 1968 stereo gear... around here, all the pawnbrokers seem to sell is rusty tools, cheap Wal-Mart bikes, really crappy "Geneva" branded watches (which they try to pass off as high-end) and BPC stereo gear that was originally sold in drug stores. Sheer, utter crap - I get better stuff curbside than I've ever found in a pawn shop around here...

My only decent experience was when I was going through the CD bin - filled with stuff nobody actually ever bought - when a salesperson (apparently the new guy) excitedly told me there was a box they'd just gotten in in the back room. He took me back there, and it was filled with relatively current Alt-rock, industrial, and electronica. I bought about $100 worth at their 5-for-$10 "deal". The cashier who took my money told me, under his breath, that that guy wouldn't be working there long, that those CDs (like all the other good stuff in the back) was meant for eBay. I've been back to the store since, they still have the same crappy CDs in the bin as a few years ago, and nobody has ever offered to show me what they had in the back.

Having just bought a five-string bass from a pawn shop a few days ago, I'm getting a kick...

/ 40% off
// Dean Edge 5-string lefty.
/// does not play lefty but plan on flipping it for a profit and buying a 5-string I like

bittermang: By taking the $3k I am agreeing to something. I am agreeing that I am terrible at selling things.

If I ever read a software EULA or website Terms of Service, I bet I'd find a similar clause. "By using the Site I agree I am terrible at selling things."

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

I just went to one last week, and I almost bought a Dell 22" LCD monitor for $30. (My friend needed it more, so I let him buy it instead.) That one also has plenty of nice tools, decent guitars, etc at pretty low prices.

I'm still thinking about going back for a 42" LED TV they have marked at $250. If I can get it for $200 I probably will get it this week.

There are plenty of crappy pawn shops around, but there are some nice ones with great deals. Just don't go buy that TV out from under me.

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

Staff and friends of staff have first pick of items coming off hock or that were sold outright, my roommate was good friends with a couple of people who worked at pawnshops and amassed a pretty nice antique watch collection relatively cheep. I just go for the SLR lenses take your local pawn dealer out for a beer once a month and mention if he ever has any____ to give you a call.

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I am convinced that the merchandise exists only to convince passers-by that whatever league of evil secret lair it is hiding is a legitimate business. I bet in back, the floor is canted at a 15-degree angle and there are people dressed in supervillian costumes. That's my theory, anyway.

In high school, we used to buy guitars there on the cheap, take them home and tear them apart and paint / rebuild them. they weren't worth a shiat, but then again, we didn't pay for shiat for them, either.

I've always wondered if one could simply stand on the sidewalk outside a pawnbroker and snag the better stuff from people before they got inside, even paying them more than the pawnbroker would.

downstairs: devildog123: downstairs: realmolo: "Pawn Stars" does lowball the HELL out of stuff.

Exactly. Why the fark don't these people sell it on eBay at or near its street value. Before eBay, sure. But nowadays?

Do you really think that most of those people are the actual owners of the stuff they're trying to "sell"? These are people who answered a casting call, and were handed an item and a script.

[Citation Needed]

You seriously think the show is real?

tillerman35: Where are these pawn shops that actually sell things? I've never found one, and I've checked out quite a few over the years. All I seem to find are places with rusty hand tools, crappy stereo equipment circa 1968, horrid furniture with big chunks of the veneer knocked off and the underlying pressboard crumbling out, and used CDs priced at $15.

I know exactly what you mean, that's all they seem to sell around here too. That along with a display case full of butt ugly gold rings and some used hand guns that most likely have a police warrant associated with them.

I usually stop into a pawn shop about once a year to remind myself why I don't shop at pawn shops. I've never seen anything that I would consider a good deal in one. Half of what they sell is old/outdated junk anyway, I'm hard pressed to tell if the person sold it because they needed money or because they just wanted to get rid of some junk they had lying around, I've thrown out better looking stuff than I've seen at a typical pawn shop. When they do have something that looks decent they usually want damn near retail for it. I'm of the opinion that anything used should be a minimum of half of what a new one would cost if the item is in perfect shape and the price should go down from there.

jjorsett: I've always wondered if one could simply stand on the sidewalk outside a pawnbroker and snag the better stuff from people before they got inside, even paying them more than the pawnbroker would.

My dad bought a stereo from a guy in the parking lot of a pawn shop. The guy didn't like the shop's offer, and they both got a great deal.