Pawn Shop Savvy

[baboon]

They can’t take advantage of you unless you allow it.

And I don't. I am all to aware of the saying A Fool & His Money. I have over the years helped friends out with loans that they had to secure with something of value as collateral.

 

[PinnedandRecessed]

Is it wise to buy a gun which was previously owned by a person who had to pawn it, then couldn’t retrieve it ?

Those damn deplorables.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

I never was into pawn shops for anything. I always seen them as bottom feeders, taking advantage of people coming & going. Pawn shop realty shows seemed more like advertising then entertainment.

Most of the merchandise is stolen anyways.
I've bought a few guns and odds need back when prices were legitimate. I once traded an 870 for a Ruger #1 because the guy knew he could sell the 870 and the Ruger had been there for well over a year.
I traded the Ruger for a really nice Antonio Zoli over and under. That's been decades ago.

 

[Chupacabra Hunter]

Lay-a-way was mentioned earlier and is a relevant point to note.
Pawn shop prices are near or above retail and they offer lay-a-way whereas many places don’t offer it. It is a marketing tool to get sales from a demographic that doesn’t have the money for an outright cash purchase or a credit card with available credit to make the purchase. The people in that demographic are targeted and they don’t usually have many other options so the pawn shop gets about full retail on an item they paid 25-30% of its value.

Good point…. You got to know if you have a good deal. You cant just pay 100% of their asking price. Cant be afraid to bargain and ask for price out the door.


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[majormadmax]

After a pawn shop employee told me a milsurp rifle was "new" and hence there was no negotiating on the price, I knew I was wasting my time at them...

 

[Dawico]

Long story short. My Grandmother was buried with a very ornate heirloom vintage wedding band. I never should have let it happen but it did.
Almost ever since I have tried to find one like it or similar. I have looked online, some of the high end jewelry stores that buy estate jewelry and even pawn shops.
Think it was last year I went into a Pawn America I think it was, one of the big chain ones and was looking and asked to see a ring and the guy asked me for my ID. I asked him if I have to be a certain age to buy a ring and he says he is going to hold my ID while I look at the rings. I told him what he could do with his rings and promptly left the store to never return. I mean I get it to a point. but I was in the middle of the store. Not by the front door and looking at a $4-500 ring with no diamonds not 5K+ ring with major bling. Most likely will never enter a corporate Pawn Shop again in my lifetime.

Why did you take it so personal?

You either hold everyone's ID or no one's. You can't pick and choose based on a customer's looks or the item they're looking at.

Don't get me wrong, do what you're going to do. I wouldn't have been bothered by that policy.

 

[RaySendero]

After a pawn shop employee told me a milsurp rifle was "new" and hence there was no negotiating on the price, I knew I was wasting my time at them...

Well...I actually did find and buy a Yugoslavian M48A Mauser with all internals still packed so in cosmoline that I had to disassemble and clean out the bolt before it would even fire!

 

[10-96inTexas]

Most of the merchandise is stolen anyways.
I've bought a few guns and odds need back when prices were legitimate. I once traded an 870 for a Ruger #1 because the guy knew he could sell the 870 and the Ruger had been there for well over a year.
I traded the Ruger for a really nice Antonio Zoli over and under. That's been decades ago.

About stolen merchandise in pawnshops, If I had a firearm (or anything else of value) stolen, I would hope that it ended up in a pawn shop. Every item that a pawn shop takes in is reported to the local police department and checked against local reports for it being stolen. If it's a firearm (and many other serial numbered items) it is checked nationally through NCIC and firearms remains in that stolen database indefinitely. smart crooks sell on the street or elsewhere because of this.

If you have any serial numbered item stolen and you reported it with the serial number your best chance of getting it back is that it is sold or pawned to a pawn shop.

 

[Dermako]

Why did you take it so personal?

You either hold everyone's ID or no one's. You can't pick and choose based on a customer's looks or the item they're looking at.

Don't get me wrong, do what you're going to do. I wouldn't have been bothered by that policy.

The corporate pawns put lipstick on a pig and Lonestardiver said it best. They cater to a certain demographic. I obviously don’t meet the corporate criteria.
It’s ironic though I can feel right at home and engage with several local and central TX mom and pop pawns without issue.
I guess in a sense I did probably take it wrong. Just like the one and only time I ever purchased a firearm an Academy. Made me feel like it was a crime for purchasing it. Same thing only different, but same result…

 

[Moonpie]

Purchasing a firearm at Academy is an ordeal.
The counter commandos there have zero authority to think. It takes four different people to look your info over. Then they call you in even if you have a LTC.
Their paperless electronic system svcks ash.
Once I purchased a .22 rifle on line from Academy. Had it shipped to the local store. It duly arrived and I went to pick it up.
ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES it took to leave the damn store with it.
My god. I ripped that managers ash about the insane delays.
Go to the LGS Mom&Pop and I'm outta there in 10 minutes doing paper 4473's.

 

[Tnhawk]

Good point…. You got to know if you have a good deal. You cant just pay 100% of their asking price. Cant be afraid to bargain and ask for price out the door.


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The usual result is, I walk out the door, after getting their out the door price.

 

[Tnhawk]

Purchasing a firearm at Academy is an ordeal.

This is one of the reasons I haven't been to the gun counter at Academy in over five years.

 

[Iowashooter]

Good info and useful perspectives in this thread.

I’m going to stop at one today that has a robust selection of firearms, I’ve only been in once (to transfer a gun I bought online).

Looking for something I don’t know I need yet

 

[PinnedandRecessed]

Pawn shops tend to reflect the area in which they are located. They are in the business of turning a profit. Go in with your eyes wide open.

 

[Iowashooter]

Pawn shops tend to reflect the area in which they are located. They are in the business of turning a profit. Go in with your eyes wide open.

Yep… same as my several LGSs… must make a profit to survive.

some of my LGSs are extremely high-priced, some just average.

 

[Hoji]

Never pawn your guns................they are checked by State law for being stolen and if it does come back as stolen, it will not be returned to you......they will let you pay the pawn ticket to get it back only to tell you it was stolen and you can't have it back. That way they don't take the hit, you do.....

You can get more selling it outright on a private sale....

Just make sure you have a BOS. Gotta protect yourself. And if you do go the BOS route, make sure you are wearing a mask when you drive alone and wear a condom when yanking off. To protect yourself.

 

[Hoji]

Not directed at you @V-Tach.

 

[majormadmax]

Well...I actually did find and buy a Yugoslavian M48A Mauser with all internals still packed so in cosmoline that I had to disassemble and clean out the bolt before it would even fire!

The firearm in question had clearly been fired, and I pointed out the evidence to that fact.

The maroon I spoke with obviously felt they were smarter than I, and I was only tried to rip off their fine establishment full of overpriced items.

I gladly walked out the door.

I actually picked up my Yugo M48 from a pawn shop in Boerne, but it was a local one and not one of those chain stores.

That usually makes a difference!

 

[jmohme]

The very few times I have bought anything from a pawn shop, I tell them what I am willing to pay.
If they say yes, they make a sale, if they say no, I keep my money.

I do like to look around pawn shops, but rarely see anything that I must have and never anything that I am willing to pay the price on the tag.

 

[RaySendero]

I actually picked up my Yugo M48 from a pawn shop in Boerne, but it was a local one and not one of those chain stores.

My M48A was and still is a mystery. The "A" models weren't suppose to be exported.
The PS said it was a Mitchel Mauser and was price accordingly.
To me it was obviously not a MM. The MM import stamp is very noticeable yet wasn't there.
This one had no import stamp at all ?!