Been in pawn shops all over the Mid-West and, yes, they are becoming more and more savvy. However, if you know how to make minor (or major) repairs, there are deals to be had. Just be respectful when you negotiate.
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Anybody bought from a pawn shop?
- Thread starter GodPlayedBass
- Start date
Got an early 2000 EBMM Stingray in excellent condition for $500, with the original case. Best and only pawnshop deal I ever did.
One of my favorite basses I bought from a pawn shop for a song, via eBay.
I've looked around plenty of pawn shops in person and generally their stuff was in awful shape and the prices were insulting to the point I didn't feel like even trying negotiating. This isn't limited to the musical instruments. In the cases I've gone back, it's the same merchandise each time, damn near nothing moves. Odd business model.
Look at it from the other end, if you've got an instrument that's remotely in good shape and not stolen, you're much better off at least going to Guitar Center for a quick trade. With GC, Craigslist, FB, eBay etc (and generally way too easy credit) I'm not sure why anyone would be putting pawning near the top of their list for cashflow.
I've looked around plenty of pawn shops in person and generally their stuff was in awful shape and the prices were insulting to the point I didn't feel like even trying negotiating. This isn't limited to the musical instruments. In the cases I've gone back, it's the same merchandise each time, damn near nothing moves. Odd business model.
Look at it from the other end, if you've got an instrument that's remotely in good shape and not stolen, you're much better off at least going to Guitar Center for a quick trade. With GC, Craigslist, FB, eBay etc (and generally way too easy credit) I'm not sure why anyone would be putting pawning near the top of their list for cashflow.
I've been checking pawn shops in my area for high quality music gear and tools for 20 years. I've never seen a good, or even decent deal, and good instruments are rare. I've made zero purchases.
I think the entire pawn clientele around here has no idea how to check a price online. The shops are either really good at moving higher quality stuff on eBay, or they have an awful lot of dumb customers.
It's gotten even worse as Pawn Stars gained popularity on TV. We even have several "Not a Pawn Shop" stores that buy and sell, but aren't licensed to loan, and they're worse than the true pawn shops.
I think the entire pawn clientele around here has no idea how to check a price online. The shops are either really good at moving higher quality stuff on eBay, or they have an awful lot of dumb customers.
It's gotten even worse as Pawn Stars gained popularity on TV. We even have several "Not a Pawn Shop" stores that buy and sell, but aren't licensed to loan, and they're worse than the true pawn shops.
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buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
With everyone one the internet, it's tougher to find a great deal. But buying from them is no different than any other arm's length used transaction.
Nobody ever pawns anything I'd want to buy around here. But if I saw something interesting for a price I'm willing to pay I feel like I know enough about what to look for to avoid taking home a dud, and if it's a good enough deal, letting a luthier do some fret work or nut work isn't a huge deal.
When your cost of goods is zero, selling to pawn shops make sense. I think many pawn shops put the items they suspect as stolen on eBay, vs. out on the floor, as there's less chance of the rightful owner spotting it.
Some of our local shops are local chains of 5-7 stores, with each chain covering maybe a 75 mile radius. Some of us locals believe some of the warmer items that aren't eBay friendly, like snowblowers and bicycles, tend to get moved from the intake location to a distant one.
Yes. Never pay list price. Kindly haggle, without being annoying. Saved me several hundreds on used G&L basses this way!
Yea I bought a copper burst jazz online from a Texas shop. Advertised as used received in brand new condition with a gig bag at a great price! Got lucky on this one.
The pawn shops in these parts are quite pricey for even marginal stuff and few have had any instruments. Even the tools in shops around here are beat, priced almost at what retail new would be.
There’s been a number of TB threads over the years of some members scoring terrific deals.
I’m sure it could happen. I’m not really needing another bass so, I don’t frequent them even just in case I stumble upon something.
There’s been a number of TB threads over the years of some members scoring terrific deals.
I’m sure it could happen. I’m not really needing another bass so, I don’t frequent them even just in case I stumble upon something.
The best pawn shop deal I got was a 1983 MusicMan Stingray. They were asking $800, but I got them down to $475. How? I don’t remember exactly, but I played that bass for years and made more than I paid for it in the first week of gigs I played on it. I stupidly sold it when I switched to playing five string. Wish I still had that one.
A lot of you guys have had deprived childhoods. In my (and a lot of others') time, there was no internet and pawn shops were really pawn shops. If you could you bought new; if you could not you bought used off the music store's wall. And if you could not swing that, you hit the pawn shops. And, living near Barksdale AFB as I did, among them all I could find *any*thing, from all the prestigeous marques down to things so obscure I have not seen one since.
I got both my Fender Precisions from pawn shops, as well as an Epiphone Newport and a Beatle bass knock-off that had been in a fire.
I got both my Fender Precisions from pawn shops, as well as an Epiphone Newport and a Beatle bass knock-off that had been in a fire.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Only bought one bass from a pawn shop. In 1974. Omaha Nebraska. A friend saw a used Fender P (probably pre-CBS... nobody I knew knew/cared about that difference then) there and tipped me off. I went to buy it and it was gone. Saw a Gibson Thunderbird II (1 pu) and since I had money - I bought it. $150 w/OHSC. Contacted Gibson to find out what year it was made. (letter/stamped return-postcard) '63. It was stollen in an apt break-in in '78 in KC/MO. Later found out apparently only 3 were sold in '63 (first year). You can imagine what they are now worth if still intact. (many suffered neck breaks)
I guess it must be the part of the country where I live.
The pawnshops in my area have been consistently good for over 20 yrs running.
Here's some other deals from my local pawnshops in the last 5 years.
$100 - '09 Fender Highway 1 Tele
$100 - '88 Carvin DC 127
$120 - '96 MIJ Fender Jagstang
$254 - '16 Ibanez RGAIX6FMT Iron Label
$286 - '05 Gibson LP Studio
$325 - '90 Fender Strat Plus
My higher end Killer scores:
$270 - '03 Taylor Jumbo Custom
$400 - '07 Fender '57 AVRI Strat
$762 - '08 Gibson LP Standard Plus
$923 - '95 PRS Custom 24 10-Top
$923 - '81 Martin 7-28
$993 - '89 Gibson LP Standard
$1200 - '03 Tom Anderson Hollow T Drop Top
$1340 - '15 Suhr Classic Pro SSH
$1400 - '83 Gibson ES-335 Dot
The pawnshops in my area have been consistently good for over 20 yrs running.
Here's some other deals from my local pawnshops in the last 5 years.
$100 - '09 Fender Highway 1 Tele
$100 - '88 Carvin DC 127
$120 - '96 MIJ Fender Jagstang
$254 - '16 Ibanez RGAIX6FMT Iron Label
$286 - '05 Gibson LP Studio
$325 - '90 Fender Strat Plus
My higher end Killer scores:
$270 - '03 Taylor Jumbo Custom
$400 - '07 Fender '57 AVRI Strat
$762 - '08 Gibson LP Standard Plus
$923 - '95 PRS Custom 24 10-Top
$923 - '81 Martin 7-28
$993 - '89 Gibson LP Standard
$1200 - '03 Tom Anderson Hollow T Drop Top
$1340 - '15 Suhr Classic Pro SSH
$1400 - '83 Gibson ES-335 Dot
I once sold a ratty old Hartke 2x10 cab to a pawn shop. It had been a combo and I had hacked the head portion off and stapled the carpet over. Looked and sounded terrible - I really should have just taken it to the dump. I actually felt a little guilty about taking $15 cash for it...
... until I saw it there 6 months later with a tag for $300.
My point? Buyer beware!
Pawn shops used to be a lot more fun before the internet. I still poke my head in out of habit, but there's almost never any cool stuff, anymore - at least not in my region.
... until I saw it there 6 months later with a tag for $300.
My point? Buyer beware!
Pawn shops used to be a lot more fun before the internet. I still poke my head in out of habit, but there's almost never any cool stuff, anymore - at least not in my region.
A lot depends on the shop you go to. I find the local ones around me have better stuff. They’re also less tied to the eBay based pricing that the big chains are. Also, pay attention to how long what you’re looking at has been there. It’s usually on the tag or sticker when it was bought by the pawn shop. The longer it has sat, the better your chances are of haggling with them.
A couple of months ago, I scored a nice 5 string G&L L2500 Tribute for a sweet price. Well below what reverb and guitar center had them for.
A couple of months ago, I scored a nice 5 string G&L L2500 Tribute for a sweet price. Well below what reverb and guitar center had them for.
