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Best and Worst Pawn Stories

#41
I bought a 5-string Spector bass from a pawn shop for $180. The pawn folks will usually negotiate down from the tag price, so always try it. I also bought a Yamaha 4-string for about $90 from the same place. I've never sold anything to a pawn shop.
 
#42
anderbass said:
In 2006 I found a Mesa 400+ in a Mesa shock case, plus a Mesa 1516BE road ready cab all in near-new condition and priced at $1200 at a pawn shop. When the store owner turned it on for me it immediately blew its fuse, he tried several more new fuses but it blew each one.

I offered him $500 cash out the door, as-is/no warranty and he took it. After I got it home I found one of the power tubes had simply rattled 1/2 way out of its socket. I pushed the tube back in and its never blew another fuse in 5 years of use now. I ended up selling the cab for $500 so I figure I got the amp for free.
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Sweet deal on an amp. Which pawn shops do you frequent in AZ?
 
#44
Local pawn shop has a Les Paul fiver, with Barts that he has been holding on to for about 5 months...
I talked to him about it in November, but he has not affixed a price to the bass.
He says he wants to accept the best "bid" price on the bass... but will not let me have at it with some wrenches to ensure that the truss works properly... the action on it is way too high.
I last talked to him about it about two weeks ago, offered him $400 but he declined saying he had higher bids... so I said, then why haven't you sold it, and he said he wants to see if he can get more for it.
To me, it's really not worth the risk of buying a set neck bass, that I can't do a once over on... too much risk imho...
I do like the bass, have a soft spot for Les Pauls, but I don't know what his top bid is and he will not tell me... so...
he can keep it!
Fishheadjoe
 
#46
This comes from a reliable friend who does a lot of dealings with the local pawn shop. He saw an item he wanted that they had priced at $200. Asked the guy if they would do an even trade for an extra bass he had lying around. Pawn guy said no, he just couldn't do an even trade. So my friend looks around for a while and the pawn guy helps some other customers. Finally my buddy approaches him again and asks how much he could get for the bass on pawn. The pawn guy looks it over and offers him $250. My buddy takes the deal and then promptly buys the $200 item he originally wanted on an even trade and walks out the door with $50. He told me that as soon as he headed for the original $200 item the pawn guy shook his head and looked humiliated at his poor skills.
 
#47
bassclef216 said:
This comes from a reliable friend who does a lot of dealings with the local pawn shop. He saw an item he wanted that they had priced at $200. Asked the guy if they would do an even trade for an extra bass he had lying around. Pawn guy said no, he just couldn't do an even trade. So my friend looks around for a while and the pawn guy helps some other customers. Finally my buddy approaches him again and asks how much he could get for the bass on pawn. The pawn guy looks it over and offers him $250. My buddy takes the deal and then promptly buys the $200 item he originally wanted on an even trade and walks out the door with $50. He told me that as soon as he headed for the original $200 item the pawn guy shook his head and looked humiliated at his poor skills.
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I dont see where the shop would lose? The shop got the $200 bucks and your buddy has to return and pay $250.00 plus fee's to get his bass out of pawn. If he leaves it the shop will claim it and sell it at a markup and make even more. The $50.00 was covered for the shop in the mark up of the $200 bass, or if your buddy takes it out of pawn w/fee's, or on the markup of the resale if he leaves it. Thats the way I see it.
 
#50
ebay had already been around before I was able to get into the pawn shop scene. 26 now, started playing when I was 15, tried looking at pawn shops when I was 17-18. I think all the amazing deals are gone if the pawn is any way knowledgable on how to search ebay completed auctions.

A few years ago I knew a local player who bought a PRS guitar from a pawn shop that had it at 250. Turns out the pawn guy didn't know what it was (surprisingly). Some crack head stole it from my favorite music store down the street and pawned it off. I think it was like a 2400.00 brand new PRS electric.This guy brings it to the said music store to get new strings, case etc. where a commotion erupted. Obviously knowing the serial number and make and model that was stolen they asked him a bunch of questions. He responds like a total jerk and the cops are called and it is a huge mess. He refuses to ever go to that store and I find it hard to blame to the store for inquiring about its stolen property. Apparently he somehow kept the guitar and the music store had to make an insurance claim?

I wonder how that all worked out...He let me play the guitar...best 250.00 electric I have ever played :p
 
#51
My name is Mudd said:
The one and only time I was here, they had a few beater combo amps and an Ibanez 5'er that looked like it spent the weekend in an intersection (dings, chips, a for-real gouge, etc). I was rather disappointed...I had money in my pocket and the expectation of a better selection (given that it's Vegas and all).
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I just want a Chumlee T-shirt.
 
#52
My name is Mudd said:
The one and only time I was here, they had a few beater combo amps and an Ibanez 5'er that looked like it spent the weekend in an intersection (dings, chips, a for-real gouge, etc). I was rather disappointed...I had money in my pocket and the expectation of a better selection (given that it's Vegas and all).
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From watching the show, I believe they keep the good stuff in back.
 
#54
bassbully said:
I dont see where the shop would lose? The shop got the $200 bucks and your buddy has to return and pay $250.00 plus fee's to get his bass out of pawn. If he leaves it the shop will claim it and sell it at a markup and make even more. The $50.00 was covered for the shop in the mark up of the $200 bass, or if your buddy takes it out of pawn w/fee's, or on the markup of the resale if he leaves it. Thats the way I see it.
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He's not gonna go back and collect the bass he put on pawn - he was originally gonna trade it

Pawn shop definitely fail!
 
#55
Man...Lost count of the around $100 T-40's and T-60's in the last few years. Most pawn shops haven't seemed to have caught on to those for the most part. $80 1981 Ibanez Roadster P/J, $75 Fender USA Heavy Metal Strat,$60 Epiphone EA260 hollowbody bass...Picked up an 80's JB Player (anyone remember those?) neck through jazz PJ in Knoxville for $50 a few weeks ago...Always looking!
 

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