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I hate pawnshops.

I have very little experience with pawn shops, mostly because the few times I’ve gone in there, their stuff I could buy cheaper new with wise shopping.

I’ve never pawned anything, so that’s all new to me, but I would strongly suggest building some credit, unless you have a problem handling that.
 
I had a guy let me buy his amp out of hock for him. He just didn't want to see the pawn shop get it. He said I could have it if I wanted it, he wasn't playing anymore and it was an old and somewhat unpredictable head.

Something like $25 rescued the amp from the pawn shop, and I took it home and plugged it in. The power switch was giving up, and needed a replacement, but everything else worked. 1972 Sound City Bass 150. One classic amp.

But yeah, for the most part pawn shops suck. I still troll through them when I have a minute.
 
PawnStars.jpg


Pawn Stars - great show. I just got done watching about four episodes.
 
I look at it like this...you wouldnt go trade your car in at a pawn shop would you? No, you'd go to a dealership if you didnt want to deal with a private buyer. Its the same thing, since most people in pawn shops have NO CLUE what an instrument is worth, its really not the best to take them. Pawn shops do have their place but for something as delicate as a musical instrument, I'd sooner eBay it than go to a pawn shop =/
 
I did have to sell a silver-faced Fender Vibrolux to make a house payment when I was between jobs a few years ago. My wife, son and I still have the same roof over our heads. Small price to pay. Got a new job, got another amp, and went on down the road.

Sorry to be blunt, but I gotta ask the OP:

The name of this thread: "I hate pawnshops."
Then the one about the amp wattage differences: "Well fudge"
Then there's the thread about getting even with the drummer over a girl.

I understand angst as well as anybody. Is there anything you do like?
 
I did have to sell a silver-faced Fender Vibrolux to make a house payment when I was between jobs a few years ago. My wife, son and I still have the same roof over our heads. Small price to pay. Got a new job, got another amp, and went on down the road.

Sorry to be blunt, but I gotta ask the OP:

The name of this thread: "I hate pawnshops."
Then the one about the amp wattage differences: "Well fudge"
Then there's the thread about getting even with the drummer over a girl.

I understand angst as well as anybody. Is there anything you do like?

I was thinking the same thing. Damn angry youth of today hahah.
 
I did have to sell a silver-faced Fender Vibrolux to make a house payment when I was between jobs a few years ago. My wife, son and I still have the same roof over our heads. Small price to pay. Got a new job, got another amp, and went on down the road.

Sorry to be blunt, but I gotta ask the OP:

The name of this thread: "I hate pawnshops."
Then the one about the amp wattage differences: "Well fudge"
Then there's the thread about getting even with the drummer over a girl.

I understand angst as well as anybody. Is there anything you do like?

I like my drummer and my guitarist both. Their great guys actually. The revenge thing was just for humor and nothing serious and the wattage thread... has become a VAST source of info and getting the most bang for my buck. Aside from that I like cats, art, tattoo's and blue hair dye.
 
PawnStars.jpg


Evil. Pure, money-hungry, chubby evil. :hiding:

However, great show, and I enjoy watching them go back and forth with someone who is not completely succeptable to the "he knows more than me" aura that most pawn shop guys are trained to emit, thus making you take the crappiest deal possible. It's so awesome to see Rick go way high on an absolute "must have" for him, and then get torn apart by the Old Man.
 
In a previous life I managed a pawn shop for a couple of years. It was very interesting but the grind was hard to take.

ANYWAY - the rule is to LOAN no more than 1/2 the street value of an item.
- They WANT you to come back and get it. Selling is a hassle.
- They have to be able to re-sell it after storing it for months if you don't.

There is often minimum interest for certain value loans, for example for $50 it was $10 for the first 90 days, even if you came back in an hour (and a lot of people did come back the same day) and then a % per month after that.

They cannot sell your item until the loan expires and they notify you, which is usually several months.

They can BUY your item outright for more than a loan, and then put it out for sale as soon as the serial #s clear with the police department - usually 21 days.

It is possible that the guy either had too many instruments in stock, too little cash or did not appreciate what you had so he gave you the low bid. It happens.

People often don't want the MAXIMUM loan - it is harder to get back. We had an ex actor customer that had a very nice diamond ring worth $2-3000 at least, and he would just take $150 or so for the weekend poker games, and then come back on Monday and pick it up.
 
Yah, i tried to pawn my '78 P-bass, and the guy wouldn't even give nme a hundred for it. I left and later took it to a proper music store and got $500. Even at
that I think i got ripped. He asked how much I wanted, I said $500 ( I was desperate for cash), and he said "Done!". Didn't even haggle. I think I could have gotten twice as much, but as I said I was desperate. You won't get the full worth of your instrument at any music store, but it's still better than a pawnshop, if there's no chance you will be buying it back.

If you did the deal, you didn't get ripped. If you were getting ripped, you wouldn't have done the deal. You agreed to the terms, so they were acceptable to you, given the surrounding cricumstances.
 
The world wide web killed the deals at pawn shops. Gone are the days when you can find a Tobias bass and convince the old woman behind the counter that it's a cheap off-brand, then walk out the door with it for $200.
Last one I went to scope out, they wanted more than new prices for every guitar on the wall- and some were missing parts. $300 for a Fender Starcaster that's $99 new.
:rollno: