I have been dealing with the same pawnbroker for over 25 years. I have tried taking things elsewhere and was offered a scant 10% of the estimated resale value
. When I protested that the shop down the street would give my about 1/3 of the resale, I was told I should get my fat little self out of their store and go to the one down the street. I did so. Two dozen and more years later, guess which shop is still thriving and guess where there's an empty storefront.
I have been dealing with the guy for so long that, not only do I now know the secret of NOT losing your stuff (you can pay the interest only, when the note comes due and they will rewrite the ticket, giving you another four months. I've saved many items this way...
), but he will give me his rock bottom price on things. Add to that the fact that he likes my wife and when we go in there together, we can get smokin' deals on stuff, guns included.
I usually pawn when I'm broke and want to go gambling and generally, I pay the price
--gun pawns for $75, four months interest is $30, ticket is $5, and the Brady is $25 = $135 redemption, and I usually lose at the casino. On one memorable day, I went in and pawned my last gun, walked over to the casino and hit a $400 jackpot. I was able to get ALL my guns out and bought a pair of binoculars besides, and still had over half my money left.
This was in the days BEFORE Brady, of course.
Have I lost things? Yes, before I knew the secret. Do I continue to partonize the shop? Yes...both pawning and buying. My wife got a fairly high-end flute marked $400 for less than $200 out the door. I priced them later online and, yep, we got a GOOD deal.
Moral of the story, yes some pawnbrokers are rapacious (Pawnstars, anyone?)
and some are willing to establish a business relationship that will be of mutual benefit to both parties for years. If you find a good one, it's worth the extra milage--mine is a thirty-five mile round trip--to do business with what we used to call a "right guy".
Caveat Emptor,
ed