How do you feel about pawn shops?
- Thread starter Guns and more
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clarence222
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2006
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- 251
Ive bought several guns from pawn shops, for incredibly low prices. I dont think Im taking advantage of anyones misery or bad fortune. According to one of the pawnbrokers I deal with they cant sell a gun for 90 days after the last payment was made on the original loan. I recently bought a Marlin 45-70 for $300 out the door, it looked brand new. Also bought a Springfield XD40 for $300 out the door.
Pawnshops are no differrent then your average gunsore. Some have great prices on good guns and some have horrible prices on junk. If you shop around enough and do your home work you will find they can be4 a great place to get good deals.
Pawnshops are no differrent then your average gunsore. Some have great prices on good guns and some have horrible prices on junk. If you shop around enough and do your home work you will find they can be4 a great place to get good deals.
Phydeaux642
Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 1,886
You are kidding yourself if you think that many of the "gun shops" out there are not the same way. The best gun shop in my area is a pawn shop and has tons of repeat business because they seem to be more fair than the other shops. When I visit most of the shops in my area I leave feeling like I have been robbed even when I haven't purchased anything.
jimmyraythomason
Member
In 1972 I bought a Marlin 1894 Saddle ring carbine in .44Rem.mag. from an individual for $50 a good price since they were $119.00 new. The rifle was manufactured in 1971. I kept it until about 12 years ago when I gave it to a nephew for his 16th birthday. About a year ago I saw this rifle in a pawnshop for $400, 8 times what I originally paid for it,(saddle ring was missing). I had reblued it and installed a recoil pad to lengthen the stock and finished the stock and fore-end in polyurathane. I had also shortened the magazine tube to make it look like the Marlin 444 Sporter. I just wish my nephew had come to me first. I would have given him more that the pawnshop probably did.
mcmurry
Member
In my town, your only choices are three pawn shops and a Wal Mart. So if you're talking pistols, it's the pawn shops. I have bought from two of them with no problems. I haven't tried the other one yet. Occasionally, there is something in the paper about a stolen item found at a local pawn shop, but it's usually a atv or a air compressor.
ZeSpectre
Member
One amusing note, the local pawn where I live has a HUGE plate glass window out front and it's got a "wall of shame" tacked up inside (Mug shots and information on the people who tried to pawn stolen goods). When they first started doing it the mugshots were appearing fast n' furious then after about a month it tapered right off (something to be said for public shaming I suppose)
It seems that here in the Denver area, pawn shops are nothing more than fencing operations for the thieving junkies to sell their stolen goods at. That's my main gripe about them. I have to admit that I haven't looked for guns in any of them, perhaps I need to do that. There's only about 10,000 of them here though.
In my area to sell to a pawn shop or pawn an item the customer is photographed and items must be held for 2 weeks in order for the police to verify it is not stolen before being sold. I feel very confident any gun I buy will not be stolen. Almost every gun I own was bought at the same pawn shop. The owner is a friend and his prices are fair. On top of that I never pay sticker and have gotten some great buys that way.
weisse52
Member
What everybody else said.
If you find a good one it is gold, a bad one is usually very bad.
A little knowledge is very important to get the best deal.
If you find a good one it is gold, a bad one is usually very bad.
A little knowledge is very important to get the best deal.
blackcash88
member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 885
Even if the gun comes up clean, it could still have been stolen and/or used in a crime. It won't be flagged if the owner never reported it and/or didn't keep a record of the serial number. It could have also been used in multiple crimes and not be in the database because it was never recovered at a crime scene before being pawned. Something to think about if that sort of stuff bothers you.
Thunder496
Member
They’re over priced for well used anthing, and won’t deal. My friendly neighborhood gun dealer is more likely to deal at least a little, and has the best prices in East Texas new or used. So I don’t go to Pawn shops that much.
Creature
Member
Thats the funniest thing I have read in a while.
kcshooter
Member
I browse a couple occasionally, and have bought a couple guns at one. They often have no idea what they are pricing. So you can have some things way overpriced, and others underpriced.
Whn I bought one of my Model 19's at a local shop for $200, which was a steal, they had a used maverick 88 on the wall for $200, which was stealing.
Whn I bought one of my Model 19's at a local shop for $200, which was a steal, they had a used maverick 88 on the wall for $200, which was stealing.
possum
Member
my first few firearms came from a pawn shop, not everything there is used the ones near ft riley had brand new guns in stock, as a matter of fact they had very few if any used guns in there. i trust certain places, like the place back at riley, but since i moved down to georgia i haven't even went in a pawn shop. i have my favorite fun store right up tyhe road and that is the place that i go for all my shooting needs.
woad_yurt
Member
Pawn Shops are like people. They're either good, bad or somewhere in between. I made the circuit in my town and found two good ones. That's about 1/5 of the ones I've checked out or dealt with.
larry starling
Member
I got a few Pawnshop/gun stores in my area I deal with and while most pawn shops I do feel sale over priced junk. These two are very good places clean well lit and offer great prices on firearms and very reasonable fees for transfers.
I don't feel at all bad purchasing from them as I have come to know them personally and they are really nice people....
I don't feel at all bad purchasing from them as I have come to know them personally and they are really nice people....
I have bought a few new guns from a certain pawn shop. The prices were on par with any other place.
But, there is a sad story about this particular pawn shop. The owner, who seemed like a really nice, decent guy was accused of child molestation.
I do not know how it all turned out, but it was on the news and in the papers. This was several years ago and I always hoped that it wasn't true. But, things like this happen way too often.
I have never been back there again.
But, there is a sad story about this particular pawn shop. The owner, who seemed like a really nice, decent guy was accused of child molestation.
I do not know how it all turned out, but it was on the news and in the papers. This was several years ago and I always hoped that it wasn't true. But, things like this happen way too often.
I have never been back there again.
I wish we had more pawn shops around that dealt in guns instead of just old lawnmowers, tools and jewelry. I bought my first shotgun at a pawnshop, a FIE double-barrel that was sweet for just over $100. Unfortunately, most the pawn shops around Memphis don't deal too much in guns and the ones they have aren't priced right or are not high quality to deal for.
Drgong
Member
Yes, I find pawn shops to be decent places if they are not overpriced. I have no problems buying from pawn shops as it a much better way for people with no credit to get small loans then say, payday lenders.
I used to buy a lot of guns from Pawn Shops, until '99 or whenver the NICS system came into being. Since then the supplies have been awful. The folks pawning guns need to pay for a $25 background check to get their guns back out of pawn. Since they may only be getting $50 to pawn the gun, it isn't much of a deal.
XavierBreath
Member
I buy a lot of guns from pawn shops. Some are dusty with high prices, others are clean and motivated to move merchandise.
There are several things to understand about pawn shops.
First, they are primarily financial institutions. They are lending agencies with a license to protect. They will protect that license to lend money, as it is their livelihood. They are not likely to risk it knowingly selling somebody's stolen second hand stuff. Being a FFL is second to being a financial institution with these guys. They do not have to sell guns. They do not need to sell guns to make a living. They make a living lending money. If they can break even on selling a gun to a fellow they like, they will. They already made their money on the loan in interest. Let them make a bit on the gun too, and you will become a cherished customer. If you treat him with respect and he believes you will return again, there is a fair chance he will sell you the gun for a small profit over what he loaned on it. Treat the pawn broker with distain, and you will never find a deal there. He doesn't have to sell to you. Remember.......He may have made his money on that gun in interest and having it go in and out of hock. It is not merchandise. It was collateral.
Second, in most states the Sheriff's department has a pawn detail that regularly goes to pawn shops comparing the serial numbers on pawned items, including tools and guns, to lists of items reported stolen. Pawn brokers are pretty adept at spotting a thief. They do not want to loan money on a stolen item and then lose their collateral. If someone walks into a pawn shop with a Fender Telecaster and can't play it, chances are he won't be pawning it either. Pawnbrokers do not work as fences for known thieves. Doing so places their license as a financial/lending institution at risk. Plus they lose their collateral on money they loaned.
Third, pawn shops help people. Let's suppose you need money. Suppose your engine just blew up in your automobile, and you do not have the money it takes to replace or repair it, and you need to get to work so you can go on living. You have no money in the bank. Your friends don't either. You either don't want to go to the bank and take out a loan for the small amount needed, or your credit sucks and you can't. You can take out high interest pay day loans, you can use a high interest credit card, or you can see a pawnbroker.
At the pawnbroker's shop, you can walk in with an item of value, whether it be a firearm, a piece of jewelry, a camera, or whatever. He will appraise it, offer a loan based on that appraisal, and if you accept his offer, you sign a few documents to make certain you understand the deal, and you walk out with cash. That's it.
Pay back the loan at any time, or on schedule with the interest contained in the deal, and you get your property back. It's that simple. On a firearm, yes, you go through NICS.
Now let's suppose you experience a downward turn of fortune, and have a problem paying the loan back. You will not have a black mark on your credit score as a result. Try that with Visa or a pay day loan place. At the pawn shop, you just lose your property if you default on the loan. That's all. You have a clean slate. If it was a family heirloom that you pawned, either you should not have pawned it, you should have paid back the loan, or if neither of those are possible, you have the option of pawning something less precious to you and buying your heirloom back before someone else buys it.
While your property is in pawn, it is kept in a place that is reasonable for it's security, and the pawnbroker is responsible for it's condition. If it's a gun or jewelry, it is kept under a double lock, same as a FFL. Most likely, that entails a walk-in safe. I was surprised to learn how many hunters pawn their favorite rifles in the off season for safe keeping. In August, they pay off the remainder of the loan, take the rifle out of pawn, and go hunting. If it is burned, damaged, or whatever, the pawnbroker's insurance covers it, not the owner's homeowner's insurance. I know construction workers and contractors that do the same with their tools in the off season.
After hurricaine Katrina, the pawn shops in my area were hopping for about two years as people who evacuated.........Good people, respectable people, who had a driver's license, a credit card or two and a car full of belongings and family, went about re-establishing their lives. Would the banks loan them money for gas or a hotel room? No way. They had no address any more. Would the cash advance places loan them money for gas or a hotel room? Not without a job. They could, however, walk into a pawn shop along their way to a final destination with a driver's license and a small item of value such as a diamond ring, or a handgun, and leave in 15 minutes with money for gas and a hotel room. If they never came back with their property, and a lot of them did not, it was simply resold. Folks like myself came and purchased the collateral.
Think about this....... The next week could bring any number of us to a situation where we need cash right then. It could be an auto accident, a natural disaster, a death in the family, or even a great deal on a once in a lifetime firearm that we need cash for. Cash right then. You could use the Visa or go to a pay day loan place. Or you could take something to into a pawn shop and learn a new tactic of survival in a declining economy. Your choice.
To decide for yourself whether pawnbrokers are unscrupulous thieves, go here. To read my pawn shopping secrets, go here. To hear the rumours about unscrupulous pawn shops, just go to your local gun store and ask. Then follow the old guy behind the counter, you know, the one with the nice gun collection....... to his favorite pawn shop and watch him check the latest wares on his way home.
There are several things to understand about pawn shops.
First, they are primarily financial institutions. They are lending agencies with a license to protect. They will protect that license to lend money, as it is their livelihood. They are not likely to risk it knowingly selling somebody's stolen second hand stuff. Being a FFL is second to being a financial institution with these guys. They do not have to sell guns. They do not need to sell guns to make a living. They make a living lending money. If they can break even on selling a gun to a fellow they like, they will. They already made their money on the loan in interest. Let them make a bit on the gun too, and you will become a cherished customer. If you treat him with respect and he believes you will return again, there is a fair chance he will sell you the gun for a small profit over what he loaned on it. Treat the pawn broker with distain, and you will never find a deal there. He doesn't have to sell to you. Remember.......He may have made his money on that gun in interest and having it go in and out of hock. It is not merchandise. It was collateral.
Second, in most states the Sheriff's department has a pawn detail that regularly goes to pawn shops comparing the serial numbers on pawned items, including tools and guns, to lists of items reported stolen. Pawn brokers are pretty adept at spotting a thief. They do not want to loan money on a stolen item and then lose their collateral. If someone walks into a pawn shop with a Fender Telecaster and can't play it, chances are he won't be pawning it either. Pawnbrokers do not work as fences for known thieves. Doing so places their license as a financial/lending institution at risk. Plus they lose their collateral on money they loaned.
Third, pawn shops help people. Let's suppose you need money. Suppose your engine just blew up in your automobile, and you do not have the money it takes to replace or repair it, and you need to get to work so you can go on living. You have no money in the bank. Your friends don't either. You either don't want to go to the bank and take out a loan for the small amount needed, or your credit sucks and you can't. You can take out high interest pay day loans, you can use a high interest credit card, or you can see a pawnbroker.
At the pawnbroker's shop, you can walk in with an item of value, whether it be a firearm, a piece of jewelry, a camera, or whatever. He will appraise it, offer a loan based on that appraisal, and if you accept his offer, you sign a few documents to make certain you understand the deal, and you walk out with cash. That's it.
Pay back the loan at any time, or on schedule with the interest contained in the deal, and you get your property back. It's that simple. On a firearm, yes, you go through NICS.
Now let's suppose you experience a downward turn of fortune, and have a problem paying the loan back. You will not have a black mark on your credit score as a result. Try that with Visa or a pay day loan place. At the pawn shop, you just lose your property if you default on the loan. That's all. You have a clean slate. If it was a family heirloom that you pawned, either you should not have pawned it, you should have paid back the loan, or if neither of those are possible, you have the option of pawning something less precious to you and buying your heirloom back before someone else buys it.
While your property is in pawn, it is kept in a place that is reasonable for it's security, and the pawnbroker is responsible for it's condition. If it's a gun or jewelry, it is kept under a double lock, same as a FFL. Most likely, that entails a walk-in safe. I was surprised to learn how many hunters pawn their favorite rifles in the off season for safe keeping. In August, they pay off the remainder of the loan, take the rifle out of pawn, and go hunting. If it is burned, damaged, or whatever, the pawnbroker's insurance covers it, not the owner's homeowner's insurance. I know construction workers and contractors that do the same with their tools in the off season.
After hurricaine Katrina, the pawn shops in my area were hopping for about two years as people who evacuated.........Good people, respectable people, who had a driver's license, a credit card or two and a car full of belongings and family, went about re-establishing their lives. Would the banks loan them money for gas or a hotel room? No way. They had no address any more. Would the cash advance places loan them money for gas or a hotel room? Not without a job. They could, however, walk into a pawn shop along their way to a final destination with a driver's license and a small item of value such as a diamond ring, or a handgun, and leave in 15 minutes with money for gas and a hotel room. If they never came back with their property, and a lot of them did not, it was simply resold. Folks like myself came and purchased the collateral.
Think about this....... The next week could bring any number of us to a situation where we need cash right then. It could be an auto accident, a natural disaster, a death in the family, or even a great deal on a once in a lifetime firearm that we need cash for. Cash right then. You could use the Visa or go to a pay day loan place. Or you could take something to into a pawn shop and learn a new tactic of survival in a declining economy. Your choice.
To decide for yourself whether pawnbrokers are unscrupulous thieves, go here. To read my pawn shopping secrets, go here. To hear the rumours about unscrupulous pawn shops, just go to your local gun store and ask. Then follow the old guy behind the counter, you know, the one with the nice gun collection....... to his favorite pawn shop and watch him check the latest wares on his way home.
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AMBASSADOR
Member
Need some in N.J.I remember them when I was a kid in Brooklyn,when they had guns on display in the front window.Oh for the days when people,all kinds of people had thier personal guns and the country was safer.
XavierBreath
Member
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