Pawn gun buyers

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rich636

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Do you all only shop at "mom and pop" pawns? All I ever see in Houston is the chain, EZ Pawn. And they are always located next to the check cashing store, and liquor store. Not the place where I would expect to find some jewel from 1960's, just a lot of Hi-Points (no offense Hi-Pointers). I'm just wondering if you guys seek out certain kind of pawn shops, like maybe ones in rural areas or individually owned ones?

Thanks
Rich
 
I have a gun shop run by a ma and pa that I go to.
Can't say I've ever found anything in decent shape for less than the cost of new at a pawn shop.
 
Small or Ma and Pa pawns seem to as a whole have better deals than the lareger or chain stores. One thing I find is the guy with not many guns will usually have better prices than the shop with a large rack full. We hit a couple of the former on a regular basis, cause any "deal" won't be there long.
 
pawn

I have two in our area. I frequently stop and have found several.
At the moment One has 3 that I'm in the market for; all marked for me.:rolleyes:
Just can't seem to get the price right:) at the moment.
Favorite Pawn: I left them my number and they call when something comes in [my interest]
 
It helps to have a relationship with your pawnbroker. I have two.

With the first shop, due to early poverty and continuing poor money management skills, I'm a ten-year veteran customer. They see me frequently, and thus have made a steady, substantial amount of money off me... as it should be. They don't hesitate to lend amounts of money higher than the guidelines suggest b/c they know I'm good for it.
Their gun selection is modest, and inflated like all pawn shops, but (A) with my track record, they offer me very reasonable prices -- usually 20-30% off the ticket price. And every once in a while, a gem will turn up; I still wince when I remember the S&W Model 41 tagged at $399. I coulda had it for $325, out the door.:(
Another thing I get for my patronage is $10 FFL transfers. If I buy something through Gunbroker or off this site, I have it sent through them for half the price (or less) of a regular dedicated gun store. And even then, about half the time he waives the fee: "You'll get me next time," he says.

The other shop annoys me, but I keep them in resereve. Their prices are steep and selection is limited. Worse, they take for-freakin'-ever to fill out the FFL papers on any transaction. I have to allot a full 30 minutes to get anything out of hock from them, which is twice the time spent in the other place.

Just my two cents...
 
Most of the pawn shops in the Lakewood/Tacoma area have some entertaining ideas about what their guns are worth. I did get a 10/22 for $130 which I considered to be a good price. I also saw an FN 49 for $400 which I passed up (and now I feel dumb).

The guy behind the counter at one of them told me "the only guns people are buying these days are new production hunting rifles".
 
There are a couple of pawn shops I frequent in my area. One is a joint pawn/gun/gunsmith shop that always has a slew of hi-points, jennings, etc... way over priced even for them. But on occasion they will have something nice and then it's hit or miss on whether you get a good price.

The other pawn shop has a bigger selection and most of their firearms are reasonably priced with exceptions. Sometimes a gun is just way over priced and sits for months, other times you can find a diamond for nearly nothing. I do business with the guy who sets their prices on guns and always get a better than sticker asking price, but only after I had been in several times and he knew I was a buyer if I liked the gun and the price, and not just a look and paw the gun and put it back in the counter every time customer. If I buy something online they do not have he charges a flat $20 for transfer fee.
 
I cannot think of guns and pawn shops without remembering this old lyric.

"There's a pawn shop in the city
That used to deal in everything.
But you can’t buy a pistol there;
you can’t hock your wedding ring."

Conway Twitty
 
I've checked out most of the pawn shops in my area more than once and for the most part everything is overpriced and under-quality. This includes hand tools, power tools and guns. There are a few I keep going back to though and have gotten some decent deals...an 1899 Krag carbine for $400, a Stevens single 20 gauge, Stevens .22 semi-auto for <$100, a Colt Mustang for $400. And I steered a friend to minty Walther PPK .380 stainless for $400. Pretty much, the only pawn shop I go to now is a family business in Pensacola. It's the cleanest and most organized pawn shop I've ever seen and I complimented the owner on it the first time I went in there. I have also helped him solve a crossword puzzle or two but I don't know whether that endeared me to him to torqued him off. They always treat me good. That's why I go back.
 
Had a good relationship with a pawn shop in my old town. The completely grumpy but loveable old gent who ran the gun shop used to leave me the occasional phone message like this...

"Found a damned gem and I'll give you a good price. Either get yer lazy (backside) down here and look at it or I put it in the display case, don't make no damned difference to me".
:D

usually was actually a Gem and those times when I had the $$ he gave me a decent deal (for NoVA).

Shops in my new area don't know me from adam and don't care....at least not yet.
 
I've been lurking around this site for a few days but had to jump in on this one. I've bought many things in pawn shops because I'm cheap. My father used to be partners in one years ago. Most recent gun purchase was a minty Taurus 66. It was listed for $299 but I got it for $150. Never, never pay sticker in a pawn shop. Always make a low ball offer and negotiate up from there.
 
I have four that I frequent regularly, all privately owned. I always seem to find some unbelievable deal in one out of the four. Like my $250 Weatherby Mark XXII! None of the bic chains around here carry guns, that I know of.
 
I'm a big fan of Cash America pawn shops. The mom & pop stores, at least around here, range from the weird to the insanely overpriced. Every now and then, a really good deal pops up at a Cash America.
 
I picked a like new two tone bhp for $402. our the door. Believe it was a mark111. Nice gun and it came with a leather holster. This was last year. They don't handle guns anymore.
 
I "used" to go to an "EZ-pawn" an thenb they got as burr and quit taking very many guns, especially milsurp or semiautos. Actually, that's a big problem as pawn shops have recently become the target of ATF harassment. Several I have seen have had their license suspended. I feel for the poor suckers that have guns pawned, can't get them out. Too frequently, the pawn shops have pawned something for way too much money because they don't know much about guns. They then get stuck with it and won't take similiar firearms at all. So, you might see a single $200 Turkish Mauser, or a single $200 Moison Nagant, when both would sell if they just had loaned less on them. Why just tonight, I stopped at a usually decent selection Pawn shop in Garland. They had quite a selection of Glocks, nearly all were close or over retail, and there was a plain GI Springfield 1911, about $150 over retail. At this pawn shop, I have gotten some real deals over the years and missed some as well. Find a decent pawn shop with a good selection and do business frequently and they learn who you are. Most have layaway, so often, if you find a good deal, you can pay over 90 days, if you have to. That's what I did with a K-98 and a GEW 98 I found there for $129 each. $40 down and 90 days, and I had them.
 
I have 3 that I do business with. 2 are owned by the same person. All of the ppl that work there know me by name. I got 2 Kimbers in LNIB for 600 ea, a few shotguns at great prices and couple of rifles. I stopped by the other day and found a like new Mossberg 500 combo....18 1/2" bbl and 28" bbl for $160.

The third Pawn shop is outta town a little bit but always has good prices. I got a nice Rem. 870 for $110 and they have another one there now for $125. I may go snag it up this weekend.

Those are the only 3 I do regular business in the Ft Worth area.
 
As noted above, CashAmerica (in TX, maybe other states) has a surprising number of good deals for a chain pawnshop.

That's where I got 3 break-action NEF shotguns for $75 TOTAL, all lightly used. That particular shop had a dozen break-actions, so was glad to be rid of them. Also bought an engraved Anniversary Ruger MkII in the box for $185 at CashAmerica, and barely missed a Marlin 30-30 straight-stock carbine with Tasco scope for $175. I've twice bought Ruger 10/22s that look unused for $109.

However, I've found my best deals at two local pawnshops that usually have ridiculous prices. I hang around and chat with the staff whenever I go in (and I speak Spanish with the employees in one of the shops), and they've given me some great deals. I once saw a nice 5" Ruger MkII for $250. Asked if there was any wiggle-room there. Clerk replies: "We can do you $130 on it". I was so surprised I just stood there for a sec, and he took my hesitation as dissatisfaction "oh, okay, fine. We'll cover the sales-tax too"

Over the time I was in Austin I developed a "circuit", so got to know which shops had what, and was recognized on sight in quite a few of them. Fun times.
 
I do enjoy taking a saturday and goin to the little towns outside of FTW and checking their pawn shops/gun stores for deals
 
We had 4 pawn shops in my area one just closed after 35 years. Two stopped selling firearms all togather. one sells firearms for lets say a high cost he had a 60% browning A5 field grade for 1100.00 made in the 50's nothing special also had a raven .25 for 109.00. The last pawn shop is where I go alot but he too has found a need for creed as of late. I am down 1 store front gun shop with somewhat good prices and wally world.
 
I keep hearing good things about Tomball Pawn, a little north of Houston, and I believe it's independent.
 
I try to visit the two local ones at least once a month. The folks that work at the stores have been very helpful, particularly in recommending CHL instructors. I've found a few "treasures", but the only one that came home with me was a S&W Model 66 (no dash). It looked barely used and its only problem was a previous owner had hideously modified the grips. Got a good price and changed the grips when I got it home.
 
For most of my new guns I have a couple of FFL guys that will order for me at cost and charge me a transfer fee. As for used guns, I have a small local gunshop where the owner cuts me some really good deals. With that said, I also check other gunstores and local pawn shops. The pawn shops always seem to have "normal" booked firearms overpriced but every now and then I find some type of collectible firearm under priced.
 
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