What is the deal on Pawn shop pricing?

[mrcpu]

I understand "buy low, sell high". But some of the stuff I saw today was ridiculous. a .22 crickett, short stock, well-used, with some cheapo little scope on it, probably was never cleaned, for $235? $235?

Do I make 'em an offer, or just go buy a new one, and wash my hands of the whole affair?

 

[Milkmaster]

New Crickett rifles don't cost that much. I see the same thing around here with Pawn Shops. They ask new prices for old and sometimes abused weapons. I usually go into a pawn shop looking for something cheap to work on for a project. Seldom I buy anything from them.

 

[Derby FALs]

Offer 50% right off the bat. If that is still too high buy elsewhere.

 

[AJAX22]

I believe usuall markup on pawn consignments is 300% amount loaned. (don't know for certain, possibly some guys on here may have first hand experiance) so offering 50% on firearms is a good way to start the ball roling, they are still making money on the deal, and you are getting a good value.

and like Derby says, if the price is just wayyyyy to high, go elsewhere, a couple of years from now it'll be reasonably priced.

 

[clarence222]

I wouldn't offer more than &

I wouldn't offer any where near that much unless it is practically brand new.
I priced one the other day for $159 that was stainless with the laminated stock. That is the regular price for too. The blued with either wood or synthetic stock was about $20 less.

 

[clarence222]

I wouldn't offer more than $120

I wouldn't offer any where near that much unless it is practically brand new.
I priced one the other day for $159 that was stainless with the laminated stock. That is the regular price for too. The blued with either wood or synthetic stock was about $20 less. So if you offer 50% thats about $117.50 I can buy a new one for $139 and have seen them on sale for less than that.

 

[XavierBreath]

Offer what it is worth to you. If they are willing to sell it for that, deal. If they are not willing to sell for that, find someone who will.
To me, a used single shot .22 rifle is worth about $75, crickett or no crickett.

The most prevalent myth in the marketplace is that goods, especially used goods, have absolute values. Blue Books feed on this myth. In reality, an item is only worth what the buyer and seller agree it is worth. If you are unable to independently decide what an item is worth to you, personally, irregardless of those around you, you will never be able to haggle well. The seller has already made that decision.

I wrote an article on my pawn shopping secrets here. Pawn shops are like any other business. Some are run intelligently, some are not. Don't judge them all based on your experience in one. You will be missing out on some excellent deals if you do.

 

[mp510]

Pawn shop salesman are often willing to negotiate the asking price down, if you talk to them.

 

[f4t9r]

I do not understand the pricing myself. Normally priced more then new :banghead:

 

[B. Adams]

I don't know, I got a great deal on a Winchester 1300 at a pawn shop. $100 less than the gunshop, and mine is in much better shape and it came with a case. The two places are several blocks from each other on the same street.

That said, most of the time pawn shops are too high, but most are willing to make a deal with you. The one I bought my 1300 from wouldn't budge at all, (and trust me, I tried, several times). They wouldn't move at all, no matter what. I actually asked the girl, "What kind of pawn shop are you?" "Not a good one," she answered, then paused, "At least, not for bargaining." She slipped that last part in at the last moment.

I still got a good deal on it though, but it was the strangest pawn shop I've ever been in.

So yeah, make them an offer, or ask them what they can do for you, then make them a lower offer. That's what pawn shops do. Well, most of them anyway.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I was once offered the time of day for less than a dollar in a pawn shop.

 

[bogie]

You got a great deal, $100 less than you'd expect at Boxmart, and you're surprised they weren't budging on the price?

They probably just priced it at what they wanted for it.

No Duh...

You can try offering less. It may work.

 

[BigBlock]

They ask those prices because they know there are people stupid enough to pay them. Just like ebay - old worthless crap often goes for more than a new item. People actually buy gift cards on ebay for more than face value + shipping...

 

[GigaBuist]

I was once told the price on a Mosin Nagant 91/30 was $400 at a pawn shop. When asked why they said that's just what that model goes for.

That's 2x retail even if it was a Finn!

I held my laughter until I out the door.

 

[MrDig]

There is only one pawnshop I will buy from in the Mpls/St Paul area. They start out with honest used prices on used guns. Great owner and one of the hands and I have an agreement he don't BS me I might get my credit card out.

 

[Ala Dan]

Its been my experience from many year's ago, that its very hard to strike
a deal with a pawn broker. Remember many moons ago, when the "Dirty
Harry" hype got top billing and all the S&W model 29 .44 magnums of that
time seemingly dried up? Well, I found a very much used 4" model at City
Pawn Shop here in Birmingham for what I thought was a unbelieveable
price of $225. Thing is, this firearm was worn out from shooting HOT
magnum loads; but the gun was in such demand that the owners told
me that he knew it would sell~!

Fast forward to six months later, well that very well used S&W model 29
.44 maggie was still there collecting dust, and accumulating bumps and
brusies from being handled by John Q. Public because of all the hype. A
few weeks later, a lad came forward with $165 cash in hand and the old
model 29 faded away into history. Morale of this story that I learned from
my very dear friend Mr. C.R. Sam, "Have Patience And Carry Cash".

A couple of months went by, and I too found a dream of a lifetime. In
the very sporting goods store/gunshop that I work in today, I found a
brand NIB (mahogany presentation case) 4" barrel, factory blued Smith
& Wesson .41 magnum for the unheard of price of $175. Tax included,
the total came to $185.50; and I was the proud papa of a new S&W.

 

[vynx]

You have to remember Pawn Shops are NOT in the business of selling merchandise...they are in the LOAN business.

Making loans at exhorbatant rates is how they make money it far overshadows the money made on unclaimed merchandise and the sale of the merchandise.

The stuff on display is advertising it doesn't cost them like inventory so they don't need to move it. And, if you use a pawn shop for a loan it is not a financially savvy move so they figure they people who patronize them are not the kind of people looking for a good deal.

 

[Monkeybear]

Some shops are cool, some are not. The cool ones have fair prices, good service and are usually willing to turn a fair price into a good deal if the item has been around for awhile. The not cool ones have $150 Hipoints and rusted Lorcins for $200 and the guy at the counter refuses to haggle even though the price tag is turning yellow.

When you find the cool ones bring cash when you come in and try not to piss off the managers.

 

[Mortech]

I usually will end up paying 60% of the posted price . The price you see is a sucker price for gun buying noobs , I have a favorite pawn shop near Ft Lewis that has ridiculously priced used guns (For example a pre-enhanced version of a S&W 9mm Sigma for $420 !) I will usually make him an offer outside of ear shot of any other customers since I always get great deals from him and I pay cash .

 

[rangerruck]

most pawn shos nowadays have a computerized software system, that shows them what they should buy it for, and what to sell it for; it is generally about 60%more than what they paid for it. you can make any offer you want, but if it is at a large chain pawn shop, you are likely to get a no, unless they have had it a while. They prefer quick turnover. if it is more of a mom/pop place, they may have got taken themselves, not knowing what it was worth, and paid too much for it. i would still make them an offer, though. All they can say is no.

 

[CajunBass]

There is one pawn shop in town that I know of that sells guns. They have some nice stuff in there, from time to time, but the prices they have on the tags is so high, I don't even bother to haggle. It's not my style anyway. I figure you put the price on it you want. If I want to pay it, I will, if I don't, thanks for your time.

 

[AStone]

pawn

(chess) the least powerful piece; moves only forward and captures only to the side;
it can be promoted to a more powerful piece if it reaches the 8th rank

it's called a "pawn" shop.

get it?

 

[Hipster]

A lot of the pawn shops around here routinely tag each item with the original MSRP of the product when it was new. That price is usually easy for them to determine and the shop employees don't have to worry about whether they're pricing the item too high or too low. It's a no brainer method of pricing.

These shops don't expect anyone to actually pay the tag price for most items. You make an offer for what you are comfortable with. They'll either accept your offer or tell you no.

 

[hoji]

Some pawn shop " finds" in Austin.

Bersa.380{marked as a Beretta} $450

Ruger 10/22 stainless $325

Taurus 605 stainless $475

Glock 19 $799

S&W Sigma .40 $799

These are just some that stand out, and these were at different shops around town. They do not haggle even when I pointed out that their "Beretta" .380 was actually a Bersa and retailed new for about 200.

I brought in an ad from Oshman's for new 10/22 stainless models at $189 and they still wouldn't budge.

Just my experience. If you are looking for a deal, check the newspapers.

 

[OLD DOMENION]

Pawn shop pricing

Pawn shops are in business to make money. They must get a lot of unsalable stuff in. That could be the reason that the biggest piece of junk firearm is priced AS NEW.
The only thing I would buy from a pawn shop would have to be NEW.