pawn shop questions

You're not going to get much money out of these at all. Original package will definitely help (Shelf appeal is key). I feel like you could get $100 just standing on the street and asking passersby to buy your objects. If you're looking for a quick loan and want to keep your electronics when you pay it back next week, pawnshops might not give you enough money to solve your problems. Pawnshops are huge ripoffs all around. I would consider pawning it to a friend instead, even if I only knew you for a week or two I'd take that deal...

They'll take your info anyway, and the serial numbers of the stuff, and then check w/ the po-po about whether or not it's stolen anyway. Don't tell them what you want for it, let them make you an offer.

Yeah... that's the nature of "pawn". High interest loans using items as collateral. I've only used pawn once, about 10 years ago. I think I got $500-600 for a ring that appraised for $6000. I did subsequently retrieve the ring. Since you are looking for far less money, I would think those items should get you at least $50. It really depends what is selling well at that shop, and what they have in stock. I mean, even if you intend to retrieve your items, they are looking at them as a potential merchandise. If the pawn doesn't work out for you e-mail me (in profile).

From my limited experience, to work out in advance how much they should offer, look at how much they are selling similar items for, and halve it. (They will generally sell items with a 100% mark-up on what they paid for it, and that marked-up price has to be a value at which they think they can sell it fairly quickly). For things that don't date, depreciate, or go obsolete, this is normally about 25% of purchase value. For electronics (which do all of those things) it's probably going to be a lot less. But I imagine you should get $50 or more, yes. Lastly, don't think of it as a loan. Unless you're back in a few hours, your stuff may get sold.

"don't think of it as a loan. Unless you're back in a few hours, your stuff may get sold." I don't mean to suggest you can't trust them to hold it for you for X amount of time before selling if they tell you they will hold it for you, but some places are not interested in loans, just merchandise, so might not offer to hold it any longer than their normal time to get it on the shelf period. Depending on where you live, anti-theft laws might require they not sell it for X period of time, in which case you'll know how long you've got.

Lastly, don't think of it as a loan. Unless you're back in a few hours, your stuff may get sold. Methinks you don't know quite how pawn shops work. They're regulated and will not just resell your stuff if you've taken out a loan on it.

item: My point (which I thought was clarified) is that if they give you money, that doesn't mean they've given you a loan. If it IS a loan, then yeah, follow the fine-print and you're good. But don't walk in, ask how much they'll give you for X, walk out with the money and assume it's a loan. Because they also buy merchandise for re-sale, and some places only buy merchandise for re-sale. Those places may not technically be a pawn shop, but everyone I know makes little to no distinction. And both types give you money for your stuff. So pick the right one and get a loan.

I see what you mean, but a pawn shop's not going to conduct an exchange without asking if you want a loan or if you want to sell the item. I've hocked my share of stuff over the years, and have never had a shop not ask me. Usually, a shop'll give you more money on a loan than if they're buying it from you.

look at how much they are selling similar items for, and halve it. If you're looking to sell the stuff outright, maybe. If you're looking to pawn it and reclaim it later... no way. I work right next to a pawn shop and regularly use their front stoop to smoke my cancer sticks when I take breaks during the day, and if I had a nickel for every time someone walked out of the pawnshop swearing to high-heaven at what a rip-off it was, well, I could probably open up my own pawn shop. Do not go into this expecting to feel anything but totally ripped off when you walk out the door. It's just the nature of the business.