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Haggling with Pawn Shops (reality vs. myth?)

Lysholm

Negative Nancy
I've never purchased anything from a pawn shop. Buying from such a place is a hefty proposition with all the social skills and timing involved, not to mention these places seem intent upon ripping people off as part of their business model. I've been in pawn shops before for random reasons but not to buy or sell - I've never had the courage.

So, what is reality and what is myth when it comes to buying stuff in a pawn shop? Is it like on TV with spurious haggling and dramatic periods of silence? Or is it a simpler exchange where you just ask for the cash price and take it or leave it?

Stories of wins, losses, and horrors are welcome.
 
You always haggle in second-hand shops. It's not like that damn tv show. You go in there & you can talk them down--this applies to antique stores, deals between individuals, and all that.

I bought a 1929 Underwood typewriter last year. I like typewriters, favor Underwood as a good reliable brand (if fairly low on features), and saw a 1929 No. 5 sitting for sale at $75 (fairly high considering it was somewhat rusted and did not run.) I know how to fix them but did not want to pay high prices for what is essentially going to be a project.

Ended up giving it a few weeks, asked about the typewriter, and bought it for $40 as someone had been inquiring but didn't buy it--claimed she'd get it next time she came in. Nope she did not; it's sitting right here.
It needed an escapement so I go look among typewriter collectors to see if anyone has an escapement that'll fit an Underwood No. 5--someone has one for $20.

By the time I'm done freshening up this particular machine it will be ready to go for probably a total of $100 but they haven't built this typewriter since 1933 so I guess I'm doing all right--at least it's all shiny still & I don't have to paint it, though it will be getting new paper inserts for the keys, new ribbon, rubber feet, and of course the escapement. As for getting it fully overhauled if I spent another $100 I could have the rubber rollers redone--which might be what I do, eventually, as new rubber makes a typewriter run very smooth and saves damage.

Never buy vintage or secondhand goods at full price.
 
I've never purchased anything from a pawn shop. Buying from such a place is a hefty proposition with all the social skills and timing involved, not to mention these places seem intent upon ripping people off as part of their business model. I've been in pawn shops before for random reasons but not to buy or sell - I've never had the courage.

So, what is reality and what is myth when it comes to buying stuff in a pawn shop? Is it like on TV with spurious haggling and dramatic periods of silence? Or is it a simpler exchange where you just ask for the cash price and take it or leave it?

Stories of wins, losses, and horrors are welcome.

I bought a DC power supply from a pawn shop once. I agree they are trying to rip everyone off. They give very little money for things people sell, then put those thing for sale at very high prices. I offered much less than they wanted and they immediately accepted. I realized later I had been tricked because I still paid much too much.

I think they used a technique of making the pricer unreasonably high on the chance someone might pay it but it was so high they could take a low offer and still make money because at half the asked price it now seemed a good deal but the trick was, it was still not worth that much.

It was my only experience buying from a pawn shop and I thought the experience was very unpleasant.

It was not like on tv though, we negotiated very quickly. Not much talking at all and things were quiet. The whole place felt like a lie though. It is hard to explain better than that. It just felt like everything in there was a cheat.

I guess if you knew what you wanted and what it should cost, you could do well if the experience was not too uncomfortable for you. I think you could write down a number and pass it to them for the negotiation. They just want to make a sale, it seemed to me.
 
You always haggle in second-hand shops. It's not like that damn tv show. You go in there & you can talk them down--this applies to antique stores, deals between individuals, and all that.

I bought a 1929 Underwood typewriter last year. I like typewriters, favor Underwood as a good reliable brand (if fairly low on features), and saw a 1929 No. 5 sitting for sale at $75 (fairly high considering it was somewhat rusted and did not run.) I know how to fix them but did not want to pay high prices for what is essentially going to be a project.

Ended up giving it a few weeks, asked about the typewriter, and bought it for $40 as someone had been inquiring but didn't buy it--claimed she'd get it next time she came in. Nope she did not; it's sitting right here.
It needed an escapement so I go look among typewriter collectors to see if anyone has an escapement that'll fit an Underwood No. 5--someone has one for $20.

By the time I'm done freshening up this particular machine it will be ready to go for probably a total of $100 but they haven't built this typewriter since 1933 so I guess I'm doing all right--at least it's all shiny still & I don't have to paint it, though it will be getting new paper inserts for the keys, new ribbon, rubber feet, and of course the escapement. As for getting it fully overhauled if I spent another $100 I could have the rubber rollers redone--which might be what I do, eventually, as new rubber makes a typewriter run very smooth and saves damage.

Never buy vintage or secondhand goods at full price.
I bought my Dad a pretty nice Underwood type writer. I think it's roughly 1920s based on some of the key legends etc.

When I got it, it was rusted solid and it took a lot of light oil and brushes to get it working. The space bar spring has snapped but I'm pretty sure I could fix that with a brass terminal block. For now I've just put some springy sponge under it so it works pretty well.

I had to fix the carriage roller pulley thing. That was actually pretty straightforward. But yeah, looks pretty good considering the mess it was in when it arrived :)

Took a while but I found a picture of it when I had finished it as best I could...
IMG_20191208_185835~2.jpg
 
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I bought my Dad a pretty nice Underwood type writer. I think it's roughly 1920s based on some of the key legends etc. That was a very nice gift for him!

When I got it, it was rusted solid (they usually are; unfortunately they have to be maintained a lot) and it took a lot of light oil and brushes to get it working. The space bar spring has snapped but I'm pretty sure I could fix that with a brass terminal block. Your spacebar spring is supposed to be a coil spring on a rod running across the frame. It is not an extension spring, but I will have to get a picture. For now I've just put some springy sponge under it so it works pretty well. If you would like pictures of an original Underwood spacebar spring I have a pair of Underwood desktops. They are something of a favorite of mine. Kudos to you for getting it going again; it's usually a bit complicated to fine-tune one but just to get it started is usually quite do-able.

I had to fix the carriage roller pulley thing. A good initiation. These are "wayrod" typewriters, and the rollers go on a steel rod in the back where they roll almost like railcar wheels. Wayrod typewriters went out of style with the ball bearing machines but Underwood hung onto it, and of course the old Oliver Typewriter Co. but the old three-bank Oliver downstrikes are more fragile and a bit harder to find. There is also a pulley with a cotton band, the "drawband," connected to a spring motor that is wound up when you pull the carriage back. This has to be occasionally fixed as drawbands break a lot. If you have the original you can sew the metal ends onto a length of bootlace & fix it right up. That was actually pretty straightforward. But yeah, looks pretty good considering the mess it was in when it arrived :)

Took a while but I found a picture of it when I had finished it as best I could...
Yep, that is definitely a nice old Underwood--but it's definitely not the bog standard 1920s Underwood 5 that you can still find laying around today.

The multiple fraction keys, lack of a 0/) key (using capital O for 0), British £ symbol, deeply wrinkled paintwork suggesting a refinishing in the then-fashionable crinkle finish, and fascinating sans-serif celluloid keytops (as opposed to the glass-topped paper keys it would have had originally) tell me that this was a model probably exported to British-controlled territories and rebuilt in the 1930s-1940s.
Why crinkly paint and fun keys? Why not? The belief was back then that, under the harsh glare of overhead incandescent lighting, high-gloss paintwork would cause eyestrains. (Remember this is back when office workers wore green eyeshades.) And the delightful Art Deco keytops are in line with a 1930s-'40s rebuild, as the original Underwood keys, paper under glass, were usually very dated-looking even in the '20s. (The most up-to-date 1920s American typewriter, IMHO, was the Remington.)

42 keys printing 84 characters makes this an Underwood No. 5, as opposed to the No. 4 (which is less common and had fewer keys.) But it is pleasingly outfitted with a few variations.

The back spacer and bichrome selector (visible on front right of machine--red and blue buttons) were introduced in May 1909, and the early style shift lock lever was replaced in February 1915. Your Underwood is probably going to have a serial number range between #247001 and #750,000.

Considering serial numbers on the Underwood No. 5 stopped at 3,885,000(!) there are plenty of them out and around for typewriter collectors, but most of them won't be so nicely outfitted.

Here is my Underwood 5 that I just got the escapement for--I was wrong, it is a 1927 version. This was rebuilt as a "Master Grade Underwood" some time in the early 1930s, but was not customized much--about the only cosmetic change really was losing the UNDERWOOD brand on the front plate. Seems to work in a lot of places, but I'm ludicrously picky about typewriters because I use them a lot. This one is currently disassembled but it's got to get the new escapement anyway, be de-rusted, probably get some fresh rollers.

LqFf4pO2ujUFYdkTqX7ki2somb-9gvqzX1lS6jivb_nkZx-lw05KhrmoVGor0x92HYZg45hJGNfjvzyPgDgopwZQ_I1hLCPdXpAnzyMmnfH64gVhzSMHgj3If0mZjeUsRMzkIC5GeuOS4tP-nFF8EWMRFAdsNOiXX9wdNJ4Noj2kOFoTWFbB9_NtQp-IfKSeIx49C9CXz6wlZzkGkdwmduFBVuqZNTHl8NuHdctBlBLcXMsXlTNTdrB99_Y9GxFegQNyYdZcIs8iNKQI2WMoA7Q22kqNk1Grk8rqQYr_sZ24kvJk3Z1dZaZpx96OHCNAOdLpS61w-iAozIIRmZVOoWgalrJQpMoKmeAG9c7yJ2o_xA42tQG0ehCQllMpnXhowDb02kv6aBCIZawc25VVcH7lxs_etk2BZJESFTh_p0dGo-1jH1jfmymLrWWt5-ubHAx1oug5i8NbLvO5OvCZAdOlGPfxnkahWQwR-IUnIVdNzAV-lgamYqczG7EF8M0714BKjXDcgXlSTT8MDApILms7egUR7oRSm3jYtR6BG0o6zJT-0eNpesohvH0nc_f1ztyByspqNY0xIf7FWQYa6pp6ChkeduWTQjEVDHcL43yDMFRAWwO8EsH5VjLgEgvZpQRa-7NTq36wIRodE2pW1ROdt5CPS7Y2YILLKvbo5Pic7cQLGhbtADRtvaPam6zMUz-VB1Yc_2VW9YaQ_DKR5DKCOkyL9-cLmQxUwF7kJM-3pTS2hhGqkbTjDzt4_kOspueaeJMGwZqAek7wRw0-a92nMDVLjBxt8Ycfshx23Bjn6QRA6iX6OdSD3FyTp3LsbVKSOe09mxPgbcJ26eoEo7Aqa2lJuxIzAAy_9QNkV9SrEM9AzyqpexRSCIg24T6XL2gaA98Kh80QVGnsGmVRsWDzS4YqIDiFxQi3HShJQ_QekiuPJKPsGkeScWNheh2Yj7UsovmhHR2EZzI_kg=w875-h656-no


I have a 1929 Underwood 5 that was found in un-rebuilt condition, which is neat because it was wearing original factory paint. It was basically scrap iron & missing a couple parts.

DSC00360.JPG






Yep--Same typewriter but all fixed up and in service (after six months I'd rather not repeat.) I used black stove paint to do the bodywork, as it was both durable and glossy. The added pinstriping is closer to a 1915-1920 model, but I wanted to add the gold-and-blue striping because it came along with the decal kit I got and I wanted to make this look very pretty. I would have liked to gone fully original but decided that the rust and tarnishing were all in the past for it, and it could have some good new history in the form of cool stripes.

DSC00750.JPG



Both of these are not as special as your early 1909-1916 Underwood--these are just regular old 1920s models--but again, never pay full price for second hand goods because you're going to have to end up fixing it if you want something that works.
 
Yep, that is definitely a nice old Underwood--but it's definitely not the bog standard 1920s Underwood 5 that you can still find laying around today.

The multiple fraction keys, lack of a 0/) key (using capital O for 0), British £ symbol, deeply wrinkled paintwork suggesting a refinishing in the then-fashionable crinkle finish, and fascinating sans-serif celluloid keytops (as opposed to the glass-topped paper keys it would have had originally) tell me that this was a model probably exported to British-controlled territories and rebuilt in the 1930s-1940s.
Why crinkly paint and fun keys? Why not? The belief was back then that, under the harsh glare of overhead incandescent lighting, high-gloss paintwork would cause eyestrains. (Remember this is back when office workers wore green eyeshades.) And the delightful Art Deco keytops are in line with a 1930s-'40s rebuild, as the original Underwood keys, paper under glass, were usually very dated-looking even in the '20s. (The most up-to-date 1920s American typewriter, IMHO, was the Remington.)

42 keys printing 84 characters makes this an Underwood No. 5, as opposed to the No. 4 (which is less common and had fewer keys.) But it is pleasingly outfitted with a few variations.

The back spacer and bichrome selector (visible on front right of machine--red and blue buttons) were introduced in May 1909, and the early style shift lock lever was replaced in February 1915. Your Underwood is probably going to have a serial number range between #247001 and #750,000.

Considering serial numbers on the Underwood No. 5 stopped at 3,885,000(!) there are plenty of them out and around for typewriter collectors, but most of them won't be so nicely outfitted.

Here is my Underwood 5 that I just got the escapement for--I was wrong, it is a 1927 version. This was rebuilt as a "Master Grade Underwood" some time in the early 1930s, but was not customized much--about the only cosmetic change really was losing the UNDERWOOD brand on the front plate. Seems to work in a lot of places, but I'm ludicrously picky about typewriters because I use them a lot. This one is currently disassembled but it's got to get the new escapement anyway, be de-rusted, probably get some fresh rollers.

LqFf4pO2ujUFYdkTqX7ki2somb-9gvqzX1lS6jivb_nkZx-lw05KhrmoVGor0x92HYZg45hJGNfjvzyPgDgopwZQ_I1hLCPdXpAnzyMmnfH64gVhzSMHgj3If0mZjeUsRMzkIC5GeuOS4tP-nFF8EWMRFAdsNOiXX9wdNJ4Noj2kOFoTWFbB9_NtQp-IfKSeIx49C9CXz6wlZzkGkdwmduFBVuqZNTHl8NuHdctBlBLcXMsXlTNTdrB99_Y9GxFegQNyYdZcIs8iNKQI2WMoA7Q22kqNk1Grk8rqQYr_sZ24kvJk3Z1dZaZpx96OHCNAOdLpS61w-iAozIIRmZVOoWgalrJQpMoKmeAG9c7yJ2o_xA42tQG0ehCQllMpnXhowDb02kv6aBCIZawc25VVcH7lxs_etk2BZJESFTh_p0dGo-1jH1jfmymLrWWt5-ubHAx1oug5i8NbLvO5OvCZAdOlGPfxnkahWQwR-IUnIVdNzAV-lgamYqczG7EF8M0714BKjXDcgXlSTT8MDApILms7egUR7oRSm3jYtR6BG0o6zJT-0eNpesohvH0nc_f1ztyByspqNY0xIf7FWQYa6pp6ChkeduWTQjEVDHcL43yDMFRAWwO8EsH5VjLgEgvZpQRa-7NTq36wIRodE2pW1ROdt5CPS7Y2YILLKvbo5Pic7cQLGhbtADRtvaPam6zMUz-VB1Yc_2VW9YaQ_DKR5DKCOkyL9-cLmQxUwF7kJM-3pTS2hhGqkbTjDzt4_kOspueaeJMGwZqAek7wRw0-a92nMDVLjBxt8Ycfshx23Bjn6QRA6iX6OdSD3FyTp3LsbVKSOe09mxPgbcJ26eoEo7Aqa2lJuxIzAAy_9QNkV9SrEM9AzyqpexRSCIg24T6XL2gaA98Kh80QVGnsGmVRsWDzS4YqIDiFxQi3HShJQ_QekiuPJKPsGkeScWNheh2Yj7UsovmhHR2EZzI_kg=w875-h656-no


I have a 1929 Underwood 5 that was found in un-rebuilt condition, which is neat because it was wearing original factory paint. It was basically scrap iron & missing a couple parts.

View attachment 95801





Yep--Same typewriter but all fixed up and in service (after six months I'd rather not repeat.) I used black stove paint to do the bodywork, as it was both durable and glossy. The added pinstriping is closer to a 1915-1920 model, but I wanted to add the gold-and-blue striping because it came along with the decal kit I got and I wanted to make this look very pretty. I would have liked to gone fully original but decided that the rust and tarnishing were all in the past for it, and it could have some good new history in the form of cool stripes.

View attachment 95802


Both of these are not as special as your early 1909-1916 Underwood--these are just regular old 1920s models--but again, never pay full price for second hand goods because you're going to have to end up fixing it if you want something that works.
Wow! You certainly seem to know a lot about these machines! I tried to find out as much as I could about it. There were various things that I discovered dated it at the earliest, around 1920s. I seem to remember something about one of the levers, perhaps it was the shift lock or something put it in that bracket but no earlier. I think also that the key caps were white paper under glass up to a certain point. I guess the modularity of these things means that any number of "mods" could have occurred :)

One thing I was impressed with was the intricate machining of the components! Very precise for something mass produced. I did read that there were some improvements in manufacturing technology around the time that made it possible to stamp very precise gears etc. The really cool thing is that you can just kinda look through the back and get a good understanding of what is going on and figure out how it all should work :)

Your typewriter looks stunning! It's amazing how such a hefty piece of iron can look so dainty and pretty! :)
 
I have never seen haggling on TV. I'm sure that local customs vary, and the way to find out about yours is simple observation. Go and browse, while listening to the action at the till. I sometimes haggle at garage sales, but never at farmer's markets or, so far, at pawn shops. Come to think of it, the pawn shops where I'm located now seem very pricy, so maybe they intended to haggle. I shall take my own advice and listen. One guy at a garage sale gave me 30% off, but he looked offended. At another garage sale, I intervened to keep another customer from getting short-changed. There are two kinds of garage sales. In one, people want the money, but in the other, they just want to get rid of the stuff. Some of the former vendors shop at the latter, and maybe do a bit of cleaning or repair. When my favourite farmer had some bad luck, I added 50% on a big order. "Community Crop Insurance" I said, and service has been great ever since.
 
@MildredHubble @Gerontius
Those look amazing!

I have purchased musical gear many times from pawn shops .one in particular was my favorite because they did not know anything about musical gear.

I would always haggle with them on price . But before I did I would pull my cash out and hold it.
 
Pretty much all I know about pawn shops I learned from a show called Pawn Stars. And one interesting thing is that if all pawn shops are like that one, they always have an expert 5 minutes away that knows everything about the things they need to know more about. Always. It's a little weird. A woman walked in and wanted to sell a suit that used to belong to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. The pawn shop guy made a phone call and 5 minutes later Billy Gibbons walked in. That seems unusual. :)

Pawn shops isn't a common thing here, I know of one in the entire country.
 
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I've been in one or two. Extremely overpriced!

On a side note if anyone dares ask me what the best price is on an item I'll say a higher price. They always fail to specify if it is better for me or them.....
 
In one, people want the money, but in the other, they just want to get rid of the stuff.
A lot of people also do it for social reasons. I cannot fathom why, but I've observed many habitual garage salers who seem to think it's fun having random strangers go through their stuff. But, maybe they're trying to justify a spending addiction as a business. Dunno.

I’ve never been in a pawn shop. I’d like to go in one, but it feels scary to me.
I used to work for a tech service that did several pawn shops, so I was in a bunch of them and none were actually scary or creepy just to be in. They are kinda like thrift shops with random stuff in every nook and cranny, except pawn shops also have expensive stuff that is organized. But, many had shirts and dvd's for like a dollar. There wasn't just one type of customer and nobody paid much attention to me. I never felt uncomfortable being in one, but I could never muster the strength to buy anything because I was clueless of the social etiquette.
 
Pretty much all I know about pawn shops I learned from a show called Pawn Stars. And one interesting thing is that if all pawn shops are like that one, they always have an expert 5 minutes away that knows everything about the things they need to know more about. Always. It's a little weird. A woman walked in and wanted to sell a suit that used to belong to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. The pawn shop guy made a phone call and 5 minutes later Billy Gibbons walked in. That seems unusual. :)

Pawn shops isn't a common thing here, I know of one in the entire country.


Pawn Stars is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, a/k/a "tinsel town". It is America's Mecca of gambling, legal prostitution, and so-called "entertainment". Many celebrities and performers live in or near Vegas and there are numerous pawn shops there to fund people's gambling addictions. Or other addictions. ;)

Where's @Judge? I think he lives in Reno, NV but I bet he can tell us a lot about Las Vegas and the pawn (porn?) culture that flourishes there.
 
Pawn Stars is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, a/k/a "tinsel town". It is America's Mecca of gambling, legal prostitution, and so-called "entertainment". Many celebrities and performers live in or near Vegas and there are numerous pawn shops there to fund people's gambling addictions. Or other addictions. ;)

Where's @Judge? I think he lives in Reno, NV but I bet he can tell us a lot about Las Vegas and the pawn (porn?) culture that flourishes there.

I think they use some smoke and mirrors on that show. :) To make it more entertaining. But the business model seems to be solid, giving people collateral loans with high interest rates and buying things for 60% of what it's worth, it's like owning a mint and printing money.
 
Yeah, I'm pretty sure when they're actually doing the filming on Pawn Stars, the actual shop itself is closed (although they let some people in so the store doesn't look empty) but IIRC they later opened like a secondary part of the building that they don't film in that is never closed, even when the show is filming.

Also pretty sure I've read interviews or whatever where they said that the vast majority of their clientele and the majority of what comes into the shop are just regular people pawning or selling regular stuff that isn't exactly interesting to TV audiences.

I've only been into a pawn shop once back when I was 14-15 years old. I don't remember exactly what I was looking for, but they didn't have it. All I remember is the store felt strangely empty and creepy despite having a bunch of stuff in it. Maybe it was cause my dad and I were the only ones there?

I don't think I could ever haggle at a pawn shop though. I already have a hard time talking to people to begin with.
 
I have walked into car dealerships before , Said to the sales man this is the payment I can afford, not a penny more . If you can’t do this don’t waste my time I won’t waste yours .

I have purchased 2 cars this way . My social skills are not very smooth But I am very direct ,In this situation my directness awarded me a good deal. And plus I cannot tolerate sales people . I know they are just making a living . But sometimes I just want what I came to get and nothing more .
 
I pawned a fairly powerful single-shot air rifle. Netted forty dollars which seemed fair but you get about half what you'd expect it to sell for.
The reason pawn shops are often A Thing is that they will let you get rid of goods in a hurry without the hassle of trying to sell it in a more conventional channel. Unfortunately thieves have used these to "fence" stolen goods very often.

The haggling isn't bad. And the best deal I have seen in a pawn shop was a Colt Single Action, second model, black hard-rubber grip, in .22 rimfire. This is the classic Colt six-shooter from the old movies--a real collector's item--but not in .45, just an inexpensive .22, so that's a lot of fun to practice with. They wanted $325 or so. I did not have the cash on me so I passed it up--also, facts are, I didn't need a pistol.

You can often buy tools in them--and to continue the typewriters from earlier I've seen typewriters in pawn shops, but they were post-war models from the '50s-'60s. I like the older ones instead as they're simpler to work on so I passed that up too.
 
Pawn shops: As a buyer of items there's little that's different than buying used goods from other places.

Selling to a pawn shop? That's where people get massively screwed if they don't come back for their item and pay off the "loan". I would bet that pawn shops give sellers probably 10%-20% of the item's actual value.
 
Where's @Judge? I think he lives in Reno, NV but I bet he can tell us a lot about Las Vegas and the pawn (porn?) culture that flourishes there.
LOL....not really. I've been to Las Vegas only once, and we didn't spend any time at all seeing much of anything there other than visiting with my cousin's best friend.

We do have a few pawn shops in Reno, but I can't say I've ever had a reason to visit one. As for the show "Pawn Stars", you have to keep things in perspective as with "reality" television in general. That what is portrayed or implied isn't entirely real...but often scripted to accommodate a television production and little else.

Haven't ever been to Mustang Ranch either, for those who may be wondering. :D

Though I have been in a legal marijuana dispensary here. That was quite interesting. ;)
 
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