Why do Things Cost so Much at Pawn Shops?

Aloha everybody!

Before I get too far into this, I will admit that I have bought my fair share of pawn shop guitars, but lately I am baffled by how much pawn shops charge for their merchandise.

Historically, pawn shops have been good places to pick up used equipment cheap, but over the last 10 years or so, it seems like their pricing has become unrealistic. Keep in mind I am located near Los Angeles, which might not be the best indicator of what is happening in the real world.

For example, it is not uncommon to go into a pawn shop and see a beaten-to-death Mexican Stratocaster for $499. Well, I can buy the same guitar (brand new) from Musician’s Friend for $499, with free shipping and no tax. Or a nice used on eBay for under $300.

I run into the same issue with their tools. You can buy a pawn shop Sawzall that looks like someone butchered a cow with it for $120, or buy a new one online for $99.

And guess what, you get no warranty with these items, and pawn shops do not usually have very friendly return policies.

Maybe this is why the inventory at the pawn shops around me rarely changes.

Is there something else going on here? There must be, but I do not know exactly what it is.

I am reasonably sure that most of the money pawn shops make come from their loan business, and any items that get sold out of pawn are a bonus to them. Maybe having lots of cool stuff on the shelves and hanging on the walls draws more customers in off the street.

If you do find a guitar or amplifier you want to buy there are a few things you will want to do:

1. Find out exactly what model you are looking at, and research what they are really selling for on eBay.

2. Inspect it carefully looking for replaced parts or modifications. These never help the value of musical equipment. If you want to look inside borrow a screwdriver (pawn shops always have tools), but put it back the way you find it. If you do not know what you are doing, do not eff up their merchandise. Pawn shop guys do not have the greatest senses of humor.

3. Use it for awhile in the shop to make sure it works correctly.

If you are not able to do any of these 3 things, or if you know the sales guy is lying to you, walk away. There is a lot of other used equipment out there to buy.

If (after all this) you decide to buy it, you will have to negotiate them down to the usual market price. The only way to do this is with cash. Credit and debit cards charge the merchant extra fees, and provide an unwanted paper trail back to them for taxes that they may not be paying. Keep in mind that they can check prices on eBay too, so don’t try to bargain them down unreasonably.

Good luck!

By the way, I think the best deals in pawn shops are their used DVDs. Usually you can get good-condition DVDs for 2 or 3 bucks, and often times you can find older titles that are no longer available in stores. Check them out…

Mahalo!

Hard-Off Stores of Japan

Hard-Off. Heh. This is not the name of a Japanese girly bar or adult movie. It is a chain of some of the coolest stores in Japan.

In Japan, there is a constant push for consumers to have the newest and best products on the market. Hard-Off does not cater to people that are buying into that philosophy. These stores carry only secondhand items, in virtually every category imaginable.

These stores are crowded with merchandise. I usually go there to look for musical equipment, but they also have computers, toys, audio equipment, jewelry and sporting goods. I saw a set of Ping golf clubs for a hundred bucks there. What a deal!

The items in the stores may be used, but they are not abused. All of the items have been well-cared for, and all are in proper working order. Unless, that is, they are in the appropriately-labeled “Junk” section of the store. You get what you deserve if you pick something off of those shelves.

There are a number of offshoots of the “Off” stores. For example, you can head over to Book-Off to find some used tomes, or Garage-Off, Hobby-Off, Off-House or Mode-Off, for pretty much whatever else you are looking for.

As an aside, when I was trying to find a local Hard-Off store, I went to the concierge desk at an upscale hotel. They had never even heard of the store, and had to find it on the internet. As I said, there is a general perception that only the newest and best will do.