There's a favorite pawn shop I've gone to for years. Favorite more as in, it's usually the only one around. From the looks of things on the shelves, people tend to go there to pawn Sega Dreamcast game systems, tubas, drum sets, and corroded giant power tools. Me? I go to see what is new in the world of $4.00 used DVDs.
For years, this place was well known for walls lined with signed Star Trek photos (not for sale!), an alligator head full of mints on the counter (not for sale!), and a pervasive odor of smoke, even though no smokers were evident.
I went in there today to check to see if they had any deals in monitors. I was surprised: gone were the Star Trek photos, the alligator head, and also the pervasive odor of smoke. Maybe the place had changed hands. I asked, and sure enough it had.
I checked the computer monitors they had, and sure enough, as I have come to expect from pawn shop pricing, they cost just a little more than they typically cost new. What's up with that? I've noticed that with most electronics at these places. Do they honestly think someone is going to come in and buy some ancient Windows ME laptop for $499? Does there really need to be shelf space devoted for $3.00 VHS tapes and Super Nintendo cartridges?
Has anyone seen a pawn shop that actually has good electronics deals?
I left, not buying anything. Not even the banjo on the wall.
6 comments:
I guess I am sort of surprised to realize that I've never been in a pawn shop. I mean, I've seen them around... Sounds like something it's okay to continue not visiting. I will stick with the thrift shops for actual bargains!
Do you find CDs and DVDs at thrift shops? All I tend to find are LPS (Starland Vocal Band, Osmond collections, etc) and broken-looking boxless cassettes of sermons.
My son bought an old TV/VHS player for cheap at a pawn shop, but most stuff there seemed crazily overpriced.
Do pawn shops depend on desperation and ignorance, desperation for building inventory, ignorance for unloading it? just asking.
Yeah. I still have no idea how pawn shops make their money.
Dmarks, I have a couple of quite nice thrift shops near me. One is a Goodwill and one is an affiliate of Red, White and Blue Thrift Stores. I do find CDs and DVDs...those aren't really things I collect, but they are there!
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