Tips you may hear from friends or other venues
Selling to a Pawn Shop
- Find the right pawn shop. Do some online research to see what others have said about working with area pawn shops. Then, choose a reputable shop and broker you feel comfortable with. Also, know that some pawn shops specialize in certain items. For example, if you have an antique, look for a pawn shop that has experience buying and selling antique items.
- Independent Pawn takes anything of value on loan or for resell, keep in mind that on-line reviews are not an effective tool. Independent Pawn does thousands of great transactions a year and only a handful of people take the time to leave reviews. Mostly unhappy customers leave reviews, if you gauge those few reviews against the thousands of unspoken reviews it would be minuscule.
- Know if you want to pawn or sell. Pawn shops will give you the choice, so educate yourself on the options and know the ups and downs of each before you go in. The decision should be based on a number of things including your ability to repay a loan and the value you place on the item you are pawning or selling.
- Independent Pawn encourages you to keep your items and make a loan, however we will buy anything of value.
- Negotiate. Understand that pawn store owners are resellers, not collectors. Just because a collector values your vintage vinyl at $100, doesn’t mean that you will get that from a pawn broker. Set a minimum price ahead of time so you don’t make a snap decision you’ll regret later.
- Independent Pawn will always give as much as possible, it's important to understand we are a business.
- Be prepared to prove your claims. For example, if you bring in a valuable piece of jewelry, consider having a professional jeweler write up an appraisal so you can prove the piece’s worth. If the item runs on batteries, make sure it has fresh batteries in it so you can show that it works. Bringing items in their original packaging is always helpful.
- Independent Pawn buys items based on current used retail value, appraisals only help to clarify quality of stones.
- Show things in their best light. A layer of dust might make sense on an antique, but not on your DVD player. Imagine that you were going to purchase the item—what would you want it to look like?
- Independent Pawn pays for items based on many things and condition is a key factor in the amount you receive.
- Pay on time. If you pawn an item for a loan, be sure to pay back the loan plus interest on time and as agreed.
- Independent Pawn is here to help, if you need a few more days just give us a call.
Buying From a Pawn Shop
- Do your research. It doesn’t matter what an item costs when it is new; some things hold their value much more than others. Know the value of an item in its existing condition before you make a purchase.
- Independent Pawn researches every item we sell to ensure that you are getting a fair deal.
- Negotiate. Every item will have a price, but the sticker price should just be considered your starting point, the longer something stays in the store, the more the pawnbroker will be willing to lower the price.
- Independent Pawn makes deals all day and look forward to making you a deal.
- Ask about their warranty: Some have lenient return polices while others say “all sales are final.” The policies can range widely, so read the policies carefully.
- Independent Pawn has a 100% satisfaction guarantee backed by a 30/60 warranty on general merchandise and a Supplemental Lifetime Warranty on all firearms.
- Cash is king. The pawnbroker might be more apt to take your reasonable offer if you are paying with cash.
- Independent Pawn takes all forms of payment and has no preference.
It is always good to be prepared and have your merchandise in tip top condition prior to bringing it in for a loan or sell. Tips are great and for the most part apply to the vast portion of the pawn industry, we like to think we are the exception. Give us a try! We will do our best to build a lasting relationship so that there will be no need to shop around.