Been considering another scrollsaw, to stick in my backroom, for
when I want to make a few small cuts, for something I'm putting together
in the house, rather than going out in the shop.

As I don't want to sink a lot into a duplicate scrollsaw, and
because I was out near a pawn shop today, dcided to see what they had.

Well, didn't see any scrollsaw there, but I doubt I would have
bought one there anyway. Of the prices I looked at, I think all of them
were as high, or higher (most), than new prices. And, most of the stuff
was far from new.

Wile I was there, I also looked at a .303 Lee-Enfield, with a
hacked stock. They were asking just shy of $300 for it. For that price
I could have a dealer order one fron an on-line dealer, of collectable
quality, and probably wouldn't cost half that, even after shipping,
taxes, dealer cut, and all, is figured in. When I said it was way too
high, I was asked how much I would offer. They turned down my $75
offer. With the stock hacked up like it was, I figure that would have
been fair. Actually, if I'd really wanted it, I would have gone as high
as $100.

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.



JOAT
A rolling stone gathers no moss...unless it's a hobby he does on the
weekends.

"J T" wrote in message
...

..

snip

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

I don't even bother anymore. It seems that they are geared to the unlearned
and the desperate (nicer word than 'stupid').

J T wrote:

Well, didn't see any scrollsaw there, but I doubt I would have
bought one there anyway. Of the prices I looked at, I think all of them
were as high, or higher (most), than new prices. And, most of the stuff
was far from new.

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

When the gambling boats came to town, pawnshops sprung up around them
like dandelions after a spring rain. I used to drop in once in a while
expecting to find a bargain or two. My experiences were much the same
as yours. Worn-out tools for nearly new prices. I don't even bother
going in anymore even though there's practically one on every corner.
I don't know much about how the pawnshop business operates, but they
must be making their money some other way.

DonkeyHody
"There, but for the Grace of God, go I."

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 15:50:04 -0500, (J T)
wrote:

Been considering another scrollsaw, to stick in my backroom, for
when I want to make a few small cuts, for something I'm putting together
in the house, rather than going out in the shop.

As I don't want to sink a lot into a duplicate scrollsaw, and
because I was out near a pawn shop today, dcided to see what they had.

Well, didn't see any scrollsaw there, but I doubt I would have
bought one there anyway. Of the prices I looked at, I think all of them
were as high, or higher (most), than new prices. And, most of the stuff
was far from new.

Wile I was there, I also looked at a .303 Lee-Enfield, with a
hacked stock. They were asking just shy of $300 for it. For that price
I could have a dealer order one fron an on-line dealer, of collectable
quality, and probably wouldn't cost half that, even after shipping,
taxes, dealer cut, and all, is figured in. When I said it was way too
high, I was asked how much I would offer. They turned down my $75
offer. With the stock hacked up like it was, I figure that would have
been fair. Actually, if I'd really wanted it, I would have gone as high
as $100.

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.



JOAT
A rolling stone gathers no moss...unless it's a hobby he does on the
weekends.

I asked a pawn shop owner a few months back why his prices were so
high on some things. He said EBAY. Says he can get his prices there if
it doesnt sell in the store. He no longer dickers over pricing.
Basicaly pay his price or someone else will. I havent been back.

skeez

"DonkeyHody" wrote

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

Trick is to know what you are looking at. I bought a Remington 552
Speedmaster (rifle) Monte Carlo grade for $90. Value, a lot more.

I got a Tad pool cue for $30. Sold it for $1130.

I got a $2,500 welder for $300. Still have it.

Deals can be had, you just have to know what you're looking at.

But, by and large, 99.9% overprice thoroughly used goods.

Steve

"SteveB" wrote in message
news:gdVof.52$_L5.18@fed1read06...

"DonkeyHody" wrote

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

Trick is to know what you are looking at. I bought a Remington 552
Speedmaster (rifle) Monte Carlo grade for $90. Value, a lot more.

I got a Tad pool cue for $30. Sold it for $1130.

I got a $2,500 welder for $300. Still have it.

Deals can be had, you just have to know what you're looking at.

But, by and large, 99.9% overprice thoroughly used goods.

Steve

I have gotten some good deals on slightly used tools.
I have two Porter Cable routers I bought at different times, both were like
new. The first one they were asking about 80% of new, plus it had $100 worth
the carbide cutters in the case with it. I offered them$125 for it and got
it. It was all worth around $300 retail, and like I said, it was pristine,
like new. The other was a big PC router, the model number I can't recall
right now, but they were asking $175 for it. Over a two week time I would
stop by every few days and offer $125 for it, and get refused! Last trip in
I set it on the counter along with a Craftsman 16 gauge brad nailer that
needed some work, but was like new, and offered $150 for them and got it.
the router sells new for over $300. The nailer needed a couple of fifty cent
screws and works fine.
But for the most part deals are hard to come by. When I am in the market for
something I hit all the pawn shops in town about once a week. Rarely I find
a deal, but once in a while something comes by. Also don't let the asking
prices run you off. It seems to me that pawn shops are used to haggling over
the price a bit, so there is usually some room for negotiation in the price.
Greg

Sat, Dec 17, 2005, 8:48am (EST-1) (Greg*O) doth
sayeth:
snip Also don't let the asking prices run you off. It seems to me that
pawn shops are used to haggling over the price a bit, so there is
usually some room for negotiation in the price. Greg

Most of the prices I looked at, a fair negotiation price would
start at about half what they were asking, or less. I'll admit, you
"can" still get a bargain in a pawn shopl, but they're few and far
between, and you'd have to visit a lot of places, very often, before
you're gonna run across many.

If you want a bargain, I think you'll find better ones, more often,
in your local bargain papers, newspaper classified ads, by visiting
second hand shops, yard sales, or word of mouth. I'll probably still
check out the occassional pawn shop, but only when I'm in the area, with
nothing better to do. I won't expect to see anything I actually want to
buy.



JOAT
A rolling stone gathers no moss...unless it's a hobby he does on the
weekends.

"J T" wrote in message
...
Sat, Dec 17, 2005, 8:48am (EST-1) (Greg O) doth
sayeth:
snip Also don't let the asking prices run you off. It seems to me that
pawn shops are used to haggling over the price a bit, so there is
usually some room for negotiation in the price. Greg

Most of the prices I looked at, a fair negotiation price would
start at about half what they were asking, or less. I'll admit, you
"can" still get a bargain in a pawn shopl, but they're few and far
between, and you'd have to visit a lot of places, very often, before
you're gonna run across many.

If you want a bargain, I think you'll find better ones, more often,
in your local bargain papers, newspaper classified ads, by visiting
second hand shops, yard sales, or word of mouth. I'll probably still
check out the occassional pawn shop, but only when I'm in the area, with
nothing better to do. I won't expect to see anything I actually want to
buy.



JOAT

If you ebay, when you do a search, use the drop down that reverses the
order. Look at newly posted items. Sometimes the seller doesn't know the
value of what they have and put a too low buy it now price. Like a good
deal at a yard sale, first guy that sees it grabs it.

Steve

Sat, Dec 17, 2005, 11:16am (EST-3) (SteveB)
hath said:
JOAT
If you ebay, when you do a search, use the drop down that reverses the
order. Look at newly posted items. Sometimes the seller doesn't know the
value of what they have and put a too low buy it now price. Like a good
deal at a yard sale, first guy that sees it grabs it.

Yes, you "can" get some great deals on eBay - I've gotten a few,
including some using the Buy-It-Now option. BUT, at the same time it is
"essntial" that you check the shipping cost, because that can absolutely
kill an otherwise great deal. I've passed on bidding for a lot of items
on eBay, because the high shipping cost being charged would have jacked
the total way too high to make it worthwhile, even if I was the only
bidder.

Most of my eBay bidding is for items I can't track down anywhere
else. For example - out-of-print books.



JOAT
A rolling stone gathers no moss...unless it's a hobby he does on the
weekends.

Greg O wrote:

But for the most part deals are hard to come by. When I am in the market for
something I hit all the pawn shops in town about once a week. Rarely I find
a deal, but once in a while something comes by. Also don't let the asking
prices run you off. It seems to me that pawn shops are used to haggling over
the price a bit, so there is usually some room for negotiation in the price.
Greg

Maybe pawn shops in your neck of the woods are different. I can't
escape the feeling I need to carry my gun when I go in . . . and take a
shower when I leave.

DonkeyHody
"Never wrestle with a pig. You'll both get muddy, but the pig likes
it."

"DonkeyHody" wrote in message
ups.com...


Maybe pawn shops in your neck of the woods are different. I can't
escape the feeling I need to carry my gun when I go in . . . and take a
shower when I leave.


Sounds about the same to me!
Greg

On 17 Dec 2005 15:36:08 -0800, "DonkeyHody"
wrote:



Maybe pawn shops in your neck of the woods are different. I can't
escape the feeling I need to carry my gun when I go in . . . and take a
shower when I leave.


Last time I was in a pawn shop I was trying to recover several nail
guns that were stolen from us on a job site. It wasn't going too
well on the first attempt but on the second trip we brought a
sheriff's officer with us. Things went very smooth after that.


Mike O.

In article xuZof.85$_L5.58@fed1read06,
"SteveB" wrote:

...
JOAT

If you ebay, when you do a search, use the drop down that reverses the
order. Look at newly posted items. Sometimes the seller doesn't know the
value of what they have and put a too low buy it now price. Like a good
deal at a yard sale, first guy that sees it grabs it.


I frequently list an item for $1, even when I -think- it will sell for
several hundred. To date I have yet to be surprised and see it sell for
almost nothing.
Once something sold for 10X what -I- thought it was worth, the bidders
explained that it was now a "collectable" and worth a lot.

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

Local pawnshops here in Eastern Washington are about the same as the
original poster explained. WAY overpriced on junk. Offers of half
would be generous and were always declined so I stopped making them and
just walk out now.

However, in coming back in a couple of months the junk is gone so
apparanetly there are some dumb ones locally. But I suspect the
layaway policy of pawn shops sells a lot of the equipment, make a
couple three payments and then pick it up.

I recently missed a minty millers falls no 7 rabbet plane for under $40
at a local pawn shop that sold on Ebay.

Alan

Quite true. I spent a day some time ago cruising the Seattle pawn shops. Was
highly disappointed at their prices.

"arw01" wrote in message
oups.com...
Local pawnshops here in Eastern Washington are about the same as the
original poster explained. WAY overpriced on junk. Offers of half
would be generous and were always declined so I stopped making them and
just walk out now.

However, in coming back in a couple of months the junk is gone so
apparanetly there are some dumb ones locally. But I suspect the
layaway policy of pawn shops sells a lot of the equipment, make a
couple three payments and then pick it up.

I recently missed a minty millers falls no 7 rabbet plane for under $40
at a local pawn shop that sold on Ebay.

Alan

I was waiting for someone to use the "Ebay" word.

Yes Ebay has changed the way pawn shops operate....forever.

All pawn shops that I used to visit use Ebay for their pricing
information. Their thinking is that if someone will pay that price on
Ebay, then they are likely to get that price too...and they are right.

Next if the locals won't pay the price ....then Ebay it. They do and
again they get their price.

Finally many pawn shops today let an item sit on a shelf for a certain
amount of time and then it automatically goes on Ebay...if you think
you can wait them out for a lower price you are sadly mistakened.

If one factors in the time and effort in covering the pawn shop
circuit, the rare finds that you come across are no bargains.

If you want the bargains, you need to find the item before it lands in
the hands of the pawn shop dealer. The problem is that your competition
has figured this out too. Anyone else notice the increased competition
at garage sales, estate sales, adds in the local paper, auctions, etc.
also?

The day of finding bargains easily and consistently has passed.

TMT

In article .com,
"Too_Many_Tools" wrote:

Yes Ebay has changed the way pawn shops operate....forever.

Here in Oregon there is an ongoing story about pawn shops, stolen goods
and eBay. It appears the Portland police were not looking very closely
at a number of pawn shops which were getting new-in-the-box (NIB) items
which had been stolen from retailers. (There's a picture of a
half-dozenish NIB Husqvarna chainsaws from one of the pawn shops.) Well,
the FBI ended up taking on the issue and doing a 20 month investigation
and crackdown.

In Sunday's Oregonian, there's a front page article about how eBay has
transformed the pawn industry and the shoplifter's selling risk. This
stuff doesn't sit around long as it goes on eBay ASAP. SInce sellers are
faceless and without a store that a customer might judge by looks to
determine acceptability, they can rack up great and glowing reviews as
long as they answer emails and ship promptly.

One woman who bought a Brita water filter seemed disturbed and somewhat
surprised at never having considered the possiblity that it was likely
stolen. A farmer from S. Dakota seemed almost unmoved by the knowledge
the merchandise could well be stolen - just as long as he got a bargain.

Here's the article:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/orego...ews/1134798908
252870.xml&coll=7

Oh yes, one more thing, eBay's spokesperson doesn't come off sounding
very supportive of law enforcement.
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05

You're right there! I recently moved to a new town and found a pawn
shop that had pretty reasonably priced machinist's tools, old but good
quality. I bought quite a few over the next year, then walked in one
day to find all the prices quadrupled. They wanted $12 for a tubing
cutter that costs $3.50 new on any hardware store. The guy killed the
goose. I haven't been back since.
Bugs

That's the catch, of course. The pawnshops pay next to nothing for most
items. But how are you going to "intercept" the stuff you want before
it ends up there?

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

If you want the bargains, you need to find the item before it lands in
the hands of the pawn shop dealer. The problem is that your competition
has figured this out too. Anyone else notice the increased competition
at garage sales, estate sales, adds in the local paper, auctions, etc.
also?

"That's the catch, of course. The pawnshops pay next to nothing for
most
items. But how are you going to "intercept" the stuff you want before
it ends up there? "

Pawnshops pay between a maximum of 10 -20% of retail on anything....and
with loans/convert into cash the percentage is usually less.

To "intercept" the stuff you have to make the used equipment
circuit...rummage sales, garage sales, aucitons, run want ads,
etc....and this all takes time, space and money.

If your time is worth anything (and it is worth minimum wage), most of
this stuff is not worth chasing. If you are honest about the time it
took to find that "gloatable" tool, you would realize that you have
likely wasted alot of time that could have been spent better elsewhere.
You are further ahead earning the money and buying new....or if you
want the old, risky stuff...buy it off Ebay than to chase that $100
Unisaw that will never happen to most of us.

I also have noticed that the competition for stuff at garage sales and
such has gotten substantially tougher. Since many folks think they can
sell it on Ebay, they are out in droves looking for the next sellable
item. Many private individuals also are pricing their stuff at Ebay
prices and are getting it...so why would they sell it to you for less?

Like I said, those who used to make money off buying low and selling
high from unknowledgable or desparate sellers need to find something
else to do to make their pocket money these days.

TMT

(J T) wrote:

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

As long as I can remember (long before ebay), pawnshops have always
outrageously overpriced their goods and refused to bargain. I could
never figure out their business plan. But now with ebay it's clear
that there really are that many suckers around to make selling crappy
stuff at ridiculous prices into a good living.

Ken Muldrew

(remove all letters after y in the alphabet)

Pawnshps aren't the only businesses using that business approach.

Most other businesses do also....

TMT

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
oups.com...
Pawnshps aren't the only businesses using that business approach.

Most other businesses do also....

TMT


Only if they truly want to succeed.

Steve

On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 21:53:31 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
(Ken Muldrew) quickly quoth:

(J T) wrote:

Pawnshops buys ain't no bargains anymore.

As long as I can remember (long before ebay), pawnshops have always
outrageously overpriced their goods and refused to bargain. I could
never figure out their business plan. But now with ebay it's clear
that there really are that many suckers around to make selling crappy
stuff at ridiculous prices into a good living.

I think use the fewer sales of extremely overpriced items (to people
who don't know the value of things) to pay their overhead, relying
more on reselling the majority of items back to the original owners
for a nasty markup on their "loan".

--
Don't forget the 7 P's:
Proper Prior Planning Prevents ****-Poor Performance
----------------------------------------------------
http://diversify.com Website Application Programming

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote:

Pawnshps aren't the only businesses using that business approach.

Most other businesses do also....

OK, but when you have one business selling new crap for $100 and
another selling the same crap, but badly used, for $100, why would
anyone buy the used stuff?

Ken Muldrew

(remove all letters after y in the alphabet)

Subject

Having almost 100% of my tools stolen once, I don't support Pawnshops
who are the basic buyers of your property that was stolen by the crack
heads.

If the crack heads are "lucky", they may get $0.10 on the $ from a
pawnbroker.

Lew

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:56:49 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm,
(Ken Muldrew) quickly quoth:

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote:

Pawnshps aren't the only businesses using that business approach.

Most other businesses do also....

OK, but when you have one business selling new crap for $100 and
another selling the same crap, but badly used, for $100, why would
anyone buy the used stuff?

Because far too many sheeple A) don't shop around. and B) don't have
even the slightest idea of market value. They buy what's in front of
them at whatever price it's marked. Their loss is the pawnshop's gain.

-
Every day above ground is a Good Day(tm).
-----------
http://diversify.com Website Application Programming