How modern pawn shops work

Do you need a quick chunk of cash but aren’t sure where to get it? Try looking in your attic, storage units, or around your house for items that pawn shops will purchase from you. A pawn shop is a great way to sell your items for top dollar. Of course, your items need to be worth something for the pawnshop to purchase.

What will pawn shops purchase?

The most popular items a pawnshop purchases include:

• Construction tools
• Jewelry
• Gold items
• Silver items
• Diamonds
• Old electronics
• Game systems
• New electronics
• Collectibles
• Fine china
• Lawn equipment
• Phones, tablets, laptops
• Action figurines
• Sport cards
• Sport memorabilia
• Autographed items
• Old records, CDs, DVDs

If your items are in great shape and worth something, or at least have high demand, then it’s likely your local pawn shops will make you an offer.

Do pawn shops really look scary like the movies?

One thing that’s kept people out of pawnshops is how they are portrayed in movies. Often Hollywood describes pawn shops as being a place for gang violence, dark alley businesses, or mafia-run. That’s simply not true – but it does make for a good movie storyline!

Pawnshops are regulated by the federal government and have many local and state laws they must abide by to remain in business. Most of them are laid out like thrift stores and should be thought of as such.

Pawnshops also have loan options. Not all, but some offer this. A pawn shop loan is an easy way to get quick cash when you are in a bind. To get your loan, you’d need to give the pawnshop something that is valuable. They’ll hold the item until you pay back the loan and then release it. Much like a car loan. You get the car, pay it back, and then get the title. A car isn’t valuable without the title.

Jennifer Eonflux