POLL: What reputation do most pawn shops have?

What reputation does the average pawn shop have now a days?`

  • Mostly morally low businesses that pray on the desperate.

  • Mostly morally gray. A wash of good and bad.

  • Mostly morally upright. Good place to find a good bargain, no guilt involved at all.

  • Other.


Results are only viewable after voting.

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
What reputation do pawn shops have in your mind? Pawn Stars is now a very popular reality TV series, and a good one, but let's face it they don't represent your average pawn shop. What's your view of your average one?
 

TheNinja

Lifer
Jan 22, 2003
12,207
1
0
I don't see a poll.

My view is that they will rip off people who are selling things b/c they need cash quick for bills, drugs, etc. They buy stolen goods for cheap. And then try to sell stuff at near new prices to people dumb enough to go into the store and buy used junk. I might be totally wrong, but that is my view.
 

Soundmanred

Lifer
Oct 26, 2006
10,780
6
81
I don't see a poll.

My view is that they will rip off people who are selling things b/c they need cash quick for bills, drugs, etc. They buy stolen goods for cheap. And then try to sell stuff at near new prices to people dumb enough to go into the store and buy used junk. I might be totally wrong, but that is my view.

It doesn't matter what the reality is, this is exactly how most people view pawn shops.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
I don't see a poll.

My view is that they will rip off people who are selling things b/c they need cash quick for bills, drugs, etc. They buy stolen goods for cheap. And then try to sell stuff at near new prices to people dumb enough to go into the store and buy used junk. I might be totally wrong, but that is my view.

With vB you now add the poll after posting the thread.
 

OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
36
91
Pawn shops have a bad perception because people are stupid. Their margins are generally very low.
 

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,357
3
81
Yep people that use pawn shops are mostly desperate. People that aren't have the patience to wait.
It always blows my mind how when they have something appraised on pawn stars and the appraiser says its worth a gazillion dollars then Rick offers 20 bucks and the seller has this look in his eyes that says holy shit 20 bucks sweet slot machines here I come.

Edit: you can be damn sure if I owned pawn shop I'd low ball the crap out of the sellers and totally jack up my prices after.
 

OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
36
91
How do they "pray on the desperate"?

The vast majority of their business is through loans, not sales.

They provide a service to the community that is better than payday loans. Have you ever tried to get a $40 loan from a bank?

Some people truly need them at some point.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
How do they "pray on the desperate"?

The vast majority of their business is through loans, not sales.

They provide a service to the community that is better than payday loans. Have you ever tried to get a $40 loan from a bank?

Some people truly need them at some point.

Because like you say people are stupid. But you can still "pray" on the stupid. People get themselves into financial messes that they can't get out of and end up going to pawn stuff at these places that they often do not want to part with but have little choice.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
I haven't been in a pawn shop in years so I couldn't really comment on the reputation of "most" pawn shops.

Personally, I look at it as just another business. Some are probably on the up and up and others are probably doing things that are borderline illegal if not illegal...just like any other business.
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
How do they "pray on the desperate"?

I was wondering about this too. The logistics of praying on top of someone seems to make it impractical. What possible benefit could there be to praying on top of another human? Does it get you that much closer to God? I guess there are certain species of ants that form a giant chain of bodies to cross from one leaf to another. Maybe praying on top of someone is like that, if you have enough people.
 

coldmeat

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2007
9,213
109
106
Yep people that use pawn shops are mostly desperate. People that aren't have the patience to wait.
It always blows my mind how when they have something appraised on pawn stars and the appraiser says its worth a gazillion dollars then Rick offers 20 bucks and the seller has this look in his eyes that says holy shit 20 bucks sweet slot machines here I come.

Edit: you can be damn sure if I owned pawn shop I'd low ball the crap out of the sellers and totally jack up my prices after.

What? That never happens on the show. I just watched every episode of Pawn Stars over the last week or 2. The seller always wants more than Rick's willing to offer. Most people settle though, because they need money.
 

Bacstar

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2006
1,273
30
91
Must be a scary business to run though.

Had a roommate few years ago in a place I used to live. He became "really" good buddies with the landlord who also lived in the place, but was gone every two weeks for two weeks. He worked on the North Slope. Well, one day he comes back and asks where all this stuff went, some pretty expensive stuff too (mtn bike, snowboard, wake board,) and the roommate kinda disappeared.

I guess he ended finding the guy and found out his stuff was sold to various Pawn Shops. Apparently, if the stuff was stolen and the rightful owner (guess you needed a police report, etc.) wanted his stuff back, the pawn shop will need to give it up. Sadly, he didn't want to file charges so he ended up rebuying all his stuff back. If that roommate would have stolen from me, he'd be in jail right now.
 

dud

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
7,635
73
91
Pawn shops, cash advance shops and payday loan shops , etc. all exist only to make a profit ... and they profit off the most vulnerable segment of society ... the poor.

I don't believe those taken/used by these establishments are stupid, they are probably economically disadvantaged and make bad decisions ... but I try to see the good in people.
 

MrPickins

Diamond Member
May 24, 2003
9,117
766
126
Pawn shops, cash advance shops and payday loan shops , etc. all exist only to make a profit ... and they profit off the most vulnerable segment of society ... the poor.

I don't believe those taken/used by these establishments are stupid, they are probably economically disadvantaged and make bad decisions ... but I try to see the good in people.

This is true, but I can tell you that when I was 18, practically homeless and living paycheck to paycheck, a pawn shop was a godsend in the inevitable event of unforeseen financial emergencies.

(I only ever left one item there, though: a bike for which I had forgotten about the loan closure date. :\)
 

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,357
3
81
What? That never happens on the show. I just watched every episode of Pawn Stars over the last week or 2. The seller always wants more than Rick's willing to offer. Most people settle though, because they need money.

Yes I am aware nothing has ever appraised for a gazillion dollars then rick offers only 20 dollars. I was exaggerating for effect.
 

coldmeat

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2007
9,213
109
106
Yes I am aware nothing has ever appraised for a gazillion dollars then rick offers only 20 dollars. I was exaggerating for effect.

Obviously, I'm not a fucking retard. What I'm saying is that 99% of the people that go in there aren't happy with what they got for their item. They all want more money than he offers.
 

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,357
3
81
Obviously, I'm not a fucking retard. What I'm saying is that 99% of the people that go in there aren't happy with what they got for their item. They all want more money than he offers.

I know but instead of saying "well if its worth a gazillion dollars I'll take my chance with the market". They begrudgingly bitch and moan and end up taking what Rick offers. Which to me is a sign of desperation
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
10,877
8
81
Same view as everyone else.

They are good though every now and again.

I remember when Blockbuster started up Gamerush and had a promo. $8 trade in for any DVD. I went to the pawn shop and made a deal, ill buy at least 30 movies for $3.50 a pop,they were sellin them for $6 a piece. They went for it and I bought a few hundred dollars worth of dvds and traded them into blockbuster haha for $8 each
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Pawn shops, cash advance shops and payday loan shops , etc. all exist only to make a profit ..
.

no shit?

hmm

come to think of it EVERY fucking business exist to make a profit.