Anybody have luck finding antiques and collectables at pawn shops?

Personally most of the times I've browsed pawn shops I've come away empty handed. Most either a). know what they have got and sell online or b). don't have anything worth purchasing or c). price their items substantially over market rate, comparable items online. As a coin collector I've had a bit of luck finding bargains on a few occasions but most of the time they don't have much that I actually want. The bulk of my purchases at pawn shops have actually been cheap used DVDs which they usually have priced very competitively, often the cheapest in the area if you can weed out the damaged discs and avoid those. These establishments can be a little bit seedy and I would be hesitant to be very trusting.

Your experiences with pawn shops?

 

I found these at a local scrap buyer's shop: 14k Victorian Earrings; 14k pearl, ruby and diamond pendant that slides open to a mirror; a 14k Victorian mesh bracelet

 

We don't have pawn shops here anymore. I think they went out in the 50s. Since a few decades we do have places that buy precious metals.

Those are all stunning Marie, wow!

 

There used to be a handfull of pawn shops within a few miles of where I live, but they have all closed up and if they moved elsewhere they didn't say.

 

I have one. I sell them scrap precious metals, but they're part of a local chain and sell mostly tools at this location. The jools are mostly elsewhere; I've gotten a few bargains over the years though on stuff they got in a lot and didn't know what to do with.

 

I’ve gotten a lot of silver jewelry from him also, but those 3 are quite nice

 

i haven't been inside a pawn shop .....for decades..

 

There’s only one left in my part of town. I went in about a year ago. I was hoping to find some good prices on collectible bullion or coins. We shot the shit for like 30 mins on the unfortunate nature of brick and mortar disappearing and everything moving online. His business has dwindled to very little and it closed the other two shops in the area. Finally got to looking at his small selection of bullion. There was some unique old stuff I was unfamiliar with and some newer stuff I was well versed on. I asked him the prices of a few things. Each time he said he had to check. I watched him try to be discrete checking his phone. I’m positive he was just checking eBay and quoting me the highest prices. I wouldn’t have paid anywhere close to what he was asking. There was one interesting set of Lincoln Automobile sterling bars he had. I was actually very likely to buy them if he gave me a decent price. There was no sold listing or even unsold full set listing on eBay I later saw. Despite the fact he was the owner and almost definitely the only employee he told me he didn’t know the price and would have to check. Told me to come back in sometime soon and he would have a price for me. I said I would and didn’t. I would totally get it he didn’t know spot off the top of his head and had to look it up and do some quick math. Just checking eBay for every price and quoting me the high end really irked me though. Particularly after we had a long conversation about it dooming his industry. Then not being able to give a price that day as the owner!?!? I mean if it was a potentially extremely valuable item he had just got in I could see it. Some dusty old sterling bars he had probably laying there for years though...The experience put a bad taste in my mouth and I haven’t been back. You’ve gotta give me a reason to shop with you. I was looking forward to forming a relationship that might be mutually beneficial. No one wants to sell their stuff way below market value but that wasn’t a good model.

 

I've only been in a pawn shop once in my life. That was many years ago. I have watched Pawn Stars, though. It's a very contrived "reality" show, but used to be somewhat entertaining. Somehow I don't think it's typical of real pawn shops.

I guess if you're going to run a pawn shop, having it in a place known for gambling is a good idea.

 

This is the story of the 14k earrings pictured above...

I go into his shop a maybe 4 or 5 times a year. In the early summer I first saw the earrings, I asked him what he had to have for them. He weighed them (he weighs everything when asked for a price), hemmed and hawed and said they are 18k and he wanted $275. I said thanks but that was too high for me to resell. He said he just got them and has a regular customer who he knew would be interested in them.

About a month later I went in and they were still there. I asked if his regular customer had been in and he said he hadn’t seen her. I asked what he had to have for them, he weighed them, said they are 14k and he has to have $325.

Finally, about a week ago I went in, they were still there. I asked about his regular customer and he said she hadn’t been in. We live in a vacation spot and I have a feeling this regular customer is seasonal. If she doesn’t come in during the summer she isn’t coming. I asked what he had to have for the earrings. He weighed them, said they are 14k and said he wanted $125. I said sold!

I live here full time and have no problem playing the game

 

Wonderful, and great story.

 

My experience with pawn shops is primarily online through ebay and with sterling silver. Pawn shops generally negotiate 50% of melt for sterling as it is a simple weigh and calculate transaction. They already know the person is in financial straights and it is usually take it or leave it transaction. Pawn shops, and the ones that hide behind a jeweler's name, build in the discount for the ultimate purchase. They will usually list for melt +10% for sterling as they want to make their profit quickly and simply.

Here is the best part: they rarely do research, take horrible pictures and many times mis-list pieces. I bought a Red and Burton candy cup for melt + 20% which turned out to be an 8" Reed & Barton Francis First pedestal bowl/ tazza. As for rare pieces, they are just lumps of silver to most and are listed as fork or spoon or somesuch.

Also, if you combine a pawn shop's desire to quickly move merch for a profit, with the general public's distaste for other people's monograms and engravings, I have had great success lowballing engraved pieces from pawn shops. I have one lovely sterling bowl engraved " To Aunt Agness on her 80th Birthday" which I happily cover with candy when I put it out. Back engravings are the best. I collect to expand my entertaining tools and put my purchases into service.

So scour bad photos and lame listings on ebay, check to see that they are a pawn/jewelery co, and watch the auction closely. Oh, and snipe, always snipe.

My 2¢

 

HAPPY Belated Birthday !!!!

 

Thank you!

 

Agreed! People that move silver for weight are rarely concerned with what form it come in, who made it, and when. If it doesn't say Tiffany on it they probably won't look it up. I think I bought some special flatware a while back. Still haven't opened the box but I was thinking it may be valuable, old, and Italian. Bought a whole lot of cool stuff at melt that day actually. I'll have to open of soon. That was a few months ago.

 

What's the matter, you too busy opening up your boxes of 18K jewelry?

 

To Chandler or Agness?

 

..I'm a silver guy through and through but with that said I'll take the gold first every time.

 

It was me. TWO MORE YEARS TO MEDICARE!!!