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After Pulp Fiction, who can go inna pawn shop anyway?
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I have bought a few tools recently through eBay online auctions and been very pleased. I have wondered if these items may be stolen.
*Years ago a neighbor approached me saying he knew some guys who were selling "hot" tools very cheaply. I explained to him that I would never buy stolen tools because it provides a market for thieves. The following night someone broke down a 2-in. thick steel door to my shop and walked away with $2,000 worth of hand tools. Other than providing me with a copy of the burglary report, for getting a reduction on the loss at tax time, the police were of course useless--they couldn't arrest him on suspicion without some hard evidence. So I ate the loss and got on with my life (with a firm belief that the asshole will pay his dues according to the laws of karma). But I still don't buy stolen tools, from a pawn shop or from anybody else. Just because other people may choose to, doesn't make it right--they are only encouraging behavior which will ultimately victimize themselves. What comes around really does go around.
*My husband runs a pawn shop company in Texas (I'm a doc, thus the nickname we use). The reporting rules are pretty strict. And most pawnbrokers are honest.If you don't find fair prices, look for a better pawnshop.Some pawnbrokers fall in love with their "stuff" and don't want to let it go. On the other hand, most will also come down on prices.A lot of pawnbrokers consider themselves as a bank for small businessmen and those who could never qualify for a conventional loan. Most pawned items are redeemed. Repeat business is the goal of a good pawnbroker.Beverly Nuckols
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Got a story for you.
Back in the '70's in Milwaukee, a woman named Sally who owned/operated a restaurant had her jewelry stolen. It was reported to the police with no results. As an asside, I mention that every Friday night, two Cadillacs, one a limo, and the other a sedan, both with Illinois plates would park in front of the restaurant. Seems her relatives had something to do with an extended family in Chicago. So, Sally called or talked to one of her cousins in Chi town and mentioned her problem. Well, some of the cousins employees came to Milwaukee and visited with the local pawn shops, and guess what, one of them had the jewelery and was very happy to return in to the rightful owner as well as refer these gentlemen to rhe parties who sold the jewelery. Seems the parties met in a garage for a little understanding, and while the men from Chicago were out to lunch(what are unions for after all) the sellors escaped and turned themselves into the police. The judge, upon hearing the story, offered parole. The sellors opted for Greenbay - the state pen. Seems they felt safer there - I should mention, that before trial, they had spent some time in the county hospital tending to their bruises, etc.
I was telling this story to a family friend who was a jeweler and I mentioned that I was not sure that the story was true. Art said, oh yes, the story was true as he had sold the jewelery. Of course, looking back upon my childhood, I recall seeing a 45 in his Cadillac under the seat. The jest of the story is that it seems that this jeweler was friends of those same people from Chicago at I guess what goes around, comes around.
The point? Well, none really, just a story.
Have a nice day,
Dennis
*Never have a found any good deals in pawn shops. Still think that some of the best buys can be made at auctions and flea markets
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Pawn shops IMO are overpriced for powertools and the like. Why buy something that is near new and has NO warranty whearas you can shop at Home Depot and get the new item for only 25% more than what the pawn shop offered? Makes no sense to me! Try taking back a tool from a pawn shop that kicks the buckett four months later. Those places are great for small hand tools, however. Though the last time it seemed they were asking too much for them as well!
Here in Florida you're required to provide a thumbprint when you pawn something. It didn't make sense to me when I traded two sega games for one that I didn't have..."even swap" but they still wanted that thumbprint.
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In over thirty years as a carpenter, I have NEVER know anyone who pawned their tools.
I, too, used to look for deals there, then my truck and $8000 worth of carpentry tools disappeared. Theif was caught, and the only tools left in my truck were flat and crow bars. A little B&E anyone.
Paying retail, BB
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Like any thing else, there are good and bad pawn shops. The best are in Houston TX. (more than 400, lots of compition). You can tell the prices of a pawn shop by looking in the window. If the shop is filled with equipment, the prices are high (nothing sells). If it looks slightly empty, then the prices are reasonable. When pawn shops are frowned upon by the local governement (they do not allow many of them), then the prices will be high (no compition). Those that prefer to shop at flea markets - most of the long time flea market tool dealers have arrangements with the local pawn shops. They buy the tools from the pawn shops (in bulk) before they ever reach the floor.
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Ed
I hear you can get a good deal on pin stripe overalls at any pawnshop in Dallas........wonder where they get them........didnt know they still made them........sitting naked fighting alligators....
*By the time things go on sale at a pawn shop, the misfortune has long since happened...the owner has not made the loan payments. Pawn shops perform a necessary service. I once bought a chess set at a pawn shop, but it wasn't complete.
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buy from them all the time. last purchase was a cement mixer for$75. work real good jacky fl.
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Mike
If the knight was missing the set probably belonged to some guy who thought he was
i Palladin!
Am I dating myself??
i "Have gun will travel reads the card of a man"
-pm
*brian3006,I guess now that they may not make them anymore, they could be collectors items. Where else to start a trend than in Texas.If you need any help fighting gators, count me in.....Ed. Williams
*Ha-ha-ha.
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A recent post got me to thinking.
How do you feel about pawn shops?
Stolen goods?
I stopped buying from them after I got ripped off so many times. Bad karma and such.
What do you think?
Ed.
*Ed,I think you're right.JonC
*I think you're right too, now, but after that thread the truth is I was wondering where to find a pawn shop that had useful gear. Never crossed my mind to buy there (you can occasionally find a decent guitar , though). I'm so confused.
*I still buy stuff there even though most of it is probably stolen. Found a lot of my own stuff one time after it had been stolen for a couple of weeks. Some of the stuff was sitting right in the window and I could see it from the road as I drove by. I guess it would have been too logical for the police to check there. Got most of the stuff back easily, didnt even have to go to court, that was up to the pawn shop. Anyway the guy that stole my tools was a 3 time loser out on parole, pled guilty and got 6 years(which was what was left on his parole) and I saw him on the street less than 6 months later. I guess my point is that the pawn shops are not the problem. The problem is that there are no real consequences for stealing.
*There was a proposal in Chicago to require pawn shops to document sellers, including taking a Polaroid. As you can guess, the pawn shop owners were against it. But I've known quite a few people who had no problem with buying stolen goods (a crime too if knowing) -- they figure it's just their chance to get even in a crooked system. Ditto for people who complain about lawyers, then get a chance to sue someone.Ed (or should I say Gacc?) -- you got ripped off because the stuff you bought was junk or was stolen?
*After Pulp Fiction, who can go inna pawn shop anyway?
*Andrew,GACC is my company. (Great American Carpentry Co.).The few things I have bought from pawn shops in the past were not junk. Old handsaws, wrenches, etc.My tools were stolen off our job sites. There was a rash of tool stealing going on around here about this time last year. Almost every big job site in town was hit once or twice. That's when I decided not to shop at pawn shops any more. I'm not saying that all pawn shop owers are crooks. I'm sure there are some good guys out there who operate thier pawn shop on the up and up. Probably the majority. But there are bad seeds in every pack. I don't want to promote the theives by shopping with thier fences. I don't know which shops are trust worthy and which ones are not. So I stopped shopping at all of them. The thieves hurt more people than they know, but then they don't care. Hang 'em I say.Ed. Williams
*As a young man I worked as a draftsman for a home builder. A guy there told me about his employee who was an alcoholic and used to pawn his tools and go on a three day drunk. The boss used to have to track him down at the downtown bars, get his tools out of hock and put him back to work.Must've been a good craftsman for a boss to have to go through so much crap. I think he was a painter. They seem to have the worst trouble.Laws in California are pretty strict regarding pawn shops, and I think they're pretty careful about receiving stolen goods. Still, it's a little questionable ethically, to take advantage of other people's misfortune by buying their old property at a pawn shop.
*Interesting moral argument, however, if we all refused to profit from other's misfortune there a lot of doctors, lawyers, body and fender repair, tow truck drivers, and contractors who specialize in disaster renovations would be making a lot less money. I have found pawn shops in my area to be overpriced but have bought some items at a used tool shop which might have bought some tools from the same guys who sell to pawn shops.
*If there are enough competitive pawnshops then the pawnor (pawnee?) should be able to get a reasonable price on their stuff. Don't a lot of people get their stuff back out of hock when they locate some money? But I don't been to say that the financial industry generally does not exploit unsophisticated consumers of modest means.
*I've been crusing a few pawn shops here in Vancouver, BC lately looking for a few tools. I don't know how they sell anything after seeing the prices! They're selling old sh*tbox tools for almost as much as new stuff. Is there some sort of secret password needed to get the price to drop? Maybe the market is a little different around here but I've never seen a good deal yet. If the tools are stolen then I'm glad they're having a hard time selling.Cheers,Scott.