Pawn Shop goodies.......
- Thread starter Bob Wright
- Start date
Madcap_Magician
New member
Maybe it's a Southern thing. Here in MN, the best pawn shop gun deal I've seen is a Taurus PT92 in that ugly chrome/gold finish with half the finish gone at the low, low price of MSRP for a brand new Beretta 92FS.
Winchester_73
New member
Keep looking. Many pawn shops, esp ones I've bought from online don't often know fully what they have. They don't have the time to study guns the way collectors do. I just bought a really good luger from a pawn shop. I paid good money for it, but I also believe they sold it 50% off.
you can find great deals in pawn shops and you can get skinned alive as well. Before buying a gun know what the fair market value is or just be in the ballpark. Check the gun over thoroughly and if the price marked is fair pay it but in most cases you can negotiate it down at a pawn shop. Ask them what they will sell it for out the door, meaning no sudden sales tax thrown in. Do this OTD price for any item in the pawn shop.
If they make you a good price buy it. If not counter and see if they accept. The main thing is if you make an offer and they accept it be prepared to take the deal. Also being respectful will usually work to your advantage. Also trying to work with one of two certain sales people will help you in the long run. They know you are a serious buyer and not just a looker. At the current shop I frequent I usually do all my buys through one or two employees for guns. In return many times they will give me first dibs on a new gun before shelving it and have at times called me to let me know they have an interesting specimen if I am interested.
One last thing be prepared to walk and turn down a deal if it is not a good deal. Don't be snarky about it just say sorry maybe next time. If you wait a while and the gun is still on the shelve six or seven months later make them the same offer again, they might take it this time around to move it. Good hunting!
If they make you a good price buy it. If not counter and see if they accept. The main thing is if you make an offer and they accept it be prepared to take the deal. Also being respectful will usually work to your advantage. Also trying to work with one of two certain sales people will help you in the long run. They know you are a serious buyer and not just a looker. At the current shop I frequent I usually do all my buys through one or two employees for guns. In return many times they will give me first dibs on a new gun before shelving it and have at times called me to let me know they have an interesting specimen if I am interested.
One last thing be prepared to walk and turn down a deal if it is not a good deal. Don't be snarky about it just say sorry maybe next time. If you wait a while and the gun is still on the shelve six or seven months later make them the same offer again, they might take it this time around to move it. Good hunting!
Florida Guy
New member
I visited a few pawn shops last week, and around here at least, finding a good deal certainly requires a bit of luck.
Any gun I had any interest in was so overpriced, I find I do much better buying on GB.
The only advantage of the pawn shop is that I can handle the gun before buying.
And forget about LGS. They are just as bad.
I know these guys have to make a living, but at least come close to what others are selling for online.
Any gun I had any interest in was so overpriced, I find I do much better buying on GB.
The only advantage of the pawn shop is that I can handle the gun before buying.
And forget about LGS. They are just as bad.
I know these guys have to make a living, but at least come close to what others are selling for online.
patron1974
New member
Sometimes its just luck..i picked up a very well taken care of Ruger .357 Magnum Redhawk in 5.5" SS..paid $400 out the door..yes u read it correctly. I dont think the salesman new what he had. Anyways good deals are out there..
Mike Irwin
Staff
I quit going to the local pawn shop back in the 1990s. They had a late Colt New Service in .357 Magnum for $900.
Only problem was, the finish was absolutely trashed and the metal was pretty badly scarred. It looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck.
The guy behind the counter didn't help much...
It's REALLY rare! You need that for your collection! You'll never see another one!
Yeah...
They're uncommon, but they're not rare, in pristine shape this MIGHT be worth $900, but in the condition it's in I'm not sure I'd even offer you $300.
The conversation went downhill from there.
Only problem was, the finish was absolutely trashed and the metal was pretty badly scarred. It looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck.
The guy behind the counter didn't help much...
It's REALLY rare! You need that for your collection! You'll never see another one!
Yeah...
They're uncommon, but they're not rare, in pristine shape this MIGHT be worth $900, but in the condition it's in I'm not sure I'd even offer you $300.
The conversation went downhill from there.
"I quit going to the local pawn shop back in the 1990s. They had a late Colt New Service in .357 Magnum for $900.
Only problem was, the finish was absolutely trashed and the metal was pretty badly scarred. It looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck.
The guy behind the counter didn't help much...
It's REALLY rare! You need that for your collection! You'll never see another one!
Yeah...
They're uncommon, but they're not rare, in pristine shape this MIGHT be worth $900, but in the condition it's in I'm not sure I'd even offer you $300.
The conversation went downhill from there."
We have a local shop like that. I hit it about twice a year just out of curiosity. Have yet to buy anything from them because they are always way over priced and if their price is not over the top it's still usually $25-$40 higher than the other shops.
Last time I tried to buy a used Ruger MKII from them. They wanted $275 plus tax. I countered $250 OTD. Okay, $250 plus tax they said. I politely declined, drove down the street and bought a Ruger MKII in same condition for $240 OTD.
Only problem was, the finish was absolutely trashed and the metal was pretty badly scarred. It looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck.
The guy behind the counter didn't help much...
It's REALLY rare! You need that for your collection! You'll never see another one!
Yeah...
They're uncommon, but they're not rare, in pristine shape this MIGHT be worth $900, but in the condition it's in I'm not sure I'd even offer you $300.
The conversation went downhill from there."
We have a local shop like that. I hit it about twice a year just out of curiosity. Have yet to buy anything from them because they are always way over priced and if their price is not over the top it's still usually $25-$40 higher than the other shops.
Last time I tried to buy a used Ruger MKII from them. They wanted $275 plus tax. I countered $250 OTD. Okay, $250 plus tax they said. I politely declined, drove down the street and bought a Ruger MKII in same condition for $240 OTD.
aarondhgraham
New member
I have the opposite problem with pawn shops,,,
The Evil Pawn Shop (EPS) always has a great selection of used and new guns,,,
And the EPS Guy has no problem casting out a hook for me,,,
He's not into Catch & Release either.
He knows what I like and has no problem calling and offering me "first look".
But hey,,,
Where else could I have gotten,,,
A shooter grade S&W Model 18 for $375.00 out the door.
I curse him often in this forum,,,
But I still buy his wife a ham every Christmas.
Aarond
.
The Evil Pawn Shop (EPS) always has a great selection of used and new guns,,,
And the EPS Guy has no problem casting out a hook for me,,,
He's not into Catch & Release either.
He knows what I like and has no problem calling and offering me "first look".
But hey,,,
Where else could I have gotten,,,
A shooter grade S&W Model 18 for $375.00 out the door.
I curse him often in this forum,,,
But I still buy his wife a ham every Christmas.
Aarond
.
Bob Wright
New member
O.K. I didn't BUY the guns I mentioned, just commented on seeing some unusual guns.
As to pawn shops, the protocol here in Memphis, so far as I observed, is that the clerk cannot come down on a marked price, by reason of store policy. However, the prospective buyer can make a counter offer, and thereby the dickering begins.
In other words, if a prospedtive buyer asks, "What's the best price you can make me on that Colt Python?" and the marked price is $700, the clerk will stay with the $700 figure. But if the buyer says. "I'll give you $400 for that Python," then the bargaining begins.
Bob Wright
As to pawn shops, the protocol here in Memphis, so far as I observed, is that the clerk cannot come down on a marked price, by reason of store policy. However, the prospective buyer can make a counter offer, and thereby the dickering begins.
In other words, if a prospedtive buyer asks, "What's the best price you can make me on that Colt Python?" and the marked price is $700, the clerk will stay with the $700 figure. But if the buyer says. "I'll give you $400 for that Python," then the bargaining begins.
Bob Wright
orionengnr
New member
I also live in the DFW area, and have for eight-plus years. I have never, ever seen anything in any of the local pawn shops that was even worth a second look. Used, beat-up Glocks selling for $450-475. Used Hi-Points for $150. Beat-up single-shot shotguns for $150. An occasional well-used j-frame for $400+. Used Tauri for the same $400. An M29, maybe 75%, $900.
Any more, I don't bother with pawn shops.
Where I live there are precious few gun-stores (though that is starting to change) so pawnshops have stepped up to fill the role. Just thirty miles to the east is Boise and Boise has no lack of gun-stores. Over there the pawnshops don't seem to have as good of a selection. Sounds like it's a matter of market and geography as to whether pawnshops have a good gun selection or not.
Do you guys negotiate on "new" items as well as used? I saw a s&w 22a1 for $259 +;tax the other day and was unsure if I should offer lower on the spot. I did get a mint gen3 flick 17out the door earlier this year though. I felt that was fair.
I have found very little wiggle room on guns marked "new" about the best I can get on the "new" critters is taxes knocked off. Every now and then they might come down $10 but not often on "new".
I have a couple of friends who asked me to go with them and help buy them a couple of handguns they wanted. They are getting their carry permits so I went in with them last week to the local gun/pawn establishment. They had came to my house the weekend before and shot several guns and calibers and settled on the guns they wanted. The wife wanted a bersa .380 and the husband a keltec PF9.
The PF9 was listed Like New in the box and I have so say, it it looked like it hadn't been fired. The bersa had been shot but was in good condition.
Pf9 $249+taxes and the bersa $279+taxes, taxes being 6% in our area. I offered $235 OTD on the PF9 and $265 OTD on the bersa. The guy behind the counter looked at the price tags (damn I wish I could figure out their codes, they use a number system totally)and counted in his head a bit and finally came back with $249 OTD on the PF9 he said $235 was cutting into his profit on that gun, but then came back and said I will do $249 OTD on the bersa as well I have a lot more wiggle room on that one.
I was prepared to counter but the couple said that was acceptable to them and bought the guns.
I have found very little wiggle room on guns marked "new" about the best I can get on the "new" critters is taxes knocked off. Every now and then they might come down $10 but not often on "new".
I have a couple of friends who asked me to go with them and help buy them a couple of handguns they wanted. They are getting their carry permits so I went in with them last week to the local gun/pawn establishment. They had came to my house the weekend before and shot several guns and calibers and settled on the guns they wanted. The wife wanted a bersa .380 and the husband a keltec PF9.
The PF9 was listed Like New in the box and I have so say, it it looked like it hadn't been fired. The bersa had been shot but was in good condition.
Pf9 $249+taxes and the bersa $279+taxes, taxes being 6% in our area. I offered $235 OTD on the PF9 and $265 OTD on the bersa. The guy behind the counter looked at the price tags (damn I wish I could figure out their codes, they use a number system totally)and counted in his head a bit and finally came back with $249 OTD on the PF9 he said $235 was cutting into his profit on that gun, but then came back and said I will do $249 OTD on the bersa as well I have a lot more wiggle room on that one.
I was prepared to counter but the couple said that was acceptable to them and bought the guns.
I really like pawn-shopping.
Thrill of the hunt!
Most of the time it's nothing much or overpriced or both.
Always, you negotiate.
But, once in a while...
We psych guys (the rat-runners, anyway) call it variable rate reinforcement and it is the best way to ingrain very resistant-to-change behavior.
In other words, I'm hooked.
Most recent find was a sweet Marlin .357mag levergun for essentially junk price.
(I made a counter-offer because it's required, but the guy just grinned and I paid his already ridiculously low price).
I think I'll go this afternoon
.
W.
Thrill of the hunt!
Most of the time it's nothing much or overpriced or both.
Always, you negotiate.
But, once in a while...
We psych guys (the rat-runners, anyway) call it variable rate reinforcement and it is the best way to ingrain very resistant-to-change behavior.
In other words, I'm hooked.
Most recent find was a sweet Marlin .357mag levergun for essentially junk price.
(I made a counter-offer because it's required, but the guy just grinned and I paid his already ridiculously low price).
I think I'll go this afternoon
.W.
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