I have to stay out of pawn shops. Wandered in today and there was a sad little CZ Scout sitting there at the end of the rack. Missing its magazine. It was marked at $199. I mentioned it was missing the magazine and he said he would let it go for $150. I didn't really try to bargain him down further. I'm a sucker for a CZ. I own a few 452's so have an extra mag at home. Needless to say it came home with me. Looks like an earlier model. Very nice condition, much nicer wood than I have seen on some of the more recent models.
Pawn Shops are dangerous
- Thread starter makarov
- Start date
In my experience, pawn shops are laughably safe. Most of the time. Unless you drop by every week, you're not going to see anything interesting.
My last two pawn shop guns were a Choate stocked SKS for $275 OTD, and a like new HK VP9 for $415 OTD. The VP9 was a much better deal a year ago.
Although, one local pawn shop has a gorgeous (Monson) Dan Wesson 15-2 with an 8" barrel for $500 that's been calling my name...
My last two pawn shop guns were a Choate stocked SKS for $275 OTD, and a like new HK VP9 for $415 OTD. The VP9 was a much better deal a year ago.
Although, one local pawn shop has a gorgeous (Monson) Dan Wesson 15-2 with an 8" barrel for $500 that's been calling my name...
Mike Irwin
Staff
The pawn shops around me are routinely New Gun Price + 250% or more for absolutely ragged out pieces of crap.
Where else would you see a rust speckled Remington 870 Walmart model with a dinged and dented barrel for $900?
Where else would you see a rust speckled Remington 870 Walmart model with a dinged and dented barrel for $900?
The local pawn shops around here can be hit or miss, but you never know what you will find so I stop by one near me about every 2-3 weeks. The over priced guns are there but sometimes you find an interesting piece for a good price. I find the best time to go is towards the end of the month, seems they are more willing to deal.
Mike Irwin
Staff
I've not been in the pawn shop nearest me in close to 20 years, not since the guy behind the counter tried to entice me into buying a Colt New Service .357 (that looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck) for $900...
By telling me just how incredibly rare it was.
Uhm...
No.
By telling me just how incredibly rare it was.
Uhm...
No.
I've gotten some deals, but it has been a while. There used to be a couple of places locally where the owners knew their stuff and priced it at a fair price. They made money from repeat customers, I have no idea who actually pays the prices I see on some guns now.
Several years ago it wouldn't be unusual for someone to lose a gun in pawn that was worth $500. They may only have $100 in it and I've had them pass the deal on to me at a price where I got a deal and they still made a handsome profit.
One of those places has gone out of business, the other morphed into a gun shop/sporting goods store that no longer takes pawns.
Several years ago it wouldn't be unusual for someone to lose a gun in pawn that was worth $500. They may only have $100 in it and I've had them pass the deal on to me at a price where I got a deal and they still made a handsome profit.
One of those places has gone out of business, the other morphed into a gun shop/sporting goods store that no longer takes pawns.
Deaf Smith
New member
Well here in Texas...
Glock 22, 3ed Gen, mint, Tricon night sights, 3 mags. $380, tax inc.
S&W 19-2, 4 inch pinned barrel, perfect factory blue, target stocks. $500.
Mossberg M590A1, aperture sights, magpull furniture. $385, tax inc.
S&W 'LadySmith' model 36, great condition but Pachmayr grips, $350.
Yes some rusted junk in some for high prices but if you look 'once a week'....
Deaf
Glock 22, 3ed Gen, mint, Tricon night sights, 3 mags. $380, tax inc.
S&W 19-2, 4 inch pinned barrel, perfect factory blue, target stocks. $500.
Mossberg M590A1, aperture sights, magpull furniture. $385, tax inc.
S&W 'LadySmith' model 36, great condition but Pachmayr grips, $350.
Yes some rusted junk in some for high prices but if you look 'once a week'....
Deaf
Blindstitch
New member
It's called patina. It adds 4 times the guns value even if it's only a year old. Pawnshops are just like gun stores. Some are fair and some are full of overpriced junk.
FrankenMauser
New member
Sounds like a score.
----
The rest of this discussion reminds me of a joke in the classic car world [modified for firearms]:
What's the difference between rust and patina?
.
$500.
---
I deal with the same thing here.
I've been on the hunt for a "junk" Marlin 336/444/1895 receiver for a while, and searching for 336s on their last leg, locally.
Found one in a pawnshop a little while back, that looked like a candidate: Shattered and duct-taped butt stock, sling swivel in the Marlin bullseye, epoxied barrel bands (screws stripped, most likely), missing front and rear sights, screwdriver gouges around the loading and ejection ports like a cyborg bear was let loose on it, rust so deep and prolific that there was actually scale, JB-welded scope base, and no price tag.
"What are you asking for this 336?"
- $650. Comes with a scope and case.
I think he could tell by the look on my face, that I was either severely mentally handicapped, or dumbfounded by the stupidity of his words; and he qualified it with (summarized in my words):
"People don't pay actual money for garbage like that. They bring in tools, tool boxes, welders, saddles, or ATV tires; and then ask to put it towards a gun, without bargaining. So, we take their money coming and going. And if the cops come looking for stolen items, we don't lose if we have to give it up."
----
The rest of this discussion reminds me of a joke in the classic car world [modified for firearms]:
What's the difference between rust and patina?
.
$500.
---
I deal with the same thing here.
I've been on the hunt for a "junk" Marlin 336/444/1895 receiver for a while, and searching for 336s on their last leg, locally.
Found one in a pawnshop a little while back, that looked like a candidate: Shattered and duct-taped butt stock, sling swivel in the Marlin bullseye, epoxied barrel bands (screws stripped, most likely), missing front and rear sights, screwdriver gouges around the loading and ejection ports like a cyborg bear was let loose on it, rust so deep and prolific that there was actually scale, JB-welded scope base, and no price tag.
"What are you asking for this 336?"
- $650. Comes with a scope and case.
I think he could tell by the look on my face, that I was either severely mentally handicapped, or dumbfounded by the stupidity of his words; and he qualified it with (summarized in my words):
"People don't pay actual money for garbage like that. They bring in tools, tool boxes, welders, saddles, or ATV tires; and then ask to put it towards a gun, without bargaining. So, we take their money coming and going. And if the cops come looking for stolen items, we don't lose if we have to give it up."
Pathfinder45
New member
Well, I'm sure it varies from pawn-shop to pawn-shop, and one region to another. I'm sure they price a lot of stuff for what they hope to get for it, initially. After something hasn't sold for a while, expectations get adjusted a little. After that, the fine art of haggling can do some good for you. But really, not every pawn-shop, or even every gunshop, is a good place to do business with. You find the places that are reasonable to deal with and you end up being a repeat customer that brings others too. It's the same at the gunshows; one vendor has gunpowder priced 10 or 12 bucks over what you can buy it for at three different retail stores in town, while another fellow, eight rows over has some real bargains. One person is firm on all their prices while five tables down the way, the next guy is very negotiable and will make you a package deal on several items. There are some real jerks out there amoungst some really great people. Pawn-shops want to maximize their profits, but they do need to sell stuff.
Blindstitch
New member
During the last ammo scare my dad went to buy a box of 30-40 krag rounds that had been priced at $30 for the longest time. The guy had 3 boxes. So he goes to pick them up and now the price is $60 a box. The guys says well I have it so I can price it.
My dad stopped buying ammo from him period. The 3 boxes are still on the shelf at who knows what price.
My dad stopped buying ammo from him period. The 3 boxes are still on the shelf at who knows what price.
Huffmanite
New member
Good find on the CZ. Have 4 pawn shops within 20 minutes of my home. Once a month or so, I visit them. Rarely find anything of interest to me. Normally, I just chuckle at the prices for their rifles. Recently did come across a couple of rifles that were of interest to me. One was a Remington 722 257 Roberts that had been well used, but its bore appeared decent.....Price was $489. Pawnshop guy knocked $100 off the price when I asked him for his best price. Also recently, another pawnshop had a Winchester 670 30-06 for $250. It was tempting to buy just for the action to build on. 670 has no bottom metal....was a low priced rifle Winchester sold back in the 70's for around $100. Looked like its metal had been wire brushed to deal with all the rust that had once coated its barrel and receiver, but there was no pitting in its exposed metal. Had to talk myself out of bargaining for it, just didn't need another project rifle to play with.
reynolds357
New member
I used to deal with pawn shops quite often. Now, all the shops around here are way over priced.
stagpanther
New member
Yeah--but George Patton himself ran over it in his tank--so really it was a bargain.
