Best Things To Pawn For Fast Cash At Pawn Shops: Learn What Things Pawn Shops Buy

Common Types Of Property Pawn Shops Buy

Pawn shops buy a wide range of items, from grandma’s old pearl necklace to your used Playstation 4. Pawn shops are in the business of buying and selling goods to make a profit. Pawn shops buy most goods that they believe they can sell for a profit.

Most pawn shop transactions are for items between $100-200. Pawn shops can provide fast money of $10 up to several thousand dollars. Some pawn shops even brag about their ability to offer up to $1 million.

How Pawn Shops Determine Your Item’s Value

Used good pricing is more flexible because there are no MSRPs to reference. Instead, pawnbrokers try to make an educated guess on how much they can sell your item in the current market.

Usually, there is a fair amount of uncertainty with reselling a good, so pawnbrokers will build in some padding to their offer so they have a higher chance of making a profit on the deal. Also, pawn brokers try to sell the item quickly so they will likely resell the item at a competitive price so they can increase their inventory turns.

Several factors determine the amount of money you can receive when you sell your item to a pawn shop:

• Overall condition of the item (excellent, good, average, or bad)
• Item category is easy to sell for the pawn shop - pawn shops tend to specialize in certain categories such as jewelry, antiques, etc.
• Market demand for the item - some items such as gold watches sell faster than obscure antiques
• Recent sales comps - pawn brokers usually check sales histories of items to see market prices. They then adjust their offers to make sure they have some cushion for uncertainty and profit.

Common Categories Of Property Pawn Shops Buy

• Jewelry: Gold, silver, and platinum jewelry. Also pearls, diamonds, and gemstones.
• Gold: Gold coins and gold bullion
• Silver: Silver coins and silver bullion
• Watches: Luxury watches that have a retail value of over $300
• Laptops & Tablets: Good condition laptops and tablets (such as iPads)
• Video Games: Playstation video games
• TVs & Electronics: Large televisions (> 32 inches), computers, audio equipment, and other valuable electronics
• Phones: iPhone, Samsung, LG, Motorola, and other popular mobile phones
• Tools & Equipment: Air compressors, lawnmowers, power drills, and more.
• Guns: Pistols, rifles, shotguns, and ammo
• Handbags: Luxury handbags that have a retail value of over $300
• Cars & Motorcycles: Used vehicles in running condition that have a resale value of over $2,000
• Musical instruments: Trumpets, violins, cellos, pianos, and more

Steps To Sell Your Item

We recommend that you follow the steps below to get prepared before taking your item to the pawn shop for an offer. By spending extra time upfront you can end up with more money in your pocket. Selling your item to a pawn shop is similar to selling any product - you want to make it desirable to the buyer, and you want to be informed about the item.

1. Clean the item: Make sure the item is presentable. Clean it by removing dust, stains, and any marks. The presentation will play a big role in how much money the pawnbroker offers you.
2. Know the facts: Research your item and know what it’s worth. Know the history, how much you paid for it, and how long ago you bought it. Also, be ready to tell the pawnbroker where you bought it. Pawn shops will often ask questions about the item if it is expensive. Pawnbrokers try to avoid buying stolen items.
3. Research the value: Figure out how much you think the item is worth. Reference sites such as Craigslist, eBay, and Nextdoor. Determine a minimum price you are willing to accept before taking your item to the pawn shop. Do not hesitate to say thanks, I want to see what other offers are out there and find other pawn shops near you (use our map to find pawn shops).
4. Be prepared to negotiate: Most pawn shop offers are negotiable. You can counteroffer if you feel that the first offer is a lowball offer. Read more about negotiating at pawn shops.
5. Call ahead: Contact the pawn shop and ask if they accept items similar to the thing you're selling. Calling ahead can save you time if the pawn shop does not accept your type of property.

Once you're ready, visit your local pawn shop with your item. Be polite, and ask the pawnbroker for a quote.

Things You Should Know Before Selling

• Pawnbrokers are in the business of buying and selling goods. They have to make a profit from the difference. Pawn shop offers often may seem low - the reason is that the pawn shop must later resell the item to a buyer.
• Pawn shops cannot give you extra money for sentimental items.
• Pawn shops do not want to buy stolen goods.
• Pawn shop offers can vary greatly. We recommend visiting several pawn shops to get the best value.
• Historical prices do not guarantee a price today. Markets fluctuate, and prices for goods can move up and down. Just because something was worth $5,000 five years ago does not guarantee it is worth $5,000 today.

Best Things To Sell For $50

Selling your property for $50 is relatively easy - many common household goods can be pawned for $50. A general rule of thumb is a pawn shop will give you $50 for something that could be sold for $80-150. Pawn shops have to add a markup so they can make a profit.

• Low-end designer watch in good condition such as Seiko
• Used laptop computers in good condition
• Video game consoles such as PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, etc.
• Televisions bigger than 32 inches
• Jewelry with a small amount of real gold, silver, or platinum
• Small diamonds
• Used firearms such as pistols, rifles, & shotguns
• Smartwatches such as the Apple watch
• Musical instruments in good condition such as violins, trumpets, cellos, flutes, etc.
• Tools & equipment such as lawnmowers and power drills
• Sports cards
• Antiques
• Fine crystal glassware

Best Things To Sell For $100

Selling your property for $100 is also easy - the average pawn shop transaction is about $150, so almost all pawn shops are comfortable buying your items for $100. A general rule of thumb is a pawn shop will give you $100 for something that could be sold for $150-200.

• Medium-end designer watches
• Used laptop computers in excellent demand
• Televisions bigger than 60 inches
• Jewelry with a moderate amount of real gold, silver, or platinum
• Precious diamonds & gemstones
• Used firearms such as pistols, rifles, & shotguns
• Smartwatches such as the Apple watch
• Musical instruments such as violins, trumpets, cellos, flutes, etc that are in great condition
• Tools & equipment such as lawnmowers and power drills

Best Things To Sell For $500

Selling your property for $500 is common, but you will need to bring an item that has considerable resale value. Also, the pawnbroker will likely pay much more attention to the quality of the item. Pawn shops want to verify authenticity so they do not lose money on the transaction. A general rule of thumb is a pawn shop will give you $500 for something that could be sold for $800-1,000.

• Jewelry with real gold, silver, or platinum
• Precious diamonds & gemstones
• Luxury watches such as Cartier
• High-end designer items such as Louis Vuitton handbags
• Rare collectibles

Best Things To Sell For $1,000

Selling your property for $1,000 is possible, but you will need to bring an item that has a retail value of $1,600-2,000. Pawn shops will carefully scrutinize the item so they do not end up with something they cannot sell.

• Jewelry with real gold, silver, or platinum
• Precious diamonds & gemstones
• Luxury watches such as Cartier
• High-end designer items such as Louis Vuitton handbags
• Rare collectibles
• Used motorcycles & cars

What Is The Most Pawned Item?

According to the National Pawnbrokers Association, jewelry is the most common property pawned at pawn shops. The NPA estimates that about 50% of items pawned fall into the jewelry category. Common jewelry items include:

• Gold, silver, and platinum necklaces
• Gold, silver, and platinum bracelets
• Gold, silver, and platinum rings
• Gold, silver, and platinum brooches
• Gold, silver, and platinum earrings
• Pearl necklaces, earrings, and bracelets
• Luxury watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Jaeger Lecoultre, A. Lange & Sohne, Breguet and Fils, and Tudor
• Diamonds - real diamonds and high-quality lab-grown diamonds
• Fine gemstones such as rubies, sapphires, and emeralds
• Fine crystals such as Swarovski crystals
• Gold - 24k gold, 18k gold, 14k gold, 10k gold, gold coins, and gold bullion
• Silver - silver coins and silver bullion

Pawn shops usually have an in-house jewelry expert who can analyze your jewelry and give you an offer. The amount of money you will get varies based on whether you are selling or pawning your jewelry - read more here to learn about the differences between pawning and selling.

What Types Of Property Do Pawn Shops Not Buy?

Pawn shops do not buy all items. Pawn shops typically focus on a limited number of categories such as jewelry, electronics, watches, shoes, handbags, or baseball cards. You can use Pawn Shop Map to find a pawn shop near you and filter by category.

Many pawn shops are willing to accept items that they do not list as a category, but keep in mind that you may not get as much cash for out-of-the-ordinary items. Property that takes longer to sell means that the item has a lower profit for the pawnbroker. Pawn brokers typically give lowball offers for items they think could take a long time to sell.

The most common items that pawn shops do not buy include:

• Used clothing
• Used shoes
• Old or outdated televisions and electronics
• Old or outdated laptops and computers
• Books (pawn shops do buy rare books)
• Audio cassettes
• Blu-ray and VHS movies
• Fake designer items such as fake handbags, fake watches, fake jewelry, and fake clothing
• Broken and heavily damaged property
• Used kitchen appliances
• Fake diamonds (for example, cheap cubic zirconia diamonds)