Down here at the pawn shop
 

"... it's a nifty way to shop..."

So yeah, one day a week now, I work at the pawn shop. This is why I was in the bad section of town the other day, because that's where I work, North Philly. My job is to eBay the various items. I enjoy it. I don't work with the customers but I generally sit right near all the action and overhear everything.


Black lady: "Did they close down the Popeye's Chicken across the street?"
Staff: "Yeah."
Lady: "When did they do that?"
Staff: "Last month."
Lady: "Don't they know black people love fried chicken?"


Black dude: "You gotta give me five more dollars. I'm Jewish."
Jewish staffer: "Really? OK... what's the prayer we say before opening the Torah?"
Dude: "Uh..." (and he makes the throat-clearing sound, you know, the bit between the L and the Chaim in "l'chaim".)
Staffer: "Not good enough. Not good enough. Everybody knows it's a phlegm-based language."

I would love that job. I'm going to start haunting porn shops, too.

I will do that when I'm dead.

(pawn and porn are discernably different in pronunciation in most of the US. Not so much in the UK). Yes, playing chess caused a little discomfort for a while back in those first few years.......

That's fricking hysterical.

Long ago and far away, I worked at the main headquarters for EZPawn, doing low-level tech support for all the stores nationwide. And when I say low-level, I mean, "That thing is called a mouse. This is how you reboot the system." But they were usually really nice people who called in, lots of joking. I think you have to have a personality like that to be successful in a pawn shop, don't let the customers realize their dreams are being crushed in front of them.

Sounds like the kind of job I could love -you don't interact but you get to here all the stories.

And clodfobble again hits the nail on the head with the broken dreams bit.

So, many of you know what the 'pull tickets' are, like you get at an Eagles or a Moose club, for gambling. They're folded and you unfold them to see if the ticket is a winner. One unfold, two unfold, done. (I've provided the best picture I can find of unopened ones, for illustrative purposes. Unfortunately I can't find opened ones.)

Back before our Eagles closed, they had 5 or 6 jars of different kinds of tickets people could buy from. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to them but there was a new set one week called Pork Chops. (The sets always have some sort of name and theme...this one you probably find a picture of a piggy and win a hundred bucks or something.) From the angle I was sitting at I read the sign as Porn Shop.

I told the bartender and he pretended like he was unfolding one: one unfold, two unfold, three unfold, four unfold, five unfold...

Maybe you had to be there. :rolleyes:

Today was guitar day at the pawn shop. eBayed five guitars and one bass. I felt 'specially proud to do it, since I could write a really good evaluation of them. Often I have no idea what the item is about - last week there were a bunch of industrial tools, where I have no idea what they actually are.

Today the shop had a few interesting customer events. During the first one, a customer attempted to sell a PSP, but one of the buttons didn't work, making it worthless. She then made a phone call, right in the store, and had a loud discussion with her boyfriend.

Customer: "They wouldn't take the PSP. No. No I tried what you told me, I said exactly what you told me, but they check the buttons."
Staff: "Sorry your scam didn't go as you planned."

The racism in North Philadelphia is exquisite. One gentleman was unhappy at the offer he had been dealt and told everyone that "You are out of your goddamn white brains." We speculated that both his and our brains would actually be a sort of gray-pinkish color.

But I thought you northern folk were s'posed to be nice to the 'coloured' folk? lol

I wonder exactly what he told her to say?

It's about damn time we got a replacement for the nuthouse threads. We need more dwellars with interesting jobs!

One of the most interesting things about the pawn shop is that it's actually sort of colorblind, and simply has to be in order to survive. Even though the owner and half of the staff is Jewish, and 90% of the customers are black, all that is irrelevant: items are worth what they are worth, period.

I should note.

Some people are kind of anti-pawn shop, because they figure people are taken advantage of, and figure the shops are doing that.

But I dunno about you, but I get dinged for $35 when my bank balance goes below zero, which winds up being a higher percentage than just about any interest rate going, including pawning things.

At the end of the day, poor people get a pretty raw deal all around. It's not just bank fees, it's all kinds of things like this. The economy is built on the middle class; the poor people get screwed. The pawn shop just sits at the edge of all this economic desperation, and provides one additional way for people to get by.

I agree with you, UT. To make matters worse, the middle class threshold just keeps getting higher and higher, while wages don't.

First things first.

Else UT is going to have to pawn the cellar.

I enjoyed perusing pawn shops near stateside military installations while I was in service. They had the usual fare plus individual soldiering equipment (e.g. uniforms, canteens, backpacks...etc.) which was nice for civilian pursuits like camping and such. My co-workers and I; however, would periodically check them out in search of military issue professional equipment.

Some GIs figured out that they could arrange to "lose" professional equipment while on local field training exercises. It could "accidently" happen in rough terrain, during parachute drops, water crossings and other higher risk operations many of which are performed under cover of darkness. The GIs would cache the equipment, note its location, report it as lost, retrieve it later and pawn it. If the GIs could come up with a convincing story, it would be chalked up as an operational loss and they'd get away with it. If the loss was determined to be due to negligence (their story wasn't quite good enough), the cost of the equipment could be deducted from their paychecks. To them it was worth the risk whether it turned out to be a freebie; or, a lump sum cash advance now from a pawn shop against military payroll deductions later.

Once the loss was settled, no one was looking for the equipment. The pawn shop could sell it and it was perfectly legal to buy as long as it wasn't a restricted military item. I've purchased some military issue medical equipment/instruments that way and got great deals. I've seen military issue specialty equipment in pawn shops where the staff didn't even know what it was let alone what it was worth. They just bought and sold the items as novelties. Good times.

And people bitch about welfare fraud.:right:

Are you successful selling on Ebay? I've tried, with little success. I really really want to be successful.

what kind of guitars are they? link to the auctions?

There were some kind of shitty ones, then there there was a really nice Ibanez hollowbody:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ibanez-hollo...#ht_809wt_1043

An Ibanez "acoustic electric" almost new, which had a lot of nice pearloid inlays:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ibanez-EWC30...#ht_638wt_1043

Here are all of the pawn shop's current auctions. Many things sell immediately:

http://www.ebay.com/csc/diversifieda...mplete=1&rt=nc

Yeah. The trick is to sell things Buy-It-Now, with Best Offer. To set the price, you go into Completed Listings for what you're selling, determine the "going price", and offer it at $5-$50 lower (depending on how pricey it is).

Then, if it still doesn't move after a while, and there are no offers, lower the B-I-N price over time.

In some categories, people are actively seeking items priced a little too low, and they set up and watch feeds for certain things and pounce on them. iPhones, for example, sell almost immediately. An iPhone 3G 16GB will fly if it's under $100. Even if it's listed as "for parts/not working", doesn't hold a charge, the sim card door is broken off, the bezel is rusty, and the back is cracked and broken.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...#ht_547wt_1043

This is exactly how I buy things. Find the going price and then look for newly listed buy-it-now items that are a little under the going price.

Thanks.:thumb:

And now you know -- it's fair game to make offers too...!

One thing I really enjoy is when a pawn item has no going price. It's unique and there are no Completed Listings, or it's a few years older and no online retailer stocks them. Then it becomes my job to make up a price.

This week there was a pool cue and nobody knew anything about it. I researched it and found out it was made by a guy who only makes like 80 cues per year. We put it up at $599 because that was what some guy on a forum somewhere paid for his. The damn piece of wood went on an offer of $355.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...#ht_544wt_1043

The guy that made the cue bought it for $355, and then sold it for $1,200

Win win win

I saw this pawn shop article on CNN.

This part might be in error:

If it's not compounded, then it is 48% APR, but if it's 4% compounded monthly, that's about 60% per year.

Hush now, you don't want the po' folk hearing that.

I pawned my Tag Heuer watch a number of times.
This was in the days before internet "payday" loans.

On one occasion it was days before my friend got married in Tuscany and I found out that my passport had expired. Bloody idiot.
I had to go to Peterborough to get my passport renewed by same-day service; about £70 I think. What with the return rail ticket and fees I was wiped out. I was also waiting for the Evil Ex's cheque to clear; he sent a cheque by post, rather than transferring the money - made no difference to him, completely fucked me up the arse budget-wise (money he owed me, not a gift)

I had four hours to kill. That's a long time in Peterbro'.
So I pawned my watch.
This was the most frivolous time I admit.
I got £50 (it was all I asked, I'd been paid £120 before) and was able to buy various travel items including a guidebook to Siena to peruse it over a long slow lunch.
I posted (mailed) them the fee when I got back from the wedding and they posted me the watch.

I can't remember what I paid, but for me that day, with no debit or credit card and no chequebook, it was a great deal.

I still have the watch. I just can't afford to have a battery fitted these days :(

It would have been simpler for him to ask him for the secret handshake...oops, I've said too much.:p:

Of course he could have also asked for the guy to prove that he was circumcised. A lot of non-Jews are, but it might have been worth five bucks to see the reaction.

So pawn the watch and buy a battery, silly.

Do you know what type of battery it uses?

Play.com do them. The cheaper ones are £1, dearer types about £3 - and even the postage is free in the UK!

http://www.play.com/Search.html?sear...earchtype=ELEC

Fitting couldn't be easier.

Today was a nice day and the shop was relatively event-free. During the afternoon there was a long transaction with an ancient Italian woman. I was present for the last part of it, in which she spent a good two minutes thanking the store owner for his patience with her English.

I asked him whether that isn't more than a little heart-warming, when this old woman is so thankful. But he said no, he's seen enough people trying to warm up to him in order to play some scam of some kind.

The store owner is a patient guy indeed, unless you suggest he is fraudulent or unfair, and then he has no time for you. Last week there was a long transaction, too long to document here, where an onlooker began interrupting and saying that the shop was going to underpay no matter what. The onlooker was just having some keys made, but he was thrown out, his money given back, no keys made.

The one thing that did happen was that the shop ran into its eBay seller limit: $12000 per month. They have to wait until the 22nd to call eBay again to raise this limit.

In the weeks that I've been there, my average is $3500 per 7 hour day eBaying items. I generally go through about one item in 20 minutes, taking pictures and such.

By hosting images on my own server I have proven to be a big benefit to the owner. eBay charges for additional image hosting; I do it for free and thus save the shop a few bucks each day.

Today the most interesting item to me was a year old Dell laptop, 14" screen that should fetch about $300. Having run a bunch of laptops through eBay, I find now that I would not want a 15.6" screen as people are all going these days. 14" is fine and it saves on battery life.

Also I would never buy such a thing new. My gawd I have seen some perfectly good items go through my fingers at this point. Some of them there was nothing wrong and in fact, for the 14" Dell laptop, there is even some factory warranty left so if the item arrives wrong you can fix it via Dell for free.

Well yesterday the owner's eBay limit was raised to like $20,000 per month. That meant today was work day. It wasn't much fun... but since it's the season, this is when the golf items should go. So I had to list all the contents of three different bags of mixed clubs, and several individual irons. Tedious, and hard to photograph.

A lot of serious tools come through. I like the heavy-duty stuff. I particularly like it when I have no idea what they're used for. That means, when I write the description, I have to be... creative

How about an immense circular blade, hooked up to a big-ass gas motor, on tiny wheels? I looked it up and found only that it is a "concrete cut-off saw". I guess if you have too much concrete, you have to cut some of it off. It even shpritzes water on the saw, so the saw doesn't get too hot. That's some mighty shit right there.

Fuck it, whoever is looking for a Hilti DSH 700 is gonna know what it is and why they need to pay at least $500 for one. They are going to be having too much concrete, and will need to cut it right off.

I didn't hear any really interesting customers today. I think there was a guy with a big plasma TV and he was unhappy about how little pawn value it had. Here's the thing, though: big plasma TVs are a pain in the ass to store. They're just big and awkward and can't be taken downstairs. So there's not much the shop can do, but offer like $120 pawn value for a 55-inch plasma. This in turn makes some people think the shop is just ripping people off. No, it really is that some things have less pawn value, for reasons you didn't think of.

It is only in the last few years that I really got the point about shelf space/volume.

How much space is it going to take up in my shop? How long is it going to take to sell it? What else could go in that space for that time? How much mark-up will I need for this thing to justify its presence?

Not only that, but big TVs have fallen in price a lot over the last few years. I paid about $1200 for my big TV and I now see ones the same size with better quality for sale new for around $600. :right:

Are you actually able to sell golf clubs out of there? I have a set of nice, clean ones, ladies' Cobras, with photos that I could pass along. I've only used them a few times, but they are about 10 or so years old.

I love them, but I don't have much chance to use them.

I've seen saws like that used to make relief cuts in concrete pads so they don't crack.

Any archery items? I'm looking for parts of a compound bow to build a crossbow.

I guess it's the wheels that make a concrete saw different from a tile saw. I've seen tile saws that do the "water on the blade" thing, but they all have a table surface for the tile to sit on, like a miter saw would.

FWIW - The water is used so the blade doesn't get to hot and warp. Also keeps the fine dust from getting everywhere.
Those blades have diamonds on them and are VERY expensive.

So far almost none of the clubs have gone, but that may be because I priced them too high. We start with a higher price and work down.

So far zero archery items. I don't know that the shop takes weapons.

Golf clubs are weapons. We need a permit to own them here.

There's a lot of second hand sporting goods places around where people can inspect larger items like golf clubs firsthand. Seems like it would involve a lot of good quality pics to provide that same buyer information online.

Staff: Oh, that item is not silver, that's white gold.
Gal: Oh OK
Staff: I just didn't want you to be confused.
Guy: She's always confused.
Staff: (laughs)
Gal: OK thank you very much! (they start to leave)
Gal: Some day you're going to stop picking on me.
Guy: And some day, you're going to be one inch high.

That made me smile.

I love goofin' with folks.

If it makes me laugh it goes here.

kid at my buddy's gold buying store: I got this ring.... I know silver isn't worth much, but what'll you give me?

Buddy: How's $35
kid: wow, cool. thanks

kid leaves

Buddy: that's why you keep your mouth shut
me: huh?
hands me the ring.... 10K inside the band

me: It's not silver.
Buddy: White gold.

me: you prick.

Buddy: fool and his money.

Woman: Can I get an item out without a ticket? I have this letter.
Staff: Sure, with your ID.
Woman: OK.
Staff: Oh this item is not under your ID.
Woman: *sigh* (long pause) I'ma be honest with you, this is my jewelry and I believe my boyfriend pawned it without me knowing. I asked him if he did that and he said no, but he didn't know there would be a letter. (note: the shop sends you notice of your item's status at some point.)
Staff: If it's under his name, we need him to come in with his ID.
Woman: Can I just bring his ID?
Staff: No, it has to be him.
Woman: Can I see the jewelry?
Staff: We're not even actually allowed to show you it legally.
Woman: So I can drag him in here...
Staff: Not at gunpoint please. Just hold on to his ear and bring him in.


I'm hoping this happens today while I am here. Sorta.

*snicker*

Hmmm...what if she reported the jewelry as stolen and gave the police the possible location (pawn shop)? Would she be able to retrieve it then?

Dude (to the staffer working with him) (with a sense of humor about it): Next time I come in I want to deal with that guy. You look like a Jew. (pause, looks at the other staffer) Actually you're probably Jewish too.
Staffer: Yes and you're probably black.

(Dude was wrong: the guy he was working with is not Jewish. The second guy is.)

I don't know about the legal bits yet. But there's one thing I forgot. When she was told not to bring him in at gunpoint she answered

"Don't worry about that... I like my freedom."

I think if she pressed charges the cops would take it as evidence.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2

Still at the shop, although they don't need me as much as they thought, because I get shit done and sell things fast. Today was laptop day as 5 different laptops needed to be documented and sold. There were not many customers because the sidewalk in front of the shop is being reconstructed, which caused business to fall about 50%.

The only funny customer today was one gentleman who decided to sing lead vocals to a song on the radio, and pretty much did the whole song. And he was great! I didn't know the song so I still don't know which song he did, but I completely welcome this kind of thing.

So, how many other pawn shops are there in your area?

Up here at the pawnshop...

I am a regular customer at my local pawnshops, though I am only a buyer, not a borrower. I've gotten tools, toys (same thing pretty much), electronics, etc. I have an idea of something I want and I just troll through the local pawnshops and thrift stores, keeping my eyes open for the item(s) I want. Most of my visits I leave empty handed, but sometimes I find the thing I'm looking for, or sometimes I find a new thing.

I've been looking for a new bicycle. Well, stopped by the pawnshop, the bikes are outside of course and there was nothing of interest to me. Little bikes for littler people, fancy bikes for affluenter people... nothing for me though. I went inside, made a circuit of the store, nothing today, nothing unusual. As I walked out the door onto the sidewalk, there was a guy walking toward the door... pushing a bike.

"Hey, you want to buy a bike?"

"What do you want for it?"

"$150."

I look over the bike. It is very clean, not new, just clean. Lubricated, tightened, it looks ridden but well maintained. The guy is into his spiel as I'm checking it out and I decide I'll take it.

"I'll give you $120 for it."

"$135."

"Ok."

Turns out I have only $130 on me... a little embarrassing. But after raiding the ashtray for my parking meter money, we seal the deal (with the last five dollars paid in gold dollar coins). I ask him for the combination to the kryptonite lock, he gives it to me and demonstrates how to operate it. We shake hands practically on the threshold of the front door of the store, which feels a little weird.

I roll the bike to the car, remove the front wheel and manage to store the bike and the front wheel in the back seat of the car. When I get home, I take it out, reassemble it, take it for a nice ride, check it all out. It's in great shape. I look up this model on the internet and I almost have a heart attack. The top hits for a Gary Fisher bike are in the low $2000 range. Ho. Ly. Crap. But this turns out not to be one of those bikes, merely one of the $350 models. Which is still fine, I like the bike and it likes me. Here's a link to a detailed description of the bike.

good for you!

Am I the only person who reads pawn and immediately thinks prawn instead?
Prawnshop. Still raises a grin every time.

Yes.

I always think of pwn, myself. The pwn shop is the place where 10-year-olds frag and swear at each other.

Some customers are "not all there". There is an opiates clinic down the street. Sometimes customers will reek of alcohol. Or they may just be morons. It's always an adventure.

Dude: Do you have any idea?
(It sounds like idea to me, and it sounds like idea to my boss, E)
E: Idea?
Dude: You know, idea?
E: I-D-E-A?
Dude: Do you have idea?
E: I don't know what you're asking.
Dude: Do you have any shopping carts?
E: No, we don't have those.
Dude: Because I have to get a shopping cart first. You sell those movies?
E: The movies are behind you. You're looking into a mirror.
Dude: Why do you keep the movies behind glass?
E: Where would you like us to keep them?
Dude: No, why do you keep them behind glass?
E: I said, where would you like us to keep them?
Dude: I need to find a shopping cart first.
E: We don't have any.

And, some notes from earlier that I didn't share before. I wrote these down on my phone and never got around to sharing.

Two guys came in trying to sell a Verizon set-top cable box. They laughed long and hard when told it had no value.

and

Porn buyer was really loud about "nice big black tittays".


Today I learned that we do not buy porn DVDs from the general public, although there are some stocked. Someone told a customer "We don't buy it, the porn comes directly from the distributor." This statement led me to many questions. Our main expert buyer said that used porn DVDs are a gross idea, but I didn't really understand, because buying your porn from a pawn shop is already plenty of notches down on the social etiquette chain. Here's to thinking that the boss, a more moral and better man than I, just doesn't care to traffic in the $1 profit per buy. Even bordering the ghetto, there's a type of customer you don't really need to attract.