Customers are often surprised to learn you can’t walk into a pawn shop and pawn or get a loan for any item you’d like, even if it might be something you know could be worth a lot. It helps to know, beforehand, what a shop will and will not accept, and why. Let’s use John’s as an example.
How We Decide What Items We Can Accept
For every item we cannot accept, there’s a specific reason why. Here are some of the factors we take into consideration.
The Item’s Worth
Let’s look at silver jewelry, for instance — an item we don’t take. If we accept gold jewelry, why not silver? While it might be beautiful jewelry and even in excellent condition, there are a few reasons for this.
- Silver is worth a fraction of what gold is.
- This number fluctuates regularly.
- Sterling silver is less durable, tarnishes more easily, and can tarnish.
For these reasons, silver jewelry is something we — and many other pawn shops — don’t take.
The Item’s Reliability
Let’s use printers for this example. This is another item we regularly see. Let’s think about this. How many times has your printer randomly stopped working, leaving you in a fit of anger and frustration? It’s no different for a pawnbroker. We can’t accept printers because:
- They’re unreliable and prone to errors.
- One small part of the machine can go on the fritz and the entire thing will stop working.
- It’s not worth paying to repair them.
Printers simply aren’t dependable enough for most pawn shops to take.
How Complicated is the Item to Carry in the Store?
Appliances are another good example of an item people assume pawn shops will take, understandably. After all, you paid a pretty penny for that dishwasher. Some might take it. Many won’t. There are a couple reasons for this.
- They take up a lot of space in the shop — so much, in fact, that it’s just not worth what a pawnbroker would eventually get for it, if it were to sell.
- Shop owners can’t know with 100% certainty if an appliance works the way it should.
- Repairing them can cost an arm and a leg.
So, What Do Pawn Shops Buy?
This is information a pawn shop will likely provide on their website. If not, you should call ahead and ask them. All shops are different! You can see the full list of items John’s will and will not take on our website, but here are just a few examples.
We will generally accept:
- Gold jewelry
- Diamond jewelry
- PlayStation 4
- Guitars
We will generally not accept:
- Costume Jewelry
- Smartphones
- Tools
- Machinery
- Sunglasses
- Computers
We hope this helps clear up why we’ll take some items and not others. Remember, pawn shops are not out to get you. At John’s, we pride ourselves on providing the best dollar amount for your items. Our pawn loans have the best interest rate in town, and we’ve been in business since 1975. When you walk through our doors, you’re in good hands. Contact us today! (702) 213-3331