  Jonesy Member Username: Jonesy Post Number: 413 Registered: 07-2005 |
I'm looking to sell some power tools and a couple of digital cameras. Which pawn shops offer the fairest deals? | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 765 Registered: 11-2006 |
ebay | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1231 Registered: 10-2003 |
Are these legitimately acquired power tools and digital cameras? | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 981 Registered: 09-2007 |
HAve you tried Cash City downtown? | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 766 Registered: 11-2006 |
my thoughts exactly, matt.  | ||
Jonesy Member Username: Jonesy Post Number: 414 Registered: 07-2005 |
Let just say I found them.  | ||
Spiritofdetroit Member Username: Spiritofdetroit Post Number: 769 Registered: 11-2006 |
umm... | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1232 Registered: 10-2003 |
What kind of cameras? I'm in the market for one. (Message edited by Matt on December 03, 2007) | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 208 Registered: 12-2006 |
Zeidman's (2669 Gratiot Ave) is a "good pawn shop" if your buying; not sure if the same would apply if a person was selling. Cars are parked for blocks around that place. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 966 Registered: 11-2003 |
Has anybody ever recovered some of their "lost" property from a local pawnshop? Are any particular shops more likely than others to be selling such lost property? | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 977 Registered: 11-2003 |
A good pawn shop is like jumbo shrimp. If you're ever going to buy something from a pawn shop you can cut out the middleman by just stealing it yourself. Hideous places those pawn shops. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 3972 Registered: 10-2003 |
When you steal a man's tools, you may well be stealing his livelihood. | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 978 Registered: 11-2003 |
Does anyone know if the number of pawn shops in Detroit has increased since the casinos opened? I can't help but think that they have and wonder if any have popped up near the casinos. I did a search on "pawn shops casinos" and found this article. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/f ullpage.html?res=9806E4DB1F3CF 930A25751C1A961958260&n=Top/Re ference/Times%20Topics/Subject s/P/Pawnbroking | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 209 Registered: 12-2006 |
In my opinion pawnshops are the best places to buy gold. They’ll sell you gold jewelry by the gram, which is the way to go. The mall is there for those who find a pawnshop a bit rough, but for the adventurous and or savvy shopper, $500.00 gets you a lot more bang for your buck. | ||
Spacemonkey Member Username: Spacemonkey Post Number: 275 Registered: 03-2006 |
I only steal from pawn shops and sell things to thieves, that way I feel like I'm righting the balance somehow. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 712 Registered: 07-2007 |
Aren't pawn shop predatory lenders? what kind of power tools? anything good? | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1233 Registered: 10-2003 |
Looks like Jonesy was scared off... | ||
Southofeight Member Username: Southofeight Post Number: 121 Registered: 07-2005 |
$500 gets you a lot at the pawn shop, alright. It gets you about $500 worth of stuff ripped off from someone else. Dirtbags. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5853 Registered: 08-2004 |
Rjk, I don't know if the actual number of pawn shops has increased in Detroit, but those that are in business have severe restrictions to relocating within the city (to say near a casino). The city did NOT want pawn shops to sprout up around the Casinos, and so far they haven't. | ||
Jonesy Member Username: Jonesy Post Number: 415 Registered: 07-2005 |
Matt, I have a Sony Handicam camcorder and a Sony Cybershot 3.2mp. Lefty2, I have a Craftsman mitersaw that has never been openned. A used Milwaukee sawzall. And many other tools I would like to get rid of. If I can't get a good price on them I'll just donate them to Habitat. (Message edited by jonesy on December 04, 2007) | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 125 Registered: 11-2006 |
I worked in a pawn shop for a little while. The operators have to be 21 years old, bonded, drug tested with background checks (fingerprints). The amount of interest they charge is regulated by the state (most check cashing places that let you borrow are not). The items that get pawned or sold are inputted into a data base and sent to local police daily. (What they do with it I don't know) Any thing marked with a driver's license number is checked. It has to belong to the person pawning it or it won't be taken in, they make a report and notify the police. The police can come in and check the inventory for stolen items at any time. You can find good items priced reasonable. It has to work or it can’t be resold, some have a 30-60 day warranty. Plus it makes a good place to store high cost items (when you go out of town) as they are responsible and have a big safe to store them. I do that with my weapons and wife’s jewelry while on vacation, it only cost a small interest amount and they are safe. At least that is the way it's done here. | ||
Southofeight Member Username: Southofeight Post Number: 122 Registered: 07-2005 |
Wow. It's good to know that the kid checking in my circular saw either hasn't smoked a blunt in four weeks or is smart enough to skirt a piss test. That's important. | ||
Club_boss Member Username: Club_boss Post Number: 210 Registered: 12-2006 |
“You can find good items priced reasonable. It has to work or it can’t be resold, some have a 30-60 day warranty.” I found the prices on X-Boxes and PS2 to be around $50.00 cheaper than buying them online. I bought my son both at Zeidman's. The X-Box came with a wireless antenna and was priced the same as any other X-Box they had in store. Shop and inspect carefully, some are better deals than others. I want to say it had a 15-day warranty; it might have been 30 days, keep your receipt. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 729 Registered: 07-2007 |
Jonsey - Is it a compound dual bevel 12 inch? Craftsman miter saw. Sawzall's alway some in handy, good shape? how old? What are you asking? | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 730 Registered: 07-2007 |
cash city pawn shop story. They were brought a computer from some "dude" who wanted cash, next thing you know they checked it out and it just happened to be stolen from an office nearby? wow go figure, the store called the cops and it happened to be from someone related to the government... needless to say the person got busted. | ||
Yeti Member Username: Yeti Post Number: 17 Registered: 09-2007 |
If you are trying to sell, and want to get top dollar for the least amount of effort, try listing it on Craigslist | ||
Frumoasa Member Username: Frumoasa Post Number: 93 Registered: 03-2007 |
I had a used sawzall and some tools stolen from my house this summer...Hope these aren't the hot items nowadays. You can do a lot of copper stripping with a sawzall and some hand tools...Thank goodness the crackhead only got that stuff from me. | ||
Markopolo Member Username: Markopolo Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2007 |
Jonesy—like so many things in this big hick town that wouldn’t garner a second thought in other large but more sophisticated cities, pawnshops get a bad rap in Detroit. Pawnshops are simply a business and like any other business they exist to make a profit. So I wouldn’t sell anything at one because I wouldn’t get the best price possible. At a pawnshop I would essentially be a wholesaler, the pawnshop acting as the retailer. Consequently, when selling something ebay is the best way to go. I got that information from a dear friend of mine whose family owned a pawnshop. He also told me that there is a 100 percent markup on jewelry at “retail stores” so I wouldn’t think of going anyplace else but a pawnshop to buy expensive trinkets. And as 1st sgt notes, pawnshops are well-regulated. The best pawnshop in Detroit is Al’s Loans just one block west of Zeidman’s on Gratiot. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1027 Registered: 09-2007 |
"The best pawnshop in Detroit is Al’s Loans just one block west of Zeidman’s on Gratiot." Those 2 are the best. Not to mention, Zeidman's has two locations, one near Downtown and one in Southfield. I would assume the flagship store is still Gratiot and Chene though. | ||
Wazootyman Member Username: Wazootyman Post Number: 290 Registered: 02-2006 |
I've never been to a pawn shop, but I'll completely agree with the eBay recommendation - especially for the electronics. Avoiding the middle-man will net you more money for a minimal amount of extra effort. I know you didn't ask, but since I spend a lot of time on eBay, I'd like to volunteer some information that may be of help. This is all based on experience and is just my personal opinion: - Don't accept anything but PayPal (or cash if the buyer and seller can arrange a 'local pickup'). It's too easy for people to forge or write back money orders and personal checks. I haven't found this to be a problem with the specialty networking hardware and vintage electronics I've traded - but those are niche markets (and the people tend to be trustworthy), and camcorders appeal to the general public. - I know as a buyer I want to see lots of good pictures. If I'm a savvy consumer, I already know what the camcorder does, and can likely find the specs on the manufacturer's website. List a few details, and perhaps link to a PDF of the user manual. Take pictures from all angles; get clear pictures in macro mode of any serial/model numbers. Spend the extra $1.00-1.50 to get 'supersized' pictures with included gallery. In my experience, this will give the buyer MUCH more confidence than a single grainy picture, or worse yet, a generic picture from the manufacturer's website. - Make sure to include as many accessories as possible. Take pictures of them. - If there are any scratches, gouges, marks or variations from "like new" condition, detail them specifically. If you mention that there's a large scratch on the underside of the body and a small mark on the viewfinder, the buyer will feel confident that you're not trying to cheat him by selling him damaged goods. - I like to include details about the item's life. Was it stored in a smoke-free environment? If it was in the basement, was it dehumidified and temperature regulated? This can tell a lot about the longevity and future usability of the device. I've bought things where the box smelled strongly of mildew and it raised concerns about the internal condition of the item. - Package the item like it's going to be air-dropped. I've seen UPS packages arrive in perfect condition, and I've seen them arrive half the size that they shipped as. A few layers of bubble wrap, surrounded by several inches of packing peanuts should do. Tape the joints in the box well. Double-box the item if it's very heavy (though it probably doesn't apply for the camcorder). If you'd feel more comfortable with a professional packaging your item, take it to a UPS store (or similar). They charge a premium, but typically do a very good job. Another benefit of professional packaging comes from insurance claims. You'll find that if the buyer claims a damaged package arrived, a professionally packaged item (especially by a store affiliated with the shipper) will have more success in making a claim. UPS automatically insures items up to $100. To insure beyond this is cheap, and can save you a headache in the future. - Be cautious about buyers from overseas; they tend to be higher maintenance and the source of more potential scams. I often find that the amount of time I spend communicating details and completing customs forms nulls any financial gain. - Finally, feedback means a lot. If you're new to eBay (and have zero feedback), you're not very trustworthy. Either find a friend who is established, or understand that the selling price might be negatively impacted until you build points. eBay has its downsides, as does PayPal - I think the fees are slightly excessive. But, overall it seems to be the best way to exchange goods for cash. Donating the items is obviously a very good option as well. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 352 Registered: 01-2007 |
Good tips from Wazootyman... 2 final tips: -If shipping gold coins from a safe deposit box to a numismatic appraisal firm, and the UPS packaging store balks at you watching them package the coins, go somewhere else. -Ship from multiple post offices. |
