Wanna pay retail for used tools?

[cpw]

Had a few minutes to kill this morning and stopped by a pawn shop that shall remain nameless (but it's the biggest and cleanest one on Patton Ave., and in Asheville, and the owner used to have a retail jewelry store in the Asheville Mall - hint, hint). Anyway, I was shocked at their prices. I thought the whole idea with pawn shops was that it was a great place to get a deal on used stuff. They had a PC pancake compressor for $120. Well I could drop another $10 at Rockler and get a brand new one WITH a nailer. And they had a Delta Miter Saw - looked like a 7 1/4" - for over $100. Do people really fall for that cr@p?

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by cpw

Had a few minutes to kill this morning and stopped by a pawn shop that shall remain nameless (but it's the biggest and cleanest one on Patton Ave., and in Asheville, and the owner used to have a retail jewelry store in the Asheville Mall - hint, hint). Anyway, I was shocked at their prices. I thought the whole idea with pawn shops was that it was a great place to get a deal on used stuff. They had a PC pancake compressor for $120. Well I could drop another $10 at Rockler and get a brand new one WITH a nailer. And they had a Delta Miter Saw - looked like a 7 1/4" - for over $100. Do people really fall for that cr@p?

Afraid they do

[Gotcha6]

The only time I've ever been able to get a bargain in a pawn shop was when I bought back my own stuff - that had been stolen!

[Jim Murphy]

To me, they're like flea markets, but you offer less right at the start. I was in a pawn shop recovering a survey instrument that one of my troubled employees had pawned, and looked at the stuff there. This was about 1990 or so. They had a B&D sawzall, a Craftsman router and a Makita 3-1/4" power planer, each listed for about $75-85. I had just finished a deck project where the sawzall and planer would have been very, very helpful, and I was always mystified and intrigued (still am) by the router. I offered the guy $100 for all three, and he took it straight up. No negotiations, no dissembling about how much he had in them, he just took Mr. Franklin and I took the tools. The B&D sawzall still runs, although it is clearly a beater tool today, having been replaced by a real Milwaukee. The Craftsman was jettisoned as soon as I discovered the ARHA feature, and the Makita planer's blades were replaced last summer and it works great. YMMV.

[mike_wood]

I have been in a few pawn shops around where I live (south Raleigh) and found the same to be true. Beat up, used tools for almost new tool prices. I asked one of the employees if they really sold them for the marked prices and he said they did. In this day I can't imagine anyone buying a tool without checking on the internet for a good price. I wonder if everything they sell is priced this way?

[McRabbet]

I think every pawn shop is actually run by a guy named Phineas T. Barnum... I rarely even check the one that is less than a block from our usual grocery store because their prices would make a comedian ROFL.

[junquecol]

Pawn shops are in business to make money. They make more lending than selling. About ten years ago I was in a pawn shop, and they had a Bosch 1604 router, with a Freud bit for $80. Bit was worth $40. Offered them $60- no deal. A year later, I got the router and bit for $40. I have bought nailers, staplers, Delta 14" band saw, routers, sanders, compressors, miter saws, and Bosch jig saws from pawn shops. In the last week I have bought a right angle Milwaukee drill- $50, DeWalt 12 Compound Miter Saw- $120, Delta mobile base- $120, with free Delta contractor Saw. Remember that you didn't own the tool when you came in, so don't be upset if you don't own it when you leave. There is one shop over in Garner, next to Lowes that thinks their stuff should sell for new. Seldom have I ever bought anything there. Recently a North Carolina Woodworker member bought a Performax 22-44 for $480.