"First, it depends on what sort of town you're in. To get good deals, you need to be in a big city, a military town, or a college town. Even then you may still have crappy pawns. I've never seen one with the good stuff in the back reserved for dealers like in the OP."

I have found just the opposite, the two pawn shops I frequent, don't do anything with ebay, and don't put anything except current pawns in the back room, I've been to Indy and Ft. Wayne pawns as well as pawns in Muncie,In, Home of Ball State, and the prices at those pawns make my head spin, heck I could probably make money buying from my favorites and selling to the others .... oh and I did forget one purchase from a flea market.....Kramer Baretta for $50.. it had a cracked headstock, fixed it and I gave it to my nephew, and now he plays it on stage...pretty cool.

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Freedom...It's the best thing in life! Spc. Dustin R. Hartley 9/25/81-4/25/05

Back in the 60's and the first part of the 70's there were plenty of great deals at pawn shops, then the pawn shop owners became wiser and raised prices on everything (even the crappy stuff).
I go into the local pawn shops every couple of years just to see what's there.

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Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

have a lot of pawn shops where i live, and you only get a good deal if thay don't know what thay have witch is pretty rare. the rest of the time thay want brand new prices for used stuff and it is usually in pretty rough shape.

In the years B.E. (before Ebay) I used to get lower-end instruments and then flip them for a tidy little profit.

I picked up a early 70s Mustang bass for $85 and sold it for $350 the next day (that guy was crazy for Mustang & Musicmaster basses--he had about twenty of them).

I got an Epiphone catgut acoustic for $30, replaced the strings and sold it to $100

...and the list goes on.

My best acquisition was my transition (late 70s early block logo/no led) MXR Phase 90 that I bought for $20...and it had the box & manual! It sits on my pedalboard to this day.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

I haven't found anything worth buying at a pawn shop in years, but... while down in McAllen, Texas in the 90s I found a really nice Epi LP Custom. The pawn shop was Mexican owned and operated and I went in there, saw the guitar and asked if they'd come down from the $450 they had on it. They told me to get my white, gringo butt out of there... no kidding!

But I kept going back. I was down there for six days visiting my mother and every day I walked into that pawn shop, played the guitar for 15-20 minutes and asked them what they'd take for that guitar. Every day they told me to go away and not come back.

On the last day I was going to be there I walked in and the owner was there. His help explained to him that I was a loco gringo who apparently didn't even understand English. He walked over to me, asked if I really wanted the guitar? I said sure, and it's been hanging here for seven months with $450 on it (sticker told me that) and what would you take? He said you promise not to come back in here and bother my boys? I was heading back to Iowa the next day - I said I won't come back.







He said $200 cash. I took it. I've kept it. It's still in great shape, but for the gold worn (or weathered) off the pickups and bridge. It plays like a dream and I love all the binding, especially the black striped binding around the body front and back and the headstock. Today it's almost 20 years old and beats anything hanging in the local GC.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I love them guys at Gold and Silver pawn.If you ever look carful at the background when they are interviewing rick,there looks to be some sweet guitars in the back.You should go check that out!

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I LIKE PIE!!!!!

IF I DO SOMETHING STUPID,DON'T SAY A WORD...