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Post subject: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:52 pm
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The show is about a Pawn Shop in Detroit. It's like Pawn Stars but more "hardcore" like a real pawn shop,or so they say.

Unlike Pawn Stars they don't have experts come in to appraise any "rare" items that come in. Les and his son Seth ARE the experts. Hey, they got google,what else do they need?

In one of the episodes "Pay To Play" 2 guys brought in a 54 strat they say they bought at a rummage sale. There was some controversy over the dates they found on the neck and body so Les haggled with the guys over the price he would pay. They wanted $30,000 and Les said his final offer was $12,200 They countered with $12,500 but Les wouldn't budge so they walked.

The show may be phony but that strat these guys brought in looked like a real 1954 Stratocaster. The serial # 1042. Is there any kind of register for 54 strats?If you missed the show you can still see it on youtube. Here are some screen captures I made.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:06 pm
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Yes it is amazing the know everything there is to know let that guitar go, and also low balling i was glad when the two guys turn them down. I wonder why I can never find something like that. :mrgreen: 8)


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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:26 pm
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Truetone6 wrote:
The show may be phony but that strat these guys brought in looked like a real 1954 Stratocaster.


+1, don't believe everything you see on TV. :lol: The show brought in an item of interest that appeals to a section of its fanbase. The price of $12.5 is ludicrously low for a '54 strat and this gets people talking about what a shocker they just saw on TV.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:21 am
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Toronado wrote:
Truetone6 wrote:
The show may be phony but that strat these guys brought in looked like a real 1954 Stratocaster.


+1, don't believe everything you see on TV. :lol: The show brought in an item of interest that appeals to a section of its fanbase. The price of $12.5 is ludicrously low for a '54 strat and this gets people talking about what a shocker they just saw on TV.

What's the street/retail value of a '54 strat in that condition?

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 7:39 am
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The guitar came from a guitar shop down the street. The whole deal was just a stunt for the show's content. Most of the guitars that have come through that show are for that purpose. That's "reality" TV for you.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:57 am
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Yeah I saw the episode. I don't know if it was staged or not, but it looked like a real '54. I wouldn't of let them take it apart though, they had pieces laying all over, didn't look like they took it apart with any care.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:21 am
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Toronado wrote:
The price of $12.5 is ludicrously low for a '54 strat and this gets people talking about what a shocker they just saw on TV.


Have you ever sold anything to a pawn shop? "Generous" shops might give you half of what something is worth, but most pay pennies on the dollar. They prey on desperate needy people. Most are blood suckers who'll give you 20% of what something is worth and then try to sell it for more than the market rate.

"Pawn Stars" often pay high prices for things. That's probably scripted -- they just want to trick broke Vegas gamblers into thinking that they'll get the reasonably fair prices they see on TV. I'm willing to bet that if you go in there to sell something when the cameras aren't rolling, they'll fleece you as hard as they possibly can.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:36 am
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[img]
JasonSD wrote:
Yeah I saw the episode. I don't know if it was staged or not, but it looked like a real '54. I wouldn't of let them take it apart though, they had pieces laying all over, didn't look like they took it apart with any care.


Yes,that is what struck me about this episode. The way they were treating what they thought might be $50,000 guitar,using a cordless screwdriver to dismantle it and leaving it dangling on a thin ledge...madness!

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:48 am
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strayedstrater wrote:
Toronado wrote:
The price of $12.5 is ludicrously low for a '54 strat and this gets people talking about what a shocker they just saw on TV.


Have you ever sold anything to a pawn shop? "Generous" shops might give you half of what something is worth, but most pay pennies on the dollar. They prey on desperate needy people. Most are blood suckers who'll give you 20% of what something is worth and then try to sell it for more than the market rate.

"Pawn Stars" often pay high prices for things. That's probably scripted -- they just want to trick broke Vegas gamblers into thinking that they'll get the reasonably fair prices they see on TV. I'm willing to bet that if you go in there to sell something when the cameras aren't rolling, they'll fleece you as hard as they possibly can.


No better than Guitar Center. Their policy is 50% of what they can sell it for. Pawn shops are about the same... Try to find a reputable place that does a consignment...

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:35 pm
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DetroitBlues wrote:
No better than Guitar Center. Their policy is 50% of what they can sell it for. Pawn shops are about the same... Try to find a reputable place that does a consignment...


Is 50% for vintage, or is 50% what they offer for anything in your area?

I haven't sold them a vintage instrument, yet. But for anything else I've sold them, I demanded and got 75% of cash retail value. Last time, I got 85%. But...what I've sold to them I and they knew would fly off the shelf.

...you'd have to be a complete idiot to sell a salesman a valuable item for 50% of cash value.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 6:10 pm
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RCB-CA-USA wrote:
What's the street/retail value of a '54 strat in that condition?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgFy0Sv8oCw

Here's an interesting and recent video of Gruhn Guitars, a reputable vintage guitar dealer. Granted dealers charge absolute top dollar, but you can trust that what you are getting from them is genuine and authentic - a big issue in todays used guitar industry.

In the video, George Gruhn shows a 1954 stratocaster which they have in stock for $37,500. He also discusses how the prices of vintage guitars have dropped remarkably since 2006 when the economy took a large hit.

Really worth a watch for anyone interested. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:09 pm
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Toronado wrote:
RCB-CA-USA wrote:
What's the street/retail value of a '54 strat in that condition?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgFy0Sv8oCw

Here's an interesting and recent video of Gruhn Guitars, a reputable vintage guitar dealer. Granted dealers charge absolute top dollar, but you can trust that what you are getting from them is genuine and authentic - a big issue in todays used guitar industry.

In the video, George Gruhn shows a 1954 stratocaster which they have in stock for $37,500. He also discusses how the prices of vintage guitars have dropped remarkably since 2006 when the economy took a large hit.

Really worth a watch for anyone interested. :wink:

Verrrry interesting, ty!

By my guestimation, the '54 above is worth $20 to $21,000 cash to a reseller/pawn shop, $25 to $28,000.00 retail as is. $12,500 was an insult.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:08 am
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RCB-CA-USA wrote:
DetroitBlues wrote:
No better than Guitar Center. Their policy is 50% of what they can sell it for. Pawn shops are about the same... Try to find a reputable place that does a consignment...


Is 50% for vintage, or is 50% what they offer for anything in your area?

I haven't sold them a vintage instrument, yet. But for anything else I've sold them, I demanded and got 75% of cash retail value. Last time, I got 85%. But...what I've sold to them I and they knew would fly off the shelf.

...you'd have to be a complete idiot to sell a salesman a valuable item for 50% of cash value.


50% of anything they buy from you. But many take up their offer because its cash in hand now versus waiting weeks or months, possibly years, for it to sell. Vintage stuff in particular is tough to sell because there is a lot of checking into an instrument since there are so many talented builders that can make a guitar look uniquely vintage....

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 2:09 pm
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Did you see when Seth took off the neck plate? Look at the thin railing the guitar is resting on,lol! It looked like some of the finish came off with with the plate and he dusted it off some more with his thumb. I bet that guitar had never been taken apart before.

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Like the '59 strat on Antiques Roadshow

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Post subject: Re: Anyone see the '54 Strat on TruTV "Hardcore Pawn" ?
Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 8:31 am
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Can't blame GC or a pawn for expecting to make at least a 100% profit. You can't stay in business with less margin than that. Go to Macy's in April and see what the leather coat you just bought for Xmas is selling for on sale, and they're still making a profit! Now, about taking guitars apart to inspect. On a vintage, collectable it's necessary to verify originality, but too often I see photos of a very nice guitar on Craigslist that the owner thought necessary to strip from the neck down for his photo shoot. When I see that, I consider it worth pennies on the dollar and go on to the next listing.


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