PAWN TIPS - From Calaveras Coin & Pawn

• Keep in mind: pawnshops are often a great place to pick up bargains on unredeemed goods. If you don't mind used jewelry, video games and movies, it is hard to beat the prices at pawnshops.
• Establish a relationship with a pawnbroker. If he knows you take care of your property, pick up your loans on time, and are generally in a good mood, he may be more generous with his loans. If you take him broken, dirty items, fake jewelry, and try to hurry him, he will not see you as a valuable customer. The pawnbroker has to test everything that comes into his shop. Pawnshops are not repair shops and broken items have little or no value.
• Even if you default on something, it is still OK to do business with that pawnbroker.
• Pawnbrokers have to consider that you may not come back to get the item. You may leave town, win the lottery, have other obligations and will default (don't pay on time)on the item. This uncertainty forces him to hold down the amount he loans on items in the event he has to resell it to recoup his investment. Most people return to redeem their pawned items, but if you look around his store, you will see that most of the things he has for sale are things people promised to come back to redeem but failed to do so.
• If you have an unusual item or collectible, it may be helpful to have a manual and maybe something that would indicate its value such as a certificate of authenticity or original invoice.
• Sometimes if you are unable to redeem the item by the due date, you may be able to extend the loan by paying the interest.