Don't Expect These TV Show Features When You Sell Items At A Pawn Shop
When you have unwanted possessions in your home that hold some value, taking them to a pawn shop is a logical choice. If you've watched episodes of any of the popular pawn shop-based TV shows, you might have an idea of what you'll experience upon walking into your local shop. However, it's important to remember that these shows are highly dramatized, and aren't necessarily an accurate depiction of what it's like to sell your possessions. When you wish to sell items at a pawn shop, you should have a business transaction in mind, rather than a goal of being entertained. Here are some TV features that you shouldn't expect at your local pawn shop.
Hearing About The History Of The Item
On TV shows, sellers will often hear a lengthy description about the item that they're attempting to sell. Your local pawn shop sales person isn't apt to waste your time with such a lesson. If you're interested in hearing about the history of the item you're looking to sell, do some reading about it in advance. When you get to the shop, you can then get right down to business, rather than have the selling process drawn out by hearing about the history of the item.
Calling In An Expert
TV pawn shop reps will often call in an expert to provide further education about a particular item being offered for sale, as well as help to assess the value of the item. This isn't something that you should expect during your transaction — which is ideal, as you might not have half a day to stand around waiting for the expert to arrive. Knowing that no expert will arrive to put a price on your item, it's a reminder to thoroughly do your own research to determine what the item is worth. This will help the negotiation process.
Lengthy, Entertaining Negotiations
It may be entertaining to watch the seller and pawn shop rep negotiate back and forth on TV, but this process isn't necessarily realistic. You likely don't want to engage in a lengthy negotiation; it can be time consuming and potentially stressful. When you know what the item is roughly worth and can provide documentation proving this number, you and the pawn shop can then quickly come up with a fair price that works for both of you. It might not be entertaining, but you'll get the deal done fast and leave the shop with cash in your pocket.