Pawn shopping for long guns?

[lowendgenerator]

Looking to expand my collection to include a .22 and a shotgun, and I'm on a budget. The used gun market is ridiculous. If I find what I want online, by they time it's shipped and FFL transferred, I may as well have bought new. My question is, is a pawn shop a good place to find a deal? Anyone have any treasure find stories?

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

You certainly CAN find deals at Pawn Shops... especially if they've not done their homework on what, exactly, it is that they have for sale.

Keep your radar up...hit all the local shops / pawn shops often. And stuck to your budget!

And if you can't find anything with in X-time frame... Then add more to your budget out of your paycheck as a matter of routine, even if only $10/check. You'll soon have the funds to buy what you want!

-J-

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Anyone have any treasure find stories?

Many. One of the best was scoring a pristine Smith M18 in a pawn shop in Crawfordsville for a silly price.

The market is too hot right now. May find something that is underpriced but the market is just too strong. It costs nothing to look.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Many. One of the best was scoring a pristine Smith M18 in a pawn shop in Crawfordsville for a silly price.

The market is too hot right now. May find something that is underpriced but the market is just too strong. It costs nothing to look.

New York Shoe Shop?

 

[Seancass]

Every pawn shop i go to seems to be priced pretty high. Seems like they look at the MSRP of the gun New online, and just list it(a used gun) for a little less than that! I guess i could haggle, but when they're so far off and act insulted when you call them out on it, it just feels like a waste of time and effort.

Maybe i need to work on my people skills and use the word "idiot" less often.

 

[Colt556]

I have gotten some great deals at pawn shops.... IN THE PAST! Now it seems as if the Pawn Shops in Indy think all their guns are rare collectibles. Hadn't found any deals for a while so I quit trying. I'm sure that shops outside of Indy might have better prices and offerings though. Incidentally the same thing is true for auto salvage yards, ie junkyards, too. They all get on line and look up parts prices and then sell them at predetermined percentages. No fun scouring the parts yards anymore...

 

[45fan]

Not just pawn shops. I try to make a habit of stopping by anywhere that sells used guns, just because you never know what you will find. Believe it or not, I have even fell into a few deals at Gander Mountain. The local pawn shops here tend to be high, but every once in a while they slip up. I have also found that stopping in and building a good reputation with the local gun shops in the area can get you a better deal as well. There have been a few times that I have been offered guns that have just been traded in for a discount because they have not had the opportunity to clean them up yet.
Getting out and hitting the bricks, with an open mind and willingness to put a little elbow grease into a project have been the most promising ways I have found to getting a good deal on used guns.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

New York Shoe Shop?

Yeah, lol, basically. The market is just too hot.

Only kills I've made since 2008 have been at gun shows where you can still find scores just not from dealers. People make the mistake of looking at the tables instead of their fellow attendees.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Yeah, lol, basically.

I used to work with John Gianiakis at Kroger when I was in HS.

That man had the largest hands...on a guy about 5'9" tall. Felt like they were two inches thick at the palm...fingers longer than mine (me at over 6' tall).

Being a cobbler will do that.

Heard three stories about him while working at Kroger: One, a guy once bet him that he (John) couldn't break his (other guy's) hand with a "handshake" grip. John won that bet.

Two was that he was once able to crush a soda can in his hand...lengthwise. Now, I can come close to this IF there's already a dent in the can.

Three was that someone once bet him that he (John) couldn't break the rim of a glass drinking cup by gripping & squeezing. Again, story went, that John won that bet.

While it was indeed sad to lose him...and then, subsequently, the building, if you'd ever been upstairs in the apartments and seen the conditions of the units... Let's just say that it's now difficult to not think about "slum lord" when remembering recent history.

-J-

 

[singlesix]

There is no one source for a great deal; sometimes things just fall into you lap and other times it takes a great deal of searching. Good luck.

 

[us marine]

Always a deal to be had, if you take your time

 

[Bang-bang]

Lots of people like the hunt, but the shops are a bit high IMO.

 

[lonnie58]

Every pawn shop i go to seems to be priced pretty high. Seems like they look at the MSRP of the gun New online, and just list it(a used gun) for a little less than that! I guess i could haggle, but when they're so far off and act insulted when you call them out on it, it just feels like a waste of time and effort.

Maybe i need to work on my people skills and use the word "idiot" less often.

You sound like me, I feel the same way and I've told many of shop owners they must be smoking some good stuff if they think someone is going to pay retail for used. They get bent out of shape and I walk out.

I've also found that a lot of the gun show retailers are getting the same way.

 

[nfranke]

its all a matter of being in the right place at the right time, just keep the feeler out there, give the pawn shop guys a heads up for what your looking for, they might remember your and make somthing happen. i think most pawn shop will jump at quick money

 

[maxmayhem]

Why not try the classifieds of ingo or armslist...you can find anything you want there...i dont know why you would resort to the pawn shops when you have the classifieds here..

 

[churchmouse]

I use only a few pawn shops. I have established a good relationship with them. I am able to work things out and have scored many "Deals"
They do not always have what I want but just stopping in and browsing keeps the relationship alive. Problem is, I have seen folks jump on things at the sticker price and lay out the cash. That is what they look for.

 

[churchmouse]

Why not try the classifieds of ingo or armslist...you can find anything you want there...i dont know why you would resort to the pawn shops when you have the classifieds here..

I have used the classifieds with great success but the drives have gotten longer and have had a few disappointing experiences.

 

[lowendgenerator]

Why not try the classifieds of ingo or armslist...you can find anything you want there...i dont know why you would resort to the pawn shops when you have the classifieds here..

I check the classifieds here and on Armslist almost hourly. If something I'm looking for pops up, I'll know about it.

 

[paperboy]

JUST KEEP WATCHING THE INGO CLASSIFIEDS!!!!! Seriously, I really haven't seen too many deals at pawnshops.

 

[Whitey]

good buys are hard to find on guns anywhere. i have found out that keep your mind open for several types of gun. a good buy comes around every once in a while. different guns types seem to come in favor and out with fades. a few years ago revolvers were going cheap. now old revolvers are very high. i look for cowboy gun to start selling for a cheaper price.