Ever laugh out loud at a pawn shop clerk?

[tbader]

Well, today, I did.

I travel for work, so I often try to find that one pawn shop of mythical proportions. You know the one: no internet access for the employees and no steady stream of knowledgeable guitar nerds, like myself.

Still haven't found one, really.

But I did pick up a MIT DS-1 for 3 bucks.

It has the Rohm BA728N, so that puts its D.O.B. between 1994 and 2000. Anybody know how to decode the date code on a Rohm opamp? Its rubber backing is gone and Velcro remains, so I can't date it.

Here's the conversation:

Me: "Hey, what is the actual price for this DS-1?"

Clerk: "Looks like we have it priced at $160, but how does 105 sound?"

Me: (LOL) "Seriously? This pedal sells new for 49 bucks..."

Clerk: "Well, this one's vintage, man."

Me: "Uhm, nope. It's difficult to tell how old it exactly is, but its design is modern DS-1. It is PSA, and has a board mounted DC jack, for starters."

Clerk: "Oh, well, let me see what they are going for online."

Me: "Probably 20 bucks used and in good condition. This one is not so great."

Clerk: "How does 3 bucks sound, then?"

Me: (LOL) "That's certainly a far departure from your original listed price, but I'll take it."

Clerk: "Well, its been sitting here for a really long time."

Shocking!

Anyway, I cleaned it up a bit, but I haven't tested it next to my 2004 DS-1. Not bad for 3 bucks.

What about you guys? Ever get stupid awesome deals at pawn shops?

Todd

 

[sneaker-bud]

thank you. i found a new hobby. pawn shop trolling.

congrats on the snag

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I do it all the time, but the pawn shop guys & I are tight!
Well, we used to be. They don't know it yet, but I just stopped visiting.

BTW, one of the best bassists around here works in my primary pawn shop stop.
He also does the setups for all their instruments.

 

[Kurzman]

I found a Jerry Jones Electric Sitar in a local pawn shop about 10 years ago. They had it priced through the roof but I think I paid $300.
It was just so weird to see an electric sitar hanging amidst the moth eaten rugs and ancient boomboxes.

 

[Black_Label]

Well, today, I did.

I travel for work, so I often try to find that one pawn shop of mythical proportions. You know the one: no internet access for the employees and no steady stream of knowledgeable guitar nerds, like myself.

Still haven't found one, really.

But I did pick up a MIT DS-1 for 3 bucks.

It has the Rohm BA728N, so that puts its D.O.B. between 1994 and 2000. Anybody know how to decode the date code on a Rohm opamp? Its rubber backing is gone and Velcro remains, so I can't date it.

Here's the conversation:

Me: "Hey, what is the actual price for this DS-1?"

Clerk: "Looks like we have it priced at $160, but how does 105 sound?"

Me: (LOL) "Seriously? This pedal sells new for 49 bucks..."

Clerk: "Well, this one's vintage, man."

Me: "Uhm, nope. It's difficult to tell how old it exactly is, but its design is modern DS-1. It is PSA, and has a board mounted DC jack, for starters."

Clerk: "Oh, well, let me see what they are going for online."

Me: "Probably 20 bucks used and in good condition. This one is not so great."

Clerk: "How does 3 bucks sound, then?"

Me: (LOL) "That's certainly a far departure from your original listed price, but I'll take it."

Clerk: "Well, its been sitting here for a really long time."

Shocking!

Anyway, I cleaned it up a bit, but I haven't tested it next to my 2004 DS-1. Not bad for 3 bucks.

What about you guys? Ever get stupid awesome deals at pawn shops?

Todd

It says "ASS" on it. Heh heh.

 

[erksin]

In 1994, I walked into a pawnshop in Montrose CO and stumbled upon this amp for $225:

It sounded so good I didn't even bother with haggling over the price. Almost 23 years later it's still going strong and is the single best piece of gear that I've ever had in 40 years of playing. I love it so much I bought a second one a couple years ago and will soon have third in my possession in about two more weeks.

 

[JCM 800]

Well, today, I did.

I travel for work, so I often try to find that one pawn shop of mythical proportions. You know the one: no internet access for the employees and no steady stream of knowledgeable guitar nerds, like myself.

Still haven't found one, really.

But I did pick up a MIT DS-1 for 3 bucks.

It has the Rohm BA728N, so that puts its D.O.B. between 1994 and 2000. Anybody know how to decode the date code on a Rohm opamp? Its rubber backing is gone and Velcro remains, so I can't date it.

Here's the conversation:

Me: "Hey, what is the actual price for this DS-1?"

Clerk: "Looks like we have it priced at $160, but how does 105 sound?"

Me: (LOL) "Seriously? This pedal sells new for 49 bucks..."

Clerk: "Well, this one's vintage, man."

Me: "Uhm, nope. It's difficult to tell how old it exactly is, but its design is modern DS-1. It is PSA, and has a board mounted DC jack, for starters."

Clerk: "Oh, well, let me see what they are going for online."

Me: "Probably 20 bucks used and in good condition. This one is not so great."

Clerk: "How does 3 bucks sound, then?"

Me: (LOL) "That's certainly a far departure from your original listed price, but I'll take it."

Clerk: "Well, its been sitting here for a really long time."

Shocking!

Anyway, I cleaned it up a bit, but I haven't tested it next to my 2004 DS-1. Not bad for 3 bucks.

What about you guys? Ever get stupid awesome deals at pawn shops?

Todd

Magic diodes in that one! Lucky you!

 

[fieldsroyal]

Got an Arian sad-1 for $20 - great deal

 

[rollyfoster]

Nice! My toddler daughter is obsessed with my pedalboard so I gave her an old DS-2 and patch cord she carries all over the house now.

 

[frankencat]

Make friends with your local Pawn shops.

 

[stuco]

I've gotten some good deals at pawn shops but no screaming deals that I can remember. I bought a vintage Harmony Sovereign for $100, pretty good deal. Usually they want $250 for beat up knockoff strats that cost $149 new. I bet it was fun in the pre internet days. I have made some good yard sale finds.

 

[plaidbeer]

I don't ever see deals on gear in pawnshops around here. Mostly just overpriced used Line 6 stuff, Peavey amps (not the desirable Classic series), and home keyboards.

 

[CodeMonk]

LOL at one?
No, but called one a "****ing retard".
They had a Danelectro FAB Distortion and wanted $69 for it.
Also had a DS-1 (pretty new looking) for $89.
They offered me the DS-1 for $59, "Such a deal".

But they did have this nice looking Gibson Blueshawk for $500.

 

[Onemileguy]

Sometimes bargain resale stores that buy large lots of returned online items will have steals. I bought a brand new squire bullet start for $30, kept it 2 weeks and traded it to a local store that "specialized" in used stuff for $100 in gear. Not soon after I saw a handwired Vox AC4, in the bargain resale store for like $150, I shouldn't have passed and just flipped it for profit

 

[Caprica]

My local pawn shop is owned by a guitarist, he snaffles all the good stuff for himself and never budges on price on the stuff he has in store.

All I can say is you lucky lucky bastard ....

 

[bricel24]

I've discovered pawn shop trolling for about 4 years now since I started travelling for work. I've had a few good deals. Not anything crazy but I do admit I low ball them at times and I do win. Eventually I flip the item even at GC and still make money.

That is one crazy score OP!

 

[JonSick]

About a decade ago, a mate of mine scored a BC Rich Ironbird NJ Series for the princely sum of £2.00. Two pounds! It had a speedloader and two missing strings; the shop couldn't figure out how to fit new ones.

I made a deal with him and did a conversion to a standard OFR for him and some new Gotoh machine heads on the proviso that if he ever wanted to sell it that I'd get first dibs.

For the last 8 years, it's been in my armoury for the princely sum of £150 and a six-pack!

 

[Able Grip]

In 1994, I walked into a pawnshop in Montrose CO and stumbled upon this amp for $225:

It sounded so good I didn't even bother with haggling over the price. Almost 23 years later it's still going strong and is the single best piece of gear that I've ever had in 40 years of playing. I love it so much I bought a second one a couple years ago and will soon have third in my possession in about two more weeks.

I had one years ago I sold but I have been looking for one for a while now. Here in Canada I see them in so so shape for like $800 bucks. Way too much. I would snap one up for $300 -$400... You are a lucky collector.

 

[erksin]

I had one years ago I sold but I have been looking for one for a while now. Here in Canada I see them in so so shape for like $800 bucks. Way too much. I would snap one up for $300 -$400... You are a lucky collector.

$800 if it's beat is too much - but I find them in great shape for less than that regularly and they're worth twice what I pay for them, sonically speaking.

 

[tbader]

It says "ASS" on it. Heh heh.

Magic diodes in that one! Lucky you!

Good catch, I didn't even notice when I had it open. I wonder how much different it affects a DS-1's tone, as opposed to a TS-9.

Got an Arian sad-1 for $20 - great deal

That's a great deal! Earlier this week, I picked up a couple old Arion distortion pedals for stupid cheap at another pawn shop. The first is a MIJ SMM-1 Metal Master with original box and in fantastic condition, and an older Sri Lanka SDI-1 Distortion in not-so-great condition and no box. So, they had the SMM-1 in a glass case for 5 bucks (yoink!), and the SDI-1 out in the open for 7 bucks. Go figure.

I am not much of a fan, but they were definitely worth the price of admission. The SDI-1 can get a really cool fuzz tone with the distortion and volume maxed, but you pretty much have to roll off the tone knob entirely.

Nice! My toddler daughter is obsessed with my pedalboard so I gave her an old DS-2 and patch cord she carries all over the house now.

Both of my boys love my pedals, so I thought of building them the board that Fisher-Price never would. But it'd be wooden. I suppose that would make it closer to Melissa and Doug. I'd give them a real pedal, but it'd be torn up in a matter of days (those little savages). I love those guys to death, but they remind me too much of me.

Make friends with your local Pawn shops.

I'm usually very friendly, and I've even given them my number for when pedals come through, but they usually either a) don't care, or b) have no idea what a pedal does. My local pawn shops don't usually price stuff very cheap (there's a RI NYC Muff for 75; it's 80 new), but I have found some good deals. My BEST deals are always found abroad, in unlikely places, unfortunately.

I've gotten some good deals at pawn shops but no screaming deals that I can remember. I bought a vintage Harmony Sovereign for $100, pretty good deal. Usually they want $250 for beat up knockoff strats that cost $149 new. I bet it was fun in the pre internet days. I have made some good yard sale finds.

My first guitar was from a pawn shop here in Lafayette, Indiana: an 80's Japanese Electra/Westone Phoenix X185 (with a middle finger carved into it). My parents bought it for me in December of 1991. Not sure of what the price was for sure, but knowing my dad, I'm sure it was cheap. Might be worth a couple hundred bucks now. I'd probably charge 20 more bucks for the NOS middle finger.

I think I'll try to get out and snag some gear at yard sales next season, but every one I've been to has been utterly void of anything cool, let alone having classic pedals from the attic for cheap.

I don't ever see deals on gear in pawnshops around here. Mostly just overpriced used Line 6 stuff, Peavey amps (not the desirable Classic series), and home keyboards.

Yep! From time to time, they have some cool stuff that just doesn't sell, but I think that has more to do with their particular typical clientele. One of the shops has a Rivera Knucklehead head for 700 in great condition. The shop that I bought the DS-1 at yesterday had a Mesa Triple Rec for 650 (I believe). But, for the most part, it's cheap, cheap, cheap, and Line 6.

LOL at one?
No, but called one a "****ing retard".
They had a Danelectro FAB Distortion and wanted $69 for it.
Also had a DS-1 (pretty new looking) for $89.
They offered me the DS-1 for $59, "Such a deal".

But they did have this nice looking Gibson Blueshawk for $500.

I'm way more passive aggressive, it seems. I typically either pass on the item quietly, or get somewhat sarcastic when they start trying to "drive a hard bargain," such as how you've experienced. I don't like it when people assume I know nothing about the object and try to screw me out of money. I have the internet too, you know.

Sometimes bargain resale stores that buy large lots of returned online items will have steals. I bought a brand new squire bullet start for $30, kept it 2 weeks and traded it to a local store that "specialized" in used stuff for $100 in gear. Not soon after I saw a handwired Vox AC4, in the bargain resale store for like $150, I shouldn't have passed and just flipped it for profit

Are these chain stores, like Ollie's? I have not seen any music gear in any bargain resale stores I've been to. As for the AC4 Handwired, you should've jumped on that. I would've. I would love to have that for recording.

Todd