So, I’ve never been to a pawn shop before. I’m curious what’s there, but TV makes them seem shady and odd. What should I know before I visit? I’m sort of expecting a cross between an antique and a thrift store, that sort of vibe.
I’m in the USA and don’t intend to pawn anything.
Pawn shops margin comes from buying products cheaply from desperate folks and reselling them at a premium where possible. If you are only buying than you can treat a pawn shop like a thrift store with the major difference being the possibility of price flexibility. If you limit your purchases to items whose value you are knowledgeable about you can secure decent bargains especially if you have any charisma and can negotiate.
If you go in for instance with no knowledge of jewelry and just pay their asking price for a random ring you stand a high chance of not getting a great value.
To add to this go online and look up what items are going for used online. Don’t care what people are asking for them, that’s not indicative of the true value. If possible you want to know what the final bids in several auctions were.
Also when negotiating price remember they paid for it and need to make a profit on it. Any offer that doesn’t allow them to make money on a sale can be an insult.
Any offense from the clerk is certainly either frustration or a negotiating tactic. Negotiating is their business, if they’re getting offended by low-ball offers they need to find a new line of work