# Ignorant pawn shops, good for us



## TWX (Feb 21, 2020)

Yesterday on a lark I stopped by a pawn shop, of a chain that I've had decent luck with at other locations.  They had a Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 lens for $65.  Returned today with the M100, it works just fine, AF and IS are good.  Thing is tiny.

I suspect they either didn't know what it was, or they had no way to test it so they just gave very little for it and consequently marked it low.  I was surprised, most of the time I've found pawn shops to be pretty savvy when it comes to figuring out market value for what they have, but camera equipment seems to be much less consistent.

My wife's camera bag was looking kind of empty, with only the 14-45mm and the 22mm prime.  It looks more right now.


----------



## Braineack (Feb 21, 2020)

They probably looked it up thinking it was the cheap APS-C lens...


----------



## shadowlands (Feb 21, 2020)

Awesome! Great find!


----------



## TWX (Feb 21, 2020)

Braineack said:


> They probably looked it up thinking it was the cheap APS-C lens...


Possibly.  Weird thing though, it was sitting between an EF 28-135mm IS and an actual EFS 55-250mm IS, so they had opportunity to compare if they'd so chosen.

I didn't even look at the 55-250mm, since I have that range of focal lengths well covered.  The 28-135mm was not expensive (don't remember how much exactly, but no more than a hundred bucks) but I don't have any full-frame Canons.

The pawn shop I'd picked up my 50mm f/1.8 for $40 was another of this chain's locations.  So I guess they sometimes just price 'em cheap.


----------



## Soocom1 (Feb 21, 2020)

Some shops have people running it that are not high level college graduates. 

Unfortunately for us, the pawn shops are under huge scrutiny and the prices of some items are hiking upward. 
What could have fetched a great deal years ago at times are now obliterated by the internet. And if the person researching it has an IQ above a hamburger.


----------



## RowdyRay (Feb 21, 2020)

This is exactly why I cruise through local pawnshops on a regular basis. Once in a while they have no idea what they have and price it wrong. And if I've done business with them before I ask, "Is that the best price?". Doesn't hurt to ask. Sometimes I get an even better deal. Scoop it up and laugh all the way home. 

The key is knowing what something is worth and going from there. Great find!


----------



## crf8 (Feb 22, 2020)

Pawn shops make most of their money on the loans that they do. Items sold to them outright, or non redeemed are secondary.


FB.me/CRFinTN  Facebook 
www.flickr.com/crf8/


----------



## Original katomi (Feb 22, 2020)

I got the sigma 150 600 f 5.6 old style from one of those shops, the chap looked at it and decided that it was a piece of 
C##p I paid a small amount for it,  nice lens


----------



## photoflyer (Feb 22, 2020)

Fantastic.  I got a Canon 30D at Goodwill for $50 which is really about market price but I could see   that it may have never been used.  The charger and two batteries were worth $20 alone and I already had a 50D on which I could use them.


----------



## Winona (Mar 7, 2020)

Ok, I need to start looking in these places.


----------



## photoflyer (Mar 7, 2020)

Another place to "look" is family or friends that have gotten a DSLR or mirrorless for a life event like a child starting sports.  Eventually they lose interest and are happy to unload the camera.  I got my niece's T3i that way.  She had gotten it for various school projects and then no longer needed it.  I gave her a fair deal on it. For her it was found money.


----------



## The Barbarian (Oct 12, 2021)

Years ago,  I was checking pawn shops and I happened by one that had a nice black Nikkormat.    Asked how much, and the answer was something like $25.    So I got it.    

A few weeks later, I was back in and there was another good camera in the case.    I asked again, and got a similar answer.    Then another clerk said to him; "No, that's not how you read the code on cameras; that's how that other guy ******* you last time."

Another time, another pawn shop let me look in their junk drawer and I found a Voitlander 1.5 Nokton lens.   They wanted a few bucks for it.   So then, I had to go find a Prominent body for it...






Those kinds of finds are few and far between, but they make good stories.


----------



## photoflyer (Oct 12, 2021)

The Barbarian said:


> Those kinds of finds are few and far between, but they make good stories.


Nearly impossible in the internet era unless they are incredibly lazy.


----------



## RowdyRay (Oct 12, 2021)

The smoking good deals may be few and far between but, I find enough great deals to keep me cruising through the pawn shops and thrift stores regularly. 

You won't find them if you don't go looking.


----------



## photoflyer (Oct 12, 2021)

RowdyRay said:


> You won't find them if you don't go looking.


Unfortunately I don't have your knowledge of vintage cameras.  I'm more likely to see something that looks shiny and valuable, isn't, and overpay.


----------



## The Barbarian (Oct 13, 2021)

photoflyer said:


> Unfortunately I don't have your knowledge of vintage cameras.  I'm more likely to see something that looks shiny and valuable, isn't, and overpay.


Even an older version of McKeowen's price guide can be useful to get an idea of what things are worth.   Might be one in the library, if the price puts you off.   Used to be valuable for me, when I was out looking more than I do now.


----------



## The Barbarian (Oct 13, 2021)

photoflyer said:


> Nearly impossible in the internet era unless they are incredibly lazy.


I'm guessing that describes a fair number of pawnshop operators.


----------



## Warhorse (Oct 13, 2021)

Winona said:


> Ok, I need to start looking in these places.


Me too!


----------



## pendennis (Oct 13, 2021)

I've had similar experiences in some of the "antique"/resale shops.  A couple of years back, I was browsing through the various displays, and ran across the usual "antique" Starflashes, Starflexes, Ansco's, etc.  Consignors were evidently dreaming when they priced things.  One small display cabinet had a light meter, which I recognized as a Soligor 1deg Digital Spot.  When I opened the case, it was tagged with the Zone VI stripe on the lens.  I asked the manager if the seller would deal (asking price was $70), and he took $10 off immediately.  The meter seemed to work all right, since I tested it @ 100 ISO, and got the appropriate "Sunny f/16" EV response.  I figured for $60, no harm, no foul.

I got it home and tested it against my 1deg Pentax Digital Zone VI conversion, and the two tested identical (i.e. less than 1/3 EV against my Kodak 18% gray card.  Since then I've used it a number of times with my Hasselblad and 4x5's, and have always gotten great results.


----------



## RowdyRay (Oct 13, 2021)

photoflyer said:


> Unfortunately I don't have your knowledge of vintage cameras.  I'm more likely to see something that looks shiny and valuable, isn't, and overpay.


I don't have THAT much knowledge of vintage cameras. Enough to get myself in trouble. But, Google and Ebay can give you a pretty good idea of their worth.


----------



## cgw (Oct 17, 2021)

After my go-to repair guys passed, retired or moved away, I stopped cruising pawn shops for older film gear. You only need so many doorstops/paperweights.


----------



## photoflyer (Oct 17, 2021)

cgw said:


> After my go-to repair guys passed, retired or moved away, I stopped cruising pawn shops for older film gear. You only need so many doorstops/paperweights.


True.  But I do have one very old Kodak series 1 out as a decorative item in my office.


----------

