A pawn shop can offer you a collateral-based loan, meaning it will give you a loan in exchange for property. You can repay the loan to get an item back, or you can sell it outright to the shop. Items that are sold to a pawn shop can be resold by the shop, making pawn shops a great place to look for inexpensive and potentially rare items. Pawn shops can also sell items taken as collateral, if the owner is unable to repay the loan.

A pawn shop can be a good place to go if you are in need of a little extra cash and cannot receive a loan any other way. Pawning or selling your belongings at a pawn shop is easy enough, but it’s still a good idea to know the process before you begin.

1. Decide on What You Want to Pawn and How Much You Want For It

Part of getting the most out of pawning an item is knowing what exactly you wish to sell or put up as collateral. Typically pawned items include jewelry, musical instruments and firearms.  All of these have a fairly high resale value, so most pawn shops will give a decent price for them.

Whatever you wish to pawn or sell should be in good working order. Electronics should be tested to make sure they work properly, and items should be clean and in reasonably good condition. Keep in mind that it is entirely possible that a pawn shop won’t take an item if they already have plenty of others like it in stock, so go with something relatively rare if you want the best possible results.

You will also need to decide how much money you want for your belongings. Keep the figures at a realistic level. Pawn shops need to make money, so as a rule they won’t offer to pay you the full price for an item. Try to be flexible, too; you may not get exactly what you’re asking for, but you might make just enough to make the experience worthwhile.

2. Decide Whether You Want to Borrow Money or Sell Your Belongings Outright

If you’re pawning an item, you are intending to pay off the loan and retrieve your valuables.  Therefore, make sure you know how long you have to repay your loan in full. Most pawn shops charge interest and storage fees the longer an item is in their possession.  So you will pay more than borrowed, to satisfy the loan. If you are unable to pay back your loan by the agreed-upon time, the item will become the property of the pawn shop and can be sold by them.

Selling an item to a pawn shop outright, makes the pawn shop the rightful owner of the item.  Thereby, it will be their choice to turn around and sell it, for any price they choose.

3. Complete the Necessary Paperwork

If you accept the offer that the pawn shop has presented, finalize the agreement by filling out the necessary paperwork.  To do so, you will need to provide a valid and current Driver’s License to prove identity.  After that, a few signatures where needed. This contract will include the terms of the loan, the interest rate of the loan and when you agree to pay the loan back.

4. Repay the Loan

If you’re pawning an item for the purpose of a loan, your next step is to repay the loan in full by the agreed-upon time. Most pawn shops will give you three months to repay your loan and get your collateral back, but this may vary from one shop to the next. Remember that you will need to pay interest as well.

Sources:

http://www.brighthub.com/money/personal-finance/articles/95245.aspx

Tags: guns, jewelry, loan