When it comes time to get a little extra cash to cover an expense, there are a lot of things that you can take to a pawn shop, but nobody ever seems to consider luggage. Find out if that is something that a pawn shop will take in!
There’s a lot of things that pawn shops take in, but when people consider what they can sell at a pawn shop, luggage rarely comes up.
I’m not sure why, but it seems as if people just don’t consider luggage as something that a pawn shop would normally deal with. That having been said, I can tell you that I don’t often see it come into the pawn shops that I’ve been in. It’s probably for that reason that I never considered writing about it before now. That having been said, someone did recently ask me “Do pawn shops buy luggage?” Because I thought it was such a quirky question, I decided that we should devote some time and space on the site to answering it.
When it comes to luggage, a lot of the same rules apply to it as do to other things that a pawn shop will possibly take in on a loan or offer to buy from you. If it is a better brand name, clean, and in good condition overall, there is a very good chance that a pawn shop will offer to buy it from you or just make you a loan on it if you don’t want to sell it.
When it comes to finding something that you can take to your local pawn shop, luggage isn’t often the first thing that comes to mind, but depending on the shop and what you have, it can get you a decent sized loan.
How To Pawn or Sell Luggage to a Pawn Shop
As I said above, luggage faces many of the same rules that other types of merchandise does when it comes into pawn shops.
What they want to see is that it is:
- Clean
- In good condition
- A desirable brand name
- Complete, not missing any buttons, snaps, straps, or other parts.
Assuming that your luggage fits all of this criteria, there is a very good chance that a pawn shop will be able to help you with it.
Now, if your luggage is missing items, in poor condition, or really dirty, then even if a pawn shop regularly would take it – they may not want to in that condition. So with that in mind, follow these steps when thinking about pawning your luggage or selling it to a pawn shop.
Make Sure It Is Clean
Spend a few minutes and dust off that luggage you may not have used in the past few years. You should probably take it one step further and at least wipe it down. If it is made out of something like leather, consider applying a little leather conditioner to it to really make it look it’s best.
Make Sure You Have All Of The Parts
Missing buttons, snaps, or straps can seriously hurt the amount that you are offered when trying to pawn or sell luggage at a pawn shop. For that reason, it’s a very good idea to make sure that you have all of these things available for the pawnbroker when you take your luggage in to be evaluated.
Additionally, if your luggage was a complete set and you are missing pieces of this set, expect for that to also significantly impact the amount that you are offered for your luggage as your set will then be incomplete.
Make Sure It’s Empty
This feels a little odd to have to bring up but unfortunately, I do. If you are thinking “Who would take luggage to a pawn shop with their belongings still in it?” Well… trust me, it happens, and it’s strange every time because I’m pretty sure based on the items in that luggage that they have completely forgotten the items were there. So, to prevent an awkward situation for all involved, please be sure that you empty you luggage before you to it into the pawn shop to make a loan on it or possibly sell it.
Be Prepared To Explain Unique Luggage
With all of the things that pawn shops see on a regular basis, I can tell you that luggage isn’t high on that list unless it’s a shop in LA or New York perhaps. While your average pawnbroker would love to tell you that they are an expert on “everything under the sun” the truth of the matter is that our “expertise” normally just comes from experience in dealing with certain merchandise on a regular basis and luggage is not “regular” for us.
Now, let me give you a strong piece of advice here. We all have pride in our possessions. That’s why we bought them after all, we really liked them, right? Of course. But the last thing you want to do is come in with high-line luggage that the pawn shop isn’t really use to seeing and then act very haughty about it.
Trust me, the pawnbroker is going to get it, you’ve got some money and was able to buy this very nice luggage, but if you come across as arrogant, superior, and condescending, you may find that the pawn shop is a little less understanding when working with it for you.
As pawnbrokers, we love our customers. We will do anything we can for you, and I know that might seem odd given some of the common perceptions out there about people in our industry, but seriously, in many cases, my customers have become some of my best friends. However, that doesn’t put them above or beyond being insulted if they are put under the impression that you feel “too good to be there” because at the end of the day, the pawnbroker just wants to help you, not insult you.
So, when explaining your luggage to the people you are working with at the pawn shop, do so in the clearest way possible. Describe the brand, model, and unique embellishments on it, etc. There’s no need to make comments like “I bet you’ve never seen one of those” or “don’t worry, this won’t be in a place like this for too long.”
You might be asking yourself why I’m going on and on about this. Well, needless to say, I had a customer who took it upon themselves to insult my staff, my customers, and even me personally with their behavior regarding their luggage of all things. Please, don’t be that person. We understand that you may have great luggage, but you don’t need to make a scene out of it.
