I often get asked about what a pawn shop will buy versus what they won’t. Sometimes I’m asked “Do pawn shops buy microscopes” and if you ware wondering the same thing, then this is definitely an article that you will want to read.
When it comes to all of the different kinds of things that pawn shops take in, you can never really be sure what they would ever turn down it feels like at times.
I mean, sure, there are the obvious things.
If you bring in something that sold for $5 when it was new, or has no demand for it, then a pawn shop might not be all that interested in it of course.
But if you have something truly unique, interesting, or valuable – there is a very good chance that a pawn shop will be happy to buy it from you or make you a loan on it.
With that in mind, where do microscopes fit into all of this?
Do pawn shops buy microscopes?
Well, I’m going to tell you that in 90% of the cases out there, pawn shops would love to buy your microscope if it is complete and in good working condition.
Microscopes aren’t cheap toys. They are serious instruments and professional tools, just like any other.
With that comes the obvious need, interest, or demand for owning them. These are all things that pawnbrokers love to hear when it comes to consider whether or not to pawn or offer to buy something that comes through their doors.
It’s not often that I’m asked if you can pawn a microscope, but every now and then I will get this question. The answer is that in many cases, you can. If you want to get an idea of what a pawn shop will loan you on your microscope, looking at the previously sold listings on eBay for your make and model of microscope is going to be a good place to start. Be sure to look specifically at the sold listing though as they are the only prices that really matter.
How Much Do Pawn Shops Pay For Microscopes
Now, the next big question that I can imagine several of you asking would be “How much do pawn shops pay for microscopes?”
Just like it’s hard to give a one size fits all answer to many of the questions that come up concerning pawn shops, it’s really difficult to say what any one particular “Item type” would be worth to them.
We could start with the fact there is no master black book for the pawn industry that tells pawnbrokers how much they have to pay for certain items.
But above and beyond that, there is also the fact that there are so many different types of microscopes out there that giving just one general price wouldn’t make much sense.
That having been said, I can tell you roughly how they will go about pricing your microscope so that you can get a better idea of how much your specific make and model might be worth.
How Pawn Shops Price Microscopes
In very few cases will a pawn shop be able to look at a microscope and immediately know what they can offer you on it.
It’s not like a DeWalt DC720 18 Volt drill that they see 10 of a day. Microscopes are rather uncommon in the industry and because of that, they will have to go to a site like eBay.com and look up your specific brand and model to see what they sell for used.
How you can do that is by going to eBay yourself and looking up the brand and model of your microscope.
On the left hand toolbar, there is a box that says “Sold listings.” You want to check that. Up above that there may be another set of boxes that says things like “New,” “New Other,” “For Parts Or Not Working,” “Used,” etc.
Unless your microscope is brand new and in a sealed box, you will want to check off the used box as that’s what yours will be considered by the pawn shop.
eBay will now return a list of results with the prices that your specific microscope sold for recently.
Being that a pawn shop isn’t incredibly familiar with microscopes and may not be able to easily tell if something is wrong with yours, they will likely go with the lowest price shown as the basis for their evaluation.
That way, if there is something wrong with your microscope, they have an idea of what they might be able to get.
When they make you an offer, it will often depend on if you want to loan (or pawn) your microscope, or if you are selling it.
If you are just making a pawn loan on it, you can expect to get rough 40-60% of the listed eBay value for recently sold models like yours.
If you are just selling it outright, you will likely be offered between 50-70%, depending on how comfortable the pawn shop you are working with feels with your microscope.
If they have any doubts or uncertainty about the function or condition of yours, it will likely be closer to 50%. If they are 100% sure that it’s working perfectly, it will be closer to the 70% in most cases.
