So here is a big question that a lot of people have about pawn shops and that is: How much do pawn shops pay for Playstation 3’s?
We get asked this question about 5-10 times a day on average, and that’s really not an exaggeration. Sony sold a ton of Playstation 3’s over the years. It almost seems like everyone must have one at this point with how often they get brought into pawn shops.
That having been said, there’s one of two ways that people normally go when they are thinking about pawning their PS3.
The first way is to just pack it up and take it down to their local pawnbroker and see what happens.
There’s nothing really wrong with that, and in the end, it is the fastest way to get the cash you need as soon as possible.
That having been said though, the very fact that you are here, at Pawnnerd.com says that you are the other type of person.
You want to know what pawn shops typically offer from Playstation 3’s and that might be for a variety of reasons.
Maybe you want to know if you are going to be able to get enough money out of yours to cover your bills, or if you should consider bringing something else with you just in case?
Maybe you feel that your PS3 is worth a lot and therefore want to know upfront if it’s even ‘Worth your time?’
But, there is a chance that you are a truly bright individual (and if you’ve made it this far into the article, you probably are) and want to know the best way to get the most money possible out of your Playstation 3 – so let’s answer that question.
If you are trying to get the most money possible for your PS3 at a pawn shop, then you will want to be sure that you bring everything with it. Bringing games with you is never a bad idea, and typically, will only improve the offer that a pawn shop makes you for the system.
How To Get The Most Money Possible For Your Playstation 3 At A Pawn Shop
Okay, lets take a second and talk about what a pawn shop really does at the end of the day.
They take items from people and either make a loan on them, so that people can have a chance to get those items back, or they buy whatever it is outright from the customer.
Either way you slice it, what the pawn shop is looking at when you take your PS3 into them is “How easily will I be able to resell this, and how much can I resell it for?”
So with that in mind, if you want to get the most money possible out of your system, there are some basic things that you should do.
Make Sure It’s Clean
Take a moment and clean your PS3 off. Wipe it down with a damp cloths, but don’t soak it or submerge it in water. After all, water and electronics typically aren’t friends.
What you want to do is remove all of the major dirt and debris from the surface of the system. That way, when a pawnbroker looks at it, it will appeal to them as being in good condition and probably pretty easy to resell to someone that is looking for a system like that.
Make Sure You Have All Of The Parts
Just like making sure it’s clean, make sure that you have all of the cords, cables, controllers, etc. when you take your PS3 into a pawn shop.
A pawnbroker will have a tough time selling a system that is missing the power cord, video hookups, or controller (and cord), so have those things ready for them.
If you don’t, you may get the worst offer of all, which is that they won’t take it in at all!
Bring Some Games With You
When you take your Playstation into the pawn shop, take some games with you – or all of them! After all, if you don’t have the system to play the games on, what good will they do you?
When a pawn shop is looking over your system, they will probably look at all of the games that you bring with it and consider them in the offer that they make you for everything because they know that they will be able to sell the games for more money than if it were just the system by itself.
The Different Versions Of The Playstation 3 Have Different Values
Now we’ve gotten this far. Your PS3 is cleaned up, looking good, you have all of the parts, you’ve brought some games – you’re in good shape.
The one thing that you can’t control however is what version of the system you have.
Playstation 3 Generations
Playstation 3’s came in three major generations (although there were sub-generation changes as well) and of those three, all of them were offered with various degrees of storage capacity.
The original PS3 is a big heavy brick. It weighs a ton. Some guys love them though because they have all of the required hardware to play most PS2 titles, which is a huge benefit to gamers with a library of PS2 games.
That having been said though, because of it’s age and size, it’s not the most sought after version. It’s largely considered the second most desirable generation of the system.
The second generation of the system is the one that most of us are familiar with. It’s much smaller, still have a optical slot that ‘sucks in’ the disc, and typically stand up pretty well to the test of time.
In addition, they came with a lot of storage, look nice, they’re about the right weight to feel important but not cheap… it’s the most desirable generation of the console out there.
Then there is the third generation. Everyone hates them pretty much.
The optical drive has a door on top that you slide open (to the side.) It’s a pain to put discs in and take them out compared to the other systems. It feels cheap and like it’s going to break at any moment. It’s the least desirable of the three generations.
A pawn shop will typically pay more for PS3’s that are collectors editions and come complete with the original packaging and equipment. If you’re collectors edition PS3 is missing some of these things, then the pricing will probably fall to the level of a normal production PS3.
Playstation 3 Storage Capacities
In addition to generational difference, there were varying degrees of storage capacity available in each generation.
While the first generation came with 20-160gb of storage capacity, the later generations came with up to 500gb of storage capacity!
Obviously, the more storage space you have, the more games you can download, the more entertainment you get out of the system and therefore, they are inherently more desirable.
So What’s The Bottom Line On Pawn Shops And PS3’s
So, here we are, the grand finale. What will a pawn shop pay you for your PS3?
Well, let’s start at the bottom…
If it’s the last generation and a little beat up, you’re probably not looking at much. $25-$40. That’s a little more than Gamestop pays for the systems just so you are aware.
If you have a first generation system, in good shape, and with a good amount of storage, you might be looking at $35-$50 give or take. If it has less than 80GB of storage, you might be looking as low as $25, it’s hard to say.
Now, if you have a second generation system, with a good amount of storage, and in good condition – you will typically be looking at $40-$60 give or take.
Now keep in mind, I’m writing this in early 2016. As time goes on, the value of these systems will fall, probably about 10% per year – so be sure to take that into account when you are reading this in 2041.
Collector’s Editions
There is one more thing that we have to talk about when we are talking about the value of Playstation 3’s at pawn shops and that is the limited edition, collectors editions of the systems.
When it comes to these systems, the condition and completeness are INCREDIBLY important.
For the pawn shop to really pay you out on one of these, you will need to have the original packaging, all of the original components (as the controllers were often color-matched to the system), and if bundled with a game – that specific version of that specific game as well.
If you have all of these things, you might see somewhere between $75-$200+ depending on which collectors series it is and how much demand there is for it.
But, and this is important, you need to keep in mind that if you don’t have all of the original equipment and packaging, the value of the system will quickly drop to that of the regular system of that storage capacity and generation. That’s just the nature of collectibles, and video game systems are no different in that regard.
