So you need a little extra cash and you want to know how much a pawn shop will give you for your items It’s a reasonable questions and I’ll be happy to give you my opinion on what your average pawn shop will offer you for your merchandise.
Keep in mind that these estimates will change depending on the condition your items as well as their completeness.
If you are missing parts of the items is all marked up, you will probably be offered something lower than it would have if it looked like new and was 100% complete.
Also, keep in mind that these prices aren’t set in stone.
Pawn brokers can offer any value that they see fit for certain items and how they view a particularly item’s completeness or condition may vary as it is up to them to decide what to lend against it.
But with that having been said, lets dig in and find out what you may be able to expect from your local pawn shop on your items.
PS3 & Xbox 360
These systems are coming near the end of their lifespan and will be replaced during the 2013 holiday season. Because of that, they don’t fetch the price that they once might have.
Depending on how complete you system is and how many games it has you can expect to be offered between $40-$100. The price varies widely because of how many ‘extra items’ video game systems can have.
PS2, PSP, Wii, and Xbox
These systems are less desirable and therefore are worth a little less than newer video game systems.
Typically speaking these systems will get you between $10-$65 on average. Just like the newer systems, the price can depend on things like how many games you have or if you have extra accessories.
Laptop or Macbook Pro
Laptops are similar to video game systems in that how ‘new’ or ‘modern’ they are can make a big difference in how much you are offered for them. Typically speaking, most pawn shops won’t take very old systems.
If your laptop is only 1-2 years old, you should be fine. However if you system is 4-5+ years old it may be tougher to get a loan against it.
The prices for laptop can range between $25-$350 depending on how sophisticated it’s hardware is.
Macbook Pro’s are typically a little more pricey and range between $100-$500 depending on it’s hardware specifications.
Don’t forget, condition really applies when it comes to laptops. They need to be in very good condition as many mark can make the pawnbroker wonder if it has been dropped at some point.
iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
These typically vary for two reasons.
What generation they are – tells you how old they are.
How much storage space they offer – tells you how much media you can store.
The same thing applies here where anything too old may not be loaned against at all. However if it is a newer iPod (within 3-4 years) you probably won’t have a problem.
Depending on it’s age, condition and storage capacity you can expect to barrow between $20-$80.
You should remember to take the USB cord and the wall plug with you. Some pawn shops will not take them unless you have both of these things with you. Other pawn shops will still take them without those two parts, but will offer you less than if you had with.
iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini
The amount you can get for these will depend on four different things.
What generation it is – how old is it?
How much storage space it has.
Does it have cellular capability.
Is it in good condition and complete?
Typically speaking an iPad will get between $50-$150, and up to $200 if it has cellular capability.
An iPad 2 will get between $50-$175 and up to $225 if it has cellular capability.
An iPad 3 will typically be able to be pawned for $100-$225 and as much as $250 if it has cellular capability
An iPad 4 will typically be able to get $125-$250 and as much as $275 if it can be used on a cellular network.
An iPad Mini will get between $100-$300.
Just like with the iPod, make sure you take the USB cable as well as the wall jack. Some pawn shops won’t accept iPad’s without them.
iPhone
iPhone loans will depend on a lot of the same things as other apple products. Namely it’s age, storage capacity and what network it works on.
As with the other apple products, make sure you take the USB cord and wall jack. You can typically expect between $50-$150 for iPhone’s.
A lot of that will depend on it’s condition. Typically something like a cracked screen to mean that the phone will be turned down until it is repaired.
Kindle Fire or Other Tablets
There are a large number of ‘Android’ tablets out their and their prices will vary a great deal. Typically speaking you will be looking at $50-$150 depending on the tablet and it’s condition.
Microsoft tablets are a little too new to know what they will commonly bring, but as of right now $50-$150 seems to be a good price for one. This is also heavily dependent on it’s condition and completeness.
Beats & Headphones
Beats and headphones aren’t accepted by all pawn shops. If the pawn shop you are working with does accept them, this is something where you will have to actually take it to them and show them what you have.
There are so many different models and variations in headphones that it’s difficult to list any kind of average price.
TV’s and DVD’s
TV’s can vary quite a bit as well, but typically pawn shops will only deal with the flat screen LCD, Plasma, and LED televisions.
If the TV you are thinking about pawning is the older style that really heavy and has a big back, make sure you call ahead because most pawn shops won’t deal with these anymore.
TV’s between 26-46 inches will typically bring between $25-$200.
Larger TV’s will bring more but you should check with your pawn shop to see if they have room to store them before trying to negotiate a price.
DVDs and BluRays
The value for these will depend on a wide variety of factors, but most of it will be how new or recently released they are.
If the movie was just released last Tuesday and you are already pawning it, you may get a few extra bucks for it than you might normally.
This kind of media does typically go for a flat rate, such as $.50 per disc. I’ve seen them bring as much as $2 per movie, so the value you can expect for these is $.50-$2 per movie.
Gold, Jewelry or a Diamond Ring
When it comes to jewelry, most pawn shops look at it objectively. They are interested purely in the objective value of the metal itself. When they buy gold, they are going to buy it at a percentage of the metal raw scrape value that day.
Typically speaking they will operate in a ‘range’ and you can negotiate for a small increase above their initial offer. A diamond ring will vary greatly and depend entirely on the diamond(s) in the ring.
If the diamond ring has one large stone, it will be worth more than it if had several smaller stones.
These things are bought and sold by their weight. Heavier gold jewelry will get more than lighter gold jewelry.
Because of the daily fluctuations in the gold market, as well as the huge degree by which diamonds can vary in price – there is no way to give you a solid ‘range’ of prices for these items.
TIPS For Getting The Most
There are a couple common truths that you should know whenever you are thinking about pawning or selling your items.
First of all – it’s condition is vary important.
Always make sure that you clean and prepare your items to be evaluated. Showing up with something that has been freshly cleaned and looks good will normally get you more money than if the item was dirty or marked up.
Second – make sure everything works properly.
If you take something into the pawn shop and discover that a feature or function doesn’t work properly – you are finding out too late.
You should make sure that everything works properly before you take it into a pawn shop so that you can repair anything that you find wrong with it first. It’s not uncommon for pawn shops to turn down items that don’t work properly, so you will be saving yourself a headache by fixing something before you go.
Third – always bring the accessories.
You would be surprised how many people leave critical parts behind because they didn’t think that they would be need. For instance with video games – bring all of the controllers, cords and even a game.
If you were thinking about pawning your diamond ring make sure that you take your appraisal with you if you happen to have one.
TV’s should always have their bases, power cords and of course remote controllers with them. Some pawn shops will not take a TV with an aftermarket or missing controller so it’s important that you bring the original controller if you still have it.
The Nerd’s Experience
It wouldn’t be complete without me giving my 2 cents of course.
The biggest mistake people make when they bring something in is that they just haven’t taken the time to clean it or bring all of the parts. I understand that when you need money, sometimes the most important things is that you are rushed for time and need it RIGHT NOW!
But trust me… you always want to try to take at least a few moments to wipe down whatever it is that you are taking in. If you haven’t used it in awhile, check to make sure that everything works properly.
Spending 2 or 3 minutes going over your item can actually save you a wasted trip, so it is well worth it.
So are you all set?
I hope this price guide has helped you figure out what your items may be worth in a pawn shop. If you have any questions or comments please just leave them for me in the comments section.
