ePawn
Things have changed concerning income, so I started digging around my material goods in the past few days to see what, if anything, I had worth ebaying. I ain’t in dire straights just yet, but I’ve been through these kinda upheavals before and it pays to think ahead.
I was in worse situations years ago, and so all the expensive stuff is long gone from prior pawn shop visits. If you’ve never hocked anything at a pawn shop, I’ll tell ya, it’s humiliating.
For example, you walk in there with a 14k gold necklace. The pawn shop gives you a “loan” with the necklace as collateral. The loan amount granted is always far below the material value of the item, plus you have to pay interest. Most folks never have hope of repaying the loan and recovering the item. Let’s face it, if you’re pawning your jewelry and coin collection, you’ve hit bottom.
And so after 30 days, your item goes out in the display case of the pawn store, at a price considerably higher than that of your original loan. If you get the money, you can still buy your item back…for the higher retail price.
I don’t miss going to pawn shops. I don’t miss the barred storefront windows. The security cameras pointed at your head every step, taking your picture in case you’re fencing stolen goods. And the rows and cases of material items, all once belonging to someone, before becoming a rummage sale of the destitute. Cases galore of pre-owned jewelery. Stacks of TV’s, VCR’s, video games, cameras. Guitars. Guns.
I always took one or two items at a time, always believing, or hoping, that I wouldn’t have to go back there. But I did. I ended up sacrificing a Fender electric guitar, and what gold and silver jewelry I had, and my entire coin collection.
This was all back before ebay. Pawn shops are still around, though. The difference for me today, is I no longer own anything a pawn shop wants. I don’t think they’d be impressed with my Dukes of Hazzard collection. Still, it would be fun to see their face when I stroll in with my Dukes lunchbox, circa 1982. (Sans thermos and with only minor dents and scratches!)
As I said, I’m not in dire straights yet. I simply prepare for the worst, while hoping for the best. And if I gotta part with some of the hard-to-find ERTL die casts, it won’t kill me.
The important thing to keep, is my own head. Along with that big ol’ 67 Impala out in the driveway. There’s collectibles, and then there’s irreplacables, and I’ve already sorted that out.
