Pawn shops vs Flea markets

Michael Soldan

Well-known Member
Well , I usually buy tools from hardware stores , Canadian Tire , Princess Auto , or when I worked at a garage the tool dealers stopped by . I would buy stuff I thought I needed . I have picked up a few used tools at flea markets and at yard sales . This summer I picked up a tile cutter that had only been used to do one bathroom of tile,like new,I gave $10 . Sometimes at a flea market I will pick up a single wrench for one I'm missing and the price always seems right and I do spend lots of time offering less than they ask. Have any of you found bargains this way? IN Canada , the Canadian Tire Chain offers a wide variety of tools and I watch for packages that go on sale. No they are not Snap on , but they are very servicable and go by the trade name Mastercraft I just bought a set of sockets with two drive sizes for my 11 year old grandson for Christmas. They are 95 pcs in the set,was regularly $99 on sale for $34. This will do him for a starter set as he like to mess with his ATV and help around his Dad's shop. I bought a heavy set of impact sockets that were regularly $129 on sale for $59...like I said they are not Snap on but for the jobs I do around my shop taking care of truck car and lawn mowers,doing brakes and trailers these work just fine,very serviceable and very affordable.
 
Don't have pawn shops around here. flea markets are just guys that buy at auctions and then want more for there "antiques" than you can buy new.

I had a neighbor that would go to every auction and buy tools. Then he would make up his own sets, plier sets, wrench sets, socket sets by brand name, Craftsman, NAPA,and so on.

He wanted more for his mismatched sets than you could buy new.
 
Our local Pawn Shops are incredibly high priced. They don't dicker either. I really don't know what keeps them in business as no one in their right mind would buy used tools at those prices. bjr
 
I don't like pawn shops.
The number of them has proliferated here in the last 10 or so years.
I think they do a big part to finance the meth/drug trade. Too easy to steal some man's tools and pawn them to get your dope.
I always figure the stuff in pawn shops have bad karma attached to them.
Might not not be logical but I never go in them.
 
(quoted from post at 12:58:13 11/25/14) I don't like pawn shops.
The number of them has proliferated here in the last 10 or so years.
I think they do a big part to finance the meth/drug trade. Too easy to steal some man's tools and pawn them to get your dope.
I always figure the stuff in pawn shops have bad karma attached to them.
Might not not be logical but I never go in them.

I agree. I have looked at tools at a couple of them, never saw anything I would call a bargain. Mostly crappy stuff. I saw a 5 ft deck for a JD lawn tractor, it was setting ouside, with the cardboard box rotting off of it. The wanted $1100 for it, I stopped by almost 2 years later, it was now rusty, and still $1100. The hand tool looked like stuff that had been thrown away.
 
I don't shop pawn shops for the same reason. I don't shop Flea markets for tools either. There are only a few brand of tools I will buy and neither flea or pawns have them. When it comes to power tools I will only buy new.

I do a lot of shopping on flea-bay and amazon because things they have I can't find locally.
 
One of my lead men at my last job had been a HVAC contractor in a previous life. He had an interesting theory about buying tools at pawn shops "it's not like you're really receiving stolen goods when it's probably your own tools you're buying back". Pawn shops are probably more legitimate than flea markets or Craigslist as they are regulated and have to keep records.
 
Your Tire Change place must be like Sears down here in the south They carry the tool name Craftsman Tools. Good tools actually lifetime guarantee. Cheaper than the snap-on or matco cornwell brands.
They also have all kinds of sets they make up. Check out sears and see if they might be a bargin on something you would need. they have all kinds of tools. As far as the Pawn shops im kinda like the rest theres prices are really high down here. And a flea market is kinda hit or miss. Flea markets used to be pretty good but now its like all the stuff they have is new stuff still in the package.
 
Pawn shops in theory make their money from the loan with the goods 'pawned' as security. short term, high interest loans are profitable if lender gets paid back- if lender doesn't get paid back then not profitable. Pawned goods are the default get the loan back $ in theory. Some old line pawn shops were run by church's that charged less interest than the 'Userer'- and took the goods as security just in case. Used goods put up for a loan, some stolen goods also put up for loan and then left. Paperwork at some places very tight, others less. One local outfit has a nnalert setup attached to it and will do title loans for a pawned car. unpaid loan on goods can be written off some in tax code, get a bit of credit. Stolen goods aren't as tax deductable when found- pawnbroker gets stuck with full loss and at end of year gets to take a bit off gross income- but no loan loss credits. Stolen goods that are hard to trace might be 'pawned' at 1/4 'good' rater when the loan is expected to be paid back in couple weeks by worker with paycheck coming in- this is a cash flow preferred method with minimal hassles- 5% for a 2 week loan for borrower beats the loan shark at 20% and pawn broker is happy to have repeat customers. RN.
 
Some people can find deals in pawn shops, I never have. Don't like dealing with those people! Last time I went in one I was looking for some tools my stepson took from my truck. I didn't ask about the tools, just went in looking around. Felt like Satan himself was there running the place! Nothing but overpriced junk.

Flea markets require a lot of effort, like being there before they open to get the best deals.

I find my best bargains on Ebay. Been burned a couple times, but mostly my fault for not doing enough research. At least they are closely regulated. Supposedly Paypal has buyer protection, thankfully never had to use it!
 
i buy most of my tools from Canadian Tire also, My latest set was the 401pc set that is regularly $699.99. It was on sale for $174.99. Ya they may not be top quality, but they have a no questions asked lifetime warranty. They don't even look to see if there are any marks from a 6 foot pipe on the 1/2" breaker bar.
 
Pawn shops today are not the same shops of 40-50-60 yrs.ago.Back then you almost never left without buying something because of the pricing.places today(new) are almost scary and more then new prices for junk.
 
I don't buy from pawn shops. The prices they have on their stuff is usually 3/4 what the item cost new. Never even tried to haggle, so don't know about that.
I do buy quite a few tools at flea markets, usually they are 1/2 price or less and I have only been 'burned' recently on a skil saw.

In a lot of cases the flea market tool is something that is nice to have and use in the shop, but it never would be considered at the new tool price.

When I started back to work as a mechanic 7 years ago, only about 20% of the tools in my box were bought new.
 
Depends on the Pawn shop around here some are great & others are a rip off. I was looking for a 10mm hex 3/8 drive pawn shop had used one for $5.00 made by Lisle Tools USA,I didn't buy told him I could buy complete set new set from Lisle for around $12-13 new from Amazon. Why these some pawn shop owners price their inventory so high I don't understand.Got a good 10pc metric set from Ebay free shipping USA Lisle tools for $11.
 
I pick up tools at the livestock auction barn, when they have their consignment sale. I will bid on boxes that I have observed tools in, with other junk. I now have 5 of the old wooden handled drill braces. I'll never use them, but couldn't resist! Gasoline blow torches, and old copper soldering irons, is also a weakness!.
 
Walked into a pawn shop onetime. Left with sticker shock. Same thing with the major brand tool trucks.Haven't bought a tool from them in years.
 

I've bought tools at pawn shops. If prices are high, wave money, make offer, if he doesn't dicker, politely leave. Next time when you come in he may deal, if not , there are other pawn shops. Around here the pawn shops have piles of stuff pawned and not redeemed, taking up shelf space which the shop would like to have emptied. Youd get the best deals when buying a whole box of tools since that clears up a lot of space at one time. Problem is that most people who pawn tools have junky imported tools and it's rare to get a box of good tools. Occasionally I have wanted a small tool box only, like for instance I got a large plastic box for gardening tool that I could set on the porch where rain blew in, and another for my daughter to set on the ground in her garden. Price each $1.00. Pawn shop happy to clear the shelf space.

KEH
 

I had no idea that non-negotiable pawn shops even existed and I certainly wouldn't do business with one.
 
at a pawn shop i picked up a almost brand new stihl o26 chainsaw i mean the thing didnt even have the paint worn off the bar, paid 100 dollars, the store said it wouldnt cut, hmmm.. turns out some idiot had sharpened the chain cutter teeth from the top down! a new chain as i have that one today still runs great
 

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