Quote:
Originally Posted by JFK
YES, they certainly can be! They gloss over the pawn business, specially the gritty part of it. When people bring in jewellery and other valuables, where the real money is made.
Saw another pawn show last night, which was a lot more realistic and sleazy, specially the greasy main character. I think it's called American Pawn.
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When my parents moved to LA they started a pawn shop in one of the suburbs near Long Beach. I got to visit them a few times and see how the business worked.
All transactions they did had to be recorded with the sellers ID, all the documents went to the police to check for stolen items. My Father reckoned a large % of what he was buying was stolen, but so long as he got the paperwork right he was legal.
If it was flagged as stolen by the police, who also gave him lists of stolen items, the police would seize the items.
He would also drive around from pawn shop to pawn shop buying up junk gold jewelery he would sell to a smelter in Downtown LA, in the jewelery district I believe. We also went to a police auction of unclaimed stolen items. Amazing some of the pieces of jewelery no one was claiming ownership of. Pieces picked up in a bust. Pieces that went in auction for 6 figures were common. As well as those that went for 2 figures.
When he dies my Mother went into partnership with a colleague selling jewelery and small objet d'art in the swap meets around Orange County and LA. The biggest one was in the parking lot of an aircraft builder near Long Beach and the one in the Rose Bowl stadium. Both held monthly.
Her and her partner drove around California and as far as Las Vegas to buy items from pawn shops, which they would sell most of the time to dealers who would sell them again. More specialised dealers, like a watch dealer or clock or antiques.
And that's how the pawn shop business works, the items seen in the pawn shop show aren't always sold by that pawn shop. When Rick says "No one walks in here asking for a
convicts ball and chain" it's right. Which is why he sells it to a shop where people go to buy a
convicts ball and chain.
And why he offers such low prices. He sells up to a dealer on the next rung adding 5-10%
In the days of the Internet the most amazing thing about that show is how clueless the people are about what they have. They could drive to a specialist shop and get a far better price.