Coolest Pawn Shop story

foo

foo

Active member
While going through the hock shops in Las Vegas in the late 80's, we ran into a nice '63 P-Bass.

It had been played quite a lot, but it was all original, and priced significantly lower that what we could sell it for. The only problem was that one of the tuners was really bent - almost at a right-angle to where it should have been.

We stood for a couple of minutes trying to figure it out, then decided to buy it anyway (of course).
The store guy said "oh sure, it has the original case, too' and went and got it.

We put the case on the counter and opened it to put the bass in it and noticed two bullet holes right by the bent tuner. There was an entrance and an exit hole.

If that bass could talk, what kind of a story it could tell, huh?

:cool:

foo
 
It would say "I got stolen outta some van and when the cops caught up to the bastard that stole me, they hit me instead of the thief". Oh, the life miserable life of musical instruments. :D

Dick
 
Sounds like a job for that CSI tv show.

Never found a good pawn shop deal in Las Vegas, did pretty well in Reno however. Favorite pawn shops? Grand Junction, Colorado.
 
The internet has messed everything up now and the pawn shops know what they've got and overprice everything. The golden age is over.
 
Unfortunately that is true - but I managed to get some nice stuff before it all went to hell.

:cool:

foo
 
philboyd studge said:
The internet has messed everything up now and the pawn shops know what they've got and overprice everything. The golden age is over.
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No kidding! The pawn shops around here (North Texas) have higher prices than the music stores. I don't even go in and look around anymore.
 
64Firebird said:


No kidding! The pawn shops around here (North Texas) have higher prices than the music stores. I don't even go in and look around anymore.
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Oh theres still a few deals to be found, especially if you know the code on the tags. BTW, the code for Cash America Pawn(most of them anyway is

MARYLOUISE
1234567890

So if you see on the tag some where AEEE, that means that payed 20.00 for it. (most of the tags end in ee


On really odd stuff, things that arent in the book, or things that have problems, Like that Gibson V covered with stickers that a friend of mine picked up for 150 bucks....it took a while get all the crap off of it, but it was worth it.

Another friend of mine bought an effects proccessor (I forget the model), that was broken. While at the pawn shop he wrote down the serial and model, and went home and called the manufacturer and found out it was in warranty. He went back and bought it broke for 40 bucks, sent it in, and wound up with about a 400 effects proccessor for 40 bucks.

Pawn shops are still worthwhile, but not anything like the old days.
 
Bdgr, your right about the pawn shops. You can still get good deals on the things that people don't know to look for. But, you have to do A LOT more research these days.
 
I love pawn shops, I stop by pawn shops all the time.

I remember going into a pawn shop back in the 80's and finding a Korg DW6000 for 125(they were still on the shelf at the time for about 1500 IIRC) The pawn shop owner was used to seeing casios and the like, and had no idea the differance between pro gear and cheesy little home keyboards. I couldnt get out my check book fast enough. I miss that synth, it was so easy to program, and had some great sounds.

I actuall found a synclavier system in a pawn shop a couple of years ago.

I found a old fender jazz bass in a pawn shop a few years ago, it looked really old, and when I checked the serial number on the internet it said it was made in the 60's, they had just put it out, and only wnat 125 bucks for it(i figured it was mismarked and they would notice thier mistake, so I bought it. Keyboard players who dont know much about guitars shouldnt try to buy vintage guitars. This thing was a fake. A bad fake. I had a friend who worked at GC take it to work and try to sell it (he worked in the drum dept, so he didnt know either). THier guitar guys spoted it immediately. They said the only part of it that was real was the number plate on th eback with the serial number on it. after they pointed out all the problems, I looked up what they said on the net and they were right. I took the thing to about 10 differant pawn shops before I found someone as stupid as I was who would give me my money back.(I made about 30 bucks off the deal, enough to pay for my gas and by my friends lunch who went with me).

I found a Hohner Clavinet on the as is bargin table at a pawn shop one day. THeres really not much to go wrong with a calvinet, if all the strings are there, generally they work. They wanted 12 bucks for it, so I bought it(they said it didnt work)
I got home and put a new 9 volt in it...worked great.
 
I worked with a keyboard player who used a Clav - try running it through a distortion pedal - sounds great!

foo
 
foo said:
I worked with a keyboard player who used a Clav - try running it through a distortion pedal - sounds great!

foo
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wish I still had it, though I did run it through a bunch of differant stomp boxes.

I sold it to a bass player friend of mine, who wanted a keyboard to learn on. I went over to his house one day and he was using it for an archery target in the back yard, so I confiscated it from him. I then sold it to another band member(although now it had a whole in the bottem where I pulled an arrow out of it).
 
Bdgr said:


I sold it to a bass player friend of mine, who wanted a keyboard to learn on. I went over to his house one day and he was using it for an archery target in the back yard, so I confiscated it from him.
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Was that Skip?
 
My lack of God, who would harm a Clavinet? They're so cool! If I found one for 12 bucks I'd probably have an orgasm right there in the pawn shop!
 
Whoopysnorp said:
My lack of God, who would harm a Clavinet? They're so cool! If I found one for 12 bucks I'd probably have an orgasm right there in the pawn shop!
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Well....It had more than 5 strings, so it made him nervous...
 
On Clav, deals

This last fall I picked up a mint E-7 at a thrift store for $80. I'm sure it never saw the road or a smokey room. Two weeks later a pionet for $40. That one was through a couple battles but still plays fine.
 
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