Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Offline Online Pawn Shop

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Here is how it would work: You take your stuff to a guy at a real physical pawn shop like place. He photographs it and puts it online at various auctions for you. He keeps like %30 of the money if it is sold. With items that he knows he can sell quickly he might give you an advance. After you drop off the stuff if it is sold the money is sent to via paypal. If it's not sold you can ask him to lower the starting auction price.

For people with al lot of stuff of sufficient vale he makes house calls. Same deal for big things like pianos (but he just takes a picture and arranges delivery if it is sold.)

futurebird, Jul 09 2001

AuctionFarm.com http://www.auctionfarm.com/
It's not a pawn shop, but the mechanics of this business sounds very similar to that of Ebay drop-off merchants like AuctionFarm.com in California. [jurist, Aug 19 2005]

Bidadoo http://bidadoo.com/
Offline/online auction services. [bristolz, Aug 19 2005]

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       That would be cool anyway, a bunch of little eyeball cams on cranes so you can look around...
StarChaser, Jul 09 2001
  

       Actually this sounds like a franchised auction chain with physical stores rather than a pawn shop.   

       Pawn shops are where you take things to be raise money in return for handing over something of value. Things are only sold if you don't buy the object back in time so the pawnbroker covers his loan.
Aristotle, Jul 11 2001
  

       you can buy it back, at the online auction...
futurebird, Jul 11 2001
  

       I think the auction feature could be complementary to the working of an actual pawnshop. Maybe if the person chooses to redeem his object in time then that specific auction would be halted.
Aristotle, Jul 11 2001
  

       This might require something different than ebay. An auction site where people buy in to the site. Then when somebody puts an item up, they automatically get a certain amount of money. When a certain amount of time passes by, site members can buy the item with the credit on their account. Of course, how do you decide who has preference to buy the item? But this might work in some capacity.
Op, Aug 10 2001
  

       I found this site because someone left here and visited our webpage. So I ended up here to see why.   

       I handle the whole Ebay system for one of the Southeast's largest pawnshops. Just thought I'd add my two cents to your discussion.   

       The concept you have listed above is called "selling on consignment". Most pawn shops do this is a small sort of way, in the stores. While it might work on Ebay too, I think there would be too many inherent problems with doing it that way. Pawn shops also buy items straight out. In SC, we do pawns (90 day loans on the merchandise) or we buy. We have increased our advertising locally to encourage everyone to bring in their unwanted items to sell, and are doing a huge Ebay business now...about 700 items a week.   

       The problem with trying to sell on Ebay for consignment would be: 1. Who's going to pack and ship it? 2. Who's out the money when the items are returned? 3. Who pays the fees? The fees are HUGE!   

       If you sell something under your user name with Ebay, and it doesn't work, or arrives broken, or isn't shipped immediately, or anything else like that, then YOU get the bad feedback. To protect yourself, you'd have to keep the merchandise, ship it yourself, and handle the payment. By the time all of this is done, what's left for the seller is pretty pitiful. 2% to Paypal, 2-5% to Ebay...boxes, packing materials, employees to pack them...you might as well just sell the item to the pawn shop, get your money and go.   

       There should be an opportunity for the individual to sell on Ebay for other people and make money...but you have the same problems. If the person doesn't do everything perfectly, then YOU, as the Ebay member will suffer the consequences.   

       I wish it would work. I'd do it on my own and make more money! And just for the sake of saying it...you'd have to do it at a local pawnshop, too...the laws prevent a pawn shop from BUYING used merchandise over the internet to sell. I doubt if they have a way to prevent it yet, but if you were caught, you'd probably lose your license. You wouldn't believe how well regulated pawn shops are now. The police know every detail about everyone who deals with us at all.   

       Sorry to talk so much...just thought I'd educate.   

       Jan www.dickspawn.com
luvdavy, Oct 08 2002
  

       ...must...bite...tongue...
phoenix, Oct 08 2002
  

       I write product descriptions and take photos for an ebay drop off auctioning house. It's a very interesting job. However I seee this idea is a few years old now so perhaps now it is more widespread.
weedy, Aug 19 2005
  

       Not "Bring out yer dead ! " then ... ?
8th of 7, Sep 22 2019
  


 

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