Pawn shops are designed to benefit the buyer, seller, loan-seeker, and business owner. When used the right way, everyone can benefit from the goings-on in a pawn shop. If you need cash in a hurry, you can take something of value to a pawn shop as collateral. The pawn shop then may give you a loan with the understanding that, if you do not repay a loan by a certain date, the item may be sold to customers of the pawn shop. Be sure to follow these do's and don'ts when going to a pawn shop for the first time.
Do Bring All Required Paperwork
When you take something to a pawn shop for a loan, you should have a driver's license or a state ID. Alternately, you may also bring a passport. Also bring along any paperwork with the item that you are selling, if possible. For example, if you are bringing your laptop in for a loan, you should try to bring the original paperwork for it, but most pawn shops will not require that.
Don't Overestimate the Amount of Money You Can Get
You probably won't be able to get a loan for the full face value of an item. The pawn shop is taking a risk on giving a loan on your item since there can be no way of guaranteeing that it will later sell. They seek to minimize this risk in a few ways. One way of doing that is by controlling the amount paid on pawn shop loans. You may be able to get the amount you want. However, don't expect a very large loan, or you may be disappointed.
Do Be Clear on The Terms of Your Loan
It's important to have accurate expectations to avoid disappointment and potentially losing something important to you. Know what your rights are. Also, be clear about the risk you are taking. Get the paperwork in writing and confirm an exact date when the loan repayment is due.
If you don't plan on returning for the item, the good news is that pawn shops generally don't report the non-repayment of your loan to any credit bureau since they have the item of value that they can sell to get back the funds of the loan.
Finally, keep in mind that you need to keep track of the date when the loan must be repaid. If you let the pawnbroker know in advance that you can't pay on time and need an extension, some pawn shops may be able to give you one, but others are unable to do so. If you don't pay the loan on time and don't get an extension, your item may be sold to someone else. However, if you plan well and follow a plan to repay the loan on time, a pawn shop can be your ally in getting out of a tough financial spot.
Check out places like Maine Pawn Shop for more tips.
Share29 March 2017
Most of us who live out in nature are pleased to see little critters scampering around our yards and trails. But part of rural life is the occasional encounter with a creature that isn't so welcome. These intruders may be simply annoying like a raccoon that knocks over a trash can or a wolf loudly yelping to its mate in the middle of the night. Animals like bears and some snakes may even be dangerous. Other creatures we mostly like, such as deer and rabbits, become a lot less cute when they have broken into the garden and are chomping away on our vegetables. Thankfully there are products we can use to encourage those critters to go right back where they came from. This blog will highlight them.
