Stereo Equipment And Their Value | Why Vintage Is Where It Is At

Pawn shops are a great place to buy and sell things as we all know.  This has been a staple for most people for many generations.  I remember as a kid, going with my grandpa to his buddy’s pawn shop to grab stereo equipment.  This was in the days of large reel to reels and 8 tracks, the golden era as it were.  Now, I was young, so I didn’t have a frame of reference for the value, I just happily went along.  I enjoyed hanging out with him on his back porch and listening to the Marantz stereo and amazing speakers that he had.  I remembered how much I wanted something like that one day.  When I got older, and started living on my own, I went to the pawn shop to buy my first home stereo.

Why Choose A Pawn Shop For Used Stereo Components

Unlike most things in our life, most stereo components don’t get worse with age.  Pawn shops know and understand this. This makes stereos one of the more sought after items that we like to see at Heritage Jewelry and Loan.  There are always exceptions to this rule, but in general it holds up well.  As a rule a buyer can save between 30% -70% on pieces.  So that means real money back into your pocket, again without sacrificing quality.  As a buyer it is a great option because you will be able to try out your component before you bring it home.  More importantly, pawn shops test the items out before they take them in, so you can rest assured that your new piece will work as it should.

What Type Of Stereo Components Are Most Wanted

Most shops want to buy the more top end items.  Mostly these would be amplifiers and preamplifiers made by the more well know brands like McIntosh, Bowers & Wilkins and Marantz.  These are the brands that tend to sell the fastest and retain the highest percentage of the retail value. This means that if you are trying to sell one to the pawn shop, we will give you more money for it.  As a rule, the easier it is to resell, the more the shop will give you on a loan or outright buy it for.

With that in mind, tube equipment tends to bring the most money of all.  That is not saying that your standard solid state type equipment isn’t desired, just the tube stuff brings the most money to the audiophiles.  We tend to like McIntosh products, especially their tube stuff like the MC275, MC240, or any of the preamps.  But that doesn’t mean that we don’t want the other great manufacturers as well.  As long as it is high quality and in good condition, a pawn shop will buy it.  However, don’t be upset when some of the components are not purchased.  For example, laser discs and 8 tracks are gerneally not sought after anymore. On the other hand, record players are now more popular than ever and are bringing huge premiums.

How Do I Get The Best Deal?

That is the age old question.  So lets take this into two parts and get you the best possible answer.  We will first look at how to get the most money for the stereo is you are selling or borrowing money on the equipment.

First, condition is everything.  The better the overall condition the more money you could expect to receive.  When all the functions work correctly and the remotes are there, expect top dollar.  Missing cords, broken faceplates, scratches, etc, will have a negative effect on the valuation.  Secondly, honesty is paramount.  Let the pawnbroker know what your intentions are.  If you are wanting to sell the item, just let them know.  In almost every case I can think of, we will pay more money for an outright purchase rather than a loan.  The thought process goes that I would rather  be able to sell the item immediately rather than wait 60 days if your have no intention of coming back for it.  However, if you really have every intention of coming back, let them know and we will write you a loan.  Lastly, know the resale value of the item.  We use completed auction results from Ebay to establish the market value.  We suggest that you do the same so that you have an understand of what the used market value is.

But How About If I Want To Buy Something?

Much like buying a car, it helps to know what the value of the item you are looking for is.  Again, we use eBay to establish all of our pricing of stereo equipment.  So when starting the negotiations with a pawnbroker, start with what you find on eBay.  We personally enjoy this as it is a concrete way to establish a true value.

We wrote extensively on this topic previously on our blog post “How to get the best deal from a Pawn Shop” .  This article will give a much more in depth look at what it takes to ensure that you get the absolute best deal from any pawn shop on the planet.

 Now What? 

Come by our shop and discuss your stereo equipment needs with us.  We stock a large selection of great stereo pieces as well as speakers.  We also offer the best loan rates in the industry as well as the best repayment terms.  Nobody in the Sugar Land or Missouri City area can compare with what we offer.

Now that you have purchase your new stereo equipment or borrowed money on it from Heritage Jewelry and Loan, what’s next?  Sit back and enjoy. Know that if you have chosen to borrow money from us, you were able to borrow it at the lowest interest rate in the industry. If you purchased a component from us, know that it has been professionally serviced before we offered it for sale.  At Heritage Jewelry and Loan, we strive to offer the best services possible to our customers.  We want your business and value your trust.