Are you familiar with the workings of pawnshops? The knowledge may come in handy. When you need quick cash and are in possession of a relatively pricey item, you might wonder, “What can I pawn for $500?”
Most people experience the urgent need to make money by getting short-term loans.
One way to do this quickly and simply is by pawning your valuables in your local pawn shop. It’s crucial to remember, though, that pawning items is only a great option and a smart choice if you desire the flexibility to buy the item back again in the future.
Now, without further ado, let’s discuss the best things you can pawn for 500 dollars if you need money. Read on.
15 Pawnable Items Worth $500
When you present a piece of asset as collateral in pawnshops, the shop owner will appraise it, grant you a loan dependent on its value, issue a pawn ticket, and keep your item until you’ve paid the amount back. It’s a way to get a personal loan with no credit check.
Pawnbrokers must consider many factors when calculating value since they regularly see a wide variety of used items. The item’s condition and, occasionally, the seller’s situation determine the appraised value of the collateral.
Finding things with a higher value sometimes requires some imagination or creativity.
So, here are 15 items you can pawn for $500 to make things easier:
1. Jewelry
Most pawnshops focus heavily on jewelry, such as platinum, gold, and silver rings, chains, earrings, wedding rings, bracelets, diamonds, and other precious gemstones. Because of their small size and the fact that most people can do without them for a while, jewelry is the most common item to pawn.
Most pawnshops have internal specialists who can assess jewels. You can expect to get at least $500 when pawning genuine, high-quality jewelry.
2. Electronics
You can frequently pawn electronics of all kinds in pawnshops. Electronics with more popular brand names (e.g., Apple) and more recent models will cost more.
Among the frequently pawned electronics are:
- Tablets
- Gaming systems
- Televisions
- Computers
- Digital cameras
3. Vintage Cookware
Several historical cookware designs are very expensive. For instance, you can pawn a full set of vintage Le Creuset casseroles for over $500.
Vintage Corning Ware casseroles from the 1970s and 1980s that range in price from $15 to $100 can fetch as much as $10,000 from collectors.
4. Collectible Comic Books
Many adults still own their childhood collections of comic books.
As seen in the reality show “Pawn Stars,” you can pawn a collection for $500 if it contains at least a few collectible editions, such as 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1 or “A New Peanuts Book Featuring Snoopy,” published in 1958.
5. Power Tools
Commonly pawned items include power tools. To reach $500, it might need a couple of power tools. Pawn the best-valued tool to receive the largest loan sum.
The following are some more valuable brands:
- Ryobi
- Milwaukee Tool
- Dewalt
- Rigid
- Craftsman
- Klein Tools
6. Textbooks
Each textbook might cost up to $200. You probably have enough to reach $500, even though the pawnshop may only value them at about $50 each.
7. Furniture
Pawning furniture is a good idea.
However, some furniture is worth more than others, so look for more expensive pieces to pawn, such as vintage chairs, designer lamps, or solid wood furniture from upscale manufacturers. It’s unlikely that a single piece of furniture will get $500.
8. PlayStation 5
The PS5 is still difficult to find. One could be freely accepted as a pawn item in many pawnshops for $500.
The PlayStation 5 retails for about $1,000 and can fetch even higher prices on resale due to demand.
9. Designer Bags
You can occasionally pawn designer handbags for $500. The value of luxury labels like Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes will exceed $500, most likely if they come with the original packaging.
10. High School Band Instrument
Instruments from high school bands are excellent for pawning. When they are in good condition, even vintage band instruments might be pawned for $500.
Saxophones and flutes, for instance, frequently pawn for $500 or more.
11. Exercise Equipment
Compared to many other goods, exercise equipment maintains its worth better. Depending on the brand, age, and condition, you may receive between 30% and 75% of your exercise equipment’s original worth.
In pawnshops, treadmills and ellipticals are highly valued.
12. Childhood Toys
If you’re in your thirties or older, your childhood toys may now be worth much more as collectibles. For instance, certain action figures from the 1980s, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, are worth more than $500.
13. Limited Edition Shoes
The most limited edition shoes can cost hundreds of dollars. You can pawn Air Jordan III OG and Nike Dunk Low Pro SB Pigeon for $500 if you have them in mint condition.
14. Golf Clubs
Some golf club brands can be pawned for $500 or more. You will get the best bargain if you can locate vintage golf clubs from renowned manufacturers, such as MacGregor, Spalding, and Tom Stewart.
15. Luxury Watches
Many pawnshops won’t take watches unless they’re highly expensive, genuine, and from a well-known brand. Popular brands include Omega, Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, and Chanel. In a pawn store, you can expect prices for such watches to start at $500.
To get a higher price for them, make sure that the watch works. If the battery has run out, for example, search for a watch battery replacement to get it fixed before you visit the pawn shop.
3 Most High-Demand Pawnable Items
1. Jewelry
Jewelry is frequently one of the first items considered for pawning. It is constantly in demand at pawnshops, especially if the jewelry is made of precious metals. The pawn price of gold jewelry and diamond rings will be based on the metals’ weight in grams and quality in carats.
Pawnshops will pay 25% to 100% of the item’s value.
2. Electronics
The second most common category is electronics. Televisions, smartphones, computers, video game consoles, and digital cameras are among the things that fall under this category.
The object needs to be current and in good condition. Gadgets can range from $200 to $1,000.
3. Musical Instruments
If you are musically gifted, your instrument could be an extension of who you are. It could also have been gathering dust in a closet because you were too busy to play with it. In such a case, you may make several hundred dollars at a pawnshop by selling guitars, cellos, and other instruments valued at least $1,000.
You may have professional-grade microphones or speakers if you’ve done some DJing, played in a band, or experimented with recording music, podcasts, and YouTube videos; thus, you can get more.
Another common item people pawn is amplifiers.
How To Get the Most Money at a Pawnshop
2 factors can get you the most money at a pawnshop:
Your Relationship With the Pawnshop’s Owner
In general, pawn shops prefer to lend more sums to loyal patrons with whom they have a positive relationship. It raises their risk if they believe you won’t repay your loan.
How likely will you pay off a debt for something sitting in your garage for years? The pawnshop could also be hesitant to give you a large amount of cash for it if it would take a while to sell.
The Market Value and Popularity of the Item You Wish to Pawn
Pawnshops take into account a wide range of variables. For instance, if there aren’t many potential buyers for a valuable object, taking it as collateral for a loan can be dangerous.
Most pawnshops will also examine their inventory, historical sales of comparable items, and the time it took for those sales to occur.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – What Can I Pawn For $500?
What Is the Best Thing to Pawn at a Pawnshop?
Because they desire high-value products that are simple to keep and resell if you default on your loan, pawnshops frequently pawn the same type of goods.
The following are a few of the best items to pawn: rare quarters, gold coins, consoles, vehicles, motorcycles, cars, firearms, antiques, fashionable apparel, handbags, jewelry, watches, expensive sports equipment, electronic tools and gadgets, and precious metals.
Do You Get More Money if You Pawn or Sell?
If you sell your item to a shop instead of pawning it, shopkeepers will typically give you more money, depending on a few variables during the appraisal.
The pawnbroker will likely give you a bigger sum if you sell anything high in demand, like gold, diamonds, or a high-quality watch.
How Much Should I Ask For at a Pawnshop?
Around 80% of the price serves as a reasonable beginning point. You can also ask about the lowest price they will accept for certain items, particularly if they have a large quantity of those items in stock.
You likely own many items you could pawn for $500 and make money quickly. Even if you don’t, you can still locate items at yard sales, estate sales, and online auction sites that are worth pawning.
You can probably pawn items for around one-third of their worth.
Conclusion – What Can I Pawn For $500?
For instant cash, many people usually go to their local pawn shops when in a pinch, especially if they plan to redeem the pawned items later. Looking around the house can surface some pawnable (or unwanted) items worth at least $500, but remember that pawnshops usually give 25% to 60% of the item’s resale value.
Hopefully, this article helped you identify which items are considered most valuable by pawnshops. If you don’t possess a pawnable item worth $500, you can pawn together a few lower-priced items or sell the item outright to maximize the money you will get.
Find that pawnable item, do your research, and get that quick cash now!
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Marjolein is a financial consultant who has built over €4,000 monthly passive income and saves over 70% of her income. Read Radicals’ inspiring story, from stuck in the 9-to-5 to loving life. Feel free to send Radical a message at the bottom of this page