heh, I shure hope that wasn't the only security for the loan...
Oh no, that isn't how it works. The 'loan' was probably somewhere between 25 and 50 bucks, unless I miss my guess. That's how most of the shops work it here, roughly. They figure to pay, or 'loan' about a quarter of what they can retail it for. Then, they price it as new. That's the closest thing to a formula I've been able to come up with after many years of pawn shopping. You have to factor in a few other things; what guy is working, what day it is, how long it has been on the shelf ... things like that. I wouldn't ever, ever pay what they ask, just on principle alone. But, with all that said, I have made some very sweet deals in pawnshops. The internet and ebay have made it much tougher to find good deals though. Everyone just wants top dollar, regardless of condition or demand etc. It's still a fun way to find things you didn't even know you needed.