Should you bring your collectibles to the pawnshop?

McDonald’s just released limited edition Pokemon cards in Happy Meals designed for children, but adult collectors are already trying to scoop them up.

Happy Meals will come with a special edition booster pack of cards for Pokemon’s 25th anniversary. Each pack comes with four cards, and 50 total in the collection so customers can collect and trade them. 

This has many people wondering about the value of their own collectibles. Whether it’s vintage Barbie dolls, Beanie Babies, or sports memorabilia, knowing the value of an item is important to collectors. 

For thousands of years, Pawnbrokers have helped their customers better understand the value of their belongings and, when the need arises, use those valuables as collateral to borrow money. When it comes to collectible items like barbie dolls or pokemon cards, it can be difficult to know whether an item is trash or treasure. 

This article will explain ways that a pawnshop can help you understand the value of your collectibles.  

Is a pawnshop going to give me the most value for my collectibles?

Pawn shops deal in resell value. Their core business is collateral lending against items like gold jewelry, equipment, electronics, and other valuables. People bring those sorts of things to a pawnshop and walk out minutes later with cash in their hands. This means that pawnbrokers are very good at assessing an item’s value very quickly, which is good news if you want to convert your belongings into cash on the spot rather than risk the value going up or down in the future. 

Research your collectibles before you visit the pawnshop

It’s good to do extensive research about the item you want to pawn so that you’re comfortable with the negotiation. When considering how much you want to get for your item from the pawnshop, consider its condition, rarity, and demand. The pawnbroker will be interested in reselling your item so you may want to know what similar items are selling for on the secondhand market. 

Prepare your items for bringing them to the pawnshop

Generally, collectibles are more valuable when their condition is as close as possible to the day they were first sold. Therefore, if your item is in its original packaging, then be sure that you protect and preserve it. If you have any documentation about your collectible item, especially if it is autographed, it is helpful if you have certificates of authenticity. Other documentation such as receipts, a bill of sale, or other things that tell the item’s story may also help. Stained, dirty, or smelly items never leave a good impression, so make sure to clean up your items in a way that doesn’t damage them before you bring them in. 

Negotiating at a pawnshop

Keep in mind that while an item may have emotional significance to you, the pawnbroker is only able to sell it at its fair value. Therefore, you must separate the emotional attachment that you have for your collectibles from the negotiation process. If you don’t like the offer that your pawnbroker makes in the first place, you can always ask for more information about how the pawnbroker arrived at their assessment so that you can make a deal and turn your collectibles into cash!