Purchasing from a pawn shop
Hi everyone, what are the opinions on buying from pawn shops? I was in a shop not too long ago and the owner was wearing a vintage Omega, which he was selling for $600. Based on what I’ve seen online that seem like a pretty good deal, but I’m not sure all the questions to ask to make sure it’s legit. Meaning the movement is original and not in horrible condition etc.
5 comments
Sort by
JayMarty
I've been a "watch guy" since I was in 3rd grade, but over the past couple of years I've worked my way up to "enthusiast." Looking to chat about watches with my fellow enthusiasts and learn some new s...
Milwaukee
Member since
Last active: 1 month ago
Some of the best nuggets of advice related to buying watches that I've seen are "buy the seller" and "if the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is". Although I'm sure that some people may have picked up great deals at a pawn shop, I would personally be very hesitant to buy from one.
Kinda of
my thinking as well
You can buy a vintage Omega replica from DHgate I saw one as a kit with the pie pan face. some of those logos can wipe off with acetone if they are not applied. Aliexpress has them in kit form too with logo or clean face options. I got a new citizen case for 12 bucks and a clean face for 6 bucks. Hands were even cheaper with $50.00 Miyota 82 series movement.
I've seen a ton of redials and fakes in the window displays of pawn shops. Bottom line, these guys often don't know how to authenticate a watch.
And most of them had absolutely outrageous prices.
I’ve done it many times. If they have box and papers it helps, and yes it pays to know the grey market price so you can compare. Some chains even have guarantees and do their due diligence, they wouldn’t loan or buy a fake because at the end of the day they need to recoup their money, so bare that in mind. Vintage market can be iffy, especially for more marquee brands, so if in doubt walk.