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I can’t believe how they screw people on that show. Every time they lowball some dupe, I start screaming “eBay! Haven’t you heard of eBay?”

They don't screw anybody. They make an offer that people are free to refuse. People who sell stuff to pawn shops are people that don't want (for whatever reason) to take the time and effort it takes to sell it on e-bay or an auction. Of course they'll get more there, but they won't sell it ~right now~. There's just nothing wrong with that.

Those guys must make millions.

I'm sure they make a good living, but probably not so much as you suppose. They seem to pay about half of what they think something will sell for. Then they've got overhead to pay out of that... store rent, wages, bills... their margins probably are pretty thin.

Too bad they don’t show the occasional customer telling Rick to shove it.

They do. People refuse their offers all the time. The pawn guys also sometimes just don't make offers on things that they think they can't sell easily, nomatter the price. They also don't buy super-big ticket items either. Tying that much cash (like $500K) up in one item is a huge risk if it doesn't sell right away.

I'm sure they make a good living, but probably not so much as you suppose. They seem to pay about half of what they think something will sell for. Then they've got overhead to pay out of that... store rent, wages, bills... their margins probably are pretty thin.

Not only all that, but when they buy something, (especially bigger items) it tends to just sit on their shelves for a while. Making no money. Some items may have a quick turnaround, but alot of them are just money sitting on their shelves, doing nothing.

They do. People refuse their offers all the time. The pawn guys also sometimes just don't make offers on things that they think they can't sell easily, nomatter the price. They also don't buy super-big ticket items either. Tying that much cash (like $500K) up in one item is a huge risk if it doesn't sell right away.

Yep, there's several times I've seen people refuse their offers, or they refuse to make an offer. Also, there are a couple times where Rick tears into Corey/Chumley for making a large purchase, because its hard to sell/make money off of.

The problem with ebay is that you're essentially buying something without the chance to physically examine and handle the object. That makes people less willing to pay top dollar for it.

I generally use eBay for things where condition doesn't matter, such as tickets, or electronics still in the box, durable goods, items with a serial/model number, etc. The pawn shop tends to sell speciality items where in-person examination and buying from a reputable business will be more highly valued.

They don't screw anybody. They make an offer that people are free to refuse. People who sell stuff to pawn shops are people that don't want (for whatever reason) to take the time and effort it takes to sell it on e-bay or an auction. Of course they'll get more there, but they won't sell it ~right now~. There's just nothing wrong with that

Notice the deal is often sealed when he tells them CASH.