How to crack Pawn Shop Codes

[Blacknwhitepit]

It has been a while since I posted this... Some members may find this interesting and we have quite a few new members.... So I will put it out there on a thread...



When you look at the price tags you will see a price and a Alphabetic code.

I.E. $29.99 coded with RNNN (10.00)
$99.99 coded with LNNN (60.00)
$35.99 coded with EBNN (25.00)

Quite simply they are codes for how much the Pawn Shop has in them.


The Simple way to figure them out is to figure out what 0,1 and 2 are. The rest is easy.

By looking at the codes you can get the 0's the easiest in this case it is an 'N'

A 1 would be a 'R'
A 2 would be an 'E'



You go around to the rest of the store and find out what all 10 letters are.

When I did this I found RE were 1 and 2 (I guessed that B was 5 by looking around enough) the other letters were AULPCI and that 0 was N.

Hence REPUBLICAN was the code

R-1 E-2 P-3 U-4 B-5 L-6 I-7 C-8 A-9 N-0

You now know how much the shop has in on the item.

If you are not good with anagrams, then just get all 10 letters and get online and go to an anagram decoder. Put the letters in and it will figure out the word for you.

other common codes:

MONEYTALKS
MARYLOUISE
BLACKHORSE
VOLKSWAGEN

By the way, it is best not to let them know you have cracked their code.... I almost got the bums rush out of one place when I told them I knew what they had in on a certain tool.



-BWP

[boogerboy72]

this is great, im putting these codes in my wallet.

[bmwpower]

Republican? Thread lock.
You seriously almost got run out of the store? That must have been fun. I find the people that run these joints are a little "scary", but maybe it's just me.

You must spend a lot of time in these places. Good info.
Too bad there aren't a lot of places around me.

[Blacknwhitepit]

Originally Posted by bmwpower

Republican? Thread lock.
You seriously almost got run out of the store? That must have been fun. I find the people that run these joints are a little "scary", but maybe it's just me.

You must spend a lot of time in these places. Good info.
Too bad there aren't a lot of places around me.

When I said I knew how much I had in them and told her that their code was 'VOLKSWAGEN" She freaked... She immediately asked, How did you know our code, Who gave it to you? All in about 2 seconds. There was definite fire in her eyes... Hence why I really only go in one special pawn shop now. They know why I am there and don't play any games with me.... All the other pawn shop dealers around me know who I am....

-BWP

[ephotrod]

Do you know if Pawn America uses the same one at all stores.
Josh

[bmwpower]

Originally Posted by Blacknwhitepit

When I said I knew how much I had in them and told her that their code was 'VOLKSWAGON" She freaked... She immediately asked, How did you know our code, Who gave it to you? All in about 2 seconds. There was definite fire in her eyes... Hence why I really only go in one special pawn shop now. They know why I am there and don't play any games with me.... All the other pawn shop dealers around me know who I am....

-BWP

That's hilarious!
I think I'll head into one (if I can find one) and see if I can crack it just to do it.

[scruffy]

another one is DAYORNIGHT or NIGHTORDAY where D=1 or N=1 , I found this one a gun shop
just for info some independent drug stores use the code PHARMOCIST where P=1

[Blacknwhitepit]

Originally Posted by ephotrod

Do you know if Pawn America uses the same one at all stores.
Josh

I don't know...

Also, Some places don't use codes at all or they are on a UPC bar and only the computer knows how much the have in them...

-BWP

[nate379]

I went to a pawn shop once back about 7 years ago and realized that they wanted more than new for most of their stuff.

[speed bump]

interesting, around here the hawk shops put it out for 200% of what they paid for it for outright sales and about 3 times for pawn items and without haggling they will do 20-30% off depending on how bad the person you ask math is.

[LoneGunman]

Originally Posted by nate379

I went to a pawn shop once back about 7 years ago and realized that they wanted more than new for most of their stuff.

Yup, most don't care about selling, all the money is in the interest. When I had my shop I cared about selling, LOL I had to or I couldn't pay my rent, that's what happens when you open up a business under capitalized. In my area you are looking at a 300% APR on the loan, the retail end of the business is just gravy. I had retail buyers get pissed because they felt I should pay attention to them while I was in the middle of doing a pawn, their attitude was they are there to give me money while the person at the counter wants money so I should drop what I am doing and take care of them. The customer borrowing is always more important than a retail customer.

I'd loan around 25% of retail and sell at 50% of retail, I double my money and the retail customer gets a somewhat decent deal.

[Nealcrenshaw]

You can seriously rip off buying at a pawn shop,they want top dollar for their tools.

[Hiball]

Who'd thunk it? Ive never heards such a thing, I dont doubt you guys but sounds crazy to me. My pawn shops dont use any kind of code on the ticket, I figure they just mark everything up 200% and they bargain down. My local does prices his stuff fairly competitively but ive seen him in action, he gives about 20% of new price for tools and then trys to sell around 50%+. Even though he prices his stuff decent i still always ask him what his bottom price is and sometimes i walk away, and alot of times i buy. For instance he had a slug of snap on (underline logo) great shap not much wear and he was asking anywhere from $10 bucks up to $14, so i had him pull out his combo sets to see if he had a complete set, I already knew he did but wanted to see him work, Lol he pulls out about 9 wrenches all of them looked good, No engravings, No flaking and i asked him what he would take. He pondered around like all of them do and said he would take $70 bucks but it was killing him, Lol... i told him i would think about it and next time i go in there i probably offer $60 and we'll see how things go. More than likely i will walk out with them Tomorrow.

[Hiball]

Originally Posted by Nealcrenshaw

You can seriously rip off buying at a pawn shop,they want top dollar for their tools.

Some you can and other not so much.. I have gotten some crazy deals locally and i never pay over 40% of retail even on new like stuff.

[Blacknwhitepit]

Originally Posted by Nealcrenshaw

You can seriously rip off buying at a pawn shop,they want top dollar for their tools.

It does depend on the Pawn Shop. There is a chain of Pawn shops near me "PP" is what I will call it. They have rusty taiwanese sockets in a worn out plastic tool box that they want $80 for... Seriously crazy. The last time I was in there I asked "Do you even care if you sell any tools?" I said I could get a set of Craftsman brand new for that price...He just looked at me and said that was the price that they sold them for.....

I don't even bother with them at all... A complete waste of my time...

Lonegunman definitely summed up their attitude... The money is in the loan....

-BWP

[Hiball]

Originally Posted by LoneGunman

Yup, most don't care about selling, all the money is in the interest. When I had my shop I cared about selling, LOL I had to or I couldn't pay my rent, that's what happens when you open up a business under capitalized. In my area you are looking at a 300% APR on the loan, the retail end of the business is just gravy. I had retail buyers get pissed because they felt I should pay attention to them while I was in the middle of doing a pawn, their attitude was they are there to give me money while the person at the counter wants money so I should drop what I am doing and take care of them. The customer borrowing is always more important than a retail customer.

I'd loan around 25% of retail and sell at 50% of retail, I double my money and the retail customer gets a somewhat decent deal.

I always thought i wanted to get in the pawn business but i would never sell anything i would just keep it all for myself. The loan income would be great but i would just use the money to buy more tools. Plus i thought it would be hard sometimes to lowball people that you knew needed the money, kinda like preying on the weak, So i figured if i couldnt master that technique i might as well not even try. Im too kind hearted and try and help people who are in trouble and it would just come back to bite me in the end i figured.

[back2class]

Up north pawn shops were great. Full of good prices and they would haggle down to about 30-50% of new. Here in GA everyone I have been to is asking about 80-110% of new and at best will drop the price about 10% off their asking.
I just do not get how they make any money. Perhaps in the ghettos up north people sell their stuff to pawn shops and here thet seem to use them for loans and that is where they make their money.???

[ears]

All the ones by me are seriously overpriced. Generally higher then new, a set of Cman raised panel wrenches from 10 mm to 3/4" mixed metric and SAE $139.99. I dont even bother trying to haggle with these guys.

[bgott]

The reason they have their prices so high is lay- away. It's kind of like the Snap- on truck, except the shop holds the goodies until they are paid for.

[Hiball]

Originally Posted by ears

All the ones by me are seriously overpriced. Generally higher then new, a set of Cman raised panel wrenches from 10 mm to 3/4" mixed metric and SAE $139.99. I dont even bother trying to haggle with these guys.

Yeah ive been in those type of shops, I just look at the price, shake my head and keep moving. If one of the guys do see me they usually say "We can work on that price if your interested" or something similar and i keep moving, No since even dealing with people like that unless its something i really want or cant find any where else.