Pawn shop socket prices?

[lotsoftools]

Just curious, what's the going rate at your local pawn shops for US made sockets?

I spent $7 today, that got me 2 Craftsman (3/8 drive 1/2" deep, 1/2" drive 15/16" deep) and a Cornwell 3/8" drive 25mm.

 

[mtnwkr]

Everything $1.00, no matter what they are.

 

[mech-tech]

They take full retail, add a few dollars, and act like they are doing you a favor. I just buy new online.

 

[Duct Tape Man]

It varies near me, most are 50 cents to $1 each. Sometimes if the shop owner notices something special, like tool truck name brands, they might separate them and charge more. One place here had a set of Proto impact sockets, deep well, in nice shape, for $6 each socket. I didn't buy, but most of his sockets were normal prices....

 

[bonneyman]

It depends on the pawn shop, the day, the person helping me, etc. I've gotten nice sockets for 25 cents apiece, but have paid $1 or $2 each for others. Typically, it's harder to get deep wells cheap.
Old school brands are easy to get cheap - most younger employees never heard of Thorsen, Indestro, Easco, ect. Luckily, those are the ones I gravitate towards.

 

[genevabuck]

Unless it is truck brand, a buck a socket.

 

[thedrivingman]

About a $1.00 for U.S. made and $.50 for import.

 

[cburnscrx]

Depends on the day...and if you're buying anything else. Usually about .25 a socket, unless you're buying something else, then they might be free.

 

[Jawn]

1/4 drive, 10 for a dollar
3/8 drive, 5 for a dollar
1/2 drive, 3 for a dollar

Not sure if it's still the same... I cleaned out most of the better ones a while back. I did notice they have a separate bin for US-made wrenches now... IIRC, $2 per wrench instead of $1.

 

[crewchief888]

most of the time, my pawn shop tool "scores" all come out of the $1 bins.

usually takes some searching, but i find truck brands as well as proto, williams, armstrong, ect mixed in with CM and all the chinese junk

occasionally i'll buy a larger 1/2" or 3/4" dr truck brand socket as long as it's under $10, and it's something i can use.

 

[G_P]

They take full retail, add a few dollars, and act like they are doing you a favor. I just buy new online.

This. They add on even more to the cost if it has some random initials crudely carved into it.

If they get bored they will make a full set. Of mixed brands/points/drive size and then charge a small fortune as it has one rusty truck brand socket mixed in with the unmarked chicoms.

 

[thoraudio]

my local has a socket pile. I asked and the guy at the counter said "about $1 each, grab a pile bring them up here and we'll deal."

 

[mech-tech]

Last time I walked in my local pawn shop, they had a proto 3/8 drive ratchet, a stanely 3/8 drive ratchet, and a craftsman 3/8 drive ratchet, all side by side in the locked glass counter! I asked how much, the guy told me those are all professional tools so $35 for each ratchet, not including the stanely sockets they had that were probably bought at wal-mart. I can buy brand new proto ratchets like the one he had for that price at any industrial hardware!

 

[NHBandit]

Around here most of the pawn shops have stupid prices on their tools but every now & then there's a guy who shows up at one of the local weekly auctions with piles of stuff the pawn shops couldn't sell. That's when I can buy stuff cheap. I recently got a heavy duty right angle grinder with a bunch of stones, wire wheels, and other stuff thrown in the box at the auction for 8 bucks. It still had the pawn shop price of $50 on it.

 

[beatcad]

Unless it is truck brand, a buck a socket.

yup. that what my local pawn charges.
they've got a few junky craftsman boxes full of stuff and junk. there is no tool truck brand sockets that I can find(and I've dug deep). a lot of no name and Taiwan sockets. but I've cherry picked and pulled out craftsman, proto, SK, and anything made in USA. always charged a buck a piece

 

[jwsia]

.25-.50 for 3/8 and 1/4
.50-$1 for deepwells

I enjoy looking in the socket bins, you never know what you are going to find. I pulled a very nice Klein ratcheting cable cutter this summer from the dollar bin, I knew they were expensive when I got it but didn't know they were 150 new. The clerk was a young kid and didn't know the brand.

 

[PA Woody]

Pawn shops around here are way too expensive but the secondhand stores are a goldmine. Today I got 3 ratchets- 1/2" drive roundhead penncraft, 3/8" dr roundhead Kal 1249 made in USA and a 3/8" dr SK 45170. Along with those I got 32 sockets, all 1/2" drive 3/4" up to 1 1/4" all Easco, JS USA, a couple Sparta and a few Craftsman. $20.00 out the door. The ratchets looked a little beat up but I pulled them apart and cleaned and lubed them and they looked like new inside.
Sunday I was in the same place and got a 32 piece craftsman socket set plus 13 raised panel Craftsman wrenches and a couple 3/8 drive Craftsman 44811 teardrop ratchets for $18.00 out the door.

 

[Scout Driver]

25 to 50 cents for any socket from a bin.

Scott

 

[Jarhead0408]

50 cent max for me. Many times if I load up a huge amount I can get them for muuuuuuuuuch cheaper. I've routinely walked out with 40+ tools for $15 bucks or less.

 

[rusty65]

I have a nice deal with the local pawn shop owner and he usually charges .50 for any size USA made socket but I usually buy a box stuffed full of misc. for around 45-50 bucks.


Sent directly from the Snap On Kool Aid factory.

 

[bonneyman]

my local has a socket pile. I asked and the guy at the counter said "about $1 each, grab a pile bring them up here and we'll deal."

Last time I dug thru a pile of sockets, I brought about a dozen up to the counter (plus a wrench or two) and they guy said $8.

 

[92GreenYJ]

Pawn shops around here are way too expensive but the secondhand stores are a goldmine. Today I got 3 ratchets- 1/2" drive roundhead penncraft, 3/8" dr roundhead Kal 1249 made in USA and a 3/8" dr SK 45170. Along with those I got 32 sockets, all 1/2" drive 3/4" up to 1 1/4" all Easco, JS USA, a couple Sparta and a few Craftsman. $20.00 out the door. The ratchets looked a little beat up but I pulled them apart and cleaned and lubed them and they looked like new inside.
Sunday I was in the same place and got a 32 piece craftsman socket set plus 13 raised panel Craftsman wrenches and a couple 3/8 drive Craftsman 44811 teardrop ratchets for $18.00 out the door.

This for me too. Nice little thrift store right down the street from me. Snagged 2 older USA craftsman 1/2" ratchets for 8.95 a piece as well as some big USA Craftsman wrenches for like 5 bucks a pop. (1", 24mm, 27mm)
Think I saw a sign on their socket bins that 1/4" was 75 cents, 3/8 was 1.50 and 1/2" was 2 bucks a piece. Still need to make a list of the sizes I need to fill out my Hansen trays then I'm gonna go spend an hour or so there sorting thru em

 

[nicksnothereman]

Just curious, what's the going rate at your local pawn shops for US made sockets?

I spent $7 today, that got me 2 Craftsman (3/8 drive 1/2" deep, 1/2" drive 15/16" deep) and a Cornwell 3/8" drive 25mm.

I'd say you did okay. Might spend 4-5 bucks (or more) easy on that 25mm online even if the condition ain't great.

I've lived in pawn territory for many years and have honestly never gone into one. True story.

 

[davethorik]

The last two sockets I bought individually that way were a Snap-On 3/8 drive 1" 6pt short for $1 and a Stahlwille 1/2 drive 27mm deepwell also $1.

 

[thetreshon]

there's a chain of pawn shops that I've been to that have milk crates full of all COO sockets, including US and Canadian made that have signs stating 25 cents for 1/4 drive, 50 cents for 3/8 drive and $1.00 for 1/2 drive, and I've found a LOT of my Snap on stuff in those bins. Either due to laziness, or the person putting stuff away that day has no clue...

In those milk crates, on the same day, I picked up a (almost) full set of 1/2 drive, 6-point deep Snap on sockets (made in Canada), 3/8 up to 7/8, missing 3/4, but it had doubles of 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8. I also grabbed a full set of 3/8 short 12 point metric or SAE (can't remember off hand I'm at work), they were also Canadian made Snap on. Also a few sizes of SAE and metric Snap on hex bit sockets. Couple Gray Canada sockets in there along with a 1/2 drive 6 inch extension...all grabbed from the loose socket crates for $40. The guy knew it was a great deal I think only because he realized all those sockets matched, but I don't think he realized whether or not they were Snap on.

But a pile of random stuff usually goes a lot cheaper when bringing it to the counter and they don't want to sit and figure out sizes etc., and saying you don't need a receipt helps too.

 

[MackMan]

Truck brand is ~75% of retail regardless of condition (good news is they will buy truck brand for at least $5/socket too, which is handy from time to time).

Craftsman/USA made is $3.50/lb depending on the day/who does the checkout (one time I got a "set" for $1, a few times I've only wanted one or 2 sockets they said don't bother paying just take them, etc)

Import is I think $2.50/lb, but I've never bought any import except one Blue-Point

 

[KEH]

About $1.00 per socket, less if you get several. Most local pawn shops are overloaded with sockets. Ratchets are a different matter. Good ones go fast, leaving the RH import ratchets that come with the cheap import tool sets. Some pawn shops put the good ratchets behind glass and think they are made from gold. Some pawn shops don't break down the tool box sets the take in pawn and try to sell them whole, usually for more than they are worth, and won't sell pieces out of them. Usually they wind up doing one of 2 things: Give up and sell pieces out, or quit taking in junky tool boxes with junky tools.

This week I bought a small plastic box of tools, for $24. It had an almost new pair of Channellocks in almost new condition. It is quite large, number 460?? I kept the plastic box to keep cattle handling equipment in an open shed where rain may blow in. I gave the rest of the import tools, mostly Ampro, which included 2 sizes of breaker bars and some good condition sockets to relatives who were helping me with something. Oh, I found a Snap On 1/2 x 9/16 line wrench in the pile which I kept along with the Channellocks.

I don't know about prices for import sockets since I seldom buy them. A tool jockey at the flea market says there is a market for the imports. People will get them for a truck box or for home repairs, and some people just don't know any better. OTH, some people have thieving family members and druggie neighbors.

KEH

 

[3baygarage]

Heck, the pawn shops around here are weak these days. The best one in the city was closed down a few years back for illegally selling guns through straw buyers. Used to be able to go in there and scrape up some loose used tools real cheap(craftsman, snap on, etc.).
I really don't check out the new places anymore because I know the deals are not there. Everybody is trying to get rich off every piece of junk these days and most only deal in jewelry/elecronics around here.
My favorite socket buy at a Pawn shop though was when I once spotted a vintage Mac socket( I think it was possibly an old oddball strut socket) for $3. I wanted it but too high priced to interest me. I went back there no joke probably 4 or 5 years later---it was still there in the bin and the price was rubbed off by now. The pawn guy sold it to me for 50 cents. I'll never use that one, but it was so funny they held onto it so long that the price disappeared. I just had to buy it.