Shop at your local Pawn Shop!

Yesterday I went into my very first Pawn shop!  What the heck have I been missing!  I watch "Pawn Stars", and love it so why was I being such a wienie about not going into the local pawn shop in my area? I am sure there are some gritty criminal underworld place the movies always portray, but I had Jorja with me so what harm could happen, and besides it was in broad daylight.   I was about blown over when I walked in and the lady behind the counter hollered out  "Hi, How are you today?"!!  This was better than Walmart already. After walking the aisles and aisles of power tools a nice young man even approached and asked if he could help us find anything!!  What..."Customer Service" at the pawn shop!!  Where is the camera?  Someone must be pulling a fast one on me here.  The shop was nicely organized,  no steel cages, lighted, stuff galore and it smelled like power tools!  I think I am in heaven, as the tool bins were loaded and loaded some more!  This place was great.  I started looking at the prices and they were not all that terrible.  I purchased a rubber mallet with a steel handle, and a flat headed crowbar (I am not sure that is its technical name, but it is what I call it), both almost brand new for five bucks each.  Now I have a rubber mallet hammer when I need to pound something that requires that sort of pounding, and a flat headed crowbar to do....well I have a flat headed crowbar when I need to do something that tool does.  I even asked the lady if she would size a pair of earrings for me, and she did so gladly....gladly I say!! The pawn shop has just become my new "Favorite" place to shop!  I guess the lesson learned here is to step out of the cookie cutter mega conglomerate store box, and give a local pawn shop a try!  I love learning new things....and spending money on tools.


Update...04/03/2012
After going to our local Pawn Shop (Tom's Pawn), I have learned a few new things...
1.  If you want to take an item and "Pawn" or "Sell" it...take it 
     out of the box as this is considered a "new " item and 
     must have a recipe!  So take it out of the box!  Odd I know
     but this is the Pawn industry rules!!
2.  Haggle..Haggle...Haggle....Yes this is common practice 
      done in the Pawn Store! Not to mention it is quite fun!
     Do not be embarrassed... Although I know my face turned
     bright red the first time I did it!  The guys and gals at the
     store are very use to people haggling!