Selling jewelry to a pawn shop is easy. All you need to do is take the jewelry to a pawn shop, tell the pawn broker you'd like to sell him the jewelry, and take whatever money he offers you. What's far more difficult, however, is getting a good deal from the pawn broker. With a little preparation and forethought, it's possible to sell jewelry to a pawn shop and maximize your return in the process.
Step 1
Choose a safe, reputable pawn shop. If you go to a questionable pawn shop to sell your jewelry, you'll likely end up with a questionable deal. Use online tools to find pawn shops in your area and read customer reviews to get more information. Also, make sure that the pawn shop is in a good neighborhood. If it's located in a crime-ridden environment, you probably should choose another place to sell your jewelry.
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Step 2
Do your homework for pricing your jewelry. If you think the jewelry is relatively expensive, take it to a jeweler and get a professional appraisal of its value. If it's a less expensive piece, it's probably best to look online, find similar pieces of jewelry for sale on auction websites, and come up with an estimate of the value of your jewelry.
Step 3
Prepare yourself to haggle or bring someone with you to do your bargaining for you.
Step 4
Make your jewelry as attractive as possible to maximize your return. Polish your jewelry, remove any tarnish and clean it up as much as possible.
Step 5
Refrain from acting desperate for money, regardless of how desperate you may be. Pawn brokers realize that they can offer less money to people who are desperate and that many people who come into the pawn shop to sell jewelry are hurting for cash. Try to act casual, and if you're asked why you're selling the jewelry, say you haven't been wearing it or that it no longer fits your wardrobe. Never tell them it's because you need money.
Tip
Be prepared to take a serious devaluation. Pawn shops can't offer nearly as much money for most jewelry items as those jewelry items would retail for in a jewelry store. So bear in mind that you probably won't get as much for your jewelry when you sell it to the pawn shop as you originally paid for it. If you aren't happy with the price one pawn shop offers you, don't give up. Go to other pawn shops to see if you can get a better offer.
Warning
Pawn shops offer extremely low values for jewelry in comparison to other methods. Before you decide to sell your jewelry to a pawn shop, consider other options, such as jewelry stores and online auction sites.
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