You want cash without getting ripped off. You also want to keep options open if the item doesn't sell fast. The real issue You’re not selling to a friend. You’re selling to a resale market that cares about demand and quick recovery of cash. A pawnbroker thinks resale-first and risk-first: they price to move stock quickly and to minimize the money tied up in slow sellers. That means condition, demand, and how easy it is to re-sell matter far more than what you paid. The pawnsh

Short answer up front: teardown videos can change how we value a used phone at the counter. There’s a recent teardown of the RedMagic 11 Pro that highlights aggressive heat-management inside the device. The real issue Phones built for high performance can trade longevity for speed. That means they may run hotter, wear out faster, or have been modified to handle heat — all of which matters when you’re valuing a used unit. For a pawnshop the real issue isn’t the tech name on th

There’s a teardown video titled "RedMagic 11 Pro: A Heat-Dumping Franken-Phone Teardown" that’s making the rounds. If you see a clip like that, it should change how you price and verify a used phone at the counter. The real issue A teardown tells you two things a pawnshop cares about: what’s been done to the phone, and how easy it is to fix or hide problems. Modified internals or unusual repairs can lower demand. They also raise the chance a device will fail after you sell it

A new electric skateboard prototype is getting attention. If it shows up at your counter, know what to watch for. The real issue New micromobility gear attracts quick cash buyers and hobbyists. That makes demand look strong at first. But prototypes and new platform combos bring sharp resale risk. The item in the story pairs a hub motor with a WATT-brand battery and is being shown as a prototype at CES next month — that tells you it’s new tech, not a tried-and-true model. The

A rumor about a major game dropping with new hardware will bring people to a pawnshop counter. That’s where real money decisions happen. The real issue When talk starts that a big title might launch with a new console or platform, the used-hardware market moves fast. People who want the latest play expect higher demand for compatible machines. That lifts resale prices and makes some items more liquid — they sell quicker — but it also invites speculation and overpricing. Rumor

Heads up: recent reporting is flagging that some smart TVs collect more data than buyers expect. That matters for us at the counter. The real issue Used smart TVs can carry hidden baggage. They may collect viewing data or use automated content recognition (ACR) to match what’s on screen. Buyers worry about privacy and about companies tracking use. Worries cut demand and push resale prices down, because people prefer simple, private screens. Most counter deals are about used i

Smart TVs are selling cheap used. But they can carry more than scratches. The real issue Smart TVs can hold accounts, app sign‑ins, and personalized settings. That creates a hidden layer of work for a pawnshop: verification and remediation before a clean resale. Buyers discount items that need extra steps. Unknown account status raises returns and disputes. That reduces the number of willing buyers and slows down turnover. A device that looks fine can still be a poor pawn ite

RedMagic phones turned up in a teardown video this week. It matters to anyone buying or pawning used phones. The real issue A teardown is not just for tech fans. For us at the counter it’s a map of risk and resale. When a phone shows heavy cooling mods or has been taken apart, that changes the story we tell a buyer. High-performance or “gaming” phones often push hardware harder than average models. That can mean better performance but also more wear on batteries and cooling s

A fresh criminal charge tied to an East Vancouver stabbing reminds us that violent crime can spill into the resale world. This is what pawnbrokers and customers need to know and do when items cross the counter. The real issue Police announced a new charge against the man already facing two counts of second-degree murder, and that new count is connected to the death of a 50-year-old. The suspect was linked to a triple stabbing, and authorities expanded the case with that addit