A mic that looks fine can hide big problems. One quick check now saves hours and money later. What’s going on with used mics Used microphones are common. People sell them when they upgrade or stop using them. Many work fine. Some have hidden issues that only show up in use. You want a mic that sounds right and keeps working. Why this matters to you A bad mic wastes time and money. You might buy one and only notice a hum, crackle, or weak signal when you record. If you plan to

Think new is always better? Many musicians quietly disagree. What often drives the choice You want sound, not paperwork. You want an instrument that plays right today. New gear can be perfect. But used gear can be the faster, smarter pick for your needs. You save cash. You often get a tone that has settled in. You can trade up more often. What to check before you buy Look over the piece like a mechanic looks over a car. Check for cracks, loose parts, and wear on moving bits.

A bad amp can sound fine in a store and die in your living room. One quick check now can save you a trip to the shop and a pile of frustration. Before bringing an amp home, ensure it’s up to standard to avoid future headaches with its performance. What to look for at a glance Look the amp over like a buyer with a flashlight. Check the case for dents and rust. Look for fresh screws or mismatched paint — signs it was opened or repaired. Check the input and speaker jacks for ben

Why does one shop pay $200 more than another for the same ring? Quick scene: the walk-in that surprised you You bring an old gold ring to a shop. The first offer is low. The second is higher. You feel cheated and curious. This happens all the time. Small differences can add up to big money. What shops actually check Shops look at a few clear things. Purity is first. That means the karat number: 10K, 14K, 18K, 24K. Higher karat means more gold by weight. Next is weight. Shops

You meet a seller at a coffee shop. They hand you a phone that looks fast and clean. It boots up and the screen is bright. But inside, parts may lie about what they really are. Check the outer frame and seams for fresh glue or mismatched screws. Look for odd gaps or a display that wobbles when pressed gently. Ask to see the settings about phone model and storage, then cross-check basic specs. Watch the phone run a heavy app and feel if it gets unusually hot fast. Notice camer

You bring in a gold ring and get three offers that are all over the map. Which one is right? The answer is not just the market price. Myth vs Fact — Shops all use the same gold price Myth: Every shop pays the same live market price for gold. Fact: Shops start from the same spot price but adjust it. The spot price is a global number for pure gold. That number matters most for bullion. For jewelry, shops also factor in purity, weight loss in melting, and local costs. Myth vs Fa

You hand over a ring that looks gold. The karat stamp is tiny. The offer that follows is the real surprise. Low tier: low-karat items (10k and plated pieces) 10k jewelry has less pure gold. That means less melt value. Pawnshops and buyers pay mainly for the gold content, not the metal finish. If the piece is gold-plated, you get almost nothing for the thin layer of gold alone. Even solid 10k can be worth much less than 14k or 18k by weight. Medium tier: common wear (14k piece

You buy a neat charging case and expect easy fixes — then the buds inside fall apart on the bench. What did the teardown actually find? The case is the surprise win. It opens and parts are reachable. The buds themselves are small and glued. Tiny cables and solder spots hide under layers. The teardown shows the company made the case repair-friendly but left the buds hard to work on. Why does that matter to you as a buyer or seller? You might pay more for a product with a nice

Is your old ring worth more melted down or sold as-is? That choice can change how much you walk away with. What’s going on Gold comes to shops two ways: as jewelry and as bullion (bars or coins). Jewelry carries craft, brand, stones and wear. Bullion is priced by weight and purity. Buyers treat them very differently. Why it matters to you If you need cash now, the route you pick affects offers, time to sell, and how much you keep. Many people assume jewelry is always worth mo

A shiny gadget can hide a trap. Some new tech is built so it can’t be fixed or resold. What’s going on named the 2026 "Worst in Show" picks at CES. The list calls out devices that are invasive, wasteful, or hard to repair. For a pawn buyer, that matters. It points to products that lose value fast or are risky to accept in trade. Why it matters for your counter You buy things to resell or loan on. If a device can’t be opened, has glued parts, or uses one-off batteries, your op