Pawn Shop Shoping

So, I went and picked up a few things, this antique store has about 90 people who run consignments in this one shop, then across from it are about 6 other shops of antiques, one has a $30k wooden carved bar for sale... so ya, that's the kind of community I live in (in a discussion on another member building a room to show off what he has is what I'm relating that to) Anyways I bought a few things, 2 JFK 40%'s for $4, in great condition, except one side is like fully green. Then I bought an OLD pipe wrench where there are no teeth, everything is flat, so it'll be perfect to hold on to so sterling or gold, then I went to the section where the coin was, I asked about a turquoise pendant first, and it was something like $90, I said uhhh no, he said "but it's sterling".... I said, yes, it is (he was talking about the backing or something, who knows. Anyways I bought a 2 peso ring incased in 14kt gold for $110... probably over paid a tad, but whatever, cool pinky ring when I feel like getting dressed up, I wear it with an 8 oz sterling silver necklace I have, as well as around a 30 gram 30" necklace with an turquoise pendant. So, ya, cool deal, went on to Hobby Lobby to find some stuff I needed for casting some silver with delft clay I just got.

Pawn shops here are laughable. I'm talking junk silver quarters for $9.99, proof sets from the 80's for $50,ASEs for $75 or more, well-circulated Ike dollars for $4-5 each. Most remarkable lately- $2 bills, circulated, only $6.95

Wow, that's pretty crazy, I've lived in a lot of places due to being in the military, and never seen a shop open that won't sell anything, or say nothing is for sale. I'd walk straight out too, one of my favorite shops is in a very bad part of the city, and right next door is a blacked out massage parlor that I see peope going in and out of constantly when I'm in the coin shop, and right next to it, is a $10 hair cut place, a laundry place and a liquor store, and then this coin store owned by a white couple, the rest are all Asians..... something seems weird to me about the placement of the coin shop,but who am I to ask any questions?

I'm sure not business, is legit, especially in coin shops where everything is cash only.... I think in my 6 years of collecting, I've been to 1 coin shop that accepted cards. No places even have an option for it (Yes I know they charge for every transaction, but it can't be that much or else my comic book shop I go to wouldn't accept credit card payments, as their margins aren't high) coin shops, honestly since day 1 have seemed like fronts for something else to me. Yes, you have the owner who is in to the coins and knows about them and is the face of the shop... but cash only.... means government stay away.... which I like, but also this is the only kind of business I've known for that to be common place.

Ya, I've asked before, the pawn shops as far as coins go, and they say they do get them in... the one I'm describing told me he doesn't put all of them out, he didn't tell me what he did with them, and when I looked on their website I didn't see any coins being sold or had been sold when I looked at their sell history of item descriptions. I've always been able to pay with a credit card at these shops, but coin shops are cash only. I've actually had a place in WA, try and get me to take a check instead of cash (no I do not live in WA) and I said noway, you guys want cash only and are trying to give me a check? They went to the bank and got cash. Where I live now, like I said I do not go in to pawn shops thinking I'll find something, I go in hoping, because these guys do not know what coins are worth, most of the time you'll find over priced stuff (like the $90 2012 panda he had for sale.... lol) that maybe you'll find something they missed. Like the antique store I went in to, I just bought a gold ring, with weight of gold, and coin in it, under what it's worth. But one shop I go in to just upgraded from hand written receipts to a computer system, and the other guy hooks me up and trades with me and stuff.

If you remember to, I'd like to hear what you find if you decide to go. Thanks!