Sweetest pawn shop/tag sale find?

[Corky Long]

I'm sure there are some great stories out there - who's got a good one on a hidden treasure that was found/purchased at a pawn shop/tag-rummage sale?

[Morgan1]

I have one but it isn't a guitar. I collect records and once found a mint condition copy of Ella Fitzgerald's "Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie", in mono, original pressing. At the time, it was worth around $150. I got it for 10 cents.

[Taylorplayer]

Still looking... when I walk into a pawn shop these days, the sales guys are always online checking eBay and the like... Makes it kinda' hard to grab much in the way of killer deals - although I'm sure there are still some out there.

Neat post - can't wait to hear about the great scores that folks got!

[Rick Shepherd]

Back in 1981, my local music store had a Taylor 855, built in 1979, in thier shop storage. After they had finally sold the six-string jumbo-bodied Taylor they had in stock, they pulled out this brand new 855 12-string to sell, but because it needed a neck adjustment and the action was too high, nobody would buy it. I kept an eye on it for a few months, and they kept reducing the price until I couldn't resist any more, so I offered them five hundred for it and they accepted. This 855 has the mustache bridge, like the ones Neil Young ordered from Taylor a couple years before. I still have the guitar after 30 years! I have a YouTube video of myself playing Gordon Lightfoot's, Affair On Eighth Avenue if you care to hear what it sounds like.

[grampa]

In 1982 I had been on a quest for a steel string guitar. I had a Gibson classical and a 12 string but also wanted a 6 string. The problem I had was I was used to the wide necks and all the Gibsons and Martins in the pawnshops had skinny necks. One day although I hadn't planned to check them out I had an odd compulsion to go onto one. As I walked in I felt a presence from the back wall. As I walked toward it I spotted something partially hidden by the fancy Gibsons and Martins. There it was. I said hello and it asked me where I had been. It was a Gibson F-25, a 6 string configured just like my classical, wide 2" neck and 12 frets. The top had been shoddily refinished but because of that the price was half of all the other Gibsons. I bought it immediately, and after a bit of work and adjustment I had my perfect guitar. I still have it and will die with it.

[chaseg89]

A friend of mine does landscaping and was working on a guys yard, somehow they got to talking about an old guitar the guy had laying around (a 1962 Gibson LG-2 I believe) long story short the guy gave it to him for free. He had to have some adjustments done on it, but a heck of a find if you ask me.

[ChrisMartinMan]

The internet and eBay killed 99% of the crazy good deals that used to be had. I remember getting an incredible Marantz separate amp, pre-amp, and tuner WITH JBL bookshelf speakers for $100 because the guy wanted to buy a cheap Sony receiver.

Used the set up for years until the amp blew and no one locally had the knowledge base for repairing it. Sold it broke (with the other components) for like $800.

[pitner]

Nice old Leslie cabinet for $10 at a yard sale 1998, the guy didn't know what it was. I offered him what I had in my wallet.
Got my first Martin cheap in 1967 cause it didn't have the Logo on the headstock. 1927 0-18K for $100.
Picked up a 1959 Gibson Byrdland with tweed Gibson Les Paul 20 watt amp in minty fresh condition for $600.00 back in 1983.
A ampeg B-15n bass amp and Fender Mustang bass for $150.00 back in 1985
1968 D-18 Martin for $350 in 1996.

Been at this for a long time so I always have my nose to the ground for good deals. Almost scored a 20's Gibson F-5 last year for cheap but the deal fell through. I keep looking. Not as easy as it was back in the 60's when Martins were had for 300 bucks or so.

[sevenpalms]

The sweetest deal I got was actually at a "Big Box" store last Summer... They had a beautiful used Lakewood for $895.00 (that should have been $1200-$1300). The sales guy said that since Lakewood didn't really have any distribution in the US they had no idea what to charge for it so the put $895... I gladly gave them my credit card and have been playing it since!

[markallen]

I think the greatest deal I've ever found was a local rural garage sale where I purchased an early 1900's wooden 4x5" view camera for $15. I held onto it for about 10 years and then sold it on eBay for $675.00. Funny thing is, even after making a nice profit on it, I really wish I had kept it. Oh well.

[Chordchunker]

I bought a 1950`s Gibson es-125 for $35.00 at a thrift store. Got a tweed fender 1957 vibrolux for $75.00. Lots of other deals over the years but those stand out.

[emirate25]

My brother bought a 1964 Gibson Les Paul for $100 at a estate sale 20 years ago

[TaoMaas]

Thrift stores and garage sales/estate sales are the place to find deals these days. My best deals over the last year or so have been a Rotel receiver for $.50 (the guy wasn't sure if it worked or not (it did) so he had it priced for a buck. I happened to come by right after he decided to go half-price on everything)...and an Olympus XA film camera for a dollar that I found in a junk box of stuff at a garage sale.

[Krab]

Not a great deal but I found my brother's seven string in a pawn shop. I bought it just to have one. He later stole it and sold it again.

[jackstrat]

I bought a cherry Gibson SG in 1978 for $100 and change, perfect condition. Not sure of the exact date, but it was in the mid 60's to mid 70's range. Probably worth a ton now.

I traded the SG in at another pawn shop for a Beautiful Takemine 12 string. Not sure what happened to that guitar.

Picked up a Fender Jaguar for well under $100 in the same time period. Fabulous sounding guitar, tons of switches. A dog took a bite out of the upper left horn. Not sure what happened to that guitar as well. But the SG is the one I wished I had back. Beautiful guitar, sounded great, played great. Dang!

My passtime (at the time) was to scour all of the pawn shops in Orange County and parts of LA. Man, the deals were amazing. Lots of hard luck musicians in the late 70s. You could purchase fender and marshall amps for pennies on the dollar, acoustic guitars were a dime a dozen (everyone was leaving folk for rock), drum sets, PAs, you name it. Ah for the old days...

Jack L