#Introduceyourjob

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I was having a think and realized that I can share information with you all about my job, its unique, interesting, and often misunderstood.

I know that this is not really and truly and #introduceyourself post but perhaps you have an interesting job, little-known details or tips to share with others about dealing with your industry, maybe you're a real-life Indiana Jones if that's you why not use the tag #introduceyourjob I would love to learn about what you do.

In fact, I'm going to offer a reward for the best of this tag over the next week, the winner choice of either a @steemmonsters booster pack or the equivalent in @steembasicincome shares participants should tag one other user to make an #introduceyourjob post.

To kick it off I'm going to tag a couple of people and see if they have time @bmj @jackmiller @taskmaster4450 whats your job?

Pawnbroking.

I have spent the last 12 years of my life in pawnbroking, in fact, it's the one thing that I am closest to being an expert in.

Pawnbrokers/ second-hand dealers are those business or individuals that will provide you a loan secured against a personal belonging.

Pretty freaking simple right you need money, you have an item that holds value head on down to your local pawnbrokers and he might lend you some money or offer to buy the item from you, once you have solved that immediate need get some cash together and head back to the store to redeem your item.... oh wait did I mention that pawnbrokers are a business and that loans have interest.

Pawnbroking History.

Sometimes called the worlds second oldest profession it might surprise you but pawnbrokers represent the worlds oldest financial institutions existing long before any banking systems, records have pawnbrokers in China some 3000 years ago, they were part of like in ancient Greece and Rome, Japanese Samurai would pawn their swords in times of peace and we continue to exist today.

Pawnbrokers existed in the middle ages Europe despite The Catholic Church banning loans for usury(interest) until, In the early 1500’s, Pope Leo X declared that the pawnshop both valuable and lawful in fact it was the Catholic church that was instrumental in creating the pawnbroking dynasty of the Medici family(of assassins creed fame) their pawnbroking would lead to The Medici Bank of Florence arguably the most important financial institution in 15th-century Europe.

Without any exaggeration, the fund's pawnbrokers have dispersed have changed the face of the world the crusaders where know to have pawned land to fund their troops, and the crown jewels of England was pawned not one but twice, once to fund a war with France and once to fund a civil war and Queen Isabella of Spain used her jewelry to fund Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the new world.

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What You Need to know.

1. There is no shame.

There is no shame in using pawnbrokers, life can get really hard sometimes and the bills will never stop coming, I have loaned money to asset rich, cash flow poor blokes living in million dollar mansions on a river foreshore, I have loaned money to Fly in Fly in fly out workers earning ridiculous $ and I have loaned money to the single mum with six kids just trying to get through another week.

If you need to use us don't feel ashamed.

2. Avoid us if you can.

Honestly, don't come to us for petty crap the interest on pawnbroking loans is often quite expensive with some countries allowing up to 35% interest per month heading down to your local hock shop and getting a loan on your PS4 because you need a packet of smokes and a drink is a really stupid idea and something we see far too often.

3. Not Grandmas Ring.

Never ever loan anything that you aren't prepared to lose coming down see us with Grandmas ring that survived the holocaust because the car registration is due and your too embarrassed to ask friends or family for help is just stupid those bills are still going to keep coming and the interest on the ring can quickly add up and if you can't get the loan principal and interest together within the loan term the pawnbroker can sell that ring to recoup his costs.

4. What you need and only what you need.

Never borrow more money on an item than you truly need, believe it or not quite often I offer I am able to offer people more than they request, here is my advice don't take that higher offer, take what you need to solve that problem and nothing more, its simple maths the more you borrow the more you have to pay back to get your item back and you are just setting the stage for more problems next month.

On the flip side don't borrow any amount that won't have a real impact on solving your problem if you need $300 to get the car registered don't borrow $50 unless you know you can get the rest somewhere else all you doing otherwise is compounding your debt for no result.

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Tips for dealing with us.

1. We don't want your stolen crap.

Honestly, If your a con, a thief, a junky whatever don't bother coming in 90% of the time we can spot you from a mile away, if I think I have proof you stole an item I keep you busy, call the police and they're in the store within 5 minutes.

A lot of people don't realize but if you walked into my store this morning to sell something you're going to going to have to prove your identity and your current address and at the close of business the police are going to know every detail of the items you brought in from make, model, color, serial numbers, and any other markings.

If any of the items tag and stolen in the automated system you're going to get done for selling stolen goods and any other charges related to how you got the items. If you see a cop in my shop its because I'm doing the right thing

We don't want stolen goods, we lose the money we gave you, we lose the items you brought in, and we lose credibility in our community.

What you want vs Whats it worth?

Before you head down to see us whether its to loan or sell take a second and have a real think about what you want to get back out of your items, you know have a dollar sign in your mind.

Once you have that $ sign you can save both yourself and me a lot of hassel by have a rethink because here is the truth chances are your way off on the value of your items. Here is one simple question if you walked into my retail store today looking to buy the items you had what would you honestly pay me for them if you're being honest you would probable want to pay me about half of regular retail right? Guess what that means I can only afford to offer you on average half or less.

What? That's ridiculous you guys are freaking ripoff merchants! Hey no worries guy I'll let you in on a little secret if I buy something from you for $50 and sell it for $100 I don't make $50 profit, I have to pay that staff member that had to argue over prices with you for an hour, I have to pay my stock controller to clean your stuff because you didn't, I have to pay a retailer to sell the item, plus rent, plus utilities.

2. Don't be an Asshole

Pawnbrokers have thick skin, I think I have been called every insult under the sun and for the most part we are a pretty tolerant bunch, we understand that you're stressed, that borrowing money on something you care about is the last thing you want to be doing, and that sometimes the difference between what we can offer and what you need can feel really insulting.

Don't think you can intimidate us into giving you what you want because the truth is assholes get less and if you push it too far you will be sent packing.

Alternatively, if you're nice and calmly tell us what you need I will try my best to get you there.

3. Give us the benefit of the doubt

When I ask you what you want to get for your item its not a trick so I can rip you off if you ask for less than I'm willing to pay. The major reason I ask this question one so I know if we are even in the same ballpark, its so we can open conversation and start to discuss the reasons for my pricing.

If you came into the store asking $50 for something that I could pay $200 for guess what I'm going to offer you the $200 because I want you to walk out that door with your problem solved, I want you to walk out that door with a different mindset about my store than when you walked in, I want you to come back next time you have a problem and I definitely don't want you to walk into my retail shop and see an item I paid you $50 for on sale for $450

I want you to tell your friends that bloke Pete was bloody fair.

Technology is not an investment

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Sell this stuff as soon as possible don't let it sit in a draw because it loses value as fast as the crypto market only difference is your iPad has no chance of going back up.

Mate, I know that you spent $6000 on that T.V six years ago but I hate to break the news to you it's not worth any more than $120 to me because today you can buy bigger, better, smarter, brand new for $700.

Mate, I know you spent $900 on that mobile 10 months ago but it's not worth $500 to me because in that time Applsung has released like 18 new models.

Back it up.

So you decided to loan your phone, your tablet or your laptop don't just nod your head vacantly when I ask if you have backed up your pictures or important documents, go away do it and come back because I can't tell you the number of times someone has failed to redeem one of these items which we are required by law to completely wipe only to come back later tears in their eyes because all the photos of their babies first, or their wedding photos, or university thesis where on it.

I can't tell you my wasted man-hours trying recovery software to try and help get their precious data back.

BACK UP YOUR DATA

Sell it privately

If you have come down to sell something to us don't yell at us because you don't like our price no one is making you sell anything to us, just go sell it privately that way you're not adding a middleman that needs to make a cut and you make all the profit.

What you've already had it on gumtree for the last three months and not one person has come close to the price you asking then maybe its time to accept that your price is unrealistic.

Heard of Netflix?

Really quick one, your dvd collection is next to worthless if video killed the radio star streaming curb stomped the dvd market.

Feel free to ask any questions

Kind regards

Peter.

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