DS was asleep yesterday while I was out. So I wandered into one - a "Cashies". I was looking at the rings. Didn't see anything I liked, but what do you think? Taking advantage of someone's misfortune? Or just frugal shopping?

I would never shop in one as I hate the thought that the items might be stolen.

I've walked through one once but it was because some of the contents of my STOLEN handbag was found there. I wanted to see if my gold necklace was there, but it wasn't. It had more sentimental value to me than anything else I owned. SCUM of the earth.

No, I would never shop at one.

I used to shop at cashies when DH and I just moved in together and needed things on the cheap.

of course they do, that's how they make their money and continue to thrive.

I feel funny about buying jewellry tho, not sure why but I find jewellry a person item that I'd never buy second hand.

I worked in a Cash Converters for nearly ten years.
They are not run by crooks. They are not raking it in and driving Ferraris. They do not (knowingly) sell stolen goods.
They do work closely with police. They are kept informed of any thefts in the area. They will take offenders to court. They will refuse to buy a suspected stolen item, and will call the police on someone who is attempting to sell something.
On one side they have people whinging that it is 'secondhand and should be cheaper' on the other side they have someone whinging that 'I've only had it a few years, it's worth more than that'. Can't have it both ways, I'm afraid.

They do have a pricing formula/structure and don't just price stuff willy nilly to rip people off.
They do have a lower socio economic customer base. People that don't have access to the internet, or may not even have the money to place an ad in the paper.
There is less risk of buying a stolen item from Cash Converters than there is from Ebay or your local paper. You need 100 points of ID to sell something at Cash Converters.

People sell (and loan on) things for all kinds of reasons. They are not all poor, nor bad people.

They don't prey on people.

How do the prey on people??

People need money and they know they will easily get it there straight away without having to run an ad in the paper or on ebay and wait a few weeks before it sells...

If i went in one and seen something i liked then yes i would buy it

I always feel a bit icky in them. I guess they serve a function, but they give people very crap prices for their items and onsel at a huge profit. I would rather give my money to second hand sellers directly.

I am 100 percent positive that more things that are stolen are sold on ebay than in pawns.
Why bother the risk of getting caught when you can sell if for any sucker on ebay?.
Some people sell it at Cashies because they simply want to get rid of it, not necessarily NEED to get rid of it.
I am always dragged in to pawns by my DH, he is in to retro gaming systems and games and pawns are a good place to get them. I get cheap DVds sometimes for Shauna.

We also bought a cheap second hand 'old fashioned' tv.
We are not willing to fork out heaps for a plasma yet at the current prices but didint want buy a new 'old fashioned'tv.
This tv will hopefully do for a couple of years until the 'other' ones come down..
I also have bought a cheap 'pie maker' for 8 dollars. I have used it once

Hadn't thought of it. I would have no issues with buying second hand anything so it might be worth a look.

I used to feel that way about 2nd hand wedding dresses. I made the incorrect assumption that everyone is as sentimental as me.

You don't know the reason that the jewellery has been sold to the pawnbroker. The previous owner of that engagement ring might be sooo glad that she didn't marry the guy for whatever reason. Just an example.

I don't really see it as being any different to Ebay.

You also might snag a bargain once you got a ring properly valued.