UK vs USA prices

Hi All, I'm new here so please be gentle

Apologies if this is in the wrong place or not the right sort of question.

I am going on a trip to Las Vegas later in the year and I was wondering what sort of items are more popular in the USA than they are in the UK? It's a strange/sad reason that I am asking, I watch the programme Pawn Stars quite a lot and would love to take something into the shop to sell while I am there and ideally would like to not lose money on it so I'm looking for ideas on small things to take.

Thanks

 

Welcome Pedro........No opinion here, but wait a bit for others to see your post.

 

From what I've read online a lot of that show is staged. They apparently invite collectors and antique dealers directly to offer them neat looking stuff. I'm not sure what chance a walk-in on a filming day would have to appear on the show. A few coin dealers from a coin forum (Collectors Universe) have been on the show but they can't say much about the process due to a non-disclosure agreement they signed. I believe they were directly invited after producers saw their an exhibit of theirs.

The shop itself is a tourist trap mostly selling branded items from the show, not many antiques or collectables.

 

I'm not bothered about being on TV (been there done that ) just wanted to visit and wondered if there was a chance of breaking even on something I took with me

 

They tend to like the unusual and the historical. I take it that you are in the UK? Maybe something related to the British rock invasion of the 60s would be something you could purchase there for less than you can here. Any old Beatles posters from the Cavern Club laying about? .... Just kidding but you get the idea.

Think about what might be well known and popular here that you could buy there for less. Although the royal family is popular here, it would need to be something special to get the attention. We have enough HRH commemorative plates. Other things to think about: British car memorabilia, British transportation (Steamships, Concorde, etc.), Historical documents relating to shared history, (Colonization related documents, WWII material, etc.), Old toys not as readily available here. Remember that our history doesn't go back nearly as far so most things truly old (300 years or more) should be of interest.

 

I'd think about antiquities: you can pick up Roman stuff cheaply. Or English Civil War stuff.

 

it's a pawn shop.....so whatever u bring in ,. make sure you got it for pennies....or pence !

& since it's called the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop........any gold or silver will attract attention !

 

Possibly US ephemera, something that probably sells better in US than UK.

 

Any true oddball bits that you pick up for not much. Pottery items are off the boil here these days, but if you have access to old British-issue video games bring 'em!

 

So it sounds like you are hoping to import from the IS to the UK right?

Let me give you my experience as I import from the UK to the US

U.K. Items are at a premium in the US (thank you pbs). You will pay more for them in the US than in the U.K. So avoid anything UK. (Beatles etc).

I'd go with unique uS items like civil war memorabilia. You will drop a pretty piece of change, as I do for UK antiquities, but I make my money on the fact that you can't get them here....

Not an antiquity, but here's an example. I sell silver sixpence (1900 too 1947) for 29.95 us. 1800 too 1899 for 49.85. Pre in the hundreds. I don't pay that for them. I sell them daily.

I bought a 16th century box in the uk for around six hundred pounds. Sold five thousand.

Just some random thoughts that might help.....think civil war or elvis But buy elsewhere. They are a tourist trap beyond belief.

 

i'm not seeing that.....

he says....."and would love to take something into the shop to sell"....from home !

 

That's what I read too. British silver jewelry can do nicely here too, but it has to be the right thing.

 

If you did have anything good that might fetch a decent price, I'd offer it absolutely anywhere except a shop that has no real interest in selling stuff, except in an entertainment context and where they have more than enough stuff already.

Personally I'd rather go to Arizona. Plenty to see that is not tacky, and if you must throw your money away, the Grand Canyon is waiting to be filled up.

 

That's my take too, but he asked.... It's fun to watch them, but you know at least half of that show is staged. I only sell things in pawn shops if I got them for pennies on the dollar and am willing to take dimes on the dollar. Precious metals go down well, but I have to buy well under scrap weight and then sell for slightly more. Selling scrap gold or run of the mill jewelry on Egads just isn't worth the effort.

 

Rick loves books , so bring an old book on English guns because he loves guns also , he can talk about both because he does love to hear himself talk .

 

He'd love the guns too, but I don't even want to think about getting one through Customs at this point.

 

Thanks for all this, its given me a lot to think about.
I'm not bothered about making a fortune I just wanted to go to the shop and after seeing what they pay for things and then sell them on for I definitely don't want to buy anything there
I live in a really old house in the UK (the newest part was built in the 1700's) so will see if we have any old books that I could take but failing that I will see if I can pick up anything cheap around the local auctions.

 

Blimey. I can buy sixpences here for under a dollar each.