Pawn Versus Sell : The Pros and Cons Guide
Introduction
When you need to release the value held in your luxury assets, selling them might be the first option that springs to mind. However, pawning your assets allows you to release the value held in them without losing ownership of them. Here, we look at the difference between pawning and selling as we check out the pros and cons of pawn vs sell.
1. Advantages of Pawning
Retain ownership of your valuables
When you sell your luxury item, you instantly lose ownership of it. When you pawn or loan against an asset, you leverage the value held in your asset while retaining ownership throughout the loan period. Pawnbrokers hold your asset in secure storage and return it to you at the end of the loan period.
Read our Pawnbroking for Beginners Guide for more information.
No affordability or credit checks
Pawning assets is a quick and streamlined process. A discrete process, pawning doesn’t require any affordability or credit checks. There is no impact on your credit score. Pawn shops are agile and can move quickly from valuing your luxury assets to transferring loan funds.
Access to funds the same day
Another advantage of pawning vs selling is that pawn shops plan for every eventuality. When you pawn, rather than sell, your asset, you open the door to high levels of funding that can be in your account within 24 hours. Valuations are quick and at high end pawn shops, they take into account the current market rate of your asset and recent sale records, not just weights and measures, to provide you with a more accurate loan offer.
2. Drawbacks of Pawning
Lose your valuables if you don’t repay the loan
As with any pawn loan, you could lose your asset if you’re unable to repay the loan at the end of the agreed loan period. This is stated in the pledge agreement you sign with the pawnbroker. However, clients can contact the pawnbroker they took the pledge out with if they are finding the repayment problematic, as they may be something they can do to help.
Lose possession of the valuables for the duration of the loan
When pawning valued assets, they will be held securely by the pawnbroker as security against your loan, and you will not be able to access them during the loan period. Pawnbrokers return items to in the same condition they were received, with most pawnbrokers taking extremely good care of all assets. Having stored them securely and unlike selling your asset, pawnbrokers will be delighted to return them to you at the end of your loan.
Valuables may not be accepted as collateral for a pawn loan
When considering the difference between pawn and sell, pawnbrokers offer valuations on many different types of high end assets, from supercars to handbags and jewellery. However, not all high value assets are not suitable to act as collateral. This may be due to their size, location, condition or provenance. In addition, many high end pawnbrokers often have a minimum loan amount of £500 to £1000.
3. Advantages of Selling
Get slightly more money for your valuables
Many people wonder do you get more money for pawning or selling. When selling, rather than pawning, assets, you will be seeking full market value for your item. For pawn loans, the loan amount is usually a percentage of the total value of the asset. This is known as the loan to value or LTV.
No repayments like a loan
Selling your luxury assets allows you to secure funding in one transaction without having to make loan repayments by a date. If you are unsure of whether you would be able to repay the loan and interest, retrieving the value held in your asset permanently may be the best option for you.
Quickly sell valuables you no longer want
Some valuables are merely investments that need to return a profit, or you may own items that you no longer want or need. Selling lets you release the value held in them and move forward without having to take care of the items anymore.
4. Drawbacks of Selling
You lose your valuables forever
Once sold, you will lose those assets forever. Often, financial shortfalls can happen unexpectedly and selling, rather than pawning, springs to mind first. Selling means that your ownership is at an end. This can be particularly hard with a treasured or rare valuable.
Selling for the highest price can take a long time
The difference between sell and pawn often comes down to the speed at which you can transact. While pawning is fast and discreet, seeking the highest price may involve auctions or selling through a marketplace, such as eBay – and there’s no guarantee that holding out will secure you the best outcome.
You may have to pay seller or auction commissions
As well as stretching the sales process out, both marketplaces like eBay and auction houses command commissions and/or fees upon the sale of your item. It’s important to understand what costs are involved before deciding to sell.
Who are we?
Suttons and Robertsons is a long-established pawnbroker in London. In fact, we’ve been offering pawnbroking loan valuations and purchase offers on luxury assets for over 250 years. Established in 1770, we’ve been in operation since before many of the world’s best-known luxury jewellery watchmaking brands even existed. As a brand, we’ve witnessed Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega and Breitling arrive on the scene. When it comes to luxury jewellers, such as Cartier, Graff and Tiffany, only Boodles, the family brand from Liverpool, comes close with an established in date of 1798. We know how it feels to be proud of a brand that can stand the test of time. Experience, knowledge and reputation run in seams down through our timeline.
Suttons and Robertsons has four shops in London;
As a pawnbroker, Suttons and Robertsons offers same-day valuations against jewellery, watches, gold, diamonds and many other luxury assets. We also understand how important it can be to access released funds quickly so we can often have funds in your account within 24 hours of approval.
The Suttons and Robertsons name has long been associated with honest, reliable, fair pawnbroking loans – it remains at the core of everything we do. We offer pawnbroking loans secured against luxury assets, such as high-end watches and jewellery, gold, classic and supercars, artworks and designer handbags. We look forward to valuing your item, either in one of our four London stores or online.