Pawn Shop Employees Are Sharing Items That Are Actually Worthless And I'm At A Loss For Words

    Utterly gobsmacked.

    Ehis Osifo
    by Ehis Osifo

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Whether it be signed sports memorabilia, family heirlooms, or lucky tchotchkes, everybody has items in their possession that they believe to be worth A LOTTA CASH!

    NBC

    WELL, pump the brakes, people, because Reddit user TheRedWarrior137 asked the pawn shop employees of the world, "What is something people think is collectible or worth a lot of money, but is actually relatively worthless?" Lemme tell ya, these replies will have you clutching your pearls.

    Comedy Central

    Here are some of the most shocking responses:

    1. Swarovski crystals

    Extra

    "People don't seem to understand that it's glass and not some kind of semi-precious gem. That said, their beads are high quality and it shows in your work if you do that kind of stuff. But I can imagine that they're worthless to a pawn shop!"

    —herrhiskelig

    2. Used laptops

    FOX

    "I used to flip computers and people could not understand that their used, broken computers were not worth the $500 they originally paid for it."

    —runed_golem

    3. Televisions

    Wiseau-Films

    "[We] get a ton of people bringing TVs in thinking they're going to get 100+ dollars, but the market is so oversaturated, you're most likely gonna get less than $50 even for your 60-inch TV."

    —CheckmateNeet

    4. State quarters

    Universal

    "A full set of state quarters. So many grandmas think a full book with all the state quarters are priceless. They're worth exactly as much as 50 x 0.25."

    —thehogdog

    5. Diamond rings

    Warner Bros.

    "Yeah you paid thousands, but it's worth considerably less."

    —Routine_Condition

    6. Autographed baseball memorabilia

    FOX

    "Baseball autographs after 1935. Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle... yeah they signed thousands of things."

    —HyruleJedi

    7. Guitars

    NBC

    "...Even if it's from a major brand like Gibson or Fender...most guitars lose 50% of their value the moment you purchase them."

    —BoxofLazers

    8. China sets

    Fox Searchlight

    "Just a friendly reminder that no one wants to buy your great-grandmother's china set."

    —ItsaChipmunk

    9. Silverware

    Disney

    "Almost all of it is just plated. And even 90% silver is not worth much unless you've got some weight."

    —OneInfinith

    10. Books

    Disney

    "So many people couldn't grasp that if we are selling a book for $3, it means we would buy it for way less than that. They'd haul in a box of trash expecting a grand payday."

    —Much_Difference

    11. Watches

    BBC

    "Brands like Fossil, Michael Kors, Citizen, etc. cost you over $100 at stores like Macy’s, but we typically sell them for about $40 (even in like-new condition). When something goes from New to Used, the value of said item goes down a lot."

    —snewing

    12. Beanie Babies

    FOX

    "[There] are piles of them in thrift stores and pawn shops. It's all worthless."

    —SaraAB87

    13. Comic books

    Warner Bros.

    "They're usually not worth more than a couple bucks unless you go really far back, like '50s and '60s. Even then, they need to be in excellent condition — a few scuffs around the edges and a bit of fading can easily make a $1000 book worth $50."

    —PmButtPics4ADrawing

    14. Vinyl records

    Fox Searchlight

    "People think that old records are worth a lot but they're just taking up space. Only rare and highly sought after records have value."

    —FinalRewind

    15. Finally, anything considered a "collectable" item:

    Columbia Pictures

    "'Collectible' items. Just because your Dale Earnhardt 2-in-1 bidet and water bottle says it's 'collectible' doesn't mean that anyone wants it."

    —defaultuser42