It’s a long struggle of which is better: the big-city or small-town lifestyle? While it may be similar to the old adage, pawn shops and many other stores that stock secondhand items are going to differ greatly based on where they are. That’s not to mention their populations and the local economies, making this debate a lot more quantifiable than general preference.

Which should you pick? Let’s take a look.

Big City Pawn Shops

Pros

The biggest advantage of big-city pawn shops? Their access to a larger population, with a wider variety of items. They may have more to sell on any given day.

Bigger pawn shops and specialty pawn shops are more likely to be competitive in these environments, so they can stand out from the rest. This allows for precise shopping and selling, like jewelry specialty pawn shops.

Additionally, prices are likely to be in the customer’s favor. You can have more options for pursuing a pawn shop loan by shopping around.

Cons

Any strange or interesting finds are more likely to be scooped up very quickly by collectors. That’s not to mention people looking to resell to a targeted audience, rather than the general population that a pawn shop serves.

This can also exasperate the issue of a generic inventory, with repeat items that just aren’t desirable to collectors or general populations. You can always find the same thing anywhere else.

In bigger cities, you run the risk of accidentally buying stolen goods. While pawn shops don’t set out to resell stolen items, some stuff may fall under the radar. Finding reported items is difficult, as the description may be generic or it may lack any kind of identification number.

Little City Pawn Shops

Pros

Though lacking the variety of big-city pawn shops, a little-city or small-town pawn shop is far more likely to reflect the local culture. As such, it’ll include niche items that the local population isn’t interested in buying or can’t afford. This ensures collectors touring around may find some rare items.

For local residents, this lack of constant turnaround can also be a boon. In case of a loan being defaulted or not paid back in time, you have a better chance of returning later and buying back your stuff, rather than returning to find it already gone.

Cons

Based on statistics alone, a town may not have many pawn shops. This gives them the upper hand in any negotiations, especially regarding loans. After all, you don’t have the ability to walk away in favor of a better deal or the possibility of a better deal.

You’ll also find the prices slightly higher, since they have to cover expenses while selling fewer items.

With all that said, the biggest con of a little city pawn shop is the lack of variety in their stock. While you might find those rarer items or come across more antiques, these pawn shops generally lack a broad inventory. Things just get shuffled around a smaller community.