11 Ways to Turn Your Old Junk into Cash

6) Find a Local Pawn Shop

While pawn shops are also a much quicker and local option, they will often undervalue your items and offer a small percentage of the actual worth if trying to sell outright. Pawn shops are great for unused gifts and items that weren’t necessarily purchased by you, however if you have an old great condition stereo system that you spent hundreds of dollars on, don’t expect to get a return on that investment. A pawn shop’s true purpose is providing collateral loans. For example, if you bring in an old wedding ring, a pawn shop will offer you a cash loan for a certain percentage of the item’s value. They keep the ring until the loan is paid back in full. If the loan is not paid in full, then they are free to sell the item, regardless of its worth.