Shotgun Forum banner

Lx502 pawn shop price

6K views 40 replies 10 participants last post by  leftieD 
#1 ·
Hey guys,
I spotted a pretty decent looking Verona lx502 at a local pawn and was hoping to get some idea of what to pay. The wood has some dings in it, I wouldn't say excessive but yet pretty noticable, and has a high gloss finish. The barrels and all metal looked to be in very good shape, no pitting, rusting or even too many scratches. Silver reciever with lots of engraving and birds on it. It had screw in chokes, not sure if it came with any extra.

It's a 20 gauge and they're asking $599. I didn't know how low I should start out and maybe a max price. I was thinking $400, or should I go lower? And what about max?

Is there anything I should go check out and report back?? Thanks for your help with this!
 
#2 ·
Hmmm, well maybe to get some feedback, does anyone own a lx502 20 ga or very similar model (lx50X)? Would you buy another one? Have you had any issues with it?

I'm just trying to get some feedback before I invest in something that I don't know much about. Thanks!
 
#3 ·
I know nothing about Veronas but I do know pawn shops. They put ridiculous prices on the tag, at least double what their investment is. Sometimes 3 times their cost.

$400-450 is where you should end up after some haggling. This will save you some, yet make the shop a profit. After all, they have staff and overhead to pay.

I shop around every week at the pawn shops in my area. They are overstocked due to the economy and good brokers will let anything in inventory go at some profit to make room for more. If you end up paying 75% of the tag, you will have made both of you very happy.
 
#4 ·
I have one of these. Great guns. The 20ga is on a 20ga frame so its light and easy to carry. They went for $599 new when I got mine. would I buy another one? well this was the "other one". I bought a LX 502 12ga first.

I would check the choke tubes to make sure their not stuck.

Start as low as you want on the price. I would pay the $599 if they dont budge.

These guns are made by F.A.I.R in Italy. They also made the Savage Milano and Cortona guns. Legacy Sports are importing Verona now.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the advice GKMAC. I went and checked out the gun again yesterday and didn't end up getting it. I got one tube out but the second one wouldn't budge, it looked depressed down a little more than flush, maybe a 1/32. And the rib, between 2 posts, was bent way down, so it had a big dip in the rib. Not to mention the thing was completely filthy, awful filthy. The reciever had gunk all built up and powder flakes in it. And he wouldn't move from his $599 price so I walked out.

I hate it when pawn shop guys get all errogant and pushy. He kept saying that its an expensive gun and was $1300 new and should be worth $1000. He also said that it will be gone soon and if it's still there in October that he would take less for it. I know I could have cleaned it, broke the choke tube loose and probably bent the rib back, but I can't stand dealing with guys that will tell you lies just to move a piece of merch.
 
#7 ·
Sorry your guy was pushy KS, but I'm not sure he was lying to you. The $1300 that was quoted to you for the Verona is what what the book value MSRP is listed at. If the clerk is a "pawn guy" and not a "gun gun" he'll rely on the blue book more than someone who has gun knowledge/experience. The book tells the clerk stuff like "manufactured by F.A.I.R., Fausti, and Pietta" and they get excited when they add that to the MSRP of what it was new. Relying on the book only though makes people miss a major point- The LX 50x (replace x with 1/2/3/4 for differences covered here) might have had an MSRP above 1.3k but they never seemed to sell at that price. In Northern Virginia (my area) you'd always see them on sale for 650ish. They are amazing guns for that price. Heck they are great guns for $1300 honestly.

If you can stomach dealing with the clerk this may be a time for a really great deal. As evbutler mentioned it's most likely marked up 2-3x's their buy in price. So haggle using the flaws you know. Tell them stuck chokes mean you'll need to buy new ones ($100 for a set of Trulocks chokes and a tool), bent post, major handling marks and lack of cleaning shows lack of care. Tell him it's clear this it was a field gun (nothing wrong with field guns but they are used so they get... well used :) ) and offer him $300. Set your cap at $350-$400. If you get it for that the gun will never be worth less. Adding the trulocks and cleaning will add value also.

Shot the snot out of it and if you get to NOVA and want to unload it, I'm in Falls Church 8) . I'm kicking myself for letting a 502 slip through my chubby fingers last spring.
 
#8 ·
Jack gave some good advice. Use it and get that gun for around $375-400. If the guy won't haggle, don't get an attitude. Just tell him that the offer stands and give him your phone number. Don't go over $425, though. That gun needs some work. You might be able to use it as is, but ask for the pawn shop manager or owner. Do your haggling with him only, not a clerk. Clerks don't have much leeway.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll go down there again and take another stab at it. When I went, I brought $500 cash, ready to pay him. But since I've never haggled at a pawn shop I wasn't quite sure where to start, so money (or that I had cash) never came up, just that he said that he wasn't going to budge when I asked if the price was firm.
When I go back, I'll tell him that I'm dealing with cash in hand and I'll offer him $300. I guess if he still won't budge at all, then I'll say that $400 is my best offer and leave my phone number. Does that sound like a decent approach?
I've never tore down a shotgun like this one is going to need, so that will be fun & a good learning experience, if I do end up getting it. I'm pretty mechanically minded and love to take things apart and put them back together, so that whole idea doesn't scare me.
 
#10 ·
Try it but don't expect him to budge. He already knows you want the gun badly.
 
#14 ·
I would recomend this gun all day long-but. It sounds like this gun has been abused and neglected. That doesnt mean its junk, just lowers the value. The dent in the rib sounds like it took a good hard fall.

Since he want to push the "value" of this gun I'd contact Basil Slaughter. He is the factory trained gunsmith for F.A.I.R shotguns. I think he is/was the warrenty gunsmith for all versions of F.A.I.R guns - Verona,Milano,Cortona. Get a price for the repairs.
 
#15 ·
I went back in to check on the ole 502 today... I had my cash and offered him $450, but he wouldn't go under $550. I talked to a different person today, so I don't know exactly who the owner is, but he did come down $50 on it. I'm not sure if it was because I had cash or he was just coming down.

I'm liking the gun more and more everytime I look at it. Sure, it is terribly dirty inside, it needs a good cleaning, but I scoped the barrels with a light and they looked great. There is no rust and the one bent rib isn't that noticable, which I would try to fix. The wood is dinged up just enough that I wouldn't feel bad if I accidentally added another, but it's not so bad that I would be embarrassed of it.

I guess I'm trying to talk myself into paying $550 for it... I think my plan now is to wait another 2 weeks, go in and offer $475, then maybe I can take it home for $500.
 
#16 ·
When you have worn the clerks down, ask for the manager. They know that you want the gun and they can hold out longer than you can. They feel that you will give in.

Don't, unless you really want the gun more than you have shown thus far.
 
#17 ·
For reference, I traded in a 12 ga. LX500 (low-end extractor only model) in a swap for a Dickinson SxS 20 gauge. The Verona had a long spacer for LOP, crappy pad, and had a few poly finish problems from bumps and dings during shooting outings. No barrel damage or rib damage. Nothing that couldn't be made right. Did the deed with Cabela's and they offer about 50% retail on trades. I got $300 which I thought was on the low end of fair. I did better on my nearly new 20 gauge Mossberg Silver Reserve that I also traded in which broke even, more or less, at $350. Both had their factory boxes. I paid $500 for the Verona way back when and got such a great deal on my new SxS that I was happy overall with the deal.
 
#18 ·
evbutler said:
Don't, unless you really want the gun more than you have shown thus far.
What I "really want" is a small framed, light 20 ga to be used in the field that is of decent enough quality that it will still be around when my 1st born can shoot it, in about 10-12 years. And I don't want to pay much more than $50 for it.
Decent quality by the standards of this forum, not necessarily my own. I don't know well enough yet.
 
#20 ·
Unless you buy used, there's not much new in the $500 range, in the way of SxS or O/U, that will be alive and kicking a generation from now. A Huglu from CZ (with 5 year warranty) might get you there if you bought a closeout from CDNN with decent Turkish walnut. But resale value if you decide to sell will be a small portion of the purchase price on that one. These days $500 doesn't get you past an opening ante in these guns. Blue chip guns are many 1000's of $'s. A realistic low-end purchase price for a decent gun is $2,000 and that may be used or a closeout. I just purchased a Dickinson 20 gauge SxS at closeout from Cabela's. This is the same or 99.99% the same Turk AKUS made gun that Smith & Weston was selling as their Elite Gold SxS. Asking price before trade-ins and horse trading was $1399. That was still discounted by about $1K from S&W's retail price.
 
#21 ·
leftieD said:
Unless you buy used, there's not much new in the $500 range, in the way of SxS or O/U, that will be alive and kicking a generation from now...
Thanks for this information, but it doesn't help me much, for this topic. This converstaion is about buying a well used Verona from a pawn shop and how much this particular gun might be worth paying for. I have no interest in a SxS or a brand new gun. But again, thanks for your interest, opinion and information; I just might need it someday in my long, shotgun-buying future.
 
#22 ·
See if he will split the difference. Go ahead and bite the bullet. Do it!! {hs#

You might never run across a gun that gets your interest like this one.
 
#23 ·
I agree. All this talk and no action is making me antsy.. and if I don't do it soon, I'll be over it, and we don't want that!

But really, it's already on my calendar, I'm going back on Tuesday, after the holiday. But, now that I think about it, this holiday might bring a buyer in that's not me! I hope not..
 
#24 ·
Grown men don't cry. Yet, you may be sad next week. Dove season starts here tomorrow.

Do you dove hunt?
 
#25 ·
I do dove hunt but unfortunately don't have a place to go around the KC area, I grew up in central KS. I would be going back to hunt w/the inlaws but with our first one the way, due this month, I won't be taking the 4 hour drive for a weekend hunt this year. I'll be doing good to hunt birds around the Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top