Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda Tries Selling at a Pawn Shop

Now it’s time to go to the pawn shop!

I’ve loved clothes for as long as I can remember, and whenever my “cuteness sensor” inside me reacts to a piece of clothing, I instantly purchase it. When I was younger, I would happily wear clothes made of inexpensive materials with rough stitching without hesitation.

However, in my late 30s, I started feeling like I couldn’t exude that “proper adult vibe” unless the clothes were made from high-quality fabrics and crafted carefully. As a result, the cost of the items I bought naturally increased. Because of this, I found myself with a lot of clothes I couldn’t part with, even though I wasn’t wearing them. My closet became packed. Since I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away, I decided to try selling them instead, and went to a pawn shop.

I headed to Ginza, a district famous for its many pawn shops. Wanting to get the highest price, I planned to visit a few stores, compare their offers, and sell the items at the shop that gave me the best price.

The items I planned to sell and their original purchase prices were as follows:

(1) Hermes sandals (about 170,000 yen)
(2) Hermes sandals (approximately ¥150,000)
(iii) Manolo Blahnik pumps (approximately ¥150,000)
(4) Christian Dior dress (approx. ¥800,000)
(5) Christian Dior long pants (approximately ¥150,000)

All of these were popular items that sold out quickly in stores, even though they were standard products. I had long admired them, saved up money, and after a fateful encounter, I bought them for my closet, almost feeling like I was jumping off a cliff.

But years had passed, and I hadn’t been able to use them because I felt they were too precious. Now, I couldn’t bring myself to use them, so they had just been sitting in my closet, gathering dust. Since they were still quite popular, I expected to get a decent amount for them.

Now, what strategy should I use? At large pawn shops, many people probably bring in similar items frequently, which means the assessment value would be lower.

On the other hand, at smaller pawn shops, fewer people would bring in items, and they would likely want popular products so much that they would be willing to offer a higher price. With that in mind, I decided to go to a small pawn shop that I had never heard of before.

The store had a quiet, black-themed interior. After being led into a private room and seated, a young, beautiful woman entered. As I took out my items and laid them on the table, she carefully picked them up one by one and asked why I was selling them. (Could the price depend on my answer?) I quickly realized I couldn’t think of a good lie, so I decided to tell the truth.

She was silent for a moment, typing away on her computer. Staring at the screen, she said, “Especially with clothes, the prices tend to be a bit lower” and then proceeded to announce the appraisal price.

Psychological battle over the assessed value!

The price was (1) 25,000 yen, (2) 30,000 yen, (3) 20,000 yen, (4) 12,000 yen, and (5) 8,000 yen. As the saleswoman had said, items 4 and 5 were surprisingly low, which caught me off guard. Then she asked, “Are you planning to visit a few other shops afterward?” (She knows!) I panicked a bit and replied honestly, “Yes I plan to visit a few more places for a bit of social learning.”

She then explained, “To be honest, the market value is pretty much the same across the board. It’s all the same network of buyers, so the prices won’t differ much.”

At that point, I thought, “Well, the items are heavy, and maybe I should just sell them here.” But just as I was about to decide, she quickly added, “If you decide to go ahead with us, I’ll check if I can get the price a little higher for you.”

I was happy and immediately replied, “Yes! Please, go ahead and check.”

But as she left to check, I started second-guessing myself. “Wait, am I sure this is the right choice?” The part of me that had agreed earlier tried to justify it, but the other side of me was saying, “No, don’t settle yet!”

Before she returned with the updated offer, I gathered my courage and said, “Please don’t tell me! If I hear it, I’ll feel like I’m breaking my promise. I’m really sorry, but I’d like to visit a few more shops as planned for some social learning!” I said this out loud, firmly in my decision.

She then responded, “Wait! We were able to raise the offer for items 1 and 2 by 5,000 yen each. Is that not acceptable?”

But I steeled myself and said, “Sorry!” I quickly gathered my items and rushed out of the store.

Now, what will I do next?

© Kazuki Shimomura

Aika Kanda was born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left NHK in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently appears regularly as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

 

Her first book, “ Where are you going on the road called Royal Road? is now on sale by popular demand!

From “FRIDAY” May 9, 16, and 23, 2025