Check out our monthly auctions at TotallyWestern.com
PAWN: What is "Pawn" or "Dead Pawn?" Technically, it just means an item which has been "pawned" and let go (not paid for) by the owner. The Trading Post or Pawn Shop then resells the item to get their money back. A lot of people associate dead pawn with vintage or antique Native American Indian jewelry. This is not always the case. Not all old Indian Jewelry has been "pawned" and "lost," and not all Indian Jewelry that has been “pawned” and “lost” is necessarily old.
"Old Pawn" on the other hand, traditionally referred to the personal jewelry certain Natives used to leave on "Pawn" with the trading post "back in the day." This was their personal jewelry and therefore thought of as being of higher quality. On some occasions, the person lost this jewelry for non-payment. Then buyers would come in looking for some of that "old pawn" jewelry (because they thought it was made better than the stuff made for the tourists). However, the words "old pawn" are often now interchange with "dead pawn" or just "pawn." The word "pawn" does not describe the age of a piece.
At Western Trading Post, when we use the terms “pawn” or “dead pawn,” it simply means the item has come out of pawn at some point. If we say "old pawn," it means an older item which has come out of pawn at some point. We try to describe the approx. age of a piece using words like contemporary (1980s to now) or “vintage” (1970s and 60s) or “old” (1950s or earlier and “antique” (approaching 100 years old, circa 1920s or earlier).