There's your baby's first steps, first words and first tooth. Potty training, learning to read, and learning to ride a bicycle. All huge milestones as parents gauge the growth of their children. But my son Nathan and I enjoyed an all too often overlooked milestone: his first solo trip into the pawn shop.

Nathan needed new guitar strings, and I didn't want to get out of the car with two other kids. So I decided it was time to send my young teenage son in for his first negotiation session with a pro. It took stops at three different shops before the lad was able to get the deal he wanted, but he finally got what he needed, at the price he wanted to pay! Here's the whole story, as told by Nathan.

When you think about it, negotiating a deal is a pretty important life lesson. And I suppose that just like anything, the younger you learn, the better. I was around 23 when I made my first deal at a pawn shop, and it didn't go nearly as well for me. Nathan got a great deal on a brand new item that he needed. I'm so proud!

Do you buy, sell, pawn or trade at pawn shops? What advice would you share with someone who is ?

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