If I purchase from a pawn, and the owner recognizes his stolen instrument, he must go to the police to retrieve his instrument. I then show my reciept, and have due recourse against the pawn shop, who must (as the verified legal reciever of the stolen merchendise) refund my price. He then has recourse against his registered seller, and on down the line. While this does entail small claims court, you wont get your ax grabbed at the gig, and you won't be arrested, just keep your reciept. In the end, if the pawn shop knowingly recieved stolen merchandise, they'll be stung, if not they will get a judgment against ... etc. on down the line.
My problem with them is that they sell problematic, or just plain bad merchandise at inflated prices, while paying pennies on the dollar no matter what's being sold. Great if you can't sell your crap anywhere else, terrible if you've got to pay a bill, and the only thing you've got is your mint Les Paul Custom.
j.
