Toronto Photography Meetup Group

His a cranky old man with an obvious drink problem, you must have annoyed him by asking too many questions or maybe he thought you were a time-wasting window shopper... But anyway, there is nothing in that shop which cannot be bought far more cheaply through online sources. Secondly, those pawnshops are mostly fronts for Russian mafia types and the goods on display are mostly stolen.

My own personal experience in that shop has been ok. I went there once and he was nice to me, in fact he even told me his friend had just died and that's why he was drinking. He also give me some tips which showed he was fully aware of used camera market prices.

btw, if you really want the item badly, go back, he won't remember you... but if you did buy something from there just keep in mind that its most probably stolen.

Too late. I drove by on Queens today and it looked like both pawnshops were closed and shuttered. The one in question seems to have white paper up on all the windows. The pizza place on the corner was closed as well. Probably the block is about to become another condo tower, because we don't have enough of them in the city.

DG

I think we need to watch out for this Holly chick. Complains about 1 place and within days it's shut down. I think she's got some connections we don't want to know about :p

never mess with a made woman

That's me... trouble with a capital T.

The Pizza place is now a Shawarma King, signs are up in the windows and reno is underway. No condo tower coming yet.

i was in there a couple of months ago and saw a woman trying to buy a film spool i think and he was so rude i decided to turn around and just leave i saw the same lady a while later at downtown camera and they gave her the spool for free go figure

Nevertheless, it is funny being kicked out of a pawnshop. lol

Gino's pizza is gone! ..... where am I going to go now for rude pizza customer service

That guy sounds like a modern day Clint Eastwood

for rude service try Papa Ceo pizza at college and harbord.

"Git off my pawn!!!"

I was in that shop Saturday as I was shopping for a unique watch, and we had a good intellectual conversation about why people still buy watches when they now use their cellphones to tell the time. Now he didn't have the style of watch I was looking for so I didn't get the opportunity to buy from him.

Actually, the most excitment I had in pawn shop that day was in McTamneys...one of the staff had plugged in an amp when suddenly there was the sound of repeated firecrackers or gunshots being fired. Looking towards the sound far in the back of the store I could see the amp with both blue sparks and orange flame as well as smoke...the explosions continued until the plug was pulled.

What was interesting in all this was no one dove for the floor, thinking it might be gun fire...if it was in one of the gun happy States everyone would have been on the floor; here, no one even thought about ducking!

I saw a STORE CLOSING SIGN on the place... so that's what happened there.

He treats everybody the same so don't take it personally...for, at least, the past 20 years I've been stopping by. He's long forgotten you. I recently bought an +9 SB28 from him for $60.... when he tells you go f#$k yourself just show him the money.

The buildings sold and he has to be out sometime in July.

Been there as well.
Actually had a rather amusing time there. He was obviously drunk and like others, he didn't want to really deal with me because he didn't think 1) I knew about film cameras as I was obviously too young for them 2) knew much about photography in general.
Well, 2 is probably more true than not sadly but I did know enough 'data' about the subject so was able to 'discuss' with him. Course it probably helped that I was only interested in Russian cameras (Zorki's, Fed's) since he went on and on about it...and even had a rather lengthy and passionate argument with a friend who walked in about the history of Zorki's and Fed's. His friend was also obviously drunk. Was rather amusing. He shoed off a couple who was looking for SLR's, though they definitely did fit #2. Finally did get to see the Zorki he had on hand though that was probably more because of his friend helping me out. Just to find out it was pure trash/broken and he wanted some crazy price for it. Still, interesting just being there because the old man was drunk and totally off the rocker.
Interesting thing was some guy came in, haggled with the guy and bought a bunch of power tools saying he really needed them blah blah blah. Bought the tools and went out...just to see him walking out of another pawn shop a couple stores down without 'said' needed power tools.
Never really bothered with pawn shops after that since it's much easier going online and much cheaper. Plus you generally don't get treated like dirt. Still, amusing day to be in a store with two really drunk (and still drinking...in front of customers), loud, rude old men who don't seem to actually want to make money.

Actually the whole block of pawn shops on Queen are closing down/relocating...wonder what's happening.

BTW, the one being talked about above was featured in an episode of TekWar.

I wonder if a Condo company is making them offers they can't refuse...

That would be my guess

Lmao.... same treatment for everyone I see.

Lots of for-rent signs there last I saw, so if a condo, not that quickly.