The Great Backpack Mistake

A Case of Mistaken Location!
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Getting ready for a 9 month trip means lots of forward planning.  One of the most important tips that the guide books give is that you HAVE to travel light - but prepared.  With that in mind Denise and I have been putting some thought into the kind of backpacks that we will need - and decided yesterday to sell her slightly used backpack at Cash Crusaders (a franchised pawn shop here in South Africa).

We left it quite late in the day for a Saturday - it was about 16:00 when we arrived at the Somerset Mall Value Mart - and the shops were all closing.  So after a rushed parking job we dashed into the store (Denise did a great job convinving the security guard to let us in - big *Smiles* come in handy).

Rob & Denise Blunder at the Pawn Shop

The counter clerk was a young lady who we approached and asked what she thought we would be able to get for the backpack.  She looked a little confused but looked it over and said that she thinks a good benchmark would be the sales price of new ones at stores like Cape Union Mart.  Denise - always the keen negotiater - quickly agreed and said that they start at about R500.  The clerk agreed and said that she thought that would be fair!  We were amazed (thought we would get at most R250) and asked her what would be the next step - was someone going to value it formally and then give us the money?...

She looked at us for a moment - and then hesitantly suggested that we should perhaps try Cash Crusaders - next door!  We had dashed into the wrong shop!!  Sassi Clothing may well have some very helpful clerks but they have no idea what to do with two scatterbrains trying to flog an old backpack!! :)  Ah well - getting things mixed up in your own language and your own country must be good practice for the road.  The upshot is that we didn't make it to Cash Crusaders on time (we will go today - Sunday - instead) - but we did get one hell of a laugh out of it... once the blush of embarrasment receded!

Ok - update: we just got back and this time they were open and we went to the right place...problem number 2 we now decided not to sell :)  After trying a few of the alternatives at the Sportsmen's Warehouse it turns out that the one we have is actually quite comfortable and practical.  In addition our second experience at the Cash Crusaders was only marginally better than our first (see the review).