Ron the Death Eater: Mike and Frank have been the target of much vitriol over the way they buy items for pennies and sell them for a profit, sometimes for way much more than what they bought it for. note Often, the price seen on screen is what they will ask for it. That price actually leaves room for haggling when they sell it, so what's seen onscreen is not necessarily what they'll get for it. There is also the issue of transportation costs; hauling it back home in the van costs gas, while paying to ship larger items costs either freight postage, either of which increases their own costs considerably. It gets worse if they have to pay money to restore or repair an item before sale. Even factoring in all of that, this assumes that the item actually sells and doesn't sit in their shop indefinitely, and that's all in addition to the States and Federal taxes. They have to make a profit, after all, and there have been times when they step up and give a seller more than what they asked for because they know it's worth more and it's the fair thing to do. Despite this, their detractors demonize them. They do get it much less then their Pawn Stars counterparts, though, presumably since they frequently state their intended profit margin as part of the negotiation.
