The Unexpected Items That Are Illegal For Pawn Brokers To Accept In Delaware

Delaware: Yet another state no one remembers. Can you even point at it on a map? Not unless you look for the oddly right-angled southwestern corner opposite the wriggly coastline on the peninsula south of New Jersey. Yes, that long strip of endless Atlantic Ocean beaches, boardwalks, and, let's say, people in cargo shorts strolling with ice cream or fries in hand. But more important than Delaware's quaint present is its important past. Delaware was dubbed the "First State" because it was the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1776, and Thomas Jefferson dubbed it the "Diamond State" because it was a "jewel" along the coast. But most importantly of all, if you lose a mechanical limb in Delaware you've got no worries that it's going to wind up in a pawn shop in downtown Wilmington or whatever.

That is indeed one of the Delaware's strange laws. Per Delaware Law Code, Title 24 § 2307, "Prohibited transactions" covers a whole bunch of "no no" circumstances regarding pawn shop purchases. Pawn brokers can't buy stuff from drunk people, for instance, or stuff that's in its original packaging (without a receipt). They also can't buy stuff from people under 18 unless that minor is recycling aluminum cans, for some reason. Unless the minor has an adult with them and isn't selling a catalytic converter, that is. This is all oddly specific and speaks to some weird happenings in the annals of Delawarean pawn shop history. But relatedly and more pertinently, pawn brokers also can't accept any artificial limbs or wheelchairs. 

It would be quite the scene, right? A dude strolls into a pawn shop in Delaware, drops a mechanical leg on the counter, and says, "Hey, this use to be part of my grandma. How much do you want for it? Don't worry, she's dead." Or maybe it was just a dated prosthetic and the market for last-gen, second-hand legs isn't as robust as it used to be. We've got no clue. 

But no matter how we cut it, Delaware's law against pawn brokers buying artificial limbs does prevent a lot of macabre happenings from happening. Then again, there's no rationale for this law given anywhere, anti-macabre or otherwise. On Coastal Point, law librarian Janet Lindenmuth points to the law's original 1907 creation back when folks wore wooden prosthetics. At the time, the law also prevented pawn brokers from buying laborer's tools. How this stipulation connects to the present law if at all, remains unknown.

But like we said, statute § 2307 also prohibits pawn brokers from buying wheelchairs. This part is a bit of a head-scratcher, as the law clumps wheelchairs with artificial limbs. We could make a gag that Delaware's got a thing against cyborgs, but the truth is that lots of people could undoubtedly benefit from buying a second-hand, cheaper wheelchair. But no worries, good folks of Delaware: There's always Craigslist. Judging by the quantity of used wheelchair options, online sites like Craigslist seem to have dodged the "pawn shop" category in Delaware law. Buy at your own risk, though. It's Craigslist, after all.

To be fair, Delaware Law Code, Title 24 § 2307 covers a lot of items that are illegal for pawn brokers in Delaware to buy. Artificial limbs and wheelchairs make up just one point out of points "a" through "i." And, many of those points have detailed sub-points. We already mentioned pawn brokers not accepting things from minors unless accompanied by parents, except for catalytic converters. They're totally forbidden unless an adult sells one under one of three stipulations like being an authorized "automotive recycler licensed under Chapter 75 of Title 21." Jeez.

Then again, there's a pattern that emerges from § 2307, one which points in an odd direction: scrap metal. Point "d" is all about banning pawnbrokers from buying various kinds of metal that can be scrapped. This includes "metal bleachers," "metal beer kegs," "cemetery urns," "grave markers," "guardrails," "manhole covers," "tree grates," and more. It's forbidden for a pawk broker to buy these unless a seller comes from a "relevant business" or related branch of the government. Oh, and did we mention that there are more rules after this regarding catalytic converters? This is getting obsessive, Delaware. Then again, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has prohibited the use of used converters since 1988. So maybe that's why.

But regarding scrap metal: Could it be that there are concerns that artificial limbs and wheelchairs could be dismantled for scrap, and that's why it's illegal for pawn brokers to buy them? No clue. Regardless, prosthetic wearers rejoice: Now you can just place your old limb on a shelf and admire it.