Pawn shops are in the business of making a profit, and one way they can do this is by charging more for items than they paid for them. They also may charge additional fees for things like storage or insurance. Additionally, pawn shops often know that people who need money urgently will be more likely to accept a lower price for an item than to try to sell it themselves. So, they may offer a lower price than what the item is actually worth in order to make a sale.