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Last night’s episode of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta was one for the history books.  There was a lot of drama popping off between most of the cast members. K. Michelle questioned Ariane’s ability to sing and wasn’t too supportive of her wanting to become a background singer. It was a complete surprise to a lot of viewers whom had no idea she sung at all. And from the sounds of what Ariane pulled off last night during the auditions, she may need to take a few more vocal lessons. DJ Babey Drew and DJ Traci Steele continued their uneventful bickering back and forth. Traci has a new man now and her baby daddy wants to feel the brother out before she allows him to be around their child.

 

Poor Rasheeda…smh.  The second season has not treated our girl right. Rasheeda is not only pregnant, but is also having MAJOR trouble in her marriage to Kirk.  During the episode, Rasheeda was made aware that Kirk had been out frolicking with a chick name Mary Jane. Although Kirk tried to justify his actions by saying that Rasheeda “unofficially” gave him a “hall pass”, she wasn’t too pleased and went HAM on him. She pulled a Waiting to Exhale move and set fire to his clothes in the front yard. LOL

 

But the most ratchet part of the episode was the beef between Erica, Momma Dee, and Erica’s mom Mignon.  The yelling (and almost fighting) session began because of Erica’s decision to pawn the engagement ring that Lil Scrappy gave her. The reason she wanted to do that is because Scrappy was in jail and she wanted to make sure their daughter was financially taken care of.  Erica stated that her and Scrappy made the decision years ago to not go the child support route. This agreement only stands firm if he make sure Emani has everything she needs. Well, nowadays, Scrappy has had several run-ins with the law and has been confined several times. This is an unstable lifestyle in Erica’s eyes. Therefore, she’s taking it upon herself to make things happen.

 

So, her and Momma Dee take a visit to the jeweler who sold the ring to Scrappy. Momma Dee questioned Erica’s true loyalty and love for her son. She didn’t believe that Erica was really down for her son. She felt as though it was shady that Erica was quick to get rid of the ring.

 

To question her love for the man is one thing, but did Erica make the right choice in placing the ring on consignment?  The shop owner expressed to her that if he purchased the ring back from her, she would receive $10,000.  However, if she put the ring on consignment, she could make up to $15,000.  So, she chose the consignment route because she knew that additional $5,000 could come in handy. But, was it wrong for Erica to sell back the ring? She should have waited until she was able to talk it over with Lil Scrappy?

 

Watch the full episode below:

 

 

 

If you aren’t familiar with consignments and how they work, here are a few tips to consider before you decide to sell anything.

 

1. To get the biggest bang for your buck, your merchandise must look brand new. Shine up your jewelry, wash your clothes, wipe down furniture, etc.  The better the item looks, the better the shop owner will be able to offer you a good deal.

2. Take your merchandise to specialize shops. If you are selling coins, go to a coin shop. If  you are selling clothes, go to a clothing shop.  If you aren’t sure if your local consignment shop accepts the item you have, pick up the phone and call them first.  This will save you an unnecessary trip.

3. Always have a price in mind before stepping in the store.  Check online for an identical item and determine how much it is worth.  This will give you more negotiation power and a good chance of getting top dollar.

4. Check shop references or reviews.  Go online and see what others have to say about that pawn shop (i.e. is their percentage high?, will he offer a good deal?, etc).

5. Consignments can take time. Depending on what contract agreement you’ve entered into, a deadline can be set to make sure you receive a payment by a certain day (whether or not the shop sold the item). 

 

Consignments can be the bigger pay-off if you have time to wait. If you are late on a bill or strapped for cash, the pawn route is best for you. It allows you to go in and come out with money the same day.