Peter Tosh's Guitar & Grammy Award — A Piece of LBC Pawn History
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A real Grammy once sat in our case. Back in our Davis Square, Somerville days, the glass case at LBC Pawn Cash 4 Gold 3% Loans* held one of the most famous displays in New England pawn: Peter Tosh's guitar and the Grammy Award he won. The Somerville Times wrote up the shop for this collection — Peter Tosh's guitar and Grammy award among the notorious pieces people came in just to see — and for a while it stopped people in their tracks every single day.
The guitar and the Grammy are no longer with us — but the story is still our favorite piece of shop history, and it says everything about the kind of pieces that pass through this counter. Got a piece with a story of your own? Ask us what it is worth.
The story in the case, back then
Peter Tosh (Winston Hubert McIntosh, 1944–1987) was a founding member of The Wailers alongside Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, and one of reggae's fiercest solo voices — Legalize It, Equal Rights, Stepping Razor. His final studio album, No Nuclear War (1987), won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 1988 Grammy Awards — an award he never got to hold, because he was killed in September 1987, months before the ceremony.
In the case back then: his acoustic guitar resting in its blue-lined case, a framed photo of Tosh playing, and the Grammy itself on the shelf above, next to the plaque engraved with his name — the same plaque that invited people to "Come See The Grammy" in Davis Square.
How a Grammy ended up in a pawn shop
In March 2016, a relative of Peter Tosh brought the guitar and the Grammy to our Davis Square shop for a pawn loan. The loan was never repaid, and the pieces became the shop's property — which is how a piece of reggae history ended up behind our glass. When the story broke that summer, it ran everywhere: Boston Magazine ("This Somerville Pawn Shop Has a Reggae Legend's Grammy"), the Somerville Times, Scout Somerville — even TMZ. It was, in our assistant manager's words at the time, the busiest Sunday ever, with people lining up for selfies with the award.
The Grammy was never ours to sell anyway — the Recording Academy's rules bar selling the statues. The display is gone from the case today, but no piece before or since has drawn a crowd like it, and it is still the most famous item ever to pass through this shop.
We buy music history, too
A shop trusted with a Grammy knows what music memorabilia is worth. LBC Pawn buys signed and stage-played guitars, autographed albums and photos, gold and platinum records, industry awards and trophies, tour and stage items, vintage instruments, and full estates and collections. Everything is authenticated in store, in front of you, and paid in cash the same day — no auction commissions, no consignment wait, no shipping your piece across the country to sit in a warehouse.
- Signed guitars — acoustic and electric, played or display pieces
- Stage-played and artist-owned instruments
- Autographed albums, photos, posters and programs
- Gold and platinum records and industry awards
- Vintage guitars and instruments — Fender, Gibson, Martin and more
- Rock, reggae, jazz and celebrity memorabilia generally
- Estates and full collections — priced as collections
- Items with COAs from PSA/DNA, Beckett or JSA — welcome, and they pay more
Text photos of your piece to 857-867-6468 for a fast quote before you travel.
Sell it, or borrow against it and keep it?
Serious memorabilia is serious collateral here. Sell for cash today, or borrow against it at 3% per month* for up to 4 months, renewable, while your piece is stored securely until you redeem it. Pieces stay local, insured in our care, and never leave the building on a truck.
Private VIP room: for loans and purchases over $2,000, ask about our private VIP room when you book — bank-level privacy, not a busy counter.
Skip the drive-first guesswork. Text photos of the item to 857-867-6468 and get a ballpark before you come. Prefer to talk? Call the same number during shop hours.
What a loan costs — in plain numbers
| If you borrow | After month 1 | After month 2 | After month 3 | After month 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $111 | $114 | $117 | $120 |
That first month includes the one-time 8% charge; after that it is a flat 3% per month. No hidden fees, no surprises — the full cost is printed on your ticket.
*Pawn loans: 3% per month interest plus a one-time 8% charge in the first month only. Example: a $100 loan costs $111 after month 1, $114 after month 2, $117 after month 3 and $120 after month 4. Loans run up to 4 months and may be renewed by paying the interest due. Borrowers must be 18 or older with valid photo ID. Items not redeemed by the end of the loan term may be sold as allowed by Massachusetts law.
More we buy
Every piece is authenticated and priced item by item, in front of you — and the more you bring in, the more you get.
Questions we hear
- Was that a real Grammy Award in the case?
- Yes — the display paired Peter Tosh's guitar with the Grammy Award he won for No Nuclear War, Best Reggae Album at the 1988 Grammy Awards. The plaque in the case was engraved with his name, and Boston Magazine and the Somerville Times wrote up the shop for the display back in our Davis Square days.
- Is the Peter Tosh display still at the shop?
- No — the guitar and the Grammy were part of our Davis Square, Somerville era and are no longer at the shop. The photo on this page is from that time. The story remains our favorite piece of shop history.
- Do you buy music memorabilia and awards?
- Yes — signed and stage-played guitars, autographed albums and photos, gold and platinum records, industry awards, tour items and full collections. Text photos to 857-867-6468 for a fast quote; everything is authenticated in store and paid in cash the same day.
- Can I pawn memorabilia instead of selling it?
- Yes — borrow against it at 3% per month* (plus the one-time 8% first-month charge) for up to 4 months, renewable, and your memorabilia is stored securely until you redeem it.