THIS IS THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE
START TALKING ABOUT SPRING
CLEANING.
WHILE YOU'RE CLEANING UP -- WHY
NOT MAKE A FEW BUCKS?
SOME PEOPLE TURN TO PAWN SHOPS
TO CLEAR OUT THE HOUSE.
BUT WHAT REALLY SELLS? BOB
HANSEN TAKES A LOOK.
PAWN SHOPS ARE ALWAYS
ENTERTAINING.
ONE OF THE FEW PLACES YOU CAN
LOOK AT GUITARS, POWER TOOLS AND
DIAMONDS ALL UNDER ONE
ROOF.
"WE GET IT ALL THE TIME, WE HAVE
PEOPLE COME IN WITH CARTS OF
MERCHANDISE THAT
THEY JUST WANT OUT OF THE
HOUSE."
MORIS ADATO WITH CASHCO PAWN
GREW UP IN THE BUSINESS. HE
SAYS THERE'S LOTS OF REASON
PEOPLE PAWN OR SELL THEIR
ITEMS... FROM UNEXPECTED
EMERGENCIES TO A BREAK-UP.
"OLD BOYFRIEND, HUSBAND STUFF,
WIFE STUFF, THEY JUST WANT TO
GET RID OF AND MOVE ON."
"MAYBE MORE WHAT I CALL THE
INTIMATE
THINGS, MAYBE THE MORE PERSONAL
JEWELRY, A WEDDING RING, A
WEDDING BAND, A WATCH. SOMETHING
THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT
TIE TO THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL."
JEFF BERNARD WITH PALACE
PAWN SHOP SAYS HE'S SEEING MORE
YOUNG PEOPLE COMING INTO HIS
STORE.
HE ADMITS SOME ARE FIGHTING
HARD FINANCIAL TIMES THAT CAN'T
BE EASILY SOLVED WITH BANK LOAN
OR CREDIT CARD.
"PEOPLE ARE ON SUCH A TIGHT EDGE
FINANCIALLY THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE
MUCH TO ROCK THE BOAT, AND WHEN
THE BOAT ROCKS
WE'RE THERE TO HELP BALANCE IT."
"SO IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF
CRAIGSLIST AND
EBAY, WHY WOULD PEOPLE STILL GO
TO A
PAWNSHOP? IT'S INSTANT CASH."
"IT'S THAT 200 EXTRA DOLLARS,
300 EXTRA
DOLLARS, 5-THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR
A
MORTGAGE, WHATEVER IT IS. IT'S
JUST A SHORT
TERM LOAN."
ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO
WALK INTO A PAWN SHOP ARE
LOOKING FOR A LOAN, 20 PERCENT
ARE LOOKING TO SELL.
WHAT YOU SEE ON THE WALLS OR IN
THE GLASS CASES COME FROM
CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR
CASH. OR SIMPLY LOOKING FOR AN
EASY WAY TO CLEAN OUT THE HOUSE.
"A LOT OF ITEMS ARE COMING IN
RIGHT NOW, OUT WITH THE OLD, IN
WITH THE NEW."
THE BIGGEST SELLERS ACCORDING TO
OUR PAWN SHOP
OWNERS...
ARE THINGS LIKE JEWELRY,
DIAMONDS, APPLE PRODUCTS LIKE
IPADS AND LAPTOPS.
AND HIGHER END POWER TOOLS.