Pawn Shop Goes Upscale: Is This a Good Way to Score Extra Cash?

California -based dentist Dr. Michael Hammond intended to finance his dental practice using a small business loan from a traditional bank. Given his strong credit and business plan, he assumed he’d have no issues.

But the bank wouldn’t grant the loan he expected, so Dr. Hammond moved on to plan B: selling family jewels to the pawn shop for $40,000.

Though the words “pawn shop” tend to evoke thoughts of “Cash 4 Gold,” online pawn shops have taken the strongest part of the business model (fast cash in exchange for your stuff), and revamped it for a higher-end customer. With banks getting loan-shy post-recession, these virtual shops offered consumers another source of funding—which they could procure from their jewelry box or favorite curio drawer.

And many took advantage: According to research out of Vanderbilt University, about 8 million households in the United States have used pawn shops. That rate has risen steadily by about 3-4% per year, before ballooning to a 20% increase starting in 2007, when the recession began.

Could some of these newly revamped sites be a viable way to make extra cash—or are they too good to be true? Read on to find out whether pawning your stuff could be a good choice for you.

How It Works

Pawning, at its core, is a way to borrow money from somewhere other than a bank.  When you need a little extra money but don’t want to outright sell a valuable possession, you “trade” it for a short-term loan from a pawn shop. Once you and the shop agree to a value for your item and loan term, you can get cash on the spot. Assuming you honor the terms of your loan and make monthly payments, you’ll get your item back.

One of the major appeals of securing a loan through a pawn shop is that it has no impact on your credit. In order to borrow money from a bank, the bank will check your credit, and if you’re delinquent with payments, it will have a negative impact. If you default on a pawn loan, the shop simply keeps your item.

Unlike traditional pawn shops, which tend to buy anything from stereos to vacuum cleaners and have an average pawn transaction value of $150, Calaveras Coin & Pawn deal exclusively in higher-end goods like jewelry, collectibles, designer handbags and expensive electronics. Unlike “Cash 4 Gold” style outfits, Calaveras Coin & Pawn is not interested in old tools or a late-model television.

Potential sellers visit their downtown location in Historic Angels Camp at 1283 S Main St. for a free evaluation.  Once an agreement is reached, customers leave the item there—and receive cash in as little as 15 minutes. Loan terms are for 4 months.  The interest is also very low even compared to many credit cards.

Dr. Hammond says that the overall loan terms and experience offered were more competitive than what he found at several banks. “I found low interest rates, a better payment schedule and real customer service that doesn’t treat me like an account number,” he recalls.

Call us at (209)677-PAWN

Open M-S 10am to 5pm (Closed Sundays)