Woman Pawns Eternity with Marilyn Monroe
from CBS News
Anyone interested in spending eternity with Marilyn Monroe may get a shot at doing so if they have at least $500,000 burning a hole in their pocket. A Beverly Hills woman whose late husband resides in the crypt above Monroe's is selling the space in order to pay off her million-dollar mortgage. More

Inside a Pawnshop, Glimpses of a Grim Economy
from St. Petersburg Times
A-1 Pawn & Gun Shop in Tampa has a bright yellow sign facing traffic. The blue building, once upon a time a doughnut shop, has a life-sized Elvis out front by the heavy metal security door. Inside the flea market of a store, two men behind the counter converse politely with customers who come bearing old jewelry, a diamond-crusted ring, an expensive gun scope. More

Pawnshop Zoning Approved in Shreveport, La.
from The Shreveport Time
Shreveport City Council members in Louisiana were torn over whether to rezone an area to allow for a pawnshop. The council agreed to change the zoning from a neighborhood business district to a community business district to allow Super Pawn Retail Lending Center to set up shop. More

EZCORP – Profiting from Tough Times
from GuruFocus.com
What business is likely to prosper when economic conditions get really bad? Pawnshops. EZCORP operates about 294 in the U.S. and 38 in Mexico, while also offering payday loans through 71 of its pawnshops and 477 EZMONEY store fronts. As you would expect sales and earnings have been booming as the world suffers through the worst recession since the 1930's. More

Record Gun Sales Spike
from Outdoor Life Magazine
Like many other states, Colorado experienced a surge in firearms sales in 2008, especially following the November general election. Firearms owners nationwide believe the election of Barack Obama signals a forthcoming return of the 90s-era ban of certain firearms and high capacity magazine—at the very least —as well as other gun and ammunition restrictions. More

Looking to Stop Stolen Goods from Moving Though Pawnshops
from WWMT-TV
Burglars victimize about two million Americans every year, and that leads to billions of dollars in personal losses. The average burglary costs homeowners $1,900, for an estimated total of $4.3 billion nationwide. Much of that stolen merchandise ends up sold, or in a pawnshop. More

Pawnbrokers Cash in on the Recession
from Essex Echo
It is an old saying that pawnbrokers do well when the economy takes a slide and, true to form, south Essex lenders are enjoying boom times in the current recession. While independent pawnbrokers are seeing a big increase in customers looking for quick cash, chain stores, such as Cash Converters, are springing up in almost every town. More

Pawnshop Owners Hope to Change Stores' Image
from The Gazette
Under recent scrutiny from Prince George's County police in Maryland who said pawnshops have become a haven for profiting from stolen goods, an Oxon Hill pawnbroker defends his second-generation, family-owned business as an asset to both the community and police. "We work so closely with the police department," said Michael Marin Cohen, owner of the Ten Dollar Pawnbrokers. "We do our best to not take in stolen goods." More

No More Pawnshops for Six Months in Casselberry, Fla.
from Omaha World-Herald
The president and chief executive officer of Omaha-based Pamida Stores Operating Co. LLC will leave his position Aug. 29 for another job. Paul E. Rothamel, CEO of the regional retailer that operates general merchandise stores, has accepted a job as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Ezcorp Inc., an Ezcorp spokesman confirmed Friday. The Austin-based company in Texas operates pawnshops and loan stores. More