Pawnshop business picks up in sluggish economy
Greeley Tribune
It's 10 a.m. on a crisp Friday, and the pawn shops in Greeley, Colo., have been hopping for an hour. Cars, fresh with those hopeful for some extra cash, cycle through their lots every few minutes to pawn what was once a necessity. Inside, customers cart in their goods and hope for the best as the workers behind the counter assess their worth. Few walk away ready to talk about their plight. Pawnshop owners and managers hear their stories and know the economy is hurting.More

Elmhurst, Ill., resident, pawn lobby questions turning away pawnshops, payday loan stores
Elmhurst Press
Pawnshops, payday loan stores and video gambling have been the hot topics at recent City Council meetings, but the national pawn lobby and Elmhurst, Ill., resident Jeff Houston aren’t too excited with what Houston calls the council "legislating morality."More

Out from India's alleys, gold loans gain respect
The New York Times
While pawning the family jewels would be a sign of distress in the West, trading gold for cash increasingly is viewed in India as the equivalent of taking out a home equity loan to expand a business or simply to buy things.More

Pawning and selling goods on the rise in tough economy
The Florida Times-Union
In this tough economy, many people are scrounging through their homes to find stuff to sell to help pay bills. Pawnshops and second-hand stores - like Plato's Closet or Play It Again Sports - have reported increases in people trading in used goods. Others turn to Craigslist, eBay or The Times-Union's classified ads to directly sell their possessions to bargain-hunters.More

Cash4Gold absolutely raking in the money
TechCrunch
You've probably seen ads on TV and the Internet for Florida-based Cash4Gold, a service that buys gold from people (watches, rings, other jewelry, etc.) via the mail. You send in your stuff, the company sends you money. The service launched in early 2007 to a perfect storm of soaring gold prices and a down economy. But still, it's more than surprising that the company raked in $90 million in revenue in 2008, the second year of operations.More

Atlanta-area pawnbroker sued by EEOC for retaliation
Trading Markets
An Atlanta-area pawnshop chain violated federal law when it fired a female employee in retaliation for complaining about a manager's intimidating and sexually harassing conduct, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged in a lawsuit. According to the EEOC's suit against PawnMart, Inc., Alicia Cornell, an assistant store manager at PawnMart's in Douglasville, Ga., was subjected to both threatening and sexually charged comments by the store's manager.More

Amid surging gold prices, silver quietly shines
The Wall Street Journal
All that glitters is not gold. Though the yellow metal has captured much of the limelight amid its recent run past $1,000 an ounce, silver has quietly enjoyed its own bull market. The metal is up about 47 percent so far this year, recently topping $17 an ounce, though it has since slipped to about $16.65. Silver is caught between two worlds. It's a precious metal accumulated by investors and central banks as a quasi-currency.More

Using online database, Seattle-area police recover stolen camera, with help from quick-thinking pawnshop owner
Technology Marketing Corporation
LeadsOnline, the nation’s largest online investigation tool, helps police recover digital camera stolen from Mercer Island family. Dallas (Vocus) A Mercer Island family has its cherished photo memories back, thanks to the Seattle and Mercer Island police and the help of LeadsOnline, an online database that helps police recover stolen property. If an item is reported to police as stolen and it is sold in a pawnshop.More

U.S. September job cuts exceeded forecasts; unemployment rose
Bloomberg
U.S. job losses unexpectedly accelerated last month and the unemployment rate reached the highest level since 1983, signaling any recovery in consumer spending and economic growth will be slow to develop. More