Hocking It
from The Times-Picayune
Cars line up outside Silver Lining Jewelry & Loan in Portland, Ore., before the doors open. Desperate eyes peer from dented Chevys and well-kept Hondas. In a steady stream from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., they lug bags, boxes and cases. Each holds pieces of the American dream that a struggling middle class can no longer hold onto: X-Boxes and golf clubs. Plasma TVs and large-carat engagement rings. More

When Wall Street's Troubles Hit Main Street, Pawnshops Suffer
from KSWO-TV
When Wall Street's numbers go up, that means bad news for pawnshops. It's not because people are forced to pawn their belongings when times get tough - it's all about gold. Pawnshops say their business success is a direct reflection of how the Dow is doing - or as it has been recently, how badly it's doing. More

N.H. Residents Selling Personal Goods to Raise Cash
from the Boston Globe
Rick Merrill, manager at Fast Cash Trading Center in Tilton, Mass., says his business is booming. He says people need money for gas, rent and their mortgage. He says they're bringing in hairdryers, jewelry, microwaves and anything else they think he'll take. More

Zoning Approval Allows New Pawnshop
from The Arizona Republic
Another pawnshop is coming to northeast Phoenix. But this one is billed as an upscale alternative to older stores. Phoenix city planners upheld zoning changes last week that will enable the Seattle-based owner of a corporate chain of pawnshops to build in the city. More

People Pawning Valuables for Extra Cash
from KHBS-TV
Pawnshops have seen a big increase in business lately. Especially since the credit freeze, many businesses are struggling to survive. But pawnshops are seeing their business boom as many are turning to them just to make ends meet. More

Baltimore to Require Speedier Account of Merchandise by Pawnbrokers, Other Dealers in Used Goods
from The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore's pawnbrokers and dealers in secondhand merchandise will to have e-mail the city Police Department daily photographs and descriptions of the jewelry, televisions and other items they receive to comply with a law passed yesterday evening by the City Council. The new electronic dispatches will enable detectives to create a database of pawned wares in the city that they hope will help them solve more thefts. Currently the city's 37 pawnshops and 78 secondhand dealers mail paper copies of those reports to detectives. More

Five Survival Tips for Entrepreneurs
from the Wall Street Journal
Because of the ongoing credit crisis, banks are becoming even more reluctant to extend lines of credit to small-business owners. And the sluggish conditions aren't expected to improve any time soon. That means business owners who rely on banks to finance everything from inventory and office equipment purchases to new store expansions are left scrambling for ways to stay afloat without a lifeline. More

People Rush to Pawn Off Gold Jewelry While Prices are High
from WLWT-TV
It’s a sign of the times as pawnshops boast of booming business from people who are looking to make ends meet. Shop owners said that with the price of gold so high, people are cashing in their gold jewelry. Diana Pike is the owner of the Quick Cash pawnshop in Cincinnati and she said that she’s seen a big increase over the past year of people looking to pawn their valuables. More

High Desert Pawnshops Thrive in Tough Times
from KTVZ-TV
While businesses all around him are barely breaking even, Randy Stormberg, owner of Bend Pawn and Trading Co. in Bend, Ore., is seeing 30 percent more customers and business. "During a down economy, we're going to be doing more business because we're buying a lot of stuff," Stormberg said. "However, we are like any other retailer - some of our sales are off." More

Small Businesses Feeling the Chill
from The New York Times
Some small companies say they are no longer able to get loans from newly cautious banks as credit tightens across the country, and even those who do qualify are increasingly reluctant to borrow and expand, fearful of overextending themselves in the midst of the financial crisis. More