Golden Memories for Sale in Hard Times
from The Associated Press via CNN
At All That Glitters Jewelry and Loans in Portland, Ore., aesthetic and sentimental values get checked at the door. Here, patrons line up to pawn their memories for money. In recent weeks, jewelry buyers and gold brokers across the nation have seen a sharp increase in customers — of all economic backgrounds — trading in their possessions for cash. More

Gun Sales Thriving in Uncertain Times
from The Washington Post
Americans have cut back on buying cars, furniture and clothes in a tough economy, but there's one consumer item that's still enjoying healthy sales: guns. Purchases of firearms and ammunition have risen 8 to 10 percent this year, according to state and federal data. More

Pawnbrokers See Both Sides of Coin
from Stockton Record
There may be a financial crisis on Wall Street and a housing crisis on Main Street, but it's a busy time for jewelry buyers and pawnbrokers. An owner of pawnshops in Stockton, Calif., said while her business has many regular customers, it is also seeing more first-time customers, who often display a mixture of trepidation, fear, shame and sadness. More

Hunker Down in Hard Times
from The Arkansas Leader
Carefree spending is out, frugality is in. That is the mindset among average folks around town as they hunker down for uncertain times ahead. Those most strapped for cash are cutting back on essentials or looking to the local food bank and pawnshop to make ends meet. More

Rush to Sell Gold
from WHAM-TV
Owners of Rochester-area jewelry stores and pawnshops in New York say they are seeing an increase in people selling their old jewelry. Ara Simonian, president of fine jewelry store chain "The Source," said she is seeing around 20 to 25 people a day coming in to sell their old jewelry at each of their three stores. More

Bad Economy Boosts Pawnshops
from the Cincinnati Enquirer
Rocked by high gasoline prices and low home values, consumers this fall have turned to pawnshops in growing numbers in an effort to turn a little gold into a lot of green. One pawnshop owner has to think back 15 years to remember when the economy was in a tailspin as bad as this one. More

Michigan City Rules on Pawnshops, Tattoo Spots
from The Detroit Free Press
The Sterling Heights, Mich., City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance last week requiring pawnshops and tattoo parlors to obtain licenses and permits before they can open in the city. The council also amended zoning rules that would require such businesses to operate in the commercial zoning district. More

A Third of U.S. Workers Admit Fake Sick Days
from Reuters
A third of U.S. workers say they have called in sick with fake excuses at least once this year, according to a recent survey. One in 10 said they skipped work to avoid a meeting, buy time on a project or avoid the ire of a boss or colleague, the survey found. It was conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com, an online jobs site. More