Savvy Consumer: Finding a Good Holiday Deal
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Shoppers are looking for alternative places to shop besides the mall for their holiday purchases. Consignment stores, resale shops and pawnshops are all resurgent, as consumers look to used goods for holiday gifts. A survey by Western Union showed that 65 percent of Americans said they would prefer to receive $100 in cash rather than a specific present or gift card valued at $100. More than half said they would spend the cash on basic necessities like gas, groceries and bills. More

Consumers Turn to Used Electronics for Holidays
from WEWS-TV
Lou Tansky who runs Uncle Ben's Pawn Shop in Cleveland, Ohio, is seeing more and more people stopping in to shop. His family's been in the pawning business for more than 60 years and said lately things are changing. "Traditionally, shops have been about 19 months behind most electronics, but now we're seeing the stuff coming in much quicker, much sooner when it hits the market," said Tansky. More

Jobless Claims Highest Since Sept. 11 Attacks
from CNN Money
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment insurance surged to the highest levels since the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and the number of people continuing to collect benefits rose to a 25-year high. More

Broke? Pawning Your Jewels is Easy, Art Not So Much
from The New York Observer
While most of New York watches as its fortunes sink with Wall Street, at least one city industry is running ahead of the economic course: pawnshops. Pawnshops operate by irregular economic indicators. The worse things look on the outside, the nicer they're apt to look inside. More

Ezcorp Completes Deal for 11 Pawnshops
from The Austin Business Journal
Eleven Nevada pawnshops are now in the hands of Ezcorp Inc. The company completed its $34.3 million purchase of the Pawn Plus and ASAP Pawn locations last week. With the transaction Austin-based Ezcorp acquired approximately $5.4 million in pawn loans, $3 million in inventory, $1.1 million in auto title loans and the other operating assets of the 11 stores. More

As Utility Bills Climb, Consumers Turn to Pawnshops for Extra Cash
from The Commercial Dispatch
As the shadow of what many believe will be a severe economic depression looms over the nation, local residents are continuing to transform from buyers to sellers. “We are in hunting season right now, so more people have been coming in and buying ammo and guns,” said Gina Reed, an employee at Gary’s Pawn and Gun Shop in Columbia, Miss. More

Seven Lessons that Small Businesses Can Learn from Big IT
from PC World
Just because you don't have a large enterprise doesn't mean you can't run your IT operation like the big guys. Here are seven ways to help your SMB–a small or medium-size business–implement some of the lessons big IT operations have learned over the years. Using these tips, you should be able to improve productivity, cut costs, and keep your business running smoothly. More

Customers Turn their Jewelry into Short-term Loans to Make Ends Meet
from The Chicago Tribune
While Wall Street desperately tries to paddle its way out of the global economic crisis, a janitor named Homer was taking steps to patch his own leaky—but far more modest—financial boat. His bailout plan was two gold rings, which he pulled out of his pocket at a Chicago Heights pawnshop in exchange for $22. More

Pawnshop Sales Up Despite Falling Economy
from WJHG-TV
If you're thinking about saving a few bucks this holiday season or need money for gifts, you might want to try the local pawnshops. From the falling housing market, to high gas prices over the summer to sharp drop in the stock market, more and more Americans are trying to find ways to make or save money. More