Pawnshops See Rise in Stock, Tout Holiday Discounts
from Phoenix Business Journal
Fearing an inventory surplus, pawnshops and secondhand stores are offering plenty of bargains and sales this holiday season. Sales at a store in Tempe, Ariz., for instant, are up 50 percent compared to this same time last year − with assault and high-capacity weapons in high demand. Arizona Firearms typically carries more than 400 guns, with prices in the $300 to $500 range. More

Pawnshops' Registers Are Ringing
from the San Diego Union-Tribune
The tough economy has many people turning to their local pawnbroker for needed cash. Jeff Bernard, owner of Palace Pawn Broker in downtown San Diego, said in these tough economic times, his shop has given loans from $5 to $15,000. More

Dreams for Sale, Pennies on the Dollar
from Wausau Daily Herald
Like pawnshops everywhere, the jewelry case at Pawn America in Schofield, Wis., holds dozens of glistening, gleaming diamond rings beneath its glass top. “A lot of broken hearts," said Eldon Kurth, 28, the store's sales manager, as he looked over the case last week. More

Florida Pawnshop Booming after Madoff Revelation
from NPR
Since Wall Street investment manager Bernard Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme was revealed, business has been booming at a pawnshop near Palm Beach, Fla., where many of Madoff's investors are based. More

Pawnshop Owners Fighting Increased Municipal Fees
from The Arizona Republic
As pawnshops go, it's about the only game in east Mesa, Ariz. But Pawns Plus spokesman Mark Brooks says he's afraid his small outlet in a nondescript strip mall is about to incur higher municipal fees that will have to be passed on to customers. More

Popular Gifts Appear at Pawnshops
from WDAF-TV4
It's a sign of the time. A week before Christmas and popular gifts like a Garmin Nuvi, digital camera, and even the hard-to-find Nintendo Wii are available for sale discounted at George's Pawn Shop in Kansas City. More

Unemployment Levels in Area Highest Since the Mid-1990s
from The Washington Post
The percentage of people who are unemployed in the District, Maryland and Virginia rose to the highest levels in more than 10 years, exceeding the jobless rate of the last recession. Data from the Bureau of Labor recently released showed that the District's rate reached 8 percent in November, up from 7.3 percent a month earlier. More

Pawnshops Help Jobless and Others Seeing Hard Times
from The Reno Gazette-Journal
Hard economic times are hitting almost everyone in the United States, and Carson City, Nev., is no exception. The reality is that the need to find at least temporary relief is ever present. Enter pawn and loan shops. More

Pawnshops Packing in Products, Customers
from MSNBC
People across Southwest Florida are trying to cash in this holiday season and pawnshops are now filled to the brim. In fact, some shops can't even keep all the inventory in the main room. Pawnshop owners say their back rooms are even filling up with inventory - things like sports collectibles, rock memorabilia, and instruments as well. More

Platinum Falls to Gold's Level
from The Wall Street Journal
While gold is hitting the gas, platinum is running on fumes. Platinum prices are trading roughly on par with gold, a far cry from the white metal's $1,200 price lead earlier in the year and highlighting the woes of the auto industry, a big platinum consumer. More

Pawnshops Offer Holiday Alternative
from WGHP-TV
In this economy, second hand merchandise is as good as new for many holiday shoppers. Business is booming at pawnshops across the Piedmont, N.C., as people look for ways to get extra cash and cash in on good deals. More

It's a Bright Christmas at the Pawnshop
from The Houston Press
Haven't finished your shopping yet, but you don't have much cash? "Try a pawn shop," says Chris Upton, vice president of operations of the Money Mart Pawn chain of resale shops in Houston. "We've got a lot of people coming in looking for bargains; I guess that's spurred on by tough times." More