Pawn America Inc.

While people say that 24 karat gold is solid gold, that is not quite right, especially in jewelry. Pure gold is so soft and malleable that it is not feasible to make jewelry with it. Therefore, other materials are added to create a workable alloy. 24 karat means it has the highest gold content possible.

If you have gold plated or gold-filled jewelry, that does not mean it is without value to us. The amounts used for plating and filling have minimum standards, but many jewelers use more than that. The best way to tell is to let us test it for you.

Today’s pawnbrokers know their business and work to maintain a good reputation. Pawnshops are established businesses and are more reliable locations to make purchases than a flea market, auction house, or garage sale, which are things that come and go.

When people talk about gold bullion, we usually think about large bricks or bars of gold. But the term bullion can also refer to coins, such as the 1985 American Gold Eagle coin, the most popular gold bullion coin.

It’s important to remember that old isn’t always the same as antique in terms of value. When we’re discussing the value of an item you’d like to sell, you’re always free to leave with it if we can’t reach an agreement on price.

One theory about the pawnshop symbol of the three gold balls is that it’s derived from the pawn broking Patron Saint, St. Nicholas of Myra. He allegedly decided to help a man with three daughters by throwing three purses filled with gold coins into the home.

When you’ve been shopping around for a special piece of jewelry without much success, the problem may be that you don’t like what’s currently in fashion. Shopping at a pawn shop can give you access to current and vintage jewelry.

One of the great things about pawning an item with us is how quickly you can get the cash you need. While your bank may require endless mounds of paper and weeks of processing, we can usually get you the cash you need right on the spot.

Pawnbrokers lend money on items of value ranging from gold and diamond jewelry, musical instruments, televisions, and other electronics to tools, household items, firearms, and sports gear. This makes them great places to shop and pick up a bargain.

If you’re hoping to get the maximum amount for something you want to sell, it’s important to ensure you have all the pieces and that it works prior to bringing it to us. Unless you’re dealing with an antique where you might damage it, it’s also a good idea to clean what you’re selling.

The greatest amount of gold in the world is actually in the ocean, spread out in tiny particles. How great? They're estimated to have eight times the gold ever extracted from the earth. Unfortunately, extraction is too costly to make it worthwhile.

The short-term credit activity that is generated by the pawn shop helps the community to pay bills of other local merchants by generating income into that community. Pawn businesses tend to do the bulk of their business with residents who live within a one-to-two-mile radius.

While the first pawn shops emerged in ancient China over 3,000 years ago, today there are more than 12,000 pawn shops in the United States alone. The average loan given today is $75, and most states have laws that limit the amount of interest that can be charged.