Good idea
June 1, 2010 | federal legislation, industry | Comments (1)Ryan Martin had never been in a pawn shop before so he wasn’t sure what to expect when he entered the new Pawn America, carrying a Fender guitar amplifier to sell.
But instead of walking into a dimly lit store in a seedy part of town, dealing with a guy behind iron bars wearing a visor, Martin was inside the former Circuit City big box at East Towne talking to a young woman in a white sports shirt.
Martin ended up getting $200 cash for the amp, a good price considering he bought it used a year ago for $300.“I’d heard they were opening so I thought I’d better check it out,” says Martin, 33, who lives in Sun Prairie and works at American Family Insurance. “I was surprised how nice it is in here.”
Which is exactly the point of Pawn America, a Twin Cities-based chain that’s working to put a kinder, gentler face on a business long associated with the down and out.
Comments»
It’s always nice to see those of us withing the PDL industry/pawn industry who are fighting to change the (sometimes undeserved!) stereotypical “norms” that are so often associated with our businesses. Of course, thanks to a heavy dose of under-researched and uninspired media lashings, our industries will certainly be fighting off this wave of aggression for years to come.