Thanks to shows like Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn, a wide swathe of the population is at least slightly familiar with pawn shops and how they work.

However, there are still many misconceptions about pawn shops.

Can they be trusted? Do they offer good deals?

Let’s explore the answers to these questions.

How do Pawn Shops Work?

Pawn shops are essentially a place where people can buy and sell various valuable items. People with stuff to sell come in with their items, negotiate a price, and sell the item to the pawn shop.

Additionally, people can use their items as collateral for pawn loans. Borrowers can get these loans within hours, and there are no applications or credit checks. If they fail to pay back the loan, they simply lose the item to the pawn shop — no credit consequences or collections agencies are involved. The item becomes 100% owned by the pawn shop.

Those are how a pawn shop gets items on its shelves.

If someone finds something they want on a pawn shop shelf, they can negotiate with the pawn shop, settle on a price, and go home with their new item.

What Kinds of Products Do Pawn Shops Offer?

Pawn shops deal in all sorts of items, so you may not find the same inventory in a pawn shop from day to day.

That said, pawn shops love items of high value. Thus, there are several items you’ll commonly find at many pawn shops:

• Jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.)
• Precious metals (gold, silver, platinum)
• Precious stones (diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc.)
• Watches (especially luxury brands like Rolex)
• Electronics (computers, computer peripherals, video games and consoles, etc.)
• Musical instruments (especially guitars)
• Sports equipment
• Power tools
• Firearms

Since pawn shops deal in second-hand items, you can often find luxury items for less-than-luxury prices. This makes pawn shops an excellent option if you want to buy someone a nice gift without breaking the bank.

Now, pawn shops may specialize in certain items.

Some may deal mostly in jewelry and precious metals/stones, while others may have more electronics and perhaps musical instruments. You may have to visit a few pawn shops to find the best selection and deals on the items you want.

Can You Trust Pawn Shop Purchases?

Pawn shops have an unfortunate stigma of dealing with stolen items. However, an almost negligible number of stolen goods pass through pawn shops.

Most pawn shops partner with law enforcement at various levels to track items that flow through pawn shops. If a stolen good is identified, pawn shops work together with law enforcement to make sure the item returns to its proper owner.

Laws differ by state and locality on what you have to do if you buy an item that’s later reported as stolen. Read up on these to see if you have to return the item and if you can expect your money back.

Come down to Cash Express in Philadelphia to check out our deals. We have plenty of jewelry, precious metals, musical instruments, and much more. If you’ve got something you’d like to pawn, we’d be happy to take a look as well. Visit our store today!

Sometimes, you need a bunch of cash in a short timeframe. Traditional loans like banks won’t cut it in these instances because you have to jump through too many hoops.

If you’re in this situation, you might have considered pawning one of your items at a pawn shop.

But is this a good idea? Or should you find fast cash somewhere else?

Well, pawn shops are excellent places for getting a loan in little time, actually. Here are some reasons why.

Same-Day Approval and Funding

As mentioned earlier, most traditional loan types can take days from starting your application to receiving your funding.

For pawn loans, however, you can be in and out the door with your money within the same day. If you truly need money today, you can get it at a pawn shop.

No Credit Check Required

Many Americans in need of some extra cash are denied loans due to having too low of a credit score.

They have nowhere left to turn in terms of getting cash — merely on the basis of a few numbers.

Additionally, credit checks harm your score. The last thing you want is your credit score to take damage and to get denied a loan.

At a pawn shop, things are different. There are no credit checks because you secure your loan with the item you pawn. As long as you have something of sufficient value, you won’t be turned down for a loan at a pawn shop. Plus, your credit score will remain untouched.

You’re Protected

Sometimes, things happen. You may struggle to pay back your loan, or even find yourself unable to do so.

With traditional lenders, you’d face serious fees and credit damage should you fail to make payments. If you default, they can send collections agencies after you, and your life can turn into a nightmare fast.

But with a pawn loan, you can get out just fine.

Sometimes, you can ask the pawn shop for an extension for an added fee.

And if worse comes to worst — you can’t pay back your loan — all that happens is the pawn shop takes possession of your collateral.

No credit damage, no collections agencies, and no bankruptcy filings.

Obviously, we prefer you pay your loan back in full and time. But know that if you’re financially struggling and can’t pay back your loan, the consequences of “defaulting” on a pawn loan aren’t that bad.

Looking for some fast cash in Philadelphia? If you have an item you’re willing to put down as collateral, Cash Express would be happy to take a look at it and give you a fair offer. You could walk out with cash in your hand within hours. Come down to our store today!

Most people know that pawn shops are excellent places to find all sorts of jewelry. On occasion, you can find some truly special and valuable pieces if you peruse a couple of pawn shops.

If you enjoy jewelry, and you’re looking for especially unique and valuable pieces at pawn shops, you have to know how to spot them.

With that in mind, here are some tips for identifying unique and possibly valuable estate jewelry.

But first, a quick definition of estate jewelry.

What is Estate Jewelry?

Estate jewelry is really any jewelry that is used or previously owned, but primarily older pre-owned pieces. The word “estate” comes into play because someone owned it at some point. Since jewelry is valuable, it was likely part of their estate, thus the name.

What to Look For

The Patina

As people wear a piece of jewelry through the years, it builds up to wear over time. This is called a patina on estate jewelry.

The patina can be made of skin oils, dirt, and polish. If the metal reacts with the air in some way — such as if it's silver — that adds to the patina.

Contrary to what you might think, patina adds value rather than subtracting from it. It adds character to the piece, but it also proves that the jewelry truly is an older piece.

So if you spot jewelry with a patina at the pawn shop, don’t shy away from the piece. It may be quite old and valuable.

Jeweler’s Mark

The law requires jewelers to inscribe their marking on their jewelry. That said, plenty of jewelers have been doing this for longer than it was legally mandated.

A jeweler’s mark is a useful tool if you already know a piece is old. If an old piece has a jewelers mark — and it was made before the mark was required — then it’s probably of high quality.

Additionally, the mark can help establish where and when the jewelry was created — another important factor in determining its value.

For Gold: Quality Marks

If the estate jewelry is made of gold, there’s likely a mark indicating its purity.

The marking you’re more familiar with in the US is the two-digit marking followed by a “k”, such as 22k (22 karat gold). The other type of marking is a three-digit number — your jewelry may have this instead if it was made in Europe.

In both labeling systems, higher numbers indicate a higher purity of gold.

With that in mind, these markings can help you identify the value of a gold jewelry piece, especially if the patina makes it hard to tell.

At Cash Express in Philadelphia, we have plenty of beautiful pieces of jewelry for sale. We’re also happy to look at any pieces you have and get you a fair price fast. Come on in today, and bring your jewelry if you’d like to pawn it.

Looking for a lump sum of cash fast? Pawn shops are perhaps the best places on earth to do so.

You can bring a wide variety of items into pawn shops and exchange them for cold, hard cash within hours. No need to sell, either — you can get a short-term pawn loan with no credit check or application.

That said, there are a few types of items pawn shops especially love to see — and will offer extra for.

To that end, we’ve put together this list of the best items to pawn in 2021. If you have any of these, you know where to bring them!

Jewelry

Jewelry is always a pawn shop favorite. You can fetch a healthy amount of money pawning most types of jewelry to pawn shops.

Some popular forms of jewelry to pawn include earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Some pawn shops especially love vintage jewelry, as it has a certain appeal they’re willing to pay more for.

Watches

Of course, watches are another long-time favorite of pawn shops. In theory, you can pawn any watch. However, you’ll get the most money for the luxury brands — Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and so on.

Gold and Silver

It should go without saying that pawn shops are big fans of precious metals — gold and silver in particular.

Whether you’re a bullion investor using gold and silver as a store of wealth, or you’re a collector and trader of beautiful coins, pawn shops are the place to be for fetching a good price.

Plus, the prices of both metals have risen quite a bit over the last year. If you’ve held onto your gold and silver for a long time, pawning them off could net you a nice profit.

Fine Art

Are you a fine art collector? Perhaps you just have some beautiful art in your home, but you need to make way for new pieces? Good art pieces naturally have a lot of value, meaning pawn shops are willing to take a look.

Fine Wine

Wine might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to pawning items. However, there are a decent number of pawn shops that are more than willing to get you a good price on your bottle.

Rarer and older wines often drive the highest prices for obvious reasons. If you’ve got a wine cellar with some fine bottles, and you don’t plan on consuming them, see if there’s a pawn shop near you that’ll pay you for them.

Own any items on this list? Need some extra cash? Come down to Cash Express in Philadelphia. We especially love jewelry and precious metals, but we’ll take a look at anything you bring us and offer you a fair deal. Visit us today!

Diamonds. They’re beautiful, highly sought-after, and quite expensive. They’re the standard stone for most engagement rings due to their beauty, but they’re used in plenty of other jewelry pieces as well.

Now, you could visit a jewelry store and buy a diamond… but only if you want to pay full price for it.

Instead, you should check out a pawn shop — especially one that loves precious stones and jewelry — when you’re shopping for a diamond.  

Why Buy Diamonds at a Pawn Shop?

Pricing

We get it. Diamonds are expensive no matter where you go, and it’s easy to see why. They’re just beautiful.

However, buying brand-new diamonds or jewelry from a jewelry store is not your only option. If you shop at a pawn shop, you can get diamond jewelry for a whole lot less.

First of all, it’s second-hand jewelry. Despite being second-hand, most jewelry at pawn shops will be in excellent condition.

Plus, you have some wiggle room to negotiate. If you know what you’re doing, you could slash a few bucks off the price you pay.

Vintage Pieces

Are you interested in vintage jewelry? You’ll have a hard time finding it in jewelry stores.

On the other hand, pawn shops often have vintage jewelry due to the second-hand nature of pawn shop inventory. Look around your local pawn shop — you never know what you might find.

Bolster Your Budget

Diamond price still a bit too steep for you? Perhaps you have an item or two at home — maybe some older jewelry — you no longer want.

You could pawn that jewelry at a pawn shop and have a much easier time affording a beautiful new piece of diamond jewelry.

Get an Original Design For Less

Maybe you can’t find the perfect piece at a pawn shop. No worries — you can buy something anyway and bring it to a jeweler to have it melted down and redesigned to your liking. 

In fact, some pawn shops have jewelers on hand to help you with this. Bring in your old pieces or buy something from the store, then have the jeweler customize your piece.

Environmentally-Friendly

As much as we love diamonds and precious metals, the truth of the matter is that mining these beautiful materials can negatively impact the environment. By buying second-hand pieces from a pawn shop, you reduce demand for new stones or precious metals. Thus, you cut your impact on the environment. 

If you’re looking for a beautiful diamond or piece of diamond jewelry in Philadelphia, come down to Cash Express Pawn Shop and check out our inventory. In addition to diamonds, we have other kinds of jewelry and precious metals available. Plus, we’re happy to take your jewelry if you’re looking to pawn some for extra cash. Come visit us today!

The New Year is here. Now that you're done celebrating, you've got Valentine’s Day coming up in only a month.

If you’re looking for beautiful jewelry gifts for your partner this Valentine’s Day, pawn shops in Philadelphia such as Cash Express are the way to go. 

Why Shop For Valentine’s Gifts at a Pawn Shop?

Jewelry is one of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts. It’s beautiful and valuable, making it a fantastic way to express your love this February 14th.

For that reason, jewelry stores fill up from late December to early February.

But going to a pawn shop might be the better option for you, and here’s why:

• Pricing: Pawn shops are known for selling items that are about as good as you’d get at the real store, but for better prices — especially if they’re used items. Plus, you have some haggling room, allowing you to save more cash.
• Pawning: Need to stretch your Valentine’s Day budget a bit? You can pawn or sell an item at a pawn shop with ease, gaining you a few extra bucks to buy already excellently-priced pawn store jewelry.
• Quality: Pawn shops generally don’t stock low-quality items. They have an incentive to get great items at the best possible price. They closely examine items they buy for quality and often rely on jewelry experts to appraise items and make sure they’re of sufficient quality. Pawn shops also work with local law enforcement to make sure stolen items don’t find their way into pawnbroker inventory, so don’t worry about buying stolen jewelry.
• Crowds: Just like with the holiday season, the jewelry-buying crowds will be at jewelry stores. You can skip these crowds and have a more pleasant shopping experience by buying your jewelry from a pawn shop.

So with that said, here are some of the best pawn shop jewelry gifts you could buy this Valentine’s Day.

Top Jewelry Gifts to Get From Pawn Shops

1. Chains and Necklaces

Chains and necklaces are quite a popular type of jewelry at pawn stores. You could find anything from simple curb links to fancy rope linked jewelry. 

2. Earrings

Many Philadelphia pawn stores have a variety of earrings in stock, from studs with diamonds or other stones to hoops. You’ll find great quality at prices better than most jewelry stores.

3. Rings

Lastly, there are rings. You might be proposing this Valentine’s Day, or you could just be getting your loved one a beautiful piece for their finger. In any case, Philadelphia pawn shops are no stranger to carrying gorgeous rings in their inventory.

Want the best prices on a wide range of jewelry in Philadelphia? Come down to Cash Express. We love jewelry and precious metals, so we have plenty available. Feel free to bring in any items you’d like to pawn as well — we’d love to take a look. Happy Valentine’s Day! 

We’re in the prime of the holiday shopping season, now that it’s the beginning of December. People are scrambling to stores, hoping to knock out all of their holiday shopping before the stuff they need disappears from the shelves — and all without breaking the bank.

Which makes pawn shops an excellent place for you to visit. Since most people will be at retail stores, visiting a pawn shop helps you skip the crowd.

But even better: you’ll find some amazing items at prices hard to beat elsewhere. With that said, here are some holiday gifts you can buy at pawn shops for great prices.

Jewelry

Jewelry is one of the most popular types of pawn shop items, and it serves as a great gift. At pawn shops, you can get jewelry for a lot less than you’d find at a jeweler.

Remember to consider the tastes of the person you’re buying the jewelry for. Do they wear a certain type of jewelry often? Factor that into your gift-buying decision.

Watches

There’s nothing like a beautiful timepiece to complete an outfit and project class to others. They also make excellent holiday gifts.

Whether you’re shopping for a watch enthusiast or someone who just needs something nice on their wrist, visit a pawn shop. You should be able to find some gorgeous watches from excellent brands without paying absolute top dollar. 

Musical Instruments

Musical instruments are a popular pawn shop item, especially guitars and their accessories (amps, pedals, etc.). However, you might be able to find drum sets, violins, and more.

Your best bet is to find a pawn shop specializing in musical instruments. You’ll have more options there, helping you find the perfect instrument for the musician in your family.

Power Tools

Have a handyman in the family? They’ll tell you that the best power tools are quite expensive. 

Fortunately, pawn shops can solve this issue.

You can often find slightly-used tools from top brands like Bosch, Black & Decker, and Dewalt for great prices at pawn shops. They’ll look and work like new, yet cost much less than buying new.

So visit a pawn shop if you’re doing some holiday shopping for the handyman in your life.

Video Games/Consoles/Other Electronics

Video games, consoles, and electronics are a favorite gift among kids. But these all add up fast in terms of price.

Luckily, pawn shops often have used consoles and electronics at affordable prices. Peripherals, such as controllers and mics, can often be found as well. Even if it’s not a brand new console, many gamers will appreciate receiving a console and/or some games this holiday season.

Looking to save money on your holiday shopping in Philadelphia? Come down to Cash Express pawn shop! We have plenty of jewelry and precious metals, but there are other great gift items here as well.

Plus, if you need to bolster your holiday budget, we’d be happy to look at any items you’d like to pawn. Come visit us today!

Need money fast? A pawn shop could be one of your best bets. 

But what items should you bring in? And how much cash could you fetch for them?

Pawn shops accept a wide range of items, although pricing won’t always be the same. Here is a quick guide on items you can pawn for $500, $200, and $50.

Items to Pawn For $500

Diamonds That is Strong in the Four C’s

Diamonds are highly sought-after, but you’ll get the most money with a strong showing in clarity, cut, color, and carat. A 1-carat diamond that is healthy in the other three factors could net you $500.

Gold Jewelry

Nearly every pawnbroker buys gold jewelry or accepts it as collateral for a pawn loan. Weight, karat, and purity are the most significant factors impacting price. Other valuable stones can increase the price, but if the stones aren’t valuable, it can actually bring the price down.

Newer, High-End Electronics

Most electronics won’t go for much at pawn shops. However, if you have new, top-of-the-line TVs, laptops, or computers in great condition, you may be able to fetch $500 at a pawn shop.

Items to Pawn For $200

Jewelry

Some gold jewelry, as well as most silver and platinum jewelry, will fall closer to $200 based on quality. Silver coins could also bring you to $200.

Watches

Pawn shops love watches, but not cheap watches you can pick up anywhere. High-end brands like Casio, Rolex, and Patek Philippe can easily bring you a $200 or more pawn loan.

Digital Cameras

Similar to electronics, only high-end digital cameras will earn you $200. Make sure the camera is in excellent condition.

Items to Pawn For $50

Guitars

Guitars can be all over the place when it comes to value. Sure, there’s the rare guitar worth thousands, but most peoples’ guitars only bring them $50 or a little more. 

Other musical instruments might earn you a decent sum, too, especially if you visit a pawnbroker specializing in instruments.

Power Tools

Power tools are a popular pawn shop item because DIYers love to get good brands from pawn shops for cheap. 

Of course, that means, run-of-the-mill brands won’t get you far. Aim for the higher-end: DeWalt, Hitachi, and Ryobi, among others. 

Make sure they’re in great condition, too.

Video Games and Consoles

The newer the system, and the better the condition, the higher the price. If you bring controllers, cords, and other peripherals, you’ll earn more.

Video games will net you a few more bucks. The newer the game, the more money you could receive.

Have any of the above items? Cash Express would be happy to take a look. We especially love jewelry and watches, but you can bring in anything on this list and we’ll see if we can give you a price. Stop by today!

Watches are some of the most popular pawn shop items. If you need a good chunk of extra cash, you could bring yours into your local pawn shop to pawn or sell it.

But don’t do it right away. If you want to get as much money as possible from your watch, there are a few preparatory steps to take. Here they are.

Clean Your Watch

When it comes to anything of value, especially something that you wear, cleanliness and conditions are of the utmost importance. A clean watch implies that the owner (you) took great care of it.

Think about it: if you were buying a watch that was dirty and dull, you wouldn’t want to pay as much for it, right?

With that in mind, make sure you give your watch a good, thorough cleaning before you bring it into your local pawnbroker. Here are some cleaning tips:

• Wipe dirty spots with a paper towel and warm water
• Look in all areas, even the hard-to-reach spots
• Clean band with leather cleaner if the band is leather
• Avoid using abrasive cleaning solutions
• Use a soft-bristled brush

Find the Original Box

Are you the type of person to hold on to the original packaging when you buy things? That’ll come in handy here — you can fetch more for your watch if you have the box it came in.

Additionally, try to find the watch’s instruction manual, tags, warranty papers, or other paperwork. It might seem unnecessary, but believe it or not, these things can add value to your watch at the pawn shop.

Gather Any Extra Pieces

Similar to the above tip, pawn shops will hand you more cash if you have extra pieces that came with your watch.

For example, extra links. Perhaps you bought a new link to better fit your wrist and stored the old one somewhere. Or maybe your watch came with some spares. Find those and bring them in with your watch.

It’s the same story with stones. If any fell out of your watch, and you held on to them, gather those up.

Once you have all these extra pieces, place them in a plastic zip lock bag and keep it somewhere safe until you head into the pawn shop. The more extra pieces you have, the more money you could receive.

Negotiate

Pawn shops offer some room to negotiate. If you want to squeeze a few more bucks out of your watch, spend some time researching it so you come in informed.

When the pawn shop gives you an offer, try asking for a little more if your research backs it, but don’t go overboard.

Looking to get the most value for your watch? Cash Express in Philadelphia loves good watches. Bring your watch in today (after following our tips, of course) and we’d be happy to give you a fair price. 

It’s mid-October, which means the holidays are upon us. People everywhere are readying themselves to brave the cold, traffic, and long lines to grab the perfect gifts for their friends and family.

Most people will head to traditional retail stores, but you should consider doing at least part of your shopping at a pawn shop. Here are a few reasons why.

1. A Variety of Items That Make Perfect Gifts

Pawnbrokers deal in all sorts of items that make great gifts for your family and friends.

For example, many pawn shops such as Cash Express have lots of jewelry available for sale. These pieces make great gifts for a spouse or significant other.

Or maybe you’re shopping for the kids. Plenty of pawn shops have computers, gaming consoles, and video games.

If there’s a musician in the family, well, pawn shops tend to have some nice guitars.

Those are just a few of the most popular pawn shop items. You can find all sorts of other potential gifts, including cameras, golf clubs, power tools, and watches.

2. Savings

Many of those items you buy as gifts plummet in value the moment you open the packaging. If it’s jewelry, well, you generally have to pay hefty markups at jewelers.

But you can use this to your advantage at pawn shops. Everything at a pawn shop has been owned by someone already, so you won’t be paying full price.

Plus, you have some room for negotiation. If you really know your stuff, you could save a few more bucks.

3. Dodge the Crowds

The stigma around pawn shops in general and buying gifts from them in particular is mostly gone at this point. However, the majority of people still knock out their holiday shopping at retail stores.

And they all do it at the same time, too. The crowds at those stores can get atrocious.

But pawn shops are still a bit of a “hidden gem” for holiday shopping. You can likely visit 1-2 pawn shops and find most of your items without fighting long lines.

Oh, and the chances of the items you want to buy being out of stock aren’t as high, too.

4. “Regift” Your Gifts… to Buy New Gifts

Have old items lying around that you don’t need? Maybe an old gift or two that you don’t use? You can bolster your holiday budget by pawning or selling them to a pawnbroker.

Now, you’ve got more money in hand to buy some pawn shop gifts!

Thinking about visiting a Philadelphia pawn shop to grab some of your holiday gifts this year? Look no further than Cash Express. We’ve got great prices on everything from jewelry to designer bags to power tools to electronics and more.

Stop in today and take a look at our collection. You might luck out on an amazing holiday find!