National Pawnbrokers Association Members Donate Musical Instruments
On December 6, 2012 the National Pawnbrokers Association sponsored its fourth annual Musical Instrument Gift Day. Generous donations of musical instruments from pawnbrokers around the country poured in. Rowan Middle School in Jackson, MS will be the recipient of some of those musical instruments. On March 26, 2013 the NPA and the Mr. Holland’s Opus [...]
Read More →Retailers Report a Boom in Silver Sales
The Silver Promotion Service’s annual survey shows that 91% of retailers have seen their silver sales either increase or stay the same in 2012 as compared to 2011. Of those 91 percent, 77 percent reported an increase in silver sales. SPS director Michael Barlerin said that in the four years since the Silver Jewelry Buying [...]
Read More →Private Couple Shows Collection of Rare Gems
“You could see it halfway across the aisle,” said Jeffrey E. Post of a 15-carat pear-shaped tourmaline from the Brazilian state of Paraiba featured at last month’s winter gem show in Tuscon, AZ. Post, curator in charge of the mineral collection at the National Museum of Natural History, said, “It looked like somebody has stuck [...]
Read More →Hong Kong Pawn Shop Moves into Mortgage Lending
Oi Wah Pawnshop’s IPO was small at just HK$98 million, but it attracted the attention of investors. The IPO was oversubscribed by 1,085 times and shares surged 34% on the first day of trading. As the broader markets fell yesterday, however, Oi Wah shares also plunged almost 7 percent. For 37 years the company has [...]
Read More →“Flawless” Diamond could Sell for $20 million
This spring one of the world’s most perfect diamonds will go on sale at Christie’s and is expected to go for around $20 million. It’s the first time the diamond is being offered for sale which means the buyer will be able to name the “flawless” gem. The pear-shaped, colorless gem weighs 101.73 carats. The [...]
Read More →Pawn Shops Provide Alternative to Conventional Bank Loans
Pawn shops may bring to mind small short-term loans and great deals on jewelry, musical instruments and other equipment. Pawn shops have recently become an alternative to conventional banking for some small businesses. “We’ve seen quite an increase in those short-term loans for small businesses. Banks are getting tighter and tighter on their restrictions and [...]
Read More →Pawn Industry has Deep Roots in Asia
An industry report commissioned by Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings predicted the pawnbroking industry in Hong Kong would expand by 8% between 2012 and 2016. Oi Wah went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday and demand from investors for its HK$98m share sale was more than 100 times greater than the shares [...]
Read More →Largest, Cleanest Synthetic Diamond Hits the Market
Despite problems, inevitable the lab-grown diamond technology will continue to improve. There may not be an official record of how big and pure these stones have gotten there have been recent milestones. “We recently received back a diamond from AGS that finished as a 1.07 ct. G color, IF clarity. This is the largest whitest, [...]
Read More →Pawn Shop Stereotype is Disappearing
Not so long ago, pawn shops were thought to be denizens for thieves and the chronically poor, but the industry has recently given itself a makeover. Pawn shops have become respectable; upper- and middle- class customers are becoming frequent customers, reality shows are based in pawn stores and pawn shop chains are popping up everywhere. [...]
Read More →Rare Coin Sets New Record at Auction
The coin known as the “Holey Dollar” set a new world record this week when it sold at auction for the U.S. equivalent of $508,000. The coin was created in the early 1800’s, and, according to Belinda Downie, a numismatics expert and managing director of Coinworks, is the one of the finest specimens of Holey [...]
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