Giving New Life to an Old Profession

July 23, 2010 - Triangle Business Journal - by Dale Gibson
Owner of eight pawnshops says perceptions are wrong, and he aims to change them

DURHAM – If Bob Moulton hadn’t ended up in the family business, he might have been an actor: picture “Tick Tock” McLaughlin, the William H. Macy character in the movie “Seabiscuit.”

Reddish hair, thin build, a propensity for making funny. Moulton once used his impersonation of an Indian customer to rib one of his employees over the telephone. He was the class clown at Southern Durham High School, had designs on going to the North Carolina School of the Arts, but ended up as a radio DJ for meager pay at stations in Rock Hill, S.C., and Concord.
When he got married in 1983, he was making $80 a week.

Read More...

Pawn Shops: Economic Barometer?
April 9, 2009 - National Pawnbrokers Association
Why is the pawn industry generating so much attention as a  "barometer of the economy"? Reports show that the three  publicly traded pawn companies reported significantly  increased earnings during the last two fiscal quarters. A  historic increase in gold value and the "Cash for Gold" craze  have shown record numbers of people trading in old jewelry and coins for cash. Perhaps the perception could be based on speculation that in hard times, people pawn. However, there is a larger, more compelling story about the pawn industry.

Read More...

The Facts: Bill S. 500 - 36% Rate Cap?
April 9, 2009 - from the Internet
CALL TO ACTION! We need your help to support a strong position on several proposed Bills that are potentially harmful to the Pawn industry. These proposed Bills are trying to control financial  businesses that have gone unregulated until now, like Check Cashing and Payday Loan centers and indirectly Pawn Stores.

The Pawn industry is regulated by Federal and State agencies, and we consider a Pawn business to be very different at it's core than the others. Pawn loans do not trap the consumer in a debt cycle.
Read More...

The Real Story about the Pawn Industry
May 18, 2009 - National Pawnbrokers Association

Licensed, regulated pawnbrokers offer consumer credit secured by possessory security interests in personal goods and provide safety-net loans to approximately 30 million Americans. Each day, pawnbrokers help families through challenging economic times by providing non-recourse, short term loans that have no impact on a consumer’s credit history.

Read More...
 

Life Happens
May 6, 2009 - from the Internet
What do you do when a life event happens? An unexpected visit to the emergency room or gas prices are climbing and your paycheck isn’t. These things happen in everyone’s lives and despite working hard, taking care of our families and trying to make ends meet…sometimes “life just happens.” 
Read More...