Pawn Shops Busy During Holidays
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Christmas is less than a week away, and that means more holiday shoppers are hitting the malls, and now pawn shops. Since the economy is still recovering, workers said a lot of it has to do with the deals. Employees said they are seeing more customers this time of year – more Christmas shoppers, or more people just pawning things to get money to Christmas shop.
Ronald Walker stopped by Bill’s Pawn Shop Monday to buy a guitar for his granddaughter, who wants to learn how to play. “I figured this is the best place to buy it because the prices should be reasonable and something that’s affordable and in good condition.”
And there are plenty more in Jackson like Walker. At Bill’s, sales are up 25 percent from last year, and the customers are buying more too. “We’ve got a lot of merchandise, especially in the music department and in the tool department, that people have been saving for and decided they would go ahead and buy now because they needed it, or because they wanted it,” General Manager Bill O’Neal said. During this time last year, Walker said he bought a pistol. But this year he came home with not just a guitar, but an air conditioner and flat screen TV.
O’Neal said during the holidays, his customers generally look for two types of guitars – entry-level ones for beginners, or higher-end models for more experienced musicians. But those are not the only hot items. “They are always coming in and asking for game systems, and we’ve sold just an enormous number of PlayStation 3s and Xbox 360s and Wiis,” O’Neal said. O’Neal said whether his customers are regulars, or just visit twice a year, he is here when they need him and is grateful for the business. He said state law allows pawn shops to open extra hours until 9 p.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. After that, shops in Jackson have to close by 6 p.m.
