History of Pawn Shops – Boca Raton Pawn – Boca Pawn

Tradition symbol of pawnbrokers--three connect...

Boca Pawn

Dating back to thousands of years, pawning or pawnbroking is the oldest financial establishment Boca Pawn. It is said that Kings and Queens acquired money way before banking systems started coming about. Historical pawn loan documents were traced back to the times of Ancient Greece and Ancient Chinese civilizations, 3,000 years to be exact.  Some pawnbrokers operated by themselves, but over the course of time most of those businesses were run from pawn shops.

The term “pawn” came from the Latin word “patinum” which means cloth or clothing. The working class people’s clothes were the most valuable items that they had. Some pawn shops helped the poor who were in big debt. The routine of pawning clothes on a Monday and picking them up on Friday, which was payday, was a common way for poor people to make it through the week during the 19th century. Since people in need of quick cash were more apt to be on the fringes of society during this era, protections were put in place to try to prevent the pawning of stolen items. The Pawnbrokers Act of 1872 in England created regulations to protect pawnbrokers who had carelessly sold stolen items.  This act also specified the amount of interest that could be charged on pawned items. These regulations are still going on today.

In the past few years, the number of pawn shops that have shown up have skyrocketed in the United States. They were very popular during the Great Depression era to help people make ends meet. Today, no matter how big or small a city is, the pawn shops located there are still a place people can trust to go to cash in their items. They are sometimes called “mini banks for people who do not have checking accounts.” In pawn shops, people can come in to either buy or sell rare or antique items. Commonly sold items are usually electronics,musical instruments, and clothing.

Pawn shops can be  referred to as warehouses that are full of history because the antique items that they hold are passed down from generation to generation.  Being a pawnbroker gives you the ability to develop a set of skills that not very many people have such as knowing the difference between an authentic item and a fake item, being able to differentiate if the item has value or if it is not worth anything, and alsoare able to bargain very well.

 

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