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!

Bicycles have always been popular items, whether as a mode of transportation or means of exercise.

As people become more conscious about the potential downsides of driving in cars so often — cost, pollution, and lack of exercise, among others — are making them even more favored by people all over.

Consequently, bicycles are in strong demand at many pawn shops. Of course, you can’t just bring your bike to any pawn shop to get the best price. Below, we’ll go over how to make the most money selling your bike to a pawn shop.

Polish Up Your Bike

If you’re an avid biker, there’s a good chance your bike has seen some wear and tear. So first and foremost, you’ll want to make sure your bike’s in as great shape as possible — the better condition it’s in, the more money you’ll make.

No need to do a complete makeover, though. Do some basic maintenance: oil the chains, fill the tires, secure the nuts and bolts, make sure the seat is in good condition, etc.

Also, consider cleaning the bike up. See if you can fix any scuffs anywhere to enhance its appearance.

Lastly, make sure you have any accessors, such as an air pump, helmet, and, if your bike has one, a basket. Every accessory offers a slightly better case for someone buying your bike, meaning you could earn a few more bucks.

Research Your Bike Online

Once your bike is looking good, it’d be a great idea to poke around online and see how much similar bikes sell for. Doing so will give you a solid expectation of what you’ll make on your own.

First, look for your make and model online. Write down the price you find for each one.

Additionally, visit a few pawn shops and see what kind of bikes they have for sale. Keep track of those prices as well.

Now, pawn shops won’t buy your bike for as much as they might be selling other similar bikes. After all, they have to make money, so keep that in mind.

Find a Good Pawn Shop

With a polished up bike and information in hand, it’s time to find a pawn shop.

But don’t go with just any pawn shop. Not all will give you the best price.

Additionally, some pawn shops don’t take bikes at all. They won’t be able to help you much.

Do some research to find pawn shops near you that specialize in bicycles and other sporting items. The extra time spent looking for these shops will pay off in spades when you get the money you deserve.

Looking to sell a bike? Cash Express is happy to take a look at yours. We take plenty of other items as well — especially jewelry, watches, and metals — so bring your stuff down to our pawn shop in Philadelphia today!

It seems like TVs leap in technological advancement with each passing year. Today, you can get a large, high-quality flat-screen TV for only a few hundred dollars.

That means you’ve probably considered getting rid of your old one. 

But don’t throw it out or sell it for pennies at a garage sale.

You see, pawn shops love TVs. Everyone wants one, so they sell easily. 

You can make good money off your flat-screen — enough to cover a good chunk of a new TV — by bringing it to a pawn shop near you.

Here’s a quick guide on getting the most bank for your TV buck.

How to Pawn Your Flat-Screen TV

Nabbing the best price at a pawn shop will require some preparation. Research your TV before heading to the pawn shop so you can make sure you get a fair price.

Pay Attention to Brand

Different brands hold different weights. The best brands tend to be those that are reliable and have a lot of name recognition.

Some of these brands include:

• LG
• Panasonic
• Samsung
• Sony

Other renowned names like Sharp and Vizio won’t fetch as high a price as the above brands, but you’ll still make good money.

Then, there are lower-tier brands like Insignia and Toshiba. You’ll still be able to earn something off these TVs, but don’t expect a ton.

Consider Size

Size is a huge consideration for anyone buying a TV. Naturally, pawn shops will fork over a lot of money if your TV is large. 

Anything that’s at least 42 inches will get you a good price. If it’s especially massive, you could expect several hundred dollars.

Smaller TVs over 26 inches but less than 42 inches will get you something, but not a ton.

And lastly, don’t expect much — if anything at all — for TVs under 26 inches. They just don’t have much demand.

Remember, pawn shops have to make money. If they’re not able to mark up an already low-demand TV and make a profit, they won’t likely take it.

Shop Around For the Best Offer

Pawn shops are subject to the same laws of supply and demand that any other business is. If a pawn shop has a lot of TVs and not a lot of buyers, you aren’t going to get a good price.

Likewise, a pawn shop that can’t seem to hold onto TVs for more than a day will pay you much more — because they can mark up the TV more and make a bigger profit.

With this in mind, shop around at several shops to see what offers you get.

One other quick tip: bring the box, cables, and remote if you have them. You’ll get more money out of your TV.

Cash Out Your Flat-Screen For a New One

Our Philadelphia pawn shop has some flat-screens in stock if you want to replace yours. But if you don’t want a new TV, feel free to take a look at our other items. Bring your TV into Cash Express today — let’s get you a good price.

Sometimes, money’s tight. You need some extra cash for food, rent, or something else, and you might be wishing you could get your hands on $1,000 within a day or two.

Fortunately, pawn shops make that possible. You can bring your item to a pawn shop like Cash Express and walk out the same day with money in hand.

Some items fetch a better price than others, though. Below, we’ll discuss a few things you can bring into a pawn shop to help you walk out with at least $1,000.

But first: pawn or sell?

Should I Pawn or Sell My Items?

That depends.

Pawning an item gets you a short-term loan — with the item as collateral. There are no credit checks, either.

And if you can’t pay it back plus interest, the worst that happens is you lose your item.

Still, pawn shops know their customers might be in tough financial situations, and they’re willing to help. They often will give an extension if you’re having trouble paying back the loan.

Your other option is to sell. Selling will usually net a higher price, but, of course, you don’t get your item back.

Items to Pawn or Sell For $1,000

Pawn shops have to deal with several costs, such as storage space, licenses, labor, and other store expenses. They need to earn enough to cover all these, plus make a profit.

The result?

Small, high-demand items are pawn shop favorites. Pawn shops can get the most money out of these items while minimizing their storage costs.

Here are some of those items.

Watches

Watches can fetch much more than $1,000 at a pawn shop, depending on several factors. 

Brand is one of the most important. Rolexes, Breitlings, and Chopards (to name a few) could earn you thousands of dollars.

Other factors influencing watch proceeds include:

• Condition
• Being made of precious metals
• Being a collector’s item

Diamond Rings

Diamond rings are an obvious choice for a few reasons. First of all, people looking to save money on a ring often go to pawn shops. Also, pawn shops don’t even need to sell the ring to make money. They can take it apart and sell each piece separately.

Jewelry

Most other kinds of jewelry will sell well, too. They’re small for easy storage, yet are in high demand by people who want jewelry at a bargain.

Jewelry not in good condition? You can still sell it for scrap metal at a pawn shop.

Firearms

Some pawn shops won’t give you the best prices on guns. You’ll want to visit a pawn show that specializes in firearms.

Additionally, not all guns fetch a high price. Do your research on your gun’s value and make sure it’s in good condition.

Lastly, make sure you have all relevant paperwork and licensing. Otherwise, you can’t pawn or sell your guns.

Other Items You Can Pawn For Less Than $1,000

Here are some items that won’t fetch such a high price, but are worth bringing to a pawn shop anyways if you need some spare cash.

• Electronics
• Less valuable firearms and watches
• Golf clubs
• Mountain bikes
• Tools (especially power tools)
• Gym equipment
• Musical instruments

Need $1,000 today? Cash Express would love to help. We take a wide variety of items, but we especially love jewelry and precious metals. Bring your items to our Philadelphia pawn shop today for some quick cash!

Earlier in 2020, companies small and large suffered when lockdowns and social distancing measures were put in place.

Doors are now slowly opening, but many businesses are still struggling to get by — especially smaller businesses that don’t have tons of cash to sit on.

Yet despite the hard economic times we’re all in, business has been booming for pawn shops. Many may wonder how such a specific industry can do so well right now when other businesses are not.

Why Are Pawn Shops Doing So Well During These Tumultuous Times?

In many states, pawn shops have been granted the “essential business” title, joining the ranks of other critical enterprises such as grocery stores and banks. Consequently, they’ve been allowed to continue their operations, as long as they follow and enforce social distance and mask protocols.

But why are they so essential? It’s a valid question. Pawn shops seem like the last type of business to be considered necessary for survival, but they’re more important than you think.

Customers Are Leveraging Their Items For Financial Assistance

Pawn shops are essential because of their ability to make loans.

Not just any loans, though. Pawn loans.

These are short-term loans that require no credit check. You borrow against an item of value to get them, and you can have the money in as little as a couple of hours. All you have to do is pay back the loan plus interest and fees within 30 days to get your item back.

If you can’t pay it back, the worst that happens is you lose your item. No credit score damage and no debt collectors here.

People can also sell their items outright if they don’t need it. Pawn shops are one of the easiest places to get rid of any miscellaneous items of value you have.

But that doesn’t explain why they’re doing so well. More on that next.

Many Pawn Shop Items Are in High Demand

In times like these, specific items become sought after — especially when everyone is locked inside.

Pawn shops happen to carry many of these items.

For example, video games and video game consoles are flying off the shelves. When you’re stuck in your house all day, you have much more time to fire up a console and play.

Lockdowns also led to a great increase in remote work, too. As a result, desktops and laptops are also selling well at pawn shops.

Then, of course, people are buying up firearms and ammunition. It’s grim to think about, but owning a firearm can make you feel more secure in uncertain times. And since firearms are expensive items, a pawn shop is where most people turn to when money isn’t as stable.

Stimulus Checks

Most Americans received several hundred to a few thousand dollars in stimulus money. Much of the money is bound to be spent on good deals at pawn shops.

Pawn Shops Are Strict About Social Distancing

Since pawn shops are essential, the government’s eye is on them. They are extra careful about social distancing, ensuring everyone wears a mask and remains properly distanced. Items and surfaces are sanitized frequently.

Want some extra cash to pad your savings? Need a laptop to work from home? Don’t worry — at Cash Express, we have plenty of items available. We love jewelry and precious metals, so if you have any, bring them in today!