PAWNSHOP CHICAGO
PAWNSHOPS IN HISTORY
The pawn shop is one of the oldest businesses in existence. Pawnshops have been around in China for over 3000 years. They were around in Ancient Greece and Roman Civilizations. It has been stated that Queen Isabella of Spain pawned her jewels so that Christopher Columbus could sail in search of a new route to the west Indies. In turn, he stumbled upon America. Throughout history, people from all walks of life have used pawn shops from Royalty and the rich to average person. You can buy and sell things at a pawn shop and use your valuables as collateral for a loan.
THE ORIGIN OF THE THREE BALLS ASSOCIATED WITH PAWNSHOPS
The pawnbrokers' symbol is three golden balls suspended from a bar. The three-ball symbol may be indirectly attributed to the Medici family of Florence, known as one of the original pawnbroking families in history. It has been conjectured that the golden balls were originally three flat yellow gold coins, but that they were converted into balls to better attract attention.
According to legend, a Medic family member employed by Charlemagne slew a giant using three bags of rocks. The three-ball symbol became the family crest. Since the Medicis were so successful in the financial, banking, and moneylending industries, other families also adopted the symbol. Throughout the Middle Ages, the coat of arms bore three balls, orbs, plates, discs, coins and more as symbols of monetary success.
Another story suggests the origin come from the patron saint of pawnbrokers Saint Nicolas. The story is that Nicholas giving a poor man's three daughters each a bag of gold so they could get married, thus each ball represents a bag of gold.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Many people are hesitant to come into the pawn shop because they are unsure how it works. Pawning your gold or other valuables is really a very easy process.
Simply bring in your gold or other valuables to any of our Chicago pawn shop locations. We need to be able to examine the item in person. If it's gold, we will test it for purity. If it's an item such as a smart TV or laptop computer, we will take into consideration things like age, condition and resale value. We also take in tools, instruments, DJ Equipment and game systems.
After we examine your item, we will determine a value and price that we are authorized to pay you for your item as a buy, or lend to you using the item for collateral. You can generally get a little more cash for your item if you sell it. If you decide to sell, we will pay you cash and you are on your way! If you decide to use the item as collateral for a loan, we will lend you the money and you will have a certain amount of time to come back into the store and pay the loan back plus charges. Loans can be anywhere from a month to three months or more, depending on what you need. If you run into a jam, we can usually work with you to extend the loan as long as you cover your charges. You are charged monthly until you pay your loan back in full and redeem your item.