The wealthy are using pawn shops to finance their business ideas
Wealthy people looking to fund new ventures are turning to their Rolexes and art collections as collateral for quick and easy loans from high-end pawn shops.
The handful of lending companies tapping into the trend let their affluent clients take quick thousand-dollar or million-dollar loans with high-end collectibles as collateral. That's far greater than the average loan size of $150, according to the National Pawnbrokers Association. Business owners say the way the luxury goods-backed loans are growing points less to the financial distress associated with pawn shops and more to seize money-making opportunities.
The pickup in economic growth has shifted the balance toward small business owners growing their businesses, said Jordan Tabach-Bank, CEO of Beverly Hills-based The Loan Companies....