Les & Seth visited Fox 2 Detroit today to share some of this season’s hottest holiday gifts- all available at American Jewelry & Loan for far less than retail!
Purchasing a diamond is a big decision — by limiting your shopping experience to the internet, there is no chance to “try before you buy”. In order to see that diamond you purchase online, you have to buy it…which increases the risk of fraud or ending up with an expensive item that you are unhappy with.
Find a stone that you want to buy online?
American Jewelry and Loan will set an appointment for one of our GIA Certified gemologists to show you comparable diamonds and/or jewelry pieces that are similar to what you find at online retailers. We will match the published price on a like-for-like stone. In the rare circumstance that we are unable to find exactly what you’re looking for and you end up purchasing the stone online after a consultation with one of our jewelers, we will pay you $100 (just show us the proof of purchase of that original online stone with specifications including cut and clarity).
Important: Please read these Official Rules (“Rules”) before entering the Share Your Journey Contest (the “Contest”). By entering Contest, you agree to be bound by these Rules.
Two years ago, American Jewelry and Loan became the first BETA Test site in Metro Detroit for a program that was focused on hiring, educating, and empowering individuals on the Autism spectrum.
“When we first found out about this opportunity, there was no hesitation–we have a need for talented skilled workers who can keep our ecommerce store running. This program fills that need efficiently and effectively” said Les Gold, owner of American Jewelry and Loan. Now two years later, all of the participants in the program remain an important part of our team and have grown in their roles individually and collectively, working almost every day to not only list items to our ecommerce store but also to process our technology inventory such as laptops, tablets, and game systems.
Through this partnership, American Jewelry and Loan is able to add staff to their team from a previously untapped workforce–individuals who are affected by autism. “When I leave work every day, I feel fulfilled, independent, and needed” Les said “now, thanks to this program, we’re able to provide that same pride to an entirely new population who might otherwise be unemployed, under-employed, or marginalized” he added.
“We were the first business to test this model–and if we have been able to make it happen in the back of a pawnshop, then I believe that literally any business can take advantage of this same opportunity” said Seth Gold, who oversees the ecommerce department for the store.
At American Jewelry and Loan, we frequently work with entrepreneurs to help them get the cash they need to keep their business running. Check out this interesting article from from CNBC:
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.
Growth is “certainly geared more towards opportunity loans than anything else,” Tabach-Bank said in a phone interview. His company operates brick-and-mortar high-end pawn shops in Beverly Hills, Chicago and New York. Business is doing so well that he’s considering opening a fourth location.
In another sign, Denver-based Luxury Asset Capital said it launched an online version called Lux Exchange in late January and has secured a credit line of $50 million from a family office.
A big part of the job is “educating the affluent consumer that they have all these assets sitting in their closet,” said Dewey Burke, president and CEO of Luxury Asset Capital.
One of his clients was able to use his watch collection to seal a commercial real estate deal. This client spent 10 years trying unsuccessfully to purchase a piece of property, Burke said. When it suddenly came up for sale last year, the client had just one week to close.
No bank would provide a loan in such a short time, Burke said. But after the client mailed in “four very, very high-end luxury” watches, Burke’s company was able to provide him with $400,000 in 48 hours.
Some clients also leave their luxury goods with Lux Exchange for a service that acts like a revolving line of credit.
“Often times if I talk about my business, the assumption is that people borrowing money from you, they must be in a bad spot. That’s simply not true,” Burke said. “We also and more often deal with business owners that are growing.”
Global wealth is on the rise as equity markets have run into record high territory, and prices for luxury goods are climbing. Last fall, a da Vinci painting sold for more than $450 million, the most expensive piece of art sold at an auction, according to Christie’s. In December, a vintage Rolex formerly owned by Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman set the record for the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction – $17.75 million.
Individuals are also using high-end pawn shops to use their existing collectibles to buy more.
“They’re able to fund the passion with the passion, versus using assets that would be used for other purposes. It makes a lot of sense for me,” said Morgan Duffy, president of Hayden Wood Insurance Agency, which focuses on the car collection market.
Sometimes using a traditional lender has resulted in not being able to make a purchase at all.
One of Duffy’s clients had $20 million worth of cars, and saw that the 18th out of 19 cars in one line was coming up for sale at an auction in four weeks. “He had tied up all his liquidity in business pursuits” and didn’t have the roughly $3 million for the car, Duffy said. “Even with providing evidence of what his collection included, we couldn’t get the traditional lender to wrap his head around it in time to purchase the car for his collection.”
But the overall trend for high-end pawnbrokers appears to be entrepreneurs needing large amounts of capital quickly.
In Houston, Pamela Wright of Wright Pawn & Jewelry said loans in the last nine months grew 20 percent from the same period last year, mostly driven by luxury goods. She said some of the business loans were for:
- a young woman who needed to patent and create a cosmetic product that now sells through the QVC television shopping network;
- a man who needed to purchase a car to become an Uber driver;
- a woman who started a successful delivery service.
“There does seem to be an increase in clients patenting ideas to take to market,” Wright said. “It’s not just the sandwich shop down the street. These are people that are thinking outside the box.”
Read full article: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/05/the-wealthy-are-using-pawn-shops-to-finance-their-business-ideas.html
[Read original post via SheKnows.com] It’s estimated that Americans will spend almost $20 Billion on Valentine’s Day gifts this year. Diamond jewelry is a traditional choice and it therefore makes sense to know what to look for if you should decide to invest in a diamond piece.
Our family has been buying and selling diamonds for four generations and we recognize the Gemological Institute of America’s expertise in the field as the gold standard. More than any other source, they offer training for professionals like us in the 4Cs — cut, clarity, color and carat.
Recently, we spoke with an expert from GIA on this topic. “Familiarity with the 4Cs of diamond quality is a crucial element in speaking the language of diamonds,” says Brenda Harwick, GIA Instructor. “Every diamond can be described by these attributes, which when taken together, help determine the diamond’s overall quality and value.”
When buying diamonds for a Valentine’s Day gift, consider how it will be worn by the recipient. You may be in the market for a statement piece that will be worn only on special occasions or a cornerstone piece like an engagement ring that will be worn daily. Jewelry is rarely an investment that pays high financial dividends. Rather, diamond jewelry is a beautiful expression of love that should fit your Valentine’s personal style. A good rule of thumb for buying diamond jewelry is to buy what you love, so long as you understand why you love it.
Harwick and the GIA offer six tips for helping consumers find their ideal piece of diamond jewelry.
1. Do the research
Familiarity with the 4Cs of diamond quality is a crucial element in speaking the language of diamonds. Every diamond can be described by these attributes, which when taken together, help to determine the diamond’s overall quality and value.
2. Choose a qualified jeweler
Consumers should select a jeweler as carefully as they would a doctor, lawyer or any other trained professional. Find someone who is credentialed, such as a GIA graduate gemologist. Take note of their affiliations with jewelry industry groups and professional associations.
3. Ask for an independent diamond grading report
A diamond grading report details the gemological quality of the diamond. It tells whether the stone is natural or synthetic, if it has been treated — and how — and its quality rankings in each of the 4Cs. Verification of information contained in any GIA diamond grading report can be attained by going to Report Check, GIA’s secure online database, or by accessing it directly through the GIA 4Cs app.
4. Keep the purchase secure
Have the diamond appraised and insured. A diamond grading report is the independent assessment of quality, while an appraisal gives a monetary value. A personal message or the report number can be laser-inscribed on the diamond’s outer edge, called the girdle, to help identify it if it’s ever lost or stolen.
5. Purchase the stone loose and have the ring set later
If someone is unsure what their future fiancé prefers in a ring, one option is to purchase a loose diamond and decide on the mounting together later. Make sure to have the loose stone graded.
6. Consider the alternatives
Colored gemstones and pearls make unique and memorable alternatives for celebrating special occasions. Consumers should look for independent reports for colored gemstones and pearls, also available through GIA.
See original post: http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/1112331/tips-for-buying-jewelry
2017 was a remarkable year for American Jewelry and Loan! Here are just a few of the highlights:
- The Detroit Regional Chamber hosted ‘Inside the CEO Mind‘ at American Jewelry and Loan, welcoming over 100 business leaders to their iconic store to hear their remarkable success story.
- We are always happy to welcome visitors to our store (including Naked Magicians) and were honored when the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau named our store to their list of ‘How to Spend a Day in Detroit’.
- Les and Seth Gold love spending time with their fellow pawnbrokers. They delivered the keynote speech and a breakout session at Midwest Pawnbrokers Convention in Nashville as well as the Dixie Pawnbrokers Educational Conference. Seth attended the NPA Legislative Conference in Washington DC. In July, they attended Pawn Expo in Las Vegas.
- Seth Gold was named to DBusiness Magazine’s 2017 Class of Thirty in their 30s.
- We created a Facebook Insider’s Group to connect with local customers who shop at our THREE Metro Detroit locations. Our VIP Insiders can take advantage of exclusive offers and see unique items as they’re added to our showroom floor. We also created an email address where customers can connect directly with our sales professionals for concierge service.
- American Jewelry and Loan Pontiac partnered with some of the most successful business leaders in the area to host a 3-week Entrepreneurship Master Class. Also in Pontiac, we repeated our popular Financial Literacy for Alternative Lending Customers Course in Pontiac.
- Seth Gold served as a panelist for Crain’s Detroit’s business webinar How to Grow Your Business Through Networking.
- Les and Seth Gold remained committed to supporting their community in 2017, beginning with attending the 2017 NAIAS Charity event. Les served as the celebrity auctioneer at The Big Auction, helping raise $125,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit. They served as Honorary Chairs of the Wigs 4 Kids Gala. Winning Futures raised over $275,000 at their 2017 Corks and Forks event, where Les Gold served as the Celebrity Auctioneer.
- The 2017 Mackinac Policy Conference 2016 To-Do List Report, presented by Dennis Archer, Jr., included a feature summarizing the Financial Literacy Workshops that were hosted by American Jewelry and Loan in partnership with Junior Achievement, Greenpath Financial Wellness, and Operation HOPE.
As we look to 2018, we’ll celebrate the 40th Year of American Jewelry and Loan with gratitude and appreciation for those who have supported our business for four generations.
“For environmentally-conscious consumers, the pawnshop offers a unique opportunity. Donating or selling unused items is one of the best types of recycling because there are no resources required to process or replace the item. Instead, it finds a new home rather than depreciating in a drawer, on a shelf or worse, taking up landfill space.”
Despite widespread gloom and doom reports leading up to the holiday season, the news from retailers for Christmas 2017 sales is good–USA Today reports that U.S. year-end holiday retail sales rose 4.9% compared to the same period last year, a welcome gift to U.S. retailers amid new signs of consumer confidence.
Online retail shopping similarly increased 18.1%, while overall consumer buying during the holiday period set a record for dollars spent, according to the sales report issued by Mastercard SpendingPulse.
Some of the biggest jumps, both online and in-store, were seen in electronics and appliances (7.5%), jewelry (5.9%), and home furnishings and home improvement (5.1%).
These results are consistent with what American Jewelry and Loan reports for their 2017 holiday season. In addition to engagement rings, which are always a staple of the season, owner Les Gold shared that “we’ve seen many customers this year who are looking for an upgrade to their existing bridal sets.”
In addition to fine jewelry, other luxury items are commonly upgraded during the holidays. Beth Anundi of Capital Pawn in Salem, Oregon, has seen so many customers bring their luxury handbags to her store that she recently launched a dedicated Instagram channel to highlight the couture.
Upgrades were even more popular in electronics and technology. “By now, most households have at least one personal computer, so today’s customer is often looking to upgrade with newer models of laptops, tablets, or other personal technology” added Seth Gold, who works alongside Les at their family’s fourth-generation pawnshop.
Martin Strasser of Premier Jewellery and Loans in Kelowna, British Columbia adds “Re-cycled retail is here to stay. Not all gifts are the perfect fit, so we encourage our customers to ‘recash’ instead of ‘regift’.”
Taylor Packwood of Top Cash Pawn in Plano, Texas notes that timing is key when considering the value of electronics “for previous years electronics and tech, values will be dropping drastically, so cashing in quick is key”.
This leads to the question–what becomes of the items that these gifts replaced? For environmentally-conscious consumers, the pawnshop offers a unique opportunity. Donating or selling unused items is one of the best types of recycling because there are no resources required to process or replace the item. Instead, it finds a new home rather than depreciating in a drawer, on a shelf or worse, taking up landfill space.
For customers who mark a milestone by upgrading a sentimental piece of jewelry, for instance, the pawnshop offers a unique way to recoup a portion of the investment of the upgrade when they sell the original.
Similarly, while hardcore geeks may want the latest technology and the fastest processors, their existing gear may work sufficiently for a student or someone whose needs are less sophisticated. Increasing an item’s lifespan by selling it to a pawnshop is great for the environment because it generates less waste and uses fewer resources. According to the EPA, more than 4.6 million tons of e-waste ended up in US landfills in 2000.
“We’re accustomed to seeing lots of people come to the shop on the first few days after Christmas with items that they either don’t want or no longer need because they’ve been given a replacement as a gift,” Seth said. “It makes a lot of sense because the customer gets cash in their hand fast whereas selling online can be a hassle, consignment can take weeks, and returns can be a nightmare.”
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Individuals who are interested in converting their gold, jewelry, watches, luxury items, game systems, or other technology into cash are invited to stop by one of American Jewelry and Loan’s three Metro Detroit locations and find out why they’re known as being ‘Where Detroit Cashes In‘ for 40 years. For questions about the pawning process or available inventory, email [email protected].
On Saturday, December 2nd, Detroit will host UFC 218 . This will be the first UFC fight at the newly-built Little Caesars arena. Fight fans will be welcomed to the next generation of heavyweight. Read about the contenders at CBS Sports.
Knockout Radio will be broadcasting live from American Jewelry and Loan on Friday, December 1.
