TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Pawnshops are usually a source of selling belongings you no longer need or to help you when you need some extra cash in your pocket.
Over the past 90 days, Casa Pawn has seen more customers come in to loan their items so they can walk away with some extra cash in their pocket, according to store owner Mark Hachtel.
“The demand for money is absolutely picking up now more than it was earlier in the pandemic,” he said.
He knows for many -- people need the help.
“Obviously, the economy has gotten a lot tighter for a lot of people,” said Hachtel.
Hachtel explained his shop is seeing anything from jewelry and firearms to family heirlooms being dropped off to either sell or loan.
“One thing that I tell all my employees is that nobody wakes up in the morning saying, 'You know, I don't have anything to do today. I think I'm going to go pawn my TV.' That just doesn't happen,” he said.
But this wasn’t always the trend. Hachtelsays at the beginning of the pandemic they were selling quite a few of their items.
He credits the new trends he’s seeing to depleting resources, like unemployment assistance and stimulus checks.