Even the Rich are Hitting Pawn Shops
Filed under: Wealth
Normally pawn shops are reserved for the seedy and desperate, and the occasional middle-class divorcee looking to unload bad memories and a diamond ring, but in these tightening economic times even some of the country's wealthier individuals are turning to pawn shops to keep their high-end lifestyles and struggling businesses afloat. Since the banks aren't lending, pawn-brokers are seeing increased business from upper class individuals seeking short-term loans to fund everything from elective surgery to business payroll obligations, and they're putting up their diamond jewelry, watches, and even boats as collateral.
That can't be a good sign.
The days of the over-the-top and "in your face" styles of being rich (think Donald Trump) are numbered it seems, as the trends of wealth and luxury are leaning ever more toward 
