How A Pawn Loan Works

A pawn loan uses something you own as collateral instead of your credit. What you can borrow is based on the value of the item you bring in, which can be jewelry, electronics, musical instruments and tools. Based on its value we lend you cash on the spot with no credit check, paperwork or spiraling debt.

You pay back the loan with interest in a few months and get the collateral back without compounding interest or lingering debt.

And over 90% of our customers do get their merchandise back.

The holidays are done and the presents and decorations are packed away. Now what do you do with the gift cards you’ll never use? Bring them to Empire Loan and turn them into cash!

Empire Loan buys gift cards from over 700 merchants and pays cash on the spot. No machines to fuss with, no sharing credit card or bank account information, just bring in your gift cards along with your ID and you walk out with cash in your pocket.

All those gift cards to the clothing store you would never be caught dead in, can be turned into cash that you can use wherever you want. If you’ve ever received a gift certificate to a high end department store where the $50 card might get you a pair of socks, you would probably prefer the cash. One customer even came in with a gift card for a restaurant chain that doesn’t even have locations in New England. In all these cases, Empire Loan will pay cash for those unwanted gift cards.

Everybody thought gift cards would be a popular holiday gift for family, friends and service providers when you couldn’t figure out what to give them as a gift. Gift cards would let them shop for themselves and get the right size or color item. Unfortunately, you can’t please everybody. Instead of letting it sit in your wallet or purse taking up space, bring your unwanted gift cards into any of Empire Loan’s 8 locations in Boston, Providence, New Bedford, Worcester, Stoughton, Lowell or Lynn along with your ID and you could be walking out with cash.

Some retailers are offering to buy your gift cards from their competitors in exchange for gift cards to their stores. Others are offering store credits to their stores for gift cards to their competitors. If you didn’t want a gift card for their store, why would you necessarily want one from a store that basically sells the same things?

The advantage to getting cash for your gift cards is that you get CASH that you can spend anywhere you want to get just what you want. Once again, Empire Loan makes it easy!

As New England’s leading pawn shop, Empire Loan can show you how to get cash and great deals on top of the line tools! If you have new tools and want to turn your veteran tools into cash, Empire Loan will buy tools for cash. If you just want to get a loan on your tools to help you get to your next payday, Empire can give you a cash loan for them. Last but not least, if you’re looking to get a good deal on tools, any of Empire Loan’s 8 stores is where you should start your search.

Empire Loan offers buys and loans on gently used hand and power tools and offers great deals when we get to offer them up for sale.

Power Tools: Drills, nail guns, circular saws, compressors and more, are all tools that Empire Loan pays cash for. If you just got a new power drill as a gift, this may be the time to convert your old drill into the cash you want. If you just need to borrow a little cash against the value of your tools but want to keep them for future use, Empire Loan could be the place for you. Tools from manufacturers like Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Porter Cable and others are all top quality and respected companies that make tools that could put cash in your pocket.

Hand Tools: Ask any handyman what they value and you’ll hear about a particular set of wrenches or ratchets that they can’t live without. But when it comes to different specialties, different tool manufacturers come to the top. Automotive tool manufacturers like Snap-On and Matco are at the top of the auto mechanics wish list while electrical brands like Klein and Greenlee or plumbing brands like Channellock and Proto are at the top of their fields. The important thing is that when they are kept in good working, order they may be able to get you the cash that you need.

Buy: If you’re looking to buy tools to get the job done, Empire Loan is the first place to check for great deals on the best in the world.

Sell: If you’re looking to sell your tools for fast cash, Empire Loan will pay you on the spot so you don’t have to worry about trying to sell them online or to a friend or associate.

Loan: When you don’t want to sell your tools but need some cash to help make ends meet, Empire Loan will lend you cash and hold your tools until you get caught up.

Empire Loan can help you with your tool needs!

Empire Loan is the Premier Pawn Shop in Worcester

In 1985, Empire Loan opened their first pawn shop in Boston’s South End. Through 30 years of growth, Empire Loan in Worcester has been one of the true shining stars among pawn shops in Worcester celebrating their own 15 years anniversary this year.

Having moved a few years back to their new 700 Southbridge St. location in College Square Plaza just down the street from Holy Cross College, diagonally across from Rotmans Furniture  and right next door Wendy’s, Empire chose this location to be in the heart of Worcester among these other legendary institutions.

In the 15 years that Empire Loan has been open in Worcester they have grown to become a market leader among pawn shops in Worcester, having done loans on items ranging from horse saddles to a set of 24” truck tires, a Stanley Cup ring and even remote control boats and cars. “Gold and diamond jewelry is still the number one item customers sell or get loans on, but all of these other items are fun for us too” said Brian Johnstone, longtime manager of Empire Loan’s Worcester pawn shop. “We’ve done loans on the original Atari and Nintendo game systems as well as brand new iRobot vacuums and floor cleaners. You never know what’s going to walk in the door”.

What makes Empire Loan in Worcester stand out among pawn shops in the Worcester area is the customer service and professionalism of the staff. Brian has been with Empire since 1995 and Assistant Manager Julio Fundora is a 3^rd generation pawn broker having grown up in the family business in Florida. They along with the rest of the staff take pride in helping customers get the cash they need and will always take the time to explain the whole process from beginning to end. One look at what customers have to say about the store and it’s clear that Empire Loan in Worcester is a shining star among pawn shops in the Worcester area.

Shop Providence Pawn Shops and Save!

Wait! Before you brave the massive crowds and over hyped sales at the mall, take a trip to Empire Loan!

National jewelry store chains in big malls ramp up their advertising (and prices) on gold and diamond jewelry to lure you in for the holiday season. They promote how the items they have are unique and express your love and devotion. When you’re all done you just dropped a small fortune on a small, overpriced piece of jewelry that a thousand other people bought for their loved ones too.

Take the Providence Place mall in downtown Providence  for example where there are 9 different stores that sell jewelry. How unique can the jewelry be if nine national chains have locations in just that one mall.  A pawn shop like Empire Loan has thousands of gold, platinum silver and diamond pieces to choose from and no two are alike. Chains, bracelets, pendants, earrings and rings in every design you can imagine, is on display. One truly unique store without the headache from a pushy sales person trying to up sell you on their warranty. Empire Loan has two Providence pawn shop locations with plenty of free parking, and they both offer prices that are just a fraction of what those mall stores offer.

Don’t drive around in circles looking for a parking spot just to shop for overpriced merchandise that everybody else has. Try the new experience of getting great deals on beautiful top quality gold and diamond jewelry at Empire Loan.

This August marks the 25^th anniversary of the worldwide web as we know it. Online shopping, college classes and degrees, recipes, email, movies & music, just about anything you can imagine can be found on the web. Cars are wifi hotspots, medical records are accessible, and how-to videos have changed the world as we know it. In the pawn industry, there have been technological advances that have helped customers and pawnbrokers alike. Empire Loan, a chain of pawn shops in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has been leading the way.

Empire Loan has created an app called Cash Cam, that allows consumers to take a photo of an item and submit it to Empire Loan to find out what it might be worth.  “In the almost 2 years since we launched Cash Cam we have received hundreds of submissions from people all over the country, although it’s mostly designed for customers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island” Said Michael Goldstein, President of Empire Loan. “The concept was that people who are cleaning out their attic or find something at a yard sale can snap a picture and send it in to see how much they might be able to get for it. People have submitted artwork, antiques, instruments, electronics, just about anything you can think of.  It’s been a big success”

Another technological benefit Empire Loan offers their customer is an online loan center that allows customers to pay their loans from anywhere by logging onto www.EmpireLoan.com. “The Loan Center was created to allow customers to renew their loans or even redeem them without having to come into the store” says Goldstein. “Our customers can’t always get in to the store to pay on their loans because of work, travel or just not having the time. The best feeling is when they call in a panic about not being able to get into the store. We tell them to just log onto the website and they can pay through the web. You can almost hear the relief in their voice. People have paid while they were on vacation, at work, anywhere they happen to be really”.

Pawnbroking may be a centuries old industry, but pawnbrokers like Empire Loan have taken it beyond just New England, and into Cyberspace!

There are guitars and then there are GUITARS! New England Pawn shops like Empire Loan are known for being a great place to pick up anything from an entry level student model guitar to a high end classic guitar with incredible collector value. You never know what may turn up at a Massachusetts or Rhode Island pawn shop.

1. World’s most expensive guitar: Fender created a one of a kind, diamond encrusted guitar worth over a million dollars. This custom made guitar is so special, if you get to hold it, they don’t want you to play it. Then again, if you can afford to own something like this, you can probably afford to have someone play it for you.2. In 1996, Eric Clapton ordered a gold plated guitar that was valued at nearly a half million dollars. One can only imagine what it would cost or weigh if it was solid gold!

3. The late Bob Marley had a custom made Washburn 22 series Hawk that had an estimated value of $1 to $2 million dollars and is classified as a national asset by the Jamaican government and was one of only seven guitars owned by the legend himself.

4. The 1968 Fender Stratocaster allegedly played by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock was bought by Microsoft’s Paul Allen for $2 million dollars in 1998. This is not one he is likely to set on fire.

Photo by K. Alize Tran – sweetestalize@gmail.com

5, In 2005, a special autographed guitar was created by Fender to help raise money to support the victims of the tsunami. It was autographed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, Mark Knopfler and many others. The guitar sold at an auction in Qatar for $2.7 million dollars!

While you may not find some of the world’s most expensive guitars at Empire Loan’s 8 locations, you can also try Empire Guitars, their exclusive guitar shop for everybody from the Novice to the legends.

photo credit: Gary Clark Jr via photopin (license)