Today’s pawnshops are bright and surprisingly helpful. Shachomi tried one out [Nishitsu Ad]

Shacho-mi! Listen! The other day I found a shop with “pawnshop” written on it! Isn’t that kind of rare?

Totally! But pawnshops deal with money, so don’t they have a bit of an intimidating image?

I know! But this shop looked super bright and clean, not pawnshop-ish at all.

Really!? Now I’m curious! Let’s go take a look.

And so, Aocchi and Shacho-mi came to “Brand Garden Hanshin Nishinomiya,” a specialty pawn and purchase shop.

H-hello there! 🙋

The moment you step inside, you’re welcomed by a bright, spotless lobby There are even two air purifiers, so the air feels clean too!

The lobby sofa is actually made by Karimoku! You can really feel their hospitality toward customers.

Wow, it’s one of those Karimoku sofas people say lasts a lifetime! 😂 Of course I’m going to sit on it lol

Head farther inside and you’ll find two semi-private booths. Even if other customers come in, you won’t feel their eyes on you, so you can talk comfortably.

The manager of this lovely pawnshop is Nakajima, who has such a gentle smile. He’s a professional appraiser with 17 years of experience! Apparently, he’s also a certified tax accountant. Could he be the first person in Japan to run a pawnshop while holding a tax accountant qualification!?

Even the manager doesn’t seem pawnshop-ish at all 😍

If someone really scary-looking came out, I might run away, but with him I feel totally at ease…

Mr. Nakajima, please tell us all about it!

What exactly is a pawnshop in the first place?

It’s a place where you can borrow money using an item as collateral. It’s sometimes called “pawning” an item. Since the loan is based on the item, we can provide financing to anyone age 18 or older. Unlike consumer finance companies, there’s no credit check, and there are no appraisal or cancellation fees either.

I see! When you suddenly need to borrow money, people tend to think of consumer loans, but a pawnshop might feel more reassuring 😊

If you really want to borrow discreetly, it’s less likely your family will find out, and they won’t call your workplace either. By the way, what kinds of items do people often leave with you?

For men, bags, watches, and necklaces are common. For women, precious metals are the most common, but we also often take bags and watches. Oh, and engagement and wedding rings come in quite often too.

I see! I was wondering if I had anything at home I could leave, but I do have a ring! Could you take a look as a test?

Shacho-mi offered the wedding ring she was wearing.

Since the items being left are precious belongings, they are handled carefully while wearing white gloves. Also, they don’t take your item somewhere out of sight without asking, so there’s no need to feel uneasy.

In addition, the Apple Watch on your wrist and that iPhone are both OK too! There’s no need to reset them, and it’s fine even if they’re still under contract.

Wait, I can leave them as they are!? Then I’ll leave these two too.

Shacho-mi, you’re getting stripped of everything you own 😅

Camera equipment is OK too!

No way, that’s my work gear 💦 Without this, I can’t run Nishi2 💦

You’re saying that while handing it over 😭 Now you’ve got nothing left!!

Thank you for all these items lol

Items that can be pawned range widely, including precious metals and electronics like these, so if you’re not sure, you can always ask for advice. Now, let’s have them appraised.

I wonder how much it’ll be… I’m nervous…

The appraisal was finished in about five minutes. And here it is! These are the appraisal results for Shacho-mi’s four items A reassuring, or rather surprising, appraisal amount 😲😲😲

Whoa, I can borrow this much!? 😳

The loan amount, or pawned item amount, is generally around 80% to 90% of the purchase price. Within that range, you can freely decide how much you’d like to borrow.

In that case, don’t mind if I do… Please lend me the full amount!

The money was run through a bill-counting machine right in front of us, then handed over directly. At the same time, you receive a piece of paper called a “pawn ticket”, which records the loan details. The pawn ticket lists not only the amount and number of items left, but also the monthly interest and due date.

I imagined pawn tickets looking really serious and heavy, but Brand Garden’s pawn ticket has bright, pop-style colors, almost like a point card. Even if it accidentally fell out of your wallet, you probably wouldn’t have to panic…

The items left with them are carefully wrapped in thick zipper bags and cushioning material, then stored in a sturdy pawn warehouse that has passed inspection by the Hyogo Prefectural Public Safety Commission. They also have Secom security.

The holding period is basically three months, so if you pay back the borrowed money and the interest up to that date by the deadline, we’ll return your items.

Having it set at three months makes me feel like I’d actually pay it back without dragging things out.