National Pawnbroker Summer 2014

Official Publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association

SUMMER 2014

Page 10

Page 15

NPA Strategic Plan

Member Anniversary Awards Page 29

Pawn Expo 2014

NPA Pawnbroker of the year, Ric Blum Ohio Loan Company, Dayton, OH

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Moving the Industry Forward

THE NPA IS WORKING FOR INDEPENDENT PAWNBROKERS JUST LIKE YOU

I THINK EVERYONE WOULD agree that Pawn Expo 2014 brought together some of the best presenters and attendees in the country. Even after all of the continuing education sessions I’ve attended, I walked away more knowledgeable and energized than I was when I got off of the plane in Las Vegas.

Many of the events are centered on increasing your exposure to pawnbrokers that you don’t know. These are people that may have a solution to one of your most pressing problems; you may be able to learn something that will improve the way you run your business.

They are folks that you can call on in the future when you have a question or an idea. They are people you’ll be excited to catch up with at the next Pawn Expo.

The most exciting part of the conference for me was the unveiling of the new NPA Strategic Plan at the Annual Membership Meeting through a video presentation. The video outlined the work that a dedicated group of individuals have done to help shape the association for future success. Each aspect of the plan is focused on NPA members’ needs, and how the association can help you be a more successful business person.

Watch for more information as the plan unfolds. An overview of the video presentation is available on page 15 in this issue of the magazine.

WE NEED YOU!

With the new initiatives that are now in place as a result of the strategic plan, it is imperative that you, as a member of the pawnbroking community and as a member of the NPA, join us in our efforts.

Each of you brings a unique set of skills that will help move us forward. We need the following types of individuals: • New pawnbrokers who will help us create programs critical to the new store owner’s success • Seasoned pawnbrokers who will help us create relevant and accurate content for the newbies as well as for those of us who are ready for the next level of success • Store managers and employees who will help us understand what you need to run your store more efficiently and how to attract the best, most talented staff And we need members with special skills in areas such as legal issues, financial management, grassroots advocacy, marketing, writing, and more.

If all of us give a little time, imagine the results!

Ben Levinson NPA President

THANK YOU!

There are many people to thank who worked hard to make Pawn Expo 2014 a huge success, including: • Sponsors • NPA staff • Convention Committee • Trade show exhibitors • All of the top-notch speakers • Attendees It takes a lot of people and a lot of hard work to put on an event of this magnitude, and it wouldn’t happen without these people.

I look forward to serving you another year. Remember, take pride in what you do. The NPA is here to help you with your business, so don’t hesitate to contact the NPA office.

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 1

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Table of Contents

SUMMER 2014

HIGHLIGHTS

10

15

Member Anniversary Awards Page 10 NPA Strategic Plan

Page 15

Pawn Expo 2014

Page 29

29 IN THIS ISSUE Message from the President Message from the Executive Director Government Relations Update Pawn Expo 2014 Candid photos, awards winners, and more!

Compliance News Flash!

Community Involvement FBL Scholarship Recipients Vendor Spotlight Rolland Safe Member News New Members Member Anniversary Awards Strategic Plan Craig Rabiner Memorial Ride NPA Board of Directors State News CAPA Convention Registration Form

1 4 6 29 23 16

Business Sense Bad Company Pawnsafes Guide to Social Media Diamonds Harden the Target Judge, Jury, and Executioner Calendar of events Index of Advertisers

24 27 49 52 56 61 67 68

18 8 10 15 20 33 47 66

Official Publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association

SUMMER 2014

Page 10

Page 15

NPA Strategic Plan

Member Anniversary Awards Page 29

Pawn Expo 2014

NPA Pawnbroker of the year, Ric Blum Ohio Loan Company, Dayton, OH

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COVER STORY

Congratulations to NPA Pawnbroker of the Year, Ric Blum, Ohio Loan Company, Dayton, OH. Page 32

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National Pawnbroker is the official publication of the National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA), and is published quarterly. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Dana Meinecke, NPA Executive Director. Sale or distribution of any or all of the contents of this magazine is prohibited. All rights reserved. For more information on advertising or to obtain additional copies of National Pawnbroker, call (817) 337-8830 or send an email to Chris@NationalPawnbrokers.org. EDITOR’S NOTE: This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject matter covered. It is provided and disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services. If legal advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. © 2007-14 National Pawnbrokers Association: PO Box 508, Keller, TX 76244 • (817) 337-8830 •NationalPawnbrokers.org EDITOR: Chris Pearcey, NPA Communications Specialist, Chris@NationalPawnbrokers.org DESIGNER: Carla L. Butz

2 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pawn Expo 2014

ANOTHER YEAR OF EDUCATION, FRIENDS, AND FUN

AS ALWAYS, THIS YEAR’S PAWN Expo was a lot of work for NPA volunteers and staff. But each year, as we watch the events unfold and see smiles on attendees’ faces, we know it was all worth it.

Because of your comments from previous events, we made some changes that allowed more networking time for attendees. Your fellow pawnbroker is your best source of information regarding your day-to-day business dealings, and we worked hard to provide opportunities for each of you to make new and valuable connections.

This is why it is so important that you return your surveys to us after the event.

Your comments don’t go unnoted!

The financial s pport of Pawn xpo s sponsors is critical to making this event happen. Many of these companies provide resources to help year after year, and we are able to provide you the best presenters and events because of their continued sponsorships. As you run into them in your daily business dealings, thank them for supporting your association and making Pawn Expo possible.

questions, and he has been there with answers. Congratulations Ric! Our Industry Partner of the year, RMF Consulting, has helped many members out of sticky situations. Bob Frimet, Managing Member of RMF Consulting, writes for National Pawnbroker magazine and provides education sessions at our conferences about the importance of compliance. Congratulations Bob! This year, the NPA PAC provided a unique opportunity to donors. By donating $500 to the NPA PAC, individuals received a ticket to Cirque du Soleil’s show, Michael Jackson ONE. Everyone had a great time at this memorable event. Watch for more opportunities to support the NPA PAC in the future.

After months of work by volunteers, board, and staff, the new NPA Strategic Plan was unveiled at the Annual Membership Meeting. The video presentation outlined the process we’ve been working through and the results we’ve achieved.

I’m looking forward to implementing our new services and strategies!

PAWN EXPO PAGES

If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for April 29, 2015, when NPA pawnbroker members will convene in Washington, DC to meet with Members of Congress and spread the word about what our industry does to support the American economy.

The NPA staff and I are looking forward to serving you during the remainder of 2014 and beyond. Don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or comments. We are here to serve you!

I love looking at the candid photos from Pawn Expo and remembering the new connections I made and the old friends with whom I reconnected. I’d like to touch on just a few of the highlights.

I would like to congratulate this year’s Pawnbroker of the Year, Ric Blum, Ohio Loan Company, Dayton, OH. He has been a huge supporter of the pawn industry and the association and understands the importance of networking for success. Many have called on him with

Dana Meinecke NPA Executive Director

LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

4 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Bank Discontinuance REARING IT’S UGLY HEAD

WE HAVE RETURNED TO OUR stores from Pawn Expo full of knowledge, re-energized, and ready to try the new ideas we learned. However, this year we also came home to new challenges that most of us have never faced before.

During Pawn Expo, your Government Relations Team heard from several pawnbrokers that they had received letters from banks stating that their accounts were being closed.

That’s right, while hundreds of pawnbrokers were in Las Vegas attending seminars and the trade show, back home in their mailboxes were letters informing them that their banking relationships were being terminated and they had - days to find another bank.

There was no explanation other than it was a “business decision,” a meaningless term. The form letters basically just reminded the recipients that, if they read the fine print in the depository agreement, banks can close accounts at any time for any reason. The letter might also include a note that the decision is not a re ection of how the acco nts have been handled and an apology for the inconvenience.

One thing is for sure, we cannot and will not take this sitting down.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

We knew about JP Morgan Chase, SunTrust, Huntington National, and Wells Fargo. Others are following suit. Pawnbrokers were left scurrying to find new depository banking relationships, lines of credit, and even credit/debit card merchant services.

Many of these banking relationships had existed 10-20 years or more.

There is much speculation on what caused this round of bank discontinuance. One thought is that Operation Choke Point is the cause. The Justice Department states that this action is aimed at denying funding for businesses that are considered “high risk” or “bad actors,” which includes payday and online operations that draft out of consumers’ accounts. These services can keep customers in a perpetual debt cycle.

Another possibility is that the push from some federal agencies to cut off banking relations to a variety of businesses s ch as firearms dealers and pharmaceutical sales companies is affecting pawnbrokers.

Whatever the origin, the NPA has taken a pro-active approach to protect its members and ensure every opportunity to run your pawn store just like any other legally operated, state and

Tim Collier NPA GRC Chair

(Continues on page 62)

NOTIFY THE NPA!

If your banking privileges haven been arbitrarily taken away, and you haven’t already contacted the NPA office, we need to hear from you. The number of pawnbrokers who have endured bank discontinuance is growing, and we are keeping a list.

I know you work daily to be a good business citizen and make an honest living for yourself and your employees.

The last thing you need is some bureaucrat taking away the banking relationship you rely on to run your business.

The NPA Government Relations Committee will keep up the fight to protect the pawn industry so we can continue to help our hard working customers who need our services on a weekly and monthly basis. Please take an active role in this fight, as your voice needs to be heard in this rallying cry!

6 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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MEMBER NEWS

National Pawnbrokers Association New Members APRIL 12, 2014 THROUGH JULY 23, 2014

PAWNBROKERS ARKANSAS

Redlands Pawn Shop Redlands

Twin City Auto Pawn & Loan Fort Smith

Rialto Jewelry & Loan Rialto

IPawn Arkansas LittleRock

Thrifty Pawn Rialto

ARIZONA

Urgent Loans Sherman Oaks

Arizona Pawnman Holbrook Money Mikes Pawn and Gold Apache Junction Outdoor Storage & Loan Phoenix

Western Jewelry & Loan #7 Sacramento Woodcrest Jewelry & Loan Riverside

COLORADO

T.M. Tinney Tucson

Capital Collateral Aspen

CALIFORNIA

FLORIDA

Bear Valley Pawn Apple Valley Capital City Loan & Jewelry Roseville

Royal Pawn & Jewelry West Palm Beach Volusia Gold & Diamond Pawn Daytona Beach

GEORGIA

Capital City Loan & Jewelry (6 stores) Sacramento

A1 Action Cash Macon

Inland Jewelry & Loan Upland

Macon Pawn & Gun Macon

IDAHO

First Interstate Pawn Lewiston

ILLINOIS

MONTANA

1st Interstate Pawn Missoula

NORTH CAROLINA

Gold Elite Jewelers Broadview

Big Time Pawn Shop Roanoke

Midwest Cash Carbondale Marion Carterville

AAA Ultimate Pawn Lincoln

Pebblewood Jewelry and Loan Naperville

NEBRASKA

NEW JERSEY

PJ Pawn Hawthorne

KENTUCKY

State Gold Buyers & Loan Co Newark

LOUISIANA

Wing Pawn Albuquerque

Lucky’s Gun and Pawn Corbin

Family Pawn of Bossier Bossier City

MICHIGAN

Simon’s Jewelry and Loan Hazel Park

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

Pawn Corp Marcy

Pawn Rite -4225 Bronx

PENNSYLVANIA

MISSISSIPPI

Cash Express Pawn Brokers Philadelphia

Pawn Smart Grenada

Financial Exchange Centers of America Philadelphia

O’Keefe’s Enterprises Grenada

8 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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MEMBER NEWS

TENNESSEE Southeast Pawn Chattanooga

TEXAS 303 Pawn Shop Grand Prairie Cedar Hill Pawn Cedar Hill Damron’s Jewelry, Guns, & Pawn Amarillo Harrisburg Pawn Shop Houston Pioneer Pawn Arlington Superior Pawn & Gun Tyler

UTAH AAA Jewelry & Loan Murray Big Dog Pawn West Jordan Westside Pawn West Valley City

VIRGINIA L. Oppleman Staunton

WISCONSIN Fast & Easy Pawn Menasha Green Bay Oshkosh

INTERNATIONAL PAWNBROKERS

Beats & Bytes Saint John, NB Canada Cinco PMR Corp Hialeah, FL ELombard EPawn OLC Helsinki, Finland FC Donkredit Donetck, Ukraine Hock Shop Inc North By, ON Canada

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Adplotter San Antonio, TX Arjuna Systems Newport Beach, CA

NXT Technology Solutions Dallas, TX PawnShopAcademy.com San Antonio, TX

Card Cash Brick, NJ

Pyromet Aston, PA

Euphoria New York Englewood, NJ

Rack Em Racks Buffalo Grove, IL

FFL Guard New York, NY

Steven Galapo Diamonds New York, NY

Florida Timepieces Tampa, FL

Oliver Jewellery Toronto, ON Canada

Jewelry Group South Plainfield, NJ

Servicios Corporativos Prenda Segura Mexico City, Mexico

Nikos Jewelry Slidell, LA

The Art Loss Register London, UK The Wholesale House Hicksville, OH

SuperLoans Wellington, New Zealand

APPRENTICE PAWNBROKERS

Morris Benguiat San Diego, CA

Lee Chance Independence, KY Haroun Hanasab Los Angeles, CA Steve Przybocki Sioux Falls, SD Thomas Shea Fairfax, VA Reyna Vasquez Franklin Park, NJ

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 9

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MEMBER NEWS

NPA Member Anniversary Awards

MEMBERS PRESENTED MEMBERSHIP PINS FOR LOYALTY TO THE ASSOCIATION

THE NPA BEGAN RECOGNIZING MEMBERS WHO HAVE MAINTAINED CONTINUOUS membership for 10, 20, and 25 years at Pawn Expo 2014. Each store in these categories received the appropriate membership lapel pin signifying its continuous support. Members who were not at Pawn Expo 2014 will receive lapel pins by mail.

Your membership is the foundation of the association, and the NPA board and staff would like to thank each of these companies for supporting NPA’s vision and mission over the long haul.

25 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION Action Pawn American Pawn Superstores Americash Jewelers A-OK Pawn Shop B & B of Portsmouth Best Pawn & Exchange B G Loan & Jewelry Co Big Rock Trading Post Bill’s Pawn & Jewelry Store Bluestone Trading Company Bonded Loan Office California Loan & Jewelry Co Capitol City Pawn & Jewelry

Cash Loan/South City Pawn CompuPawn Crown Jewelers & Pawnbrokers Data Age PawnMaster Fay Furniture Friedman’s Loan Office Garfield Refining Company Garner’s Jewelry & Exchange Golden Pawn & Jewelry Golden West Trading Company Gold Rush Pawnbrokers H & B Jewelry & Loan Co Houston Precious Metals

Jiffy Pawn Shop King’s Jewelry and Loan Livesay’s Loftis Jewelry & Pawnbrokers Marv’s Place Maxford Jewelry & Loan Modell Collateral Loans Nathan’s Lynnhaven Pawn Shop North American Metals Northwestern Loan Company Olde West Gun & Loan Co Palace Jewelry & Loan Co Paradise Pawnbrokers

People’s Pawn Shop Silver Dollar Exchange Simon & Simon Jewelry & Loan Suffolk Jewelers Teknon - Pawndex Terry’s Pawn & Variety Shop Turner Pawn Shop Uncle Sam’s Pawn Shop Westbrook’s Pawn Shop Will Jewelry and Loan Wood’s Loan Office

City Pawn Shop City Pawn Shops Clark Pawners and Jewelers Crown Pawnbrokers Decatur Jewelry and Pawn Decker’s Jewelry and Pawn Depend A Pawn Deprez Quality Jewelry & Loan Deweese Gun and Pawn Trophy Shop Diamond Pawn Dick’s Pawn Shop South Dixie Pawn Dixie Pawn Shop Doc’s Pawn & Guns Dollar Pawn Don’s Pawn Shop Downtown Pawn Shop Dynasty Jewelry & Loan Easton Loan Co Empire Loan Fastcash Pawn & Checkcashers Fourth St Pawn

Frank’s Pawn Shop Fulton Loan Office Coins & Stuff Gemological Institute of America General Refining Corp Globe Loan Jewelry Co Gold Pawn Brokers Golden Pawn Shop Goldman’s Pawn Shop Granters Jewelry & Loan Company Hanford Jewelry & Loan Herdez Jewelers & Pawn Holley’s Pawn Store Honolulu Trading Company Howard’s Jewelry Center Hudson’s Pawn & Gun Ideal Jewelry & Loan Inglewood Jewelry & Loan Ingram Jewelers & Pawner Instant Money Pawn Jack’s Pawn & Gun

20 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION 1st Lugoff Pawn & Loan Shop A-Able Pawners and Jewelers Ace Jewelry & Loan Ace Music & Pawn Shop Alan’s Jewelry & Pawn All Island Jewelry and Loan All Pawn All That Glitters Jewelry & Loans Allan’s Jewelry & Loan Alpine Pawn & Sporting Goods American Gold Mine American Jewelry & Pawn American Jewelry and Loan American Pawn Shop American Trade & Loan Co A-OK Enterprises Army Surplus Austin Pawn & Jewelry Avenue Pawn Berry’s Pawn of Madison Best Collateral Beverly Bremer Silver Shop

Beverly Loan Company Big Brother’s Pawn Bill’s Pawn Shop BJ’s Pawn Shop Boulevard Pawn Shop Braswell & Son Brothers Collateral Loans Buckeye Pawn Shop Burrell Printing Co California Pawn Shop Capital Pawn Shop Capitol City Loans Carson Jewelry & Loan Carver W Reed Co Cash Central Co Cash Exchange Pawnshop Cash Indiana Pawn Cash Northwest Castle Pawn Shop Cedar Post Pawn Shop Checks 4 Cash Chicago Pawners & Jewelers Cindy’s Pawn

10 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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20 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION Jayhawk Pawn & Jewelry Kendale Pawn Shop King’s Pawn Shop Kohn’s Loan Co Krasner Pawn & Jewelry Kwik Kash Pawn L Oppleman Pawnbrokers Lawndale Jewelry & Loan Lee’s Pawn & Jewelry Leo Marks Jewelers Lightning Pawn Enterprise Loan Mart M & M Merchandisers Max’s Jewelers & Loan Co McLarens Young International Mid South Pawn Mid-States Recycling & Refining Midwest Exchange Mission Pawn Mister Money of Greeley Momentum Pawn Money Stop Moss Pawn Jewelry & Guns Mullins Pawn Shop National Jewelers Supplies National Jewelry & Pawn National Pawn Company of MN Neighborhood Pawn

Newport Watches Jewelry Loan Norman’s Jewelry & Loan North County Pawn Center Northside Pawn Shop Ohio Loan Co Olathe Trading Post & Pawn Old South Pawn Ozark Trading Post Palace Jewelry & Loan Co Palace Pawnbrokers Patriot Pawn & Firearms Company Pawn World Pawnbrokers of America Pelican Pawn & Jewelry Pets, Pawns & Imports Picasso Pawn Pico Union Pawn Shop Pioneer Loan & Jewelry Pleasant Hill Coin & Jewelry Post Pawn Store Provident Loan Society of NY Quick-Cash Taylor Mill R J Cash Enterprises Ram Z’s Emporium Rhudy’s Pawn Shop Rogers Jewelry Royal Loan Royal Pawn

Sacramento Loan & Jewelry Sam Light Loan & Mercantile Co Sam’s Loan & Emporium San Francisco Pacific Loan Co Security Coin & Pawn Shop Shane’s - The Pawn Shop Silver’s Jewelry & Loan Smokefoot Trade & Loan Smyrna Pawn Brokers Snooky’s Pawn Shop Sol’s Jewelry & Loan West South Bay Pawn Springfield Pawn & Loan St Louis Jewelry & Loan Stuller Sue’s Pawn Shop - Tack Shop Sumpter’s Jewelry & Collectables Sunset Pawn Sydmor’s Jewelry Co TC’s Pawn Company Jewelry & Electronics Exchange Ted’s Pawn Shop The Gold Loan Co The Gold Mine The Pawn Advantage Store The Pawn Shop of Keene The PawnShop

The Sportsman Trading Co. & Pawn T-N-T Pawnbrokers Today’s Pawnbroker Top Dollar Jewelry & Loan Co Traders Loan & Jewelry Treasure World Gun & Pawn Uncle Ben’s Pawn Shop Union City Pawn & Jewelry Union Life & Casualty USA Credit Corporation USA Loans USA Pawn & Jewelry Used-A-Bit Sales & Pawn Village Pawn Wellston Loan and Mercantile Wellston Pawn West Gastonia Music & Loan West Quincy Pawn Shop Westbrook’s Pawn Shop Westminster Jewelry & Loan Worldwide Diamond Co Worldwide Jewelry & Pawn Worldwide Pawn Yonkers Pawnbrokers Zodiac Pawn Shop

Brittain’s Pawn Shop Brittex Financial Bryan & Son Jewelers Buchwald Jewelers C & J Trades Carl’s Pawn Shop Cartersville Pawn-N-Shop Cash Company Cash Exchange Cash For Gold/Kamaaina Loan Cash In A Flash Cash Pawn Cash Plus CashCo Jewelry & Loan Central Wyoming Pawn & Loan Charlie’s Pawn Shop Chesapeake Pawn and Gun Chipley Gun & Pawn City Pawn Shop Compra Venta Antonio Continental Loan & Jewelry Co Cooper’s Coin & Pawn County Coins, Guns & Collectibles Crowley Pawn Shop Crown Jewelers & Pawn Crown Royal

D. Angelo’s Pawner’s & Jewelers Dakota Pawnbrokers Dan’s Discount Jewelry & Pawn Dan’s Pawn - St Andrews David H. Fell & Company Dean’s Coins & Pawning Dezi’s Jewelry Exchange & Pawn Diamond Gem Lending Co Diamond Jewelers of Spartanburg Dillon Gage Discount Jewelry & Loan E Z Jewelry & Loan E Z Pawn of Lebanon, MO Eagle Jewelry Co Eastside Gun & Pawn Eastside Pawn Shop Eden Jewelry & Loan Company Ellis Tanner Trading Company Empire Pawn of Nassau Essex Pawn Excel Pawn & Jewelry Express Pawn EZ Cash of Panama City EZ Jewelry & Pawn

10 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RECOGNITION 2-K Pawn & Gun Shop A & D Pawn Shop A Loan At Last AAA Gun & Pawn Shop AAA Jewelry & Loan AAA Precious Metals A-Aaron Jewelry and Pawnshop Ace Buyers Ace Diamond & Jewelry Brokers Acme Pawn Action Pawn Round Rock, TX Adamas Advantage Pawn AJ’s Super Pawn All American Pawn All Island Jewelry and Loan All Pawn Alliance Loan Company Alpha Gold Exchange American Loan Pawnshop American Pawn & Jewelry American Pawnbrokers American Traders AmeriPawn of Lake Station Amigo Loan Company Amigo Pawn & Jewelry

Annapolis Jewelry & Loan Arkansas Trading & Loan Arlington Jewelry & Loan Atlas Loan & Jewelry Co Austintown Pawn Axel’s Pawn Shop B & D Thrift & Loan B J’s Jewelry & Loan B.J.’s Furniture Batesville Gun & Pawn Shop Bayou Pawn & Jewelry Beach Pawn Shop Bellingham Pawnshop Beneficial Exchange & Pawn Ben’s Loans Best Deal Pawn & Gun Best Pawn & Jewelry, SC Best Pawn & Jewelry, TX Big Daddy’s Pawn Shop Biloxi Pawn Bim’s Loan BJ Pawn & Gun Bonne Terre Pawn Bradford’s Pawn & Gun Branch Avenue Pawn Brett’s Pawn Shoppe

(Continues on page 12)

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 11

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MEMBER NEWS (From page 11)

NPA Member Anniversary Awards E-Z Pawn of Port Angeles, WA Family 1st Pawn Family Pawn Fast Cash Pawnbrokers First City Pawn & Jewelry First National Pawn of SD First Pawn Jewelry & Loan Florida Cash Gardena Jewelry & Loan Garrett Metal Detectors Gary’s Pawn & Gun Geib Refining Corp.

Gems N’ Loans General Refining Corp Gene’s Pawn Shop Gil’s Loans Glenn’s Jewelry and Loans Gold & Silver Pawn Shop Gold Mine Pawn Shop Gold Rush II Gold Star Jewelry & Pawn Gold’N Coins Jewelry & Loan Gold-N-Pawn Goodfellas Pawnshop Greenbrier Pawn Greenmount Loan & Jewelry Co Griswold’s H & B Too H & F Pawn H Schoenberg Haney’s Pawn Shop Happy Hocker - Cleveland Heather’s Pawn Loans Herdez Jewelers & Pawn Horizon Pawn House of Quality Coins/Jewelry Howard’s Jewelry Center Humboldt Bay Trading Co Hutchinson Pawn & Jewelry IAS Training Indiana Loan Co Insta-Cash Pawn International Gemological Institute Jerry’s Jewelry & Pawn Jery’s Pawn Jessup’s of New Smyrna Jiffy Pawn Shop Jim’s Pawn & Jewelry Joe Davis - Pawnbroker Johnson Brothers’ Jewelry & Loan Joyerias Monte Piedad Just Cash K & K Loans Kassoy Keller’s Pawn King Pawn Brokers Kittitas Co. Trading Company KK’s Loan, Music & Jewelry Knightdale Pawn

L & L Enterprises Metal Recovery L & S Pawn Shop La Estrella Pawn Shop Lake Travis Pawn & Jewelry Lakeside Pawn & Jewelry Larry’s Jewelry & Pawn Larry’s Super Pawn Layton’s Pawn Leesburg Pawn Lincoln Square Pawnbrokers Lincolnton Pawn Shop Lincolnway Pawn Liquid Assets Loan Star Pawn Loan U.S.A. Loan USA London Coin Galleries Longhorn Cash Lou’s of Upper Darby Magazine Pawn Shop Manhattan Gold & Silver Market Square Exchange and Emporium McLarens Young International Mentor Financial Jewelry and Loan Meriden Pawn Metro Pawn & Gun Minden Pawn & Gun Mister Empeno Mister Money Investments Money and More of Waterloo Money To Go Money Tree Loans Monster Pawn Montana Sales and Loan Co. Mountain Man Pawn Mountain Man Trading Post Mr Pawnshop Murphy Road Pawn Mustang Jewelry & Pawn Naranja Trading Post & Pawn National Jewelers Supplies National Jewelry & Loan National Pawn & Loan Co National Pawn Shop National Pawnbrokers Outlet of Waterford New York Pawnbrokers Newnan Plaza Shop & Pawn Newport Watches Jewelry Loan Nopp’s Jewelry & Art Northwest Pawn & Collector Arms Numis International Oaklawn Pawn Odyssey Jewelers P & J Pawn Shop Pacer

Paradise Pawn Parker Pawn Shops Park-N-Pawn Parlets Jewelry & Loan Parlour Pawn/Whiteacre Electronics Patriot Pawn & Firearms Company Paul Reiser and Associates Pawn Dog Jewelry & Loan Pawn Express Enterprises Pawn King of Arnold, MO Pawn King of Merrillville, IN Pawn Max Pawn Plus of Macomb, IL Pawn Plus of Pennsylvania Pawn Shop of Madison, SD Pawn USA Pawn World Pawnmart Jewelry & Loan Pawtucket Pawnbrokers Too Paymaster Pawn and Jewelers Pease & Curren Pee Wee’s Pawn Pike County Pawn Shop Pinhook Pawn & Jewelry Plano Pawn Shop Pontiac Exchange Poplar Jewelry & Pawn Port City Pawn Shop Porter’s Pawn and Bargain Center Premier Jewellery and Loans Princess Anne Pawn Provident Jewelry & Loan Quick-Cash Quik Pawn R & R Pawn Ready Pawn Reliable Jewelry and Loan Republic Metals Corp Richies Pawn & Gun Roath’s Pawnshop Ltd Rob Taylor’s Santa Fe Enterprises Rockingham Trading Post Rolland Safe Company Royal City Jewellers & Loans Ltd Ruby Mountain Pawn Sam Houston Pawn & Jewelry Sam’s Pawn & Jewelry Shop Santa Barbara Loan & Jewelry Scott’s Jewelry & Pawn Sevier Pawn & Loan Shaw’s R & R Jewelry & Loan Shelly’s Loan and Jewelry Company Shurlington Jewelry & Pawn Silver Dollar Jewelry & Pawn Silver Lining Jewelry & Loan

Simpson’s Skagit Valley Pawn Co Solar Loan and Sales Company Southeast Jewelry & Loan Sumter Pawn and Gun Sunset Strip Pawn Super Pawn Center Superpawn Swop Shop Sylacauga Pawn Shop Texas Cash Pawn The Buyers The Castle Jewelry and Pawn The Gold Exchange The Gold Mine The Gun Show The Pawn Shop of Christchurch, NZ The Pawn Shop of Paintsville, KY The Pawn Shop of Sulphur Springs, TX The People’s Choice Cash & Pawn The Trendz The Wright Pawn & Jewelry Co Tiger Pawn Emporium Top Dollar Pawnbrokers Top Loan Town & Country Pawn Shop TP Trading & Exchange Traders Pawn Shop Trenton Pawn & Sales Triangle Pawn Brokers Tulsa Gold & Gems Turner’s Pawn & Tax Uncle Dan’s Pawn, Gun & Archery Uncle Sam’s Loan Office Uncle Tom’s Loans United Pawnbrokers United Precious Metals USA Jewelry & Pawn Val Shell’s Pawn Shop Van’s Pawn Mart Vista Pawn Shop Waipahu Hawaii Pawn Wapato Pawn & Trade Westchester Gold Fabricators Western Loan & Jewelry Westside Loan Office Wexler Insurance Agency Wholesale Jewelry & Loans Wiggins Gun & Pawn Wild Bill’s Jewelry & Pawn Wildcat Pawn & Jewelry Wooden Indian Pawn Shop Woody’s Pawn Shop Xcel Data Yankee Peddler & Pawn New London Zimbal’s

12 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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Success in Florida Stallcup Group Facilitates the Sale of 12 Pawn Shops July 2014 – Stallcup Group, Inc., an Exit Strategy Consulting firm, announced its successful facilitation of the sale of Capital Pawn, an independently-owned business made up of 12 pawn shops located in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida. Stallcup Group served as the exclusive financial advisor to Capital Pawn, Inc. in this highly successful transaction.

Stallcup Group’s thorough analyses of Capital Pawn’s financial data, and the unique attributes and characteristics of each shop, ensured their client achieved all of their selling goals.

Here is what other clients of Stallcup Group have to say about their successes: “We had been contemplating retirement for a few years but were at a loss as to how to approach marketing our shop. Stallcup Group secured a result for us that we could never have imagined accomplishing on our own.”

– Ron & DeAnna Webber, TN

“Ultimately, I was most impressed with Stallcup Group’s financial modeling, which is extremely sophisticated, and their ability to package information in a way that buyers want to see.”

– Craig McCall, 12 stores AZ/NV

Why Stallcup Group?

We have more than 29 years of experience in the pawn shop industry and have closed over $148M in transactions since founding the business in 2009. We are the leader in Exit Strategy Consulting, and solely represent pawn shop owners. All Stallcup Group’s clients have realized a purchase price increase of 10-50% from initial offer to final closing price.

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Contact us directly, and let us evaluate the true value of your pawn business:

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8/6/14 3:55 PM

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CompuPawn Pawnshop Client

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1/8/2013 10:08:17 AM 8/6/14 4:07 PM

MEMBER NEWS

NPA Launches Strategic Plan

SEE THE VIDEO FROM THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AT NATIONALPAWNBROKERS.ORG

THE NPA’S NEW STRATEGIC PLAN WAS unveiled at the Annual Membership Meeting during Pawn Expo 2014. The plan will guide the association as we continue building the new NPA. The strategic planning process led us to identify three key goals. Focusing our energy and time on three key strategic initiatives doesn’t mean we will neglect other important programs or functions. The three key goals are:

ADVOCACY

NPA will continue to protect your interests before elected p blic officials, government agencies, media, and others who can shape the f t re of o r businesses and industry in one way or another.

You have told us many times that advocacy is a fundamental reason you are a member of NPA. We know it is important not only to protect your business interests but also to keep you informed about important issues as they evolve and new issues as they arise.

EDUCATION

Our third important strategic goal is to build an NPA professional designation program that will serve to differentiate yo and yo r alified employees as ni ely committed to the knowledge, skills, and c stomer service of the pawn ind stry. eginning in , independent pawnbrokers who have been in the ind stry five years or more can choose to earn NPA’s new professional designation. The letters that will follow your name will signal to customers and colleagues that you have completed the courses and exams necessary to complete the program and are committed to refreshing your skills and knowledge regularly.

Earning the designation is your proud mark of distinction. It will provide you with an enormously valuable competitive edge.

MEMBER SERVICES

NPA should be your single source for business solutions. The best way to achieve this is to develop custom tailored business services that are designed from the ground up with you and your business in mind.

As a result of the association’s growing leverage as the representative of over pawn b sinesses, the NPA can wield s bstantial in ence to create unique business services for you.

GET INVOLVED!

Please consider this your invitation to get involved one way or another in the exciting work that lies ahead As we always have, NPA welcomes yo r inp t, ideas, and s pport.

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 15

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

2014 Future Business Leaders

CONGRATULATIONS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

SINCE 2003, THE NPA FUTURE BUSINESS Leaders scholarship fund has presented $121,000 in scholarships because of generous donations from members just like you.

Following are the eight recipients of $1,000 scholarships for 2014: John David Cravey Sponsor – Insta-Cash Pawn, Longview, TX Stephen Shelby Garris Sponsor – Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL Miranda Jones Sponsor – Bill’s Pawn & Jewelry, Valley Station, KY Zackary Kyle Lytton Sponsor — Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL Gracyn McCarty Sponsor — Sam Houston Pawn & Jewelry, Victoria, TX Daniel M. Rovak Sponsor — Shane’s-The Pawn Shop, Chicago Heights, IL Wesley R. Strong Sponsor – Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL Michael Alan Watson Sponsor – Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL As a member of the NPA, you have the ability to sponsor someone for a scholarship. The money can go to help employees, your children or other family members, and even customers. Just go to the NPA website and download, complete, and submit the nomination form. Scholarships of $1,000 each are awarded annually.

The f nd is not only a benefit of membership, but it also gives you a chance to develop more positive relationships with your communities and the customers you serve.

The NPA has been a supporter of Concerns of Police Survivors, or C.O.P.S., since the beginning of our scholarship program, and we are honored to present two $1,000 scholarships to the organization this year.

These winners will be announced in a future issue of National Pawnbroker magazine.

Jane Garris, Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL (center) poses with FBL scholarship recipients Stephen Garris and Wesley Strong.

FBL Scholarship recipients Zackary Lytton, Stephen Garris, and Michael Watson, sponsored by Sylacauga Pawn Shop, Sylacauga, AL.

FBL scholarship recipient Daniel Rovak (second from left) poses with Gary Rovak, Carmencita Schoeneman, and David Schoeneman, from Shane’s-The Pawn Shop, Chicago Heights, IL.

Shawn Cravey receives a check from David Cravey, East Texas Area Supervisor, Insta Cash Pawn.

16 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

When All is Not Lost

ROLLAND SAFE SPECIALIZES IN KEEPING PAWN STORES’ ASSETS SAFE AND SECURE

NATIONAL PAWNBROKER MAGAZINE SAT down with Rick Rolland, president, of Rolland Safe to find o t more abo t how to protect yo r most val able inventory.

NATIONAL PAWNBROKER MAGAZINE (NPM): What types of safes are out there?

RICK ROLLAND (RR): Most pawnshop owners today reali e that the only safe worthy of storing c stomer loans is a b rglary rated safe. This is ite different from years ago when the pawn ind stry tho ght that b ying any large, heavy safe was eno gh. e have fo nd that many store owners are sing m ltiple safes to sec re loans, which speaks to the ind stry s awareness of a more sophisticated criminal threat. n a few cases, the larger asset stores have moved to rated prefabricated va lts for storage of ewelry and high val e weapons. This is also a different twist from days when pawnbrokers sed concrete block va lts only to see large holes in them the morning after an attack.

NPM: What problems have pawnbrokers had with safes in the past?

RR: egardless of how high the rating was, the biggest problem that pawnbrokers faced was that they had to open them d ring the day to service a loan. This exposed all loans to the retail oor and p t them at risk. Some companies locked an attendant and the safe behind b llet resistant walls and windows. Pawnbrokers were migrating to the better b ilt, tested safes, b t the risk had t rned to daytime or open-ho r armed assa lt risk.

NPM: Talk about the development of your products.

RR: The original prototype for the Pawnsafe consisted of a vending machine inserted into a high sec rity safe. e knew that concept wo ld not be s stainable and worked to come p with a more ef-

fective sol tion. n early , after cons lting with pawnbrokers from across the co ntry, a olland team designed the first f lly integrated Pawnsafe on the back of a napkin. The first prototypes were a fancy version with to ch screens that presented the amo nt of loan envelopes in f ll color. ith lots of inp t from the ind stry and many of the larger p blic pawn companies, we introd ced a realistic, cost effective model that wo ld eliminate the risk of open-ho r armed assa lt. The first prod cts were man fact red in Toronto, placed in a T - b rglary rated safe and introd ced to the market in early . This prod ct was called the Pawng ard and rolled o t to h ndreds of pawn stores in the first five years.

As the need for a stronger enclos re with a more competitive selling price became evident, olland took the design to iebold to be man fact red. n , the second generation of the Pawnsafe was released and came standard in a T - enclos re. or this prod ct, olland developed different si es of the prod ct to meet with vario s si e stores and introd ced the Pawn Step Program, which allows the pawn store owners to start small and trade p for a larger systems as their b sinesses grew. inally in , olland introd ced the Pawnsystem which is designed to comm nicate on line and offer the ser remote control of a dits, permissions, and sh t down capabilities. As of today, olland estimates that there are over , Pawnsafes, Pawng ards, and Pawnsystem in se. r agship prod ct, the olland Pawnsystem, was designed specifically for pawnbrokers and has become the sec rity standard for the pawn ind stry. ne of the most recent developments was the Protector. Criminals fig red o t that if they steal the sec rity system s box, they steal the evidence, and the s rveillance cameras become irrelevant. olland created a small safe box designed especially for ho sing a recorder.

18 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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VENDOR SPOTLIGHT NPM: What are the top three things a pawnbroker should consider when purchasing a safe?

RR: The first is the strength, in essence the rating or e ivalent. A safe or va lt is like a parach te it is only needed when all else fails. f the strength is wrong, they have wasted their money.

The second is the si e of the safe. Try to plan five years ahead. A safe is a significant investment and trying to save with a smaller si e will almost always come back to ha nt yo . The other important point on this s b ect is that safes are essentially strong storage devices. f yo consider that yo pay a dollar per c bic inch, the larger safes are always cheaper to p rchase. inally, consider how yo r staff accesses a safe.

The lock ind stry is m ch more sophisticated today, and allows yo to control who goes in and when and what time they are allowed to enter. o are now able to change permissions on line and get a dit reports with the history of who entered the safe and when.

NPM: What is Rolland Safe’s business philosophy?

RR: r philosophy is to take care of c stomers first. e have made o r share of mistakes b t have always considered the c stomers needs before o r own. r core competency is to make the act of committing a crime more diffic lt beca se we were able to o tthink the criminal. e are pro d of the fact that millions of dollars in cash, ewelry, and gold have been protected as a res lt of o r prod cts.

With PawnSystem,

TIME Is On Your Side

Time is critical to your Pawn business. Rolland’s new PawnSystem brings new features to the safe you already love, and truly puts time on your side.

Internet IP Connectivity lets you manage your PawnSystem anytime from anywhere you have internet access.

The PawnSystem is a criminal’s worst enemy. The Time Lock automatically shuts down your PawnSystem at programmable times outside hours of operation. The Time Delay and Rapid Use Penalty features use time to thwart an armed robbery attempt.

Put a Rolland PawnSystem in your store.

Put Rolland’s service on your team.

And put time on your side.

NPM: What do you see for the future?

RR: olland will contin e to develop with the pawn ind stry as its needs change. y grandfather sed to say, hen the criminal b ilds a ten foot ladder, we have to b ild an foot wall. As time goes by, we look to partner with other providers to create a harder target in the pawn ind stry. The implementation of technology into o r prod cts is exciting and allows s to integrate with other defenders of the pri e in the pawn environment.

or over years olland has cons lted with and protected pawnbroker s onsite assets and cash. e provide sol tions and sec rity cons lting to some of the biggest names in the pawn ind stry in both the .S. and exico. eep p to date with olland s innovative sol tions at www.rslc.net 800.225.2984 Toll Free www.rslc.net/jewelry/pawn.html

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2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION 19 4/17/12 | 12:19:31 PM

8/14/14 2:15 PM

Craig Rabiner Memorial Ride

Craig Rabiner, 1947-2013

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014, FRIENDS OF THE LATE CRAIG RABINER gathered in southern California for the Craig Rabiner Route 66 Memorial Ride.

This ride was a tribute to Craig who was fond of riding motorcycles and dreamed of riding a bike the full length of Route 66.

Led by Morgan Jones on a motorcycle that once belonged to Craig, a group of Craig’s pawnbroker friends departed from the far western end of Route 66, the Santa Monica pier, on motorcycles and in automobiles. They followed the historic highway from the Pacific cean all the way to llinois to honor the memory of their good friend.

Craig lost his battle with cancer on April 23, 2013. His service to the pawn industry was recognized at Pawn Expo 2013 where he was honored with the NPA Charles R. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.

Craig joined the NPA in 1994 and was actively involved in protecting and bettering the industry. The Craig Rabiner Route 66 Memorial Ride was created to remember his passion, humor, and dedication to the pawn industry.

Perry Lewin, Brian Smith, LeShawn Smith, Johnny Foytik, Jeff Bernard, Jackie Kinlaw, Michael Elliott, Bob Moulton, Sam Shocket, Larin Felker, Carly Felker, Morgan Jones, Brock Estep, Marsi Jones, and Baylee Estep at the starting point in Santa Monica, CA.

Perry Lewin, Bob Moulton, Morgan Jones, Larin Felker, Steve Fowler, Jackie Kinlaw, Brian Smith, LeShawn Smith, and Johnny Foytik stop for a quick photo before terrorizing the streets of Oatman, AZ.

The unfortunate incarceration of Jackie Kinlaw, Bob Moulton, Perry Lewin, LeShawn Smith, Brian Smith and Larin Felker in AZ. For a variety of reasons, the charges remain under a sealed order.

Brian Smith, Morgan Jones, Marsi Jones, Perry Lewin, Teresa Moulton, Bob Moulton, and Johnny Foytik reach the official midpoint of Route 66 in Adrian, TX.

Craig’s Harley was driven by Morgan Jones.

The beginning, or the end depending on one’s point of view, of Route 66 in Chicago, IL with Bob Moulton, Brian Smith, Perry Lewein, Johnny Foytik, and Morgan Johnes.

20 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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COMPLIANCE

NEWS FLASH! THIS JUST IN! COMPLIANCE NIGHTMAR E HITS HOME In recent news, a Southern California pawn store, Jimmy John’s Pawn and Gold, had its bank account containing $185,000 seized by the United States Attorneys’ Office.

A Title 31 examination on its precious metals and pawn transactions was performed as part of the investigation. Jimmy

by: Robert Frimet, CAMS

John’s Pawn and Gold is accused of structuring monies through its bank account, failing to have an anti-money laundering program in place, failing to have polices or procedures to recognize suspicious activity, and

STOP THE PRESSES! IS THIS FOR REAL?

This news story is not real, but this has happened to pawnbrokers across the country. So, how do you stay out of the headlines?

Conduct business normally, and do not make deposits under the $10,000 reporting threshold in order to avoid having currency transaction reports (CTR) issued by the bank. There are millions of these processed each year and having one filed on yo r b siness is no more likely to trigger an audit of your company than not having one filed.

If you’re a dealer in precious metals, have a complete Anti Money Laundering Program (AML) in place and file forms as re ired. ake s re yo have ongoing training, internal monitoring, and independent reviews. f yo re a pawn store, make s re yo file s as re ired, and know all of the triggers for an a dit.

The government is on the lookout not only for consumers who pose a threat to the national security or violate AML rules, but also for businesses that do not follow the rules.

having inadequate independent reviews, in addition to other violations. It was further discovered that the company had failed to file IRS Form 8300s on 15 transactions.

According to United States Attorneys’ Office’s records, the company made several deposits into their local bank account of just under $10,000 each. This is considered an indicator of structuring, and triggered the bank to file suspicious activity reports on the busi-

ness owner.

The owner, through his attorney, denied all allegations and indicated that he simply didn’t know the requirements of the law.

In its most recent public announcement, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network stated ignorance of the law does not excuse clear violations of the law. The company will be prosecuted to the fullest extent and fines will be forthcoming.

Fines can be as little as $50 per violation or up to $25,000 for intentional disregard on pawn-related transactions. or dealers in precio s metals, fines can be up to $250,000 and include criminal prosecution. f co rse let s not forget the ffice of oreign Assets Control AC and ed lags re irements which also re ire policies and proced res. AC violations can lead to million dollar fines and tens of thousands of dollars in losses from customer identity theft. e smart, have yo r compliance re irements in order and follow the rules. Then there is no need to worry about becoming a news story like the one above.

obert rimet is a Certified Anti oney a ndering Specialist CA S and has been performing Title independent reviews and drafting AML Programs for pawnbrokers and dealers in precious metals since 2006. Email bob@checkconsultants.com or call - . checkcons ltants.com

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 23

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BUSINESS SENSE

Bad Company!

WEBSITE PLAGIARISM

PAWN STORE OWNERS ARE working hard to perfect the content and design of their websites, as evidenced by the growth of pawn stores with websites over the last three years.

So what do you do when it seems like someone has “borrowed” your content, language, or design? The NPA and 3 CLiCk Media do not provide any form of legal advice. You should always contact your attorney first. owever, the following steps may help you deal with this issue.

HAS YOUR CONTENT BEEN PLAGIARIZED?

There are ways to determine if someone has plagiarized your content.

Copyscape.com provides a free search for copied content across the web.

The service also contains information about plagiarism, a tutorial video, free plagiarism warning banners, and premium services that help you regularly check for potential plagiarism.

Another way to monitor potential plagiarism is to Google search key

phrases to see if other search results show up with similar content. Google search results may reveal copied page titles, keywords, blog posts, or advertising campaigns.

ARE YOU PLAGIARIZING?

If your website content was created by a friend, relative, local blogger, or third party company, beware. They may have “borrowed” content from another website as a short cut. You should always check the content for yo r site first before yo proceed with any kind of action.

You should also visit the internet archive Way Back Machine, archive.org.

This free online service allows you to review the history of most websites and can provide details as to whether or not a competitor’s website was published before yours.

Emmett Murphy 3CLiCk Media

COPYRIGHT YOUR WEBSITE CONTENT

Companies should place a formal copyright notice on their website to discourage plagiarism. owever in the .S., there has been no formal requirement to use the copyright symbol since 1978.

The copyright is created once a work is fixed into a tangible form of expression, such as a website. It doesn’t hurt to use the copyright symbol, as it may discourage plagiarism.

STEPS TO FIGHT PLAGIARISM

Fighting plagiarism entails various levels of complexity, legal entanglements, and s ccess. ere are fo r actions that you can take to immediately start the process.

(Continues on page 59)

24 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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BUSINESS SENSE

Pawnsafes ARE THEY WORTH IT?

IN 2008, I WAS THE DIRECTOR of loss prevention and safety for a major chain of pawn stores in North America. This company experienced 127 armed robberies that year totaling more than $1 million in losses.

The robberies occurred in various states throughout the company’s 1000+ North American locations.

A large percentage of the robberies involved the loss of jewelry loans and cash from safes, which were usually located in the manager s office.

In 18 of these 127 robberies, either an employee or customer was injured during the robbery. One robbery resulted in a fatality.

From 2003-2008, the company was averaging over $1 million in robbery losses per year, and the percentage of violent robberies was increasing.

OPTIONS

Several options were presented to reduce the number of robberies, but

most were neither practical nor cost efficient. Some examples incl ded hiring armed guards or hiding jewelry loans throughout the store. It costs a lot of money to maintain armed guards week-in and week-out and having them could increase the level of violence at a store. Hiding jewelry loans throughout the store isn’t practical and violates insurance underwriting rules.

We agreed that the focus should not be on catching robbers but on preventing the robberies from ever occ rring in the first place. n order to do this, we had to find a way to communicate to potential robbers that it was not worth their time to steal from our stores.

We developed and implemented a comprehensive robbery prevention program that included the following: • Pawnsafes Through a major safe manufacturer, we found an insert that wo ld fit inside a thirty min te or more, tool resistant rated safe.

The insert had 35, 24-inch long drawers for jewelry and cash storage. Only one drawer could be opened at a time, and there was a time delay before the next drawer could be opened.

• Training We designed a training program for our employees that detailed how to use the new safe’s insert during business hours. The program detailed how many pieces of jewelry should be put in

Tony Gallo Senior Director, Sapphire Protection Tony Gallo has over 30 years experience in the loss prevention, audit, safety, and risk/ emergency management fields. Contact Tony at tony@ sapphireprotection.com and follow him on Twitter at @SapphireProtect.

(Continues on page 55)

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THE TRENDZ

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PAWN EXPO 2014

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PAWN EXPO 2014

WHAT DID YOU MISS AT PAWN EXPO 2014?

LEARNING

• The Cold, Hard, Ugly Truth About Success presented by keynote speaker Larry Winget, the Pitbull of Personal Development.

• Pawnbroker Peer Roundtables with the opportunity to share and learn from fellow pawnbrokers on topics such as Increasing Your Loan Base, Police Confiscations, and Store Merchandising.

• Ask the Expert Sessions providing direct access to experts in a variety of areas affecting your business everyday including Risk Mitigation, Electronic Reporting, Finance and Accounting, and Social Media.

• Top-Notch Education Sessions allowing you to invest in your business by learning about topics such as How to Survive an Armed Robbery, Valuing Coins, Decoding Body Language, How to Survive Work Drama to Get More Done, The State of the Diamond Industry, and more.

CONNECTING

• Meeting new friends and sharing secrets of success with fellow pawnbrokers.

• Networking with your peers at the Networking, Welcome, and Closing Receptions.

• Celebrating the Industry at the Annual Awards Luncheon, where we recognized the Pawnbroker of the Year, Industry Partner of the Year, and continuous memberships of 10, 20, and 25 years.

DOING BUSINESS

• The Diamond District giving attendees the chance to have private trading sessions with diamond buyers and find the best price.

• A A Trade Show featuring 120 companies offering products and services that you use in your business everyday such as security equipment, store supplies, software, jewelry tools, and much more.

• Prizes Prizes, with the opportunity to win up to $500, and NPA booth giveaways with prizes such as the wine of the month club.

MEETING STATS

• Total Pawnbroker Attendees: 550 • Total States Repre sented: 43 • International Atte ndees: Almost 10% • First Time Attend ees : Over 30% • Exhibitors: 120 co mpanies • Total Convention A ttendees: 925

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PAWN EXPO 2014

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PAWN EXPO 2014

2014 PAWNBROKER OF THE YEAR NPA’S 2014 PAWNBROKER OF THE YEAR AWARD WAS

NPA Paw nbroker of the Ye Dayton, ar Ric Blu OH, pos m, Ohio es with NPA Pre Loan Co mpany, sident B en Levin son.

PRESENTED TO RIC BLUM, OHIO LOAN COMPANY, DAYTON, OH

Ric has been a member of NPA since 1990 and was recognized for his visionary leadership in the pawn industry. He served on the NPA Board of Directors from 1991 to 1999, the NPA Board of Governors from 1996 to 1997, and as NPA Secretary/Treasurer from 1995 to 1997. He has served on the magazine, NPA PAC, and convention auction committees and as president of his state association, for which he currently serves as vice president. We’re also fortunate to have him as a contributor to National Pawnbroker magazine. an sa that ne s st i p rtant benefits is net r in . ic nderstands h i p rtant it is t share and earn r ne an ther. e pr ides th ht se in r ati n t th se h see his idance. is nse fish approach to sharing the secrets of success has helped create a more successful industry.

2014 INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR NPA’S 2014 INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR

AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO ROBERT (BOB) FRIMET, RMF CONSULTING

ulting, MF Cons rimet, R F rt e b . o R son the Year, en Levin rtner of sident B ustry Pa NPA Pre h it w s NPA Ind ose as, NV, p Las Veg

RMF Consulting has been a NPA Industry Partner since 2005. ince that ti e b has he ped an pa nbr ers res e di fic t situations. He has provided compliance training and seminars at Pawn Expo for nine years and regularly contributes to National Pawnbroker magazine. Whenever he is asked, he is there to help NPA.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Dana Meinecke, NPA Executive Director, was presented a special recognition award at Pawn Expo 2014 for over 10 years of service to the association.

NPA Exe cutive D irector D Ben Lev ana Mein inson. ecke and NPA Pre sident

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2014-2015 NPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NPA Board of Directors

Officers President Ben Levinson Dynasty Jewelry & Loan Ltd Norcross, GA

Ben is president of Dynasty Jewelry & Loan, which has been family owned and operated since 1987. He is a past president of the Pawnbrokers Association of Georgia. Ben is married to Susan, whose family has a ninety year history in the pawn business. They have a daughter Molly, an attorney in Atlanta; a son Joel, a fifth generation pawnbroker; and two pets, a poodle and snoodle.

Vice President Chuck Williams Chuck’s Gun & Pawn Shop Warner Robins, GA

Chuck and his brother Chip are celebrating 24 years in the pawn and sporting goods retail businesses. Chuck serves on the Government Relations Committee (GRC) as the firearms liaison. Chuck and his wife Marion enjoy spending their free time with their granddaughter.

Treasurer Robert Anderson CPA, CMA R & R Pawn Indianapolis, IN

Rob is CFO for R & R Pawn and holds professional accounting certifications in both the U.S. and Canada. He is an Indiana CPA Society award winner for Leadership in Technology and serves as chair of the NPA Finance Committee.

Rob has two daughters. He plays and coaches ice hockey with USA Hockey, and his team has won the USA Hockey National Adult Pond Hockey Championship three years in a row (2012-2014).

Secretary Tim Collier Pacer, Ltd Little Rock, AR

Tim is co-owner and managing partner of Pacer, Ltd. He is president of the Arkansas Pawnbrokers Association and chair of the NPA GRC. Tim and his wife Lisa have been married for 29 years and have three sons, Walker and twins, Garrett and Griffin.

Immediate Past President Kevin Prochaska Lombard Financial Services Longview, TX

As CEO of Lombard Financial Services, Kevin owns and operates multiple pawn stores serving the North Texas market. He has worked in the pawn business for over thirty years, is a licensed CPA, and has a Masters of Business Administration. He serves as chair of the NPA Audit Committee. Kevin and his wife Nancy have two teenage boys who will soon be venturing off to college.

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2014-2015 NPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Members Kathleen Barbee Lombard Financial Services Fort Worth, TX

As the Business Development Manager of Lombard Financial Services, L.P., Kathleen is primarily responsible for the overall growth of the business. She has spent the last several years focusing on its growth strategy, as well as volunteering for various NPA endeavors. Kathleen is excited to utilize her experience to serve the membership of the NPA. She and her husband Justin have two dogs which provide continuous entertainment.

Edward Bean Suffolk Jewelers Boston, MA

Ed is president of Suffolk Jewelers and Pawnbrokers in Boston, MA, and a lawyer. As a third generation pawnbroker, he has been in the business for 52 years. He is a founding member of the NPA, and was elected to its first board of directors in 1988. He is also a past president and served as chair of the Government Relations Committee. Currently, he serves as chair of the NPA Planning Committee. He and his wife Laurie have three children and have been married for fourteen years.

Glen Coronis US Money Shops Cleveland, TN

Glen is COO of US Money Shops, with 11 locations in TN and GA, and approximately 80 employees. He currently serves as the president of the Tennessee Pawnbrokers Association. He and his wife Mary Frances have been married for 20 years and have three children, Jonah 18, Jake 17, and Nick 15. He serves as chair of the Membership Committee.

Lauren Kaminsky E Z Pawn Corp Long Island City, NY

Lauren is a multi-store operator for E Z Pawn Corporation in New York, NY, and a third generation pawnbroker. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University Massachusetts Boston and has completed the GIA Diamond Essentials certification.

Brian Moulton National Jewelry & Pawn Durham, NC

Brian graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in systems engineering before deciding to get into the family business. In 2010 he joined his father at National Jewelry & Pawn, which has 9 stores in NC, becoming a third generation pawnbroker. He strongly believes we can change the negative perceptions of the pawn industry one customer at a time.

Larry Nuckols Brittex Financial San Antonio, TX

Larry is a co-owner of Brittex Financial and formed Money Mart Pawn & Jewelry in 1993. He has served on the boards of Texas pawn associations for 25 years. He and his wife of 40 years, Beverly, have two children and one wonderful granddaughter, Veronica.

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2014-2015 NPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathy Pierce Monster Pawn Bloomington, IL

Kathy is the president of Monster Pawn Bloomington and has ownership in the Normal and Springfield stores in Central Illinois. Kathy and her husband Edwin, owner of Monster Pawn, have been married for 21 years. They have three children, Everson, Annellia, and Tripper, along with two dogs, Honey Bunny and Max. Max, the basset hound, works six days a week at the Bloomington store.

Kerry Rainey Bayou Pawn & Jewelry Hammond, LA

Kerry is the owner of Bayou Pawn & Jewelry, with three locations. He is an experienced jeweler with 29 years on the bench. He has served as a board member of the Louisiana Pawnbrokers Association for 22 years. Kerry is chair of the NPA Convention Committee. Kerry and his wife Sharman, along with their three sons, enjoy traveling the world.

Sam Shocket King’s Jewelry and Loan Los Angeles, CA

Sam Shocket, King’s Jewelry and Loan, is a second generation pawnbroker and has been actively involved in the pawn industry since 1969. He purchased his store in 1976, and now owns three large volume stores in the Los Angeles area. After serving on the NPA board of directors from 2003 to 2011, he now serves as the chair of the NPA Awards Committee. He and his wife Nikki have been married for more than 20 years and have three children.

Jordan Tabach-Bank Beverly Loan Company Beverly Hills, CA

Jordan is the owner and CEO of Beverly Loan Company in Beverly Hills and New York Loan Co. in New York City. He is a member of the State Bar of California.

Jordan serves as co-chair of NPA’s Government Relations Committee. Jordan and his wife Casey have a son and daughter and a mutt named Wilbur.

Diane Taylor Traders Loan & Jewelry Reseda, CA

Diane and her husband have owned Traders Loan & Jewelry since 1998. She is currently the president of the California Pawnbrokers Association and serves as chair of the NPA Nominating Committee. Diane has two sons, Brian, in his last year of Law School at University of San Diego and Chris, going into his fourth year at the University of Arizona. She also has two dogs, Oliver and Katie, both real characters!

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS to attend

Pawn Expo 2015 July 7- 9

THE MIRAGE | LAS VEGAS, NV

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PAWN EXPO 2014

SPECIAL EXHIBITOR BOOTH RECOGNITION

EACH YEAR, PAWN EXPO RECOGNIZES EXHIBITORS WHO BRING SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THE SHOW

BEST BOOTH

MOST IMAGINATIVE

M&M Merchandisers

Samsung LED Sign

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Card Cash

NPA PAC EVENT

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S MICHAEL JACKSON ONE THRILLED NPA PAC SUPPORTERS. THANK YOU TO EACH PERSON WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS YEAR’S FUNDRAISER!

BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE NPA PAC, YOU HELP SHAPE THE LAWS THAT INFLUENCE YOUR BUSINESS AND OUR INDUSTRY.

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PAWN EXPO 2014

MAX PAWN SUPPORTS FBL

Max Pawn generously donated items for a silent auction benefitin the t re siness eaders sch arship pr ra . his si ent a cti n raised r this rth ca se.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COFFEE CONNECTION

e bers nder athered t net r ith peers and a e c nnecti ns that i ast a i eti e.

SPONSORS

PMS 282

PMS 1255

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PAWN EXPO 2014

WINNERS!

THE FOLLOWING WINNERS OF THE BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS DOOR PRIZES AT PAWN EXPO 2014 WILL ENJOY MEMORIES OF THE EVENT ALL YEAR WITH ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIPS IN: Chocolate of the Month Club Dave Crume, Heartland Pawn, Olathe, KS

Fruit of the Month Club Flynn Case, All That Glitters, Milwaukie, OR

Wine of the Month Club Harry Eagar, Kamaaiha Loan, Makawao, HI

Flowers of the Month Club Johnny Frederick, H & F Pawn, Killeen, TX

Complimentary Registration Winner ichard se t n an fice in t anta is the inner the dra in r c p i entar registration for Pawn Expo 2014. Thank you for completing your Pawn Expo survey!

CASH PRIZE WINNERS

LUCKY PAWN EXPO ATTENDEES WON CASH FROM PAWN EXPO SPONSORS.

The Trendz

WELCOME RECEPTION SPONSOR $500 Cash Drawing Heidi Vaught, Easy Pawn Lebanon, MO

Card Cash

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR $500 Cash Drawing Shane Middleton, The Pawn Shop Christchurch, New Zealand

Di-Moksh Diam

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR $500 Cash Drawing Eric Johnson, Johnson Brothers’ e e r an ansfie d

Palak Diam

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR

$500 Cash Drawing Johnny Whiteside, Kendale Pawn Shop Sanford, NC

Dillon Gage Metals

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR

$500 Cash Drawing Chuck Keown, The Pawn Company Bowling Green, KY

Pease and Curren

TRADE SHOW RECEPTION SPONSOR

$300 Cash Drawing Brian Warford, Best Jewelry and Loan Visalia, CA

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PAWN EXPO 2014

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PAWN EXPO 2014

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PAWN EXPO 2014

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RAPAPORT JEWELRY SALES

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14k yellow gold, sapphire and diamond necklace. Estimated diamond weight 3.00ctw, estimated sapphire weight 5.50ctw, 31.09g.

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STATE NEWS

State Association Updates WHAT’S GOING ON ACROSS THE COUNTRY

CALIFORNIA

Kim Andosca California Pawnbrokers Association kandosca@amgroup.us TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS CAPA 58th Annual Convention & Exposition October 24-26, 2014 Sheraton Fairplex and Conference Center Home of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum Pomona, California To register and for more information visit californiapawnbrokers.org, or see the registration form on page 66 of National Pawnbroker magazine.

Highlights: • Area pawn store visits • Special private exhibit booths for diamond and gem buyers • The atabase- hat will it take to convert and comply?

• Sec rity- eeping yo r b ilding, staff, and merchandise safe • ilding partnerships with law enforcement and local officials The room rate at the The Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center is $169. Call the hotel directly at (888) 627-8074 and tell them you’re with the California Pawnbrokers Association.

ILLINOIS

Kelly J Swisher, President Illinois Pawnbrokers Association arlingtonloan@sbcglobal.net The Governor’s precious metal purchasers’ taskforce has convened for the last time. The task force drafted the esale ealers Act S , and at the end of May, it unanimously passed both the o se and Senate. ewelry shops, cash-for-gold businesses, and second hand dealers that buy pre-

cious metals, jewelry, watches, or electronics must now send daily reports to police and comply with a hold time.

Originally, the state wanted to attach this act to the pawnbroker act, and this was a big concern.

We successfully argued that it should be its own law and in no way affect our regulations. This will eliminate any unwanted future comparisons or connections with the cash-for-gold industry.

It’s also worth mentioning that the city of Chicago was unsuccessful in getting itself exempted from this law.

This bill is a perfect example of why we have a lobbyist. SB1778 would not have been successful if Steve ahn had not made it a priority. Steve ahn, avid Schoeneman, and spent many ho rs in Springfield and on the phone working with State Representative Anna Moeller, her staff, and other legislators to get this bill passed. I know it isn’t perfect. Understand tho gh that this is the first of its kind in . on t forget the llinois Pawnbrokers Association meeting will be held in Champaign, on September 14, 2014.

Be aware, be safe, and let’s put some money on the street!

OHIO

Lou Tansky, President Ohio Pawnbrokers Association lou@unclebenspawnshop.com Although the state legislature has been out for summer break, legislation has not been put on the back burner, nor has the commitment of the Ohio Pawnbrokers Association (OPA) to protect the best interests of our association and industry.

We continue to support proposed legislation to rewrite the Precio s etal ealers Act and firmly believe that this legislation, when passed, will allow parity between pawnbrokers and precious metal dealers P . n recent months, P have been able to essentially act unlicensed, without any regulatory oversight. We hope to change that and will keep you advised of the proposed bill’s status.

(Continues on page 65)

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START HERE Ask your in-store customers to name the social media channels where they spend the most time. Consider the following:

Facebook.com

900 million

Pinterest.com

150 million

Linkedin.com

250 million

Twitter.com

310 million

Seth@pawndetroit.com

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TOP THREE DO’S

1.MAKE A PLAN: Before including social media as part of your marketing, ask yourself what it is that you’re hoping to achieve. Anyone can create an account for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest -- but do your homework in order to understand how to efficiently convert your efforts into exposure, great customer relations, and sales.

2.CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS: Social media users have a desire to share and connect. It’s therefore important that you appeal to them on a personal level that peaks their interests. A big part of your social media strategy needs to be dedicated to listening to and learning from your customers.

3.BE CONSISTENT: There are different nuances to each social media community. The online identity of your business should maintain a message that is consistent across channels and, most importantly, is an accurate depiction of your store and staff. Make sure that your message isn’t lost in translation.

TOP THREE DON’TS 1.CONFUSE THE BRAND: The messages that come from your business should be focused on the pawnshop, customers, and staff. Even for a family-owned business, it’s important that the online voice of your store is an authentic representation of your company’s brand--not your personal life.

2.THINK OF IT AS ADVERTISING: Social media is successful when it’s engaging. Find other ways to change up the conversation instead of always posting messages that sell, sell, sell. Ask your fans questions, share positive reviews, take informal polls, give insights, and find other ways to connect. Be sure that your posts aren’t always centered on a sales pitch.

3.CREATE AN AWKWARD SILENCE: Having a social media profile for your business where the updates are inconsistent or sporadic gives the impression that you’re out of touch. Delegate the responsibility to someone who’s able to ensure that your store’s voice remains fresh and relevant.

www.pawndetroit.com

8/13/14 1:18 PM

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BUSINESS SENSE

Diamonds

WHAT IS SELLING NOW AND WHY?

ABE MOR DIAMOND CUTTERS & CO. hosted a free conference call with more than 100 pawnbrokers to discuss diamond buying, grading, evaluation, and market trends. Below are a few of the questions and answers from the call.

Q: Which diamond shapes are most popular now?

How does this affect diamond prices?

A: Most stores claim 70-80 percent of their sales are round diamonds. The other shapes make up about 20 percent. When it comes to non-rounds, or fancy shapes, the most popular are princess cuts, followed by cushions, radiants, and emerald cuts. Ovals are making a comeback. Most retailers report that marquis cuts (popular in the 80’s) and pear and heart shapes are not selling well.

There are regional differences. In the New York City area, larger cushions over three carats are just as popular as larger rounds. Also, in parts of the country with larger ethnic populations we are seeing occasional sales of heart shapes (Asian clientele) and marquis cut diamonds. The bottom line is that, when selling your fancy cuts, make sure the dealer has a demand for the shapes.

Q: When buying diamonds other than round shapes, what should I keep in mind?

A: The outline, or proportion, of non-rounds, or fancy shapes, is absolutely crucial when pricing them. When these stones fall outside of desirable proportions, dealers disco nt them drastically beca se they are diffic lt to sell. Keep in mind that each shape has a look that consumers desire. For example, almost all princess cut requests from consumers are for square cuts. The slightly rectangular ones are much harder to sell. For a list of measurements and proportions for each shape, contact Eric Mor at Eric@AbeMor.com, and he will send you the guidelines.

As a general rule non-rounds trade 25-35 percent less than rounds. When non-rounds are out of proportion, the discounts can be an additional 20 percent or so.

Q: What are the major differences between the most popular diamond grading labs and how do they affect pricing?

A: Almost all dealers will agree that GIA’s labs are the strictest, followed by AGS, IGI, and EGL. EGL is for U.S. only, so it’s very important to keep in mind that the EGL reports not stamped “USA” tend to be two to three grades less than the ones that are stamped “USA”! These need to be discounted heavily when being evaluated.

Q: What exactly does the term “ideal cut” mean and how does it relate to GIA’s cut grades?

A: deal c t is a broad term and is defined differently depending on whom you ask. It is supposed to refer to a diamond that is cut ideally and very brilliant.

The term was proposed by Marcel Tolkowsky about 100 years ago. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about what makes diamonds brilliant and attractive to the human eye, but one thing has not changed; a diamond’s beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

In other words, 5 expert gemologists might have differing opinions on which diamond appears to be the most brilliant and attractive.

In 2006, GIA established their cut grade system: excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. Most stones a casual observer would perceive as very bright and attractive fall into the excellent or very good cut grades. n the past five years or so, high end cons mers will do research online before they buy, and most will demand better proportioned stones.

Eric, Lisa, and Alon Mor are the owners of Abe Mor Diamond Cutters & Co, a New York based, 50-year-old diamond cutter and wholesaler started by their father Abe, who is still very active at 75 years old. With over 35 years in the diamond ind stry, ric s specific expertise is in diamond grading and evaluation. For more information, visit AbeMor.com or email Eric at Eric@AbeMor.com

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BUSINESS SENSE (From page 27)

Pawnsafes each drawer, how to lock the safe when the store was closed, and how to respond during an armed robbery.

• afe a i ns We wanted to let potential robbers know that that it was not worth stealing from our stores, so we moved the jewelry safe behind the sales counter, in full view. That way, when potential robbers conducted surveillance on the location, they would know that we didn’t have a normal safe. At that time, we were the only company in our industry to have a jewelry safe in full view of the public.

After only eight months of using the new safes, we saw a complete return on our investment. It did not take long for robbers to understand what they were up against, and the word got out to other potential robbers that it wasn’t worth robbing our stores.

From 2009 to 2013, we reduced robberies at our locations by 60 percent and violent robberies by 75

percent. ring those five years, there was not one serious injury during an armed robbery, and jewelry and cash losses were reduced by over 70 percent.

Most importantly, locations with the new program are now safer, which helped reduce our employee turnover due to robbery stress by over 85 percent.

Pawnsafes have now become the standard safe in most well-defined pawn robbery prevention programs. Currently, there are over 5000 use in over 3000 companies in North America alone.

It is important to have a detailed, proactive robbery prevention program in place that will not only protect your customers and employees but will also help reduce robbery losses. Fortunately, most pawnbrokers will never experience a jewelry loan robbery. Those who have understand the value of a PawnSafe. Would your business be able to survive a complete loss of your jewelry loan balance in a robbery?

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 55

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BUSINESS SENSE

15 Steps to Harden the Target

SIMPLE STEPS TO PREVENT ROBBERIES

A S A AN ST N NS ANC T N S T S P TANT T P T

pawnbroker community a few reminders about best practices for security.

The message is simple; harden the target. Make criminals think twice about hitting your store. Robberies and b rglaries s ally don t occ r on a whim. ost occ r after caref l s rveillance of yo r b siness s security and operational procedures. e all get wrapped p in the daily grind and the press res of r nning a s ccessf l b siness. o cannot forget that there are people out there watching you. Make the criminals see that your store is not the store they want to hit; make them want to go somewhere else!

Contact o r Specialty isks ivision , x, specialtyrisks marshallsterling.com, with any questions.

15 TIPS TO HARDEN THE TARGET

1 Make sure you have written opening and closing

procedures and that your employees follow them every day. Some examples include the following: • se at least two people d ring openings and closings if possible.

• ake s re employees don t stand together.

One person should be a safe distance away observing and ready to seek help. If two or more people are not available, make sure the lone person has a panic button (hold-up alarm) and a cell phone ready to use.

• nce inside, cond ct an interior search of the premises for potential assailants or anything that looks out of place.

2 Train designated alarm code holders to use the duress feature on your alarm keypad. tili e timelocks on yo r safes and va lts.

3 At closing, set yo r safe s timelock to open no 4 less than 15 minutes after the next scheduled opening.

5 Keep the safe or vault locked when not in use.

6 Make sure your store has proper camera coverage, both inside and outside, and that all of the cameras are operational. At a minimum, camera coverage should include all building access points and valuable/cash handling areas.

7 Review your alarm system on a regular basis to make sure it is fully functional.

8 Talk to your alarm company about new products

and services that could increase your protection.

Many times pawnbrokers may think they know how their alarm works b t they really don t.

Some questions to ask your alarm company include: • hat happens if my telephone line is c t • ow often does my cell lar back p check my system • ow long does my battery back p last • hat is line sec rity, and how can it help protect my b siness • hat are s pervised openings and closings 9 If possible, control access into and out of your store by having a man trap or remote access control system with electric locks in place.

10 Monitor the number of people in your store.

11 Try to have at least two or more employees in the store at all times.

12 Make sure your safes are not placed against exterior or common walls.

13 arden yo r showcases and exterior windows with burglary resistant glass.

14 Make sure you empty your showcases at night.

15 Review your procedures for transporting valuables and cash. se alternate ro tes, travel at different times, and travel with at least two individuals, one of whom is armed.

56 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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8/9/14 10:42 AM

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BUSINESS SENSE (From page 24)

Bad Company!

© Document Research, gather, and document the evidence. Be

sure to take a screen shot of the potentially plagiarized content so that you have a permanent record for future reference. You should also take a screenshot of where you found the proof, for example Copyspace or a Google search.

Check The Way Back Machine and verify that your website published the content before the offending site.

Also, you may have success using analytics to track visitors to your website and trace their point of origin.

This would require a more advanced understanding of website or server analytics but may provide evidence that your site was visited by the potential offender.

Identify You will need to identify who owns the website that may have copied your material. If there is an email or mailing address provided, this is the best place to start. You may also have success by searching for a WHOIS domain check. WHOIS information can be searched on various websites on the internet or by visiting 3CLiCkWeb.com. This information will often reveal the registered owner, administrator, or technical contact for a domain.

However, domain owners can mask this contact information if they choose, so you may turn up empty handed.

If these steps do not reveal contact information, your next step would be to contact the website’s host and the domain’s registrar. These can also be found through a WHOIS domain check. This is a more lengthy process, but may help you to identify the owner.

Contact If you intend to make a legal assertion or threat, send a cease and desist letter, or take other legal action, you should contact your legal representative or lawyer. o may consider first sending a more cas al letter to the offending party and asking for the con-

©

tent to be removed. Here are a few tips for sending this type of letter: • Send an email from yo r primary domain with your electronic signature. You may also want to send a hard copy as a certified letter.

• Clearly identify yo rself and yo r intention.

• Provide yo r contact information.

• dentify the content for which yo hold copyrights as well as the plagiarized content.

• e est that the offender remove all plagiari ed content from the site.

Another option is to contact the companies who own the search engines on which the plagiarized content appears. Search engines such as Google frown upon copyright infringement and may choose to remove the listings from search results.

Legal There are more aggressive measures you can take. For example, you can send a cease and desist letter. Typically, a cease and desist letter is seen as a serious threat, and the offender will quickly delete the content and respond back positively. While this is the first step in a formal, legal process, it may not be the last.

In the U.S., most online copyright infringement claims fall under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. For more information about the act and yo r options thro gh the .S. Copyright ffice, yo can visit copyright.gov/onlinesp.

Be aware that there are many online companies that claim to provide content removal services for a fee.

These services can intentionally look like they are affiliated with the igital illenni m Copyright Act of . hile these services may seem like an easy fix, they provide no accounting of their tactics or success.

Buyer beware.

Legal action or a lawsuit should be a last resort, and should not be taken lightly. It may be costly and lengthy, and not produce the desired results.

©

©

Find a NPA Member Store Anywhere!

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 59

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BUSINESS SENSE

Judge, Jury, and Executioner ALL IN THE PARKING LOT

IMAGINE A CUSTOMER (JOHN Doe) enters a pawn store (Ricke’s Pawnshop) to borrow money on a Rolex watch. After following the procedures required by state and federal laws, Ricke’s Pawnshop accepts the watch into pawn. Ricke’s issues John Doe a pawn ticket, tenders the loan amount, and safely stores the watch in pawn.

Prior to expiration of the redemption period, Bob Smith calls a local detective (Det. Good) and reports that his Rolex has been stolen. Det. Good reviews Ricke’s Pawnshop’s recent reporting records and sees a pawn transaction for a Rolex watch.

JUDGE, JURY

Within minutes, Det. Good arrives at Ricke’s pawnshop and demands to see the “stolen Rolex.” The manager of Ricke’s Pawnshop shows the watch to Det. Good who determines that it matches the one that was reported stolen.

Det. Good does not have a warrant, a police report, or even an item number, but he demands that the manager give him the pawned Rolex so he can give it to the “true owner,” Bob Smith. The manager protests and is threatened with arrest for obstruction of justice.

Faced with the options of going to jail or losing an item out of pawn, the manager decides to hand over the Rolex.

Det. Good walks out into the parking lot and hands the watch to Bob Smith who is conveniently waiting for “his” olex. No police report is ever filed, no

investigation or indictment takes place, and the pawn store has no chance for restitution. Further, Ricke’s must now be concerned about the customer, John Doe, returning to get the Rolex out of pawn.

AND EXECUTIONER

No Court ever determined the true owner of the Rolex. Det. Good was the judge, jury, and executioner right there in the parking lot.

The manager of Ricke’s Pawnshop did not know that the store has a constitutional right to due process and that Det. Good cannot seize the watch and give it back to the person he believes to be the true owner.

The manager did not realize that federal and state courts have consistently recognized that pawnbrokers have constitutionally protected property rights and security interests in the items they take into pawn.

As a result, Ricke’s Pawnshop had its due process rights violated, lost potential profits, has no chance for restitution, may have to deal with an angry customer, and is exposed to potential liability.

Kurt A. Offner Attorney at Law Offner, Scott & Inzina, APLC (504) 264-1057 kurt@osilegal.com

Federal Laws Affecting Pawnbrokers is available at lawofpawn.com

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Unless pawnbrokers know how federal laws affect them, they will continue to face problems similar to Ricke’s Pawnshop with no recourse and no plans for dealing with such situations. As a legitimate business with constitutionally protected prop(Continues on page 63)

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 61

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS (From page 6)

Bank Discontinuance federally regulated business.

We have sent a letter to the Federal Reserve oard, the ffice of the Comptroller of the C rrency, and the ederal eposit ns rance Corporation asking for immediate relief from the severance of banking relationships and services witho t legitimate and explainable reasons. e have also sent a copy of the letter to the Chair and anking embers of both the Senate anking and o se inancial Services Committees asking for their assistance in righting this wrong.

A ally Congress campaign aimed at reaching each and every ember of Congress thro gh letters from individ al pawnbrokers has been la nched. ith the f t re of millions of hard working Americans short term cash needs in the balance, not to mention the f t re of all pawnbrokers and their employees, nothing less than the reversal of these actions is acceptable.

62 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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BUSINESS SENSE (From page 61)

Judge, Jury, and Executioner erty and security interests, pawnbrokers have loaned money to pledgors for the items received in pawn. Releasing pledged property to anyone deprives the pawnbroker of his property and his security interest in the item.

In addition to the protections afforded under the Constitution, numerous other federal laws affect pawnbrokers. The breadth of federal regulation of the pawn industry has grown at an alarming rate.

The book Federal Laws Affecting Pawnbrokers can be purchased at lawofpawn.com.

It gives information that helps pawnbrokers understand and comply with the laws affecting them and arm themselves with the protections afforded by these laws.

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SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 63

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RFID Inventory Tracking

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1 877 4 0 SHRINK www.tjs.com 64 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | FALL 2013

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STATE NEWS

(From page 47)

State Association Updates More importantly, we continue to watch the activities of the large Texas-based payday lender, Cash America and its attempts to drastically change the Ohio Pawnbrokers Act. We have been successful in holding them at bay, yet they continue to pound back with endless legislative initiatives and campaign donations. e are confident that this company s contin ed efforts in Ohio will not slow down, but will instead increase as we move into mid-term elections. We must continue to tell the story of how our current stat te is s fficient and provides the fo ndation for sound business practices. We must continue to let people know that we currently provide valuable goods and services to our communities and that there is no need for Cash America s changes.

This effort to educate is a never ending process, and each and every pawnbroker must play a role in this effort. Your phone calls and letters to your city, county, and state legislators do not go unnoticed.

Your grass roots involvement does not go unnoticed.

Invite a city council member or state senator or representative to your shop. Attend a community event or fundraiser and introduce yourself. Give out your business cards and tell people you would like the opportunity to talk about our industry.

Pawnbrokers in Ohio have successfully held off numerous attempts to annihilate our Ohio Pawnbrokers Act. Help your industry and yourself.

PLEASE get involved.

Law enforcement agencies around the state contin e to ex their m scles by re esting information in daily reports. This is unreasonable and not re ired by stat te. Several of o r members have reported attempts at subtle intimidation and harassment in efforts to force compliance.

The OPA is working diligently on this issue. We firmly believe this is a estion of Constit tionality and deprivation of the rights of not only our members but also our customers. We are communicating with our legal experts to determine the appropriate course of action.

Police departments cannot insist on the inclusion of c stomers personal, private information when providing daily reports to law enforcement.

PLEASE NOTE: Ohio Revised Code Section (ORC) 4727.09 states in part as follows: …A pawnbroker shall, every day, furnish the fol-

lowing information to the …police A description of all property pledged with or purchased by the licensee; The number of the pawn or purchase form the licensee used to document the pledge or purchase.

For the purposes of this section, a licensee need provide only the information required by…..this section.

It is vitally important that all pawnbrokers in Ohio keep this section of ORC in mind. DO NOT provide any information other than what is reired nder C to police in yo r daily reports.

Of course you would provide any information re ested directly by yo r police department if it contacts you after your reports have been provided.

As always, I stand ready with the rest of the OPA officers and board members to assist in any way.

NEW YORK

Eric Modell, President Collateral Loanbrokers Association of New York eric@modellfinancial.com On June 18, 2014, the City of New York published the new regulation now known as Local Law 149 of . This law re ires pawn store and second hand dealer licensees to create electronic records in connection with each transaction.

These records are to include photographs and certain transaction information and must be shared with NYPD. In publishing the rule, NYPD indicated the LEADSOnline was the third party vendor with whom the data must be shared. LEADSOnline will then make the data accessible to NYPD. All operators are re ired to be in compliance days from the date of publishing. This date is on or around September 18.

The Collateral Loanbrokers Association of New York (CLANY) has opposed this legislation since its inception. C AN has filed a s mmons and complaints against the city and Mayor Bill de Blasio. We are seeking an injunction which would prohibit the implementation of this law.

As of the date of this printing, no decision has been made, b t we are confident that the co rts will agree with the arguments that we have presented.

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T A K I N G T A K I N G

C A R E C A R E

O F O F

B U S I N E S S B U S I N E S S

ON N NON

CALIFORNIAPAWNBROKERS PAWNBROKERSASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION CALIFORNIA

27-8074 627-8074 4 4

SHERATON FAIRPLEX HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER • 601 W. MCKINLEY AVENUE • POMONA, CA 91768 • 888-627-8074 SHERATON FAIRPLEX HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER • 601 W. MCKINLEY AVENUE • POMONA, CA 91768 • 888-627-8074 https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1404088193&key=19A0D59B https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1404088193&key=19A0D59B

TH TH ON 58 CONVENTION && EXPOSITION EXPOSITION ON 58 CONVENTION N N

e e

rr____ _____

____ _____

____ _____

____ _____

i____ _____

tt ____ _____

____ _____

_____ ____

_____ ____

tt

_____ ____ --

_____ ____

_____ ____

ment to: ment to:

s s

mitted in mitted in on will be n will be

OCTOBER24-26, 24-26,2014 2014 OCTOBER

EARLY REGISTRATION PRICING (register before September 30, 2014) EARLY REGISTRATION PRICING (register before September 30, 2014) OPTIONAL FRIDAY FRIDAYSPECIAL SPECIALEVENT: EVENT: OPTIONAL ____________________________________________ ❏ Pawn Tour ____________________________________________ ❏ Pawn Tour Member Store/Company (Includes transportation and lunch) Member Store/Company (Includes transportation and lunch) ____________________________________________ Attendee member member$200 $200 persons___ ___ ==$$______ ______ ____________________________________________ Attendee ##persons Contact Contact Attendee nonmember nonmember$275 $275 ##persons persons___ ___ ==$$______ ______ Attendee ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ List Pawn Tour Attendees: Attendes below List Pawn Tour Attendees: Attendes below Address Address ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ City City ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Full Convention Convention(Includes (Includesall allevents eventsexcept exceptOptional Optional Full State Zip State Zip Friday Special SpecialEvent) Event) Friday ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Attendee member member$425 $425 ______ Attendee $$______ Phone Fax Phone Fax Attendee nonmember nonmember$575 $575 ______ Attendee $$______ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Employee/Guest$405 $405each each##persons persons___ ___ ==$$______ ______ Email Employee/Guest Email Visa Mastercard American Express ❏❏ Visa ❏❏ Mastercard ❏❏ American Express ❏ Check/Money Order ❏ Check/Money Order Not able to attend the full meeting or need Not able to attend the full meeting or need ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ guest guest tickets? tickets? Consider Considerthese theseoptions: options: Credit Card ## Credit Card Saturday Saturday Only Only (Breakfast (Breakfastand andlunch lunchincluded; included; ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Does Does not not include include Saturday SaturdayBanquet BanquetGala) Gala) Expiration Date Security Code Expiration Date Security Code Attendee $$______ Attendee member member$220 $220 ______ ______________ ______________ Attendee $$______ Attendee nonmember nonmember$260 $260 ______ Amount Charged $ Amount Charged $ Employee/Guest ##persons $$______ Employee/Guest$200 $200 persons____ ____== ______ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Name onon Card Sunday Name Card Sunday Only Only(Breakfast (Breakfastand andlunch lunchincluded) included) Attendee $$______ Attendee member member$220 $220 ______ ____________________________________________ Attendee $$______ ____________________________________________ Attendee nonmember nonmember$260 $260 ______ Signature Signature Employee/Guest ##persons $$______ Employee/Guest$200 $200 persons____ ____== ______ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Individual Tickets Card Billing Address and Zip Individual Tickets Card Billing Address and Zip Welcome Reception $75 # persons ____ = $ ______ Welcome Reception $75 # persons ____ = $ ______ Banquet Gala $160 # persons ____ = $ ______ Mail, Fax or Email completed registration form with payment to: Banquet Gala $160 # persons ____ = $ ______ Mail, Fax or Email completed registration form with payment to: Sunday Breakfast $70 # persons ____ = $ ______ Sunday Breakfast $70 # persons ____ = $ ______ California Pawnbrokers Association California Pawnbrokers Association One Capitol Mall, Suite 320 TOTALS One Capitol Mall, Suite 320 TOTALS Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814 Prices increase after 9/30/2014 $ ______ Fax: 916-444-7462 Prices increase after 9/30/2014 $ ______ Fax: 916-444-7462 Email: kandosca@amgroup.us TOTAL DUE $ _______ Email: kandosca@amgroup.us TOTAL DUE $ _______ Questions? Call Kim at 916-669-5322.

BADGES Questions? Call Kim at 916-669-5322.

BADGES Cancellations: No refunds will Attendee Name ______________________________ No refunds will be Cancellations: given after October 10, 2014.

Attendee Name ______________________________ be given after October 10, 2014.

Attendee Name ______________________________ Refunds requested on or before October 10, must be submitted in Attendee Name ______________________________ Refunds requested on or before October 10, must be submitted in Attendee Name ______________________________ writing to CAPA and a $45 processing fee per registration will be Attendee Name ______________________________ writing to CAPA and a $45 processing fee per registration will be assessed for each cancellation.

Attendee Name ______________________________ assessed for each cancellation.

Attendee Name ______________________________

066_CAPA.indd 66

8/12/14 9:05 AM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

9/2014

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CONVENTION

Mailing Address PO Box 508 Keller, TX 76244 Physical Address 891 Keller Pkwy Suite 220 Keller, TX 76248 Phone: (817) 337-8830 Fax: (817) 337-8875 NationalPawnbrokers.org

NPA STAFF Dana Meinecke Executive Director Dana@NationalPawnbrokers.org Helen Moore Director of Membership Helen@ NationalPawnbrokers.org Lindsay Wilson Director of Meetings and Events Lindsay@ NationalPawnbrokers.org Margie Swoyer Director of Marketing and Communications Margie@NationalPawnbrokers.org Matthew Church Government Relations Administrator Matthew@ NationalPawnbrokers.org Terri Congleton Administrative Assistant Terri@NationalPawnbrokers.org

September 5-7 Hyatt Regency Hotel Greenville, SC Contact: Janis Feazelle (866) 438-7296

1/2015

SHOT SHOW

January 20–23 Sands Expo and Convention Center shotshow.org

4/2015

10/2014

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF PAWNBROKERS ANNUAL CONVENTION

OctOber 17-19 Hilton Hotel Fort Worth, TX Contact: Peggy Roden tap@rmaus.net

CALIFORNIA PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION (CAPA) OctOber 24-26 Sheraton Fairplex Hotel Pomona, CA Contact: Kim Andosca kandosca@amgroup.us (916) 669-5322 californiapawnbrokers.org

11/2014

PAWN BOOT CAMP 101

nOvember 11-13 Indianapolis, IN pawnbrokerbootcamp.org

DIXIE CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW april 18-19 The Peabody Memphis Memphis, TN Contact: Kevin Macdonald kevin@momentumpawn.com

NPA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE april 29 Washington, DC Contact: Matthew Church Matthew@National Pawnbrokers.org

7/2015

PAWN EXPO 2015

July 7-9 The Mirage Las Vegas, NV Contact: Lindsay Wilson PawnExpo@ NationalPawnbrokers.org PawnExpo.com

SUMMER 2014 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | 67

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Index of Advertisers ADVERTISER

Page

ADVERTISER

Page

ADVERTISER

Page

Aaria (248) 961-0506 AriaDiamonds.com

3

Livesay’s (800) 476-2715 Livesaysinc.com

63

Stallcup Group (817) 479-3880 StallcupGroup.com

ABC Diamond Buyer (586) 354-7274 ABCDiamondBuyer.com

5

Manhattan Gold & Silver (212) 398-1454 MGSRefining.com/npa

64

Stebgo Metals (800) 289-0138 Stebgo.com

Bluestone Trading Back Cover (888) -800-BLUE (2583) Bluestone-Trading.com

National Jewelers Supplies (888) 657-8665 NationalJewelersSupplies.com

62

Steven Galapo Diamonds (212) 221-3000 GalapoDiamonds.com

57

The Buyers (562) 945-7276 TheBuyers.com

60

North American Metals (800) 773-1626 NorthAmericanMetals.com

9

Stuller (800) 262-7700 Stuller.com

25

CompuPawn (866) 545-9868 CompuPawn.com

14

Padmavati Exports (212) 869-0544 PadmavatiExportsInc.com

54

The Trendz (866) 337-7464 TheTrendz.biz

28

Dillon Gage (888) 436-3489 DillonGage.com

42

Palak Diam (213) 228-0077 PalakDiam.com

40

TJS (877) 40 SHRINK TJS.com

64

Garfield Refining (800) 523-0968 GarfieldRefining.com

55

Pawnshop Consulting Group (954) 540-3697 PawnshopConsultingGroup.com

53

United Precious Metals (800) 999-3463 UnitedPMR.com

51

Garrett Metal Detectors (800) 527-4011 Garrett.com

21

Rapaport Auctions (212) 354-9800 RapaportAuctions.com

17

United Exports (305) 707-7937

44

Gemological Institute of America (800) 421-7250 GIA.edu

63

Rapaport Jewelry Sales (212) 354-9800 rapaportauctions.com

46

Hi-Tech Precious Metals & Refinery (866) 950-7528 HiTechPMR.com

22

RMF Consulting Group (866) 204-7209 CheckcashingCompliance.com

62

White Pine (646) 758-0292 WhitePineDiamonds.com

26

Hover & Strong (800) 759-9997 HoverandStrong.com

48

Rolland Safe (800) 225-2984 RSlc.net

19

Worldwide Diamond (213) 622-2191 WWDiamond.com

64

Saghavi Diamonds (800) 234-1787 NITIN40059@gmail.com

58

International Inside Front Cover Gemological Institute IGIonline.com

13

7

Wexler Insurance Inside Back Cover Agency (800) 432-1853 WexlerInsurance.com

The NPA does not specifically endorse any entity including but not limited to exhibitors and advertisers; makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees; and assumes no responsibility for the products or services provided by these entities. The NPA expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising from the use or the performance of the products or services provided by these entities.

68 | NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2014

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WEXLER INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.

INSURING

PAWNBROKERS

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Replacement Cost

New York Office 580 Fifth Avenue Suite 715A New York, NY 10036 Tel: 212-391-5211 Fax: 212-391-5212 California Office 2711 East Coast Hwy. Suite 106 Corona del Mar, CA 92625 Tel: 949-723-3835 Fax: 949-723-3839

Ohio Office 7363 E. Kemper Rd. Suite C & D Cincinnati, OH 45249 Tel: 513-891-2131 Fax: 513-891-2132

Ask about our exclusive Workers Comp program for Pawnshops which is available in all 50 states.

CALL 1-800-432-1853 FOR AN IMMEDIATE QUOTE OR VISIT US AT WWW.WEXLERINSURANCE.COM Wexler FP.indd 37

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Wish granted Wholesale Diamonds

& Estate Jewelry Since 1978

Free Shipping & Peace of Mind

Whether buying from us or selling to us we will take care of everything. Since 1978, Bluestone Trading Company, Inc. has offered fine quality wholesale diamonds and estate jewelry. Our company was founded on knowledgeable service and midwest values. By paying top prices, offering excellent service and free shipping, our inventory is constantly evolving. You can check it out online at www.bluestone-trading.com or call to speak to one of our diamond experts.

Even the phone call is free. p 888.800.BLUE (2583) • 440.442.7280 | f 800.321.7979 • 440.442.0026 P.O. Box 24126 Cleveland, OH 44124 | webinfo@bluestone-trading.com Our bottom line is excellent value, superior service and the finest quality diamonds and estate jewelry. Learn more at www.bluestone-trading.com.

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