Have you ever experienced at one point in your life a financial crisis so bad that you needed to mortgage your home, got a loan from the bank, sought the help of loan sharks, borrowed money from relatives and friends, or even sold your items? I bet you’ve done everything to stay afloat until your financial problems had been sorted out. There’s actually nothing wrong with getting a loan, just make sure you’ll be able to pay it back. But for those who don’t want additional debt and fast money without submitting several documents or have to wait for a long process, they’d rather pawn their most beloved pieces of jewelry. There’s no shame with pawning more so if it can help ease the problem asap. You just have to find a pawnshop with the highest appraisal, so you can get the most value out of your jewelry.
When I was in college and at 16 declared myself to be independent, I had to work at a fast food chain to support myself. School expenses were shouldered by my dad and sister but since I wanted to be liberated and rented my own flat, being a working student was my solution. I was a stubborn teen and thought I had to prove something. To make the story short, there were times my salary wasn’t enough to last me until the next paycheck. My recourse was to pawn my jewelry. As much as I don’t wanna part with my treasured items, and since I was so young I don’t know yet how to get a loan, that was my first and last resort.
I remember those days when I had to disguise so that no one would recognize me at a pawnshop, hahaha. Those were embarrassing moments, really. I was young, naive and just want to get it over with, so I didn’t care about the appraisal nor asked any questions.
Nowadays, the shame of being seen at a pawnshop has somehow changed. Times are harder and most people would rather pawn their jewelry than be deep in debt. Besides, if you don’t have the necessary papers to support a loan, this is the fastest and easiest way to get quick money. Even some start-up businesses started with pawned pieces of jewelry as capital. Not shameful at all if you’re going to use it for a valid and good reason and not just to buy drugs or to buy yourself a new signature bag.
I’ve recently been enlightened when Cebuana Lhuillier invited me on a short workshop entitled Bijoux: an afternoon of jewellery appreciation and learned first hand on how an appraisal works. The notion that once your jewelry has undergone the appraising process it decreases its value is not true at all. I’ve also learned a few tricks on how to spot the real gold from the “fashion jewelry” and the different colors, cut and carat. This is really handy, especially I’m that type who wants to invest in gold coz the value goes nowhere but up.
Found out that with them, appraisals are usually higher than other pawnshops to as much as 30%! This means a bigger take-home pay for pawners! Plus Cebuana Lhuillier takes prime consideration when it comes to putting the right value on the jewelry they receive. The company holds a continuous workshop for their frontliners and branch personnel.
I now have a better understanding about pawning and why Cebuana Lhuillier takes pride when it comes to its staff and services. You can really bank on higher and accurate appraisal rates with the company. If you’re a regular client, they said they can also give you a few extra.
So, the next time you go to Cebuana Lhuillier, don’t be ashamed, you’re not doing anything wrong, not stealing money from anyone, and at least won’t be “baon sa utang”.
Cebuana Lhuillier now has over 2,200 branches nationwide and also offers Pera Padala – Money Remittance, Bills Payment, Collection, E-load. For Updates, go to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cebuanalhuillierpawnshop/.
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