Download or read book Pawnonomics written by Steve Krupnik and published by Booksurge Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn the colorful, complex, and controversial five-thousand-year history of the pawn broking industry and why this ancient trade still plays a vital role in global consumer credit.
Download or read book My Life with Things written by Elizabeth Chin and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2016-05-27 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unconventional and provocative, My Life with Things is Elizabeth Chin's meditation on her relationship with consumer goods and a critical statement on the politics and method of anthropology. Chin centers the book on diary entries that focus on everyday items—kitchen cabinet knobs, shoes, a piano—and uses them to intimately examine the ways consumption resonates with personal and social meaning: from writing love haikus about her favorite nail polish and discussing the racial implications of her tooth cap, to revealing how she used shopping to cope with a miscarriage and contemplating how her young daughter came to think that she needed Lunesta. Throughout, Chin keeps Karl Marx and his family's relationship to their possessions in mind, drawing parallels between Marx's napkins, the production of late nineteenth-century table linens, and Chin's own vintage linen collection. Unflinchingly and refreshingly honest, Chin unlocks the complexities of her attachments to, reliance on, and complicated relationships with her things. In so doing, she prompts readers to reconsider their own consumption, as well as their assumptions about the possibilities for creative scholarship.
Download or read book Consumer Culture and Society written by Wendy Wiedenhoft Murphy and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author is a proud sponsor of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop. Consumer Culture and Society offers an introduction to the study of consumerism and mass consumption from a sociological perspective. It examines what we buy, how and where we consume, the meanings attached to the things we purchase, and the social forces that enable and constrain consumer behavior. Opening chapters provide a theoretical overview and history of consumer society and featured case studies look at mass consumption in familiar contexts, such as tourism, food, and higher education. The book explores ethical and political concerns, including consumer activism, indebtedness, alternative forms of consumption, and dilemmas surrounding the globalization of consumer culture.
Download or read book Gender Responsive Investment Handbook written by Vanessa Erogbogbo and published by Commonwealth Secretariat. This book was released on 2013 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gender Responsive Investment is a process of ensuring gender-equitable access to financial services and investment. This Handbook supports policy-makers to identify the policies, laws and regulations that hinder women's access to finance, and assists financial institutions to deliver inclusive, well-designed products and services for women.
Download or read book For What It s Worth written by Les Gold and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-06-13 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Businesses these days talk a lot about figuring out what the customer wants. Well, here’s your first lesson: the customer doesn’t know what he wants. This book is going to show you how to convince him he wants the thing you’re selling. Les Gold has been in business since age twelve, when he started selling used golf clubs from his dad’s basement. Now he owns Detroit’s biggest pawnshop, American Jewelry and Loan, and is the star of the hit reality TV show Hardcore Pawn. As a third-generation pawnbroker, Gold grew up in the business, dealing with customers who could be unruly and violent as often as they were friendly. He became good at selling just about anything and at buying items for what they were worth. Although he started at his family’s small pawnshop, he has now expanded into a fifty-thousand-square-foot former bowling alley, making a thousand deals a day. On any given day, he could be taking a vintage car in to pawn or chasing down a thief who’s just stolen a gold chain from the store. No business school in the world can teach you as much about buying, selling, negotiating, managing employees, dealing with customers, advertising, tracking trends, and predicting the economy’s ups and downs. In this entertaining, honest book, Gold takes you inside some of his weirdest, wackiest deals and steals. From the monkey his dad once took in to pawn to the deal Gold made for a stripper pole, he has no boundaries for what he considers to be part of his business—and neither should you. You will learn: How to tell an emotional story when you’re selling—and take emotion out of the transaction when you’re buying Why judging your customers before you know them can kill a potential deal How to deal with risk, both mental and physical How to communicate with employees (even if they’re your own kids) Why investing in relationships with your community is time well spent Why your business should never be limited by what others tell you it should be No place in the world prepares you better for the working world than a pawnshop, and Les Gold takes you inside his shop to share what he’s learned from fifty-five years in the most interesting job in the world.
Download or read book In Hock written by Wendy A. Woloson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-12-16 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive history of pawnbroking in the United States from the nation’s founding through the Great Depression, In Hock demonstrates that the pawnshop was essential to the rise of capitalism. The class of working poor created by this economic tide could make ends meet only, Wendy Woloson argues, by regularly pawning household objects to supplement inadequate wages. Nonetheless, businessmen, reformers, and cultural critics claimed that pawnshops promoted vice, and employed anti-Semitic stereotypes to cast their proprietors as greedy and cold-hearted. Using personal correspondence, business records, and other rich archival sources to uncover the truth behind the rhetoric, Woloson brings to life a diverse cast of characters and shows that pawnbrokers were in fact shrewd businessmen, often from humble origins, who possessed sophisticated knowledge of a wide range of goods in various resale markets. A much-needed new look at a misunderstood institution, In Hock is both a first-rate academic study of a largely ignored facet of the capitalist economy and a resonant portrait of the economic struggles of generations of Americans.
Download or read book Broke USA written by Gary Rivlin and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-05-25 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the New York Times Notable Book of the Year Drive By comes a unique and riveting exploration of one of America’s largest and fastest-growing industries—the business of poverty. Broke, USA is a Fast Food Nation for the “poverty industry” that will also appeal to readers of Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed) and David Shipler (The Working Poor).
Download or read book Fringe Banking written by John P. Caskey and published by Russell Sage Foundation. This book was released on 1994-08-24 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Cogently argued, fills an important gap in the literature, and is accessible to undergraduates." —Choice "Dismantles the mythology surrounding pawnshops and check-cashing outlets, and demonstrates that they are no longer on the fringe of our financial system but integral to it."—San Francisco Bay Guardian In today's world of electronic cash transfers, automated teller machines, and credit cards, the image of the musty, junk-laden pawnshop seems a relic of the past. But it is not. The 1980s witnessed a tremendous boom in pawnbroking. There are now more pawnshops thanever before in U.S. history, and they are found not only in large cities but in towns and suburbs throughout the nation. As John Caskey demonstrates in Fringe Banking, the increased public patronage of both pawnshops and commercial check-cashing outlets signals the growing number of American households now living on a cash-only basis, with no connection to any mainstream credit facilities or banking services. Fringe Banking is the first comprehensive study of pawnshops and check-cashing outlets, profiling their operations, customers, and recent growth from family-owned shops to such successful outlet chains as Cash American and ACE America's Cash Express. It explains why, despite interest rates and fees substantially higher than those of banks, their use has so dramatically increased. According to Caskey, declining family earnings, changing family structures, a growing immigrant population, and lack of household budgeting skills has greatly reduced the demand for bank deposit services among millions of Americans. In addition, banks responded to 1980s regulatory changes by increasing fees on deposit accounts with small balances and closing branches in many poor urban areas. These factors combined to leave many low- and moderate-income families without access to checking privileges, credit services, and bank loans. Pawnshops and check-cashing outlets provide such families with essential financial services thay cannot obtain elsewhere. Caskey notes that fringe banks, particularly check-cashing outlets, are also utilized by families who could participate in the formal banking system, but are willing to pay more for convenience and quick access to cash. Caskey argues that, contrary to their historical reputation as predators milking the poor and desperate, pawnshops and check-cashing outlets play a key financial role for disadvantaged groups. Citing the inconsistent and often unenforced state laws currently governing the industry, Fringe Banking challenges policy makers to design regulations that will allow fringe banks to remain profitable without exploiting the customers who depend on them.
Download or read book License to Pawn written by Rick Harrison and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2011-06-07 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Las Vegas, there's a family-owned business called the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, run by three generations of the Harrison family: Rick; his son, Big Hoss; and Rick's dad, the Old Man. Now License to Pawn takes readers behind the scenes of the hit History show Pawn Stars and shares the fascinating life story of its star, Rick Harrison, and the equally intriguing story behind the shop, the customers, and the items for sale. Rick hasn't had it easy. He was a math whiz at an early age, but developed a similarly uncanny ability to find ever-deepening trouble that nearly ruined his life. With the birth of his son, he sobered up, reconnected with his dad, and they started their booming business together. License to Pawn also offers an entertaining walk through the pawn shop's history. It's a captivating look into how the Gold & Silver works, with incredible stories about the crazy customers and the one-of-a-kind items that the shop sells. Rick isn't only a businessman; he's also a historian and keen observer of human nature. For instance, did you know that pimps wear lots of jewelry for a reason? It's because if they're arrested, jewelry doesn't get confiscated like cash does, and ready money will be available for bail. Or that WWII bomber jackets and Zippo lighters can sell for a freakishly high price in Japan? Have you ever heard that the makers of Ormolu clocks, which Rick sells for as much as $15,000 apiece, frequently died before forty thanks to the mercury in the paint? Rick also reveals the items he loves so much he'll never sell. The shop has three Olympic bronze medals, a Patriots Super Bowl ring, a Samurai sword from 1490, and an original Iwo Jima battle plan. Each object has an incredible story behind it, of course. Rick shares them all, and so much more -- there's an irresistible treasure trove of history behind both the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and the life of Rick Harrison.
Download or read book Consumer Panels written by Seymour Sudman and published by Marketing Classics Press. This book was released on 2011-05-15 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book American Pickers Guide to Picking written by Libby Callaway and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2011-09-13 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A true adventure story and the go-to guide for "picking" American treasures from anyone's backyard, straight from the stars of History's American Pickers In these pages, professional treasure hunters Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz chronicle their road trips across the American countryside in search of "rusty gold" to buy and sell among the picking world's one-of-a-kind characters. Whether you are a fan of the show or just like finding hidden riches, you will love seeing what Wolfe and Fritz dig up and enjoy meeting the devoted collectors, extreme stockpilers, and elite dealers who they encounter along the way. Wolfe and Fritz do not deal in fine antiques. Their secondhand treasures are of the down-and-dirty and sometimes even bizarre variety, from old bicycles and vintage tools, to sun-bleached cars and handmade furniture, retired carnival games and unusual taxidermy. Assisted by Danielle Colby, who helps out at Antique Archaeology, Wolfe and Fritz buy on the cheap and then sell to dealers, art directors, interior designers, or anyone looking for a little bit of authentic Americana. The three now share their secrets to finding hidden gems, offering helpful hints that will show what average Americans can do to find the treasures that await them. From American Pickers Guide to Picking: Junk is Beautiful When we knock on a door, 90 percent of the time the things we find are junk. But we don't care about the odds; a picker never turns down an opportunity, no matter where it is. We've picked pickup trucks. We've picked flat beds. We've picked dumpsters. We even picked a Mercury Sable. We're looking for the unusual, the impossible, the funky, the different, the bizarre-things we have never seen before. And we'll go anywhere we have to go to find it. No location is off-limits to a hard-core picker. And there's plenty of things to be found at antique stores, thrift and consignment shops, flea markets, estate sales, and swap meets, and a lot of the tips in this book apply to finding treasures at these joints. But that's not really the kind of picking we do anymore. We look outside the box to find our junk-a word we use almost like a term of endearment: to us: junk is beautiful.
Download or read book Unrated written by Carrie Stevens and published by . This book was released on 2020-08-10 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Playboy Playmate Carrie Stevens broke all the rules. She did everything "nice girls" are not supposed to do. While not unscathed, she is still standing. Her story is more than that of survival, it is a quest for what matters most in life.
Download or read book How to Start Run and Grow a Reputable Profitable Pawnshop Business written by Carl Eddlemon and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-13 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How to Start, Run, and Grow a Reputable & Profitable Pawnshop Business Are you looking for a career that can bring long-term profitability? Are you concerned about starting a business that will outlast economic hardships? Pawnshops were one of only a few institutions in the Great Depression-era that provided cash as the banks started to fail, and people were getting rid of cherished and valuable items in order to pay debts. Today, pawnshops are still the main source for people who want to turn items into cash. Gold, silver, guns, collectibles, antiques, and electronics are items that are bought, sold, traded, and borrowed against as collateral. These are items that the average American probably owns many of. Even in times of a "slow economy," one business has withstood the test of time - pawnbrokers. People will always be in need of a quick buck, in the form of a pawn loan or selling their high-end possessions. These loans might be to pay for bills or to generally make ends meet for a short while. You could provide this needed service for your neighborhood by opening a business as a pawnbroker. There are plenty of business opportunities if you are looking to start your own business. I've researched plenty of options. After considering the pros and cons of many, I settled on what I felt was the best option to open a pawnshop. This may sound like a unique and possibly odd business choice, but it is actually a sound business decision. Pawnbrokers are the preservers of history. They provide an excellent source of unique items that collectors won't find anywhere else. Each piece that walks through the pawnshop doors might be a priceless gem that no one else has ever seen before. Pawnshops are places where you can find history, antiques, jewelry, and other items that have often been handed down through generations. Owners may actually know the source of items or offer stories of where the items come from. In my book, I will guide you through the process of establishing your own pawnshop from scratch. You need not have any business experience to start this business, just a desire to challenge yourself to create a business that can grow and thrive. You Will Learn: A brief history of pawnbroking What a pawnbroker is How the pawn process works What you should know to start your own business How to craft a business plan that works What your startup costs could be How to deal in gold, silver, guns, antiques, collectibles, electronics, and jewelry How to deal with employees to staff your new shop How to handle marketing How to choose a good POS How to grow your pawnshop business As an added bonus, I have also included an appendix of requirements for pawnbrokers listed by state. After you read this book, you should have a much better understanding of what becoming a pawnbroker entails. What are you waiting for? Click "Add to Cart" now. That's the first step to achieving your entrepreneurial dreams! For a very limited time, when you purchase the paperback book, you can download the Kindle version for FREE, just as a special thanks to you.
Download or read book The Plot to Get Bill Gates written by Gary Rivlin and published by Three Rivers Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moby Dick in Silicon Valley, this bright and readable (The New York Times) book tells the true story of Bill Gates and those who would harpoon him, offering a hilarious and original investigation into the meaning of America's most controversial mogul.
Download or read book The Fragile Middle Class written by Teresa A. Sullivan and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why have so many middle-class Americans encountered so much financial trouble? In this classic analysis of hard-pressed families, the authors discover that financial stability for many middle-class Americans is all too fragile. The authors consider the changing cultural and economic factors that threaten financial security and what they imply for the future vitality of the middle class. A new preface examines the persistent and new threats that have emerged since the original publication. "[A] fascinating, alarming study. . . . [This] chilling diagnosis of middle-class affliction demonstrates that we all may be only a job loss, medical problem or credit card indulgence away from the downward spiral leading to bankruptcy."--Publishers Weekly "A well-designed and carefully executed study."--Andrew Greeley, University of Chicago "The Fragile Middle Class, a well-written work of social science that is about as gripping as the genre gets, forces us to reevaluate notions about consumerism."--American Prospect
Download or read book Pawnbroker s Handbook written by V. Alexander Cullen and published by Paladin Press. This book was released on 2007-04-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Set up your own pawnshop and get ready to start counting all the money you will make buying and selling goods at a tremendous profit! Learn how to choose the right location, evaluate merchandise, extend loans, advertise, establish a reputation for honesty and secure your shop.
Download or read book The Two Income Trap written by Elizabeth Warren and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2016-04-12 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Senator Elizabeth Warren and consultant Amelia Warren Tyagi, the classic book about America's middle class -- and why economic security remains out of reach for many. In this exposé, Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi show that modern middle-class families are increasingly trapped by the grinding reality of flat wages and rising costs. Warren and Tyagi reveal how a ferocious bidding war for housing and education has silently engulfed America's suburbs, driving up the cost of keeping families in the middle class, and placing unprecedented pressure on hard-working families. Revolutionary when it was first published in 2003, The Two-Income Trap remains disturbingly relevant today. Now with a new introduction by the authors, The Two Income Trap shows why the usual remedies won't solve the problem and points toward the policy changes that would create better opportunities for both parents and children.
