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By DAVID HOLAHAN Special to The Courant
May 2, 2009

The A-Z Pawn shop in Norwich, almost equidistant from the state's two casinos, deals in everything from diamond rings to recreational vehicles. The owner, Phil Pavone, says that business is up about 10 percent from last year. His small office is protected by bulletproof glass and a shotgun duct-taped to the wall.

Q: Are you seeing a different type of customer lately?

A: Absolutely. I'm seeing people who have never been in the predicament they're in and have never had to resort to coming to a pawn shop. People who made a very good income, and suddenly something tragic has happened. They lost their job, their variable mortgages went up. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Most of the time, the people who come in here are just squeaking by. Then something happens and they need money for a short period of time. Those are my normal customers. I'm getting people now who are losing their house, losing their cars. It's sad. They're bringing in high-ticket items: Rolex watches, diamonds, big plasma TVs — I mean big ones that cost $8,000 — things that aren't essential to everyday living, things they bought when the market was good.

Q: What items are getting pawned the most?

A: Power tools, because all the blue-collar workers in construction are in trouble. They're dead in the water. I get tools from roofers, framers, carpet-installers, electricians. That's the biggest thing now, and it shows who got hurt the most. Take roofing nail guns. We normally have three on hand. We have 30 now.

Q: What is the oddest item anyone tried to pawn?

A: A breast pump, slightly used. No, I didn't take it.

Q: Is your proximity to the two casinos a plus?

A: I don't get a lot of people from the casino — those people are mostly from out of town, and they don't know where Norwich is. But I get a lot of local people because of the casino. They stop there on their way home from work and lose their paycheck, or whatever. I have a woman who comes in here who has calluses on the tips of her fingers from playing the slot machines.

Q: Are there many happy endings in this hard-luck business?

A: About two years ago, I had one gentleman who lost $8,000 at the casino, came in here and pawned his Rolex for $5,000, lost that, came back, and he had one thing left: a ring that I let him borrow $50 on. He went back to the casino, playing blackjack, and won all his money back. That doesn't happen very often. Haven't seen him lately. Then I had a lady come in here with two babies; her husband is in Iraq. She was going to get evicted from her apartment. There was some complication with her husband's check. So she was short and gave me something to hold so she could have some money, $3,000 I think it was. She came back a month later and everything had worked out.
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