While it’s easy to sell items like flatware, coins (including gold worth money) and jewelry online, if you have bulky or heavy items to get rid of that you can’t ship on your own, head to your nearest 24 hours pawn shop. Besides buying and selling goods, pawn shops also offer the chance to secure small loans for a few months. This is a way to quickly raise cash for a short-term expense such as a car repair, medical bill or even a wedding.

It’s a bit different than just borrowing money from a lender or bank because you leave an item of value as collateral and are given a certain amount of time to return to pay back the loan, with interest. In the meantime, the pawn shop will usually keep your item to sell in the future.

Finding the Best Pawn Shops Near Me

TV shows like Hardcore Pawn and pawn shops near me may have changed some people’s perception of pawn shops, but these types of establishments can be valuable to those in need of quick cash. There are about 11,000 pawn shops in the country and they buy and sell items like gold, electronics, jewelry and firearms.

Before you take your valuables to any pawn shop, make sure the store is licensed and follows regulations. Look for local or state licenses, memberships in the National Pawnbrokers Association and reviews on websites like Yelp and Trustpilot. Additionally, make sure the pawnbroker has a safe to store your items and applicable insurance that protects against loss or damage.