BOGER CITY PAWN IS OASIS IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES
Also friend to law enforcement regarding stolen merchandise


By Jon Mayhew

(Publisher's Note: Boger City Pawn became the first sponsor of The Carolina Scoop, advertising on the obituary page. Click on the obituary link at the top of the page and check out their ad, which was designed by Andrew Miller.)

LINCOLNTON -- You can't mistake the location of Boger City Pawn. The big bright yellow building stands out on East Main Street; the colorful signage proclaims "We Buy Gold" and 'Pawn." For many people suffering through these tough economic times, the building is more of a beacon of hope, a place that could possibly help stem the tide between pay periods.

Many people view pawn shops, though, as a place where stolen merchandise is fenced, where people pawning the merchandise is given a small pittance in return for a buyer paying an outrageous price.

Boger City Pawn owner Jake Fulbright -- a fixture on Main Street in Lincolnton for nearly 20 years -- says that's a big misconception.

"We are a last resort for people to get cash to pay bills or get money for medicine or gas," said Fulbright. "Banks aren't going to loan these people any money so they turn to us."

And during these tough economic times in and around Lincolnton, Fulbright is discovering that pawn shops can be choosy about the merchandise taken in. Jake says Boger City Pawn is vigilant on the lookout for stolen merchandise. In fact, Boger City is the only pawn broker that electronically transmits their buys and pawns on a daily basis.

"My biggest concern as a pawn broker is people having merchandise stolen from homes and vehicles," said Fulbright.

Boger City Pawn works closely with both Lincolnton Police and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office regarding investigations into merchandise that may be stolen, including guns and ammunition. Fulbright said the best way for gun owners to protect themselves is to be proactive.


"Pay close attention to your guns and treat your guns like pets or children," said Fulbright. "Once a gun gets stolen, it's in a criminal's hands."

Fulbright suggests making a list of serial numbers, since everything from electronics to weapons have a serial number on them. He said the best way to record items is to take a digital picture of that item with the serial number on the photograph.

Even with more than 4,800 repeat customers coming into Boger City Pawn on an annual basis, discovering stolen merchandise is still relatively easy.

Fulbright gives the example of a "customer" who brought in a bicycle that turned out to be stolen from the "customer's" father. Police were able to retrieve the bicycle based on the daily reporting Boger City Pawn conducts, which helped police quickly investigate the case.

Also the owner of Fulbright Auction Company, Jake Fulbright said he also works closely with parents who have items of value stolen by children and grandchildren. It's something that saddens Fulbright and something he sees all too often; family heirlooms being pawned, snatched from hands who worked hard to build memories.

"That's the unfortunate part of being a pawn broker," said Fulbright, adding pawn brokers like himself provide a much-needed service to the community, especially with new problems facing city and county law enforcement like gangs and an influx of new population on a daily basis.

And, he adds, the money loaned out stays in Lincoln County.

"Most of it goes to the Lincoln County court system," said Fulbright, "while here lately a lot of money loaned out goes for gas."

Partner Andrew Miller agreed with Fulbright's sentiment that pawn brokers provide a valuable community service. Miller, who has worked at Boger City Pawn for the past two years, is in the process of relocating to WIlmington to start his own pawn brokerage.

"Many people live paycheck to paycheck," said Miller. "Pawn brokers bridge the gap between paychecks by providing loans in minutes."

Miller also agreed that there is a misconception about pawn shops and the pawn brokers that operate them.

And while pawn brokerages are the first line of defense in retrieving stolen property, Miller said it's up to consumers to take action. Specifically, the recording of the serial numbers of items of value.

"We're catching a lot of criminals because we report our sales to the authorities on a daily basis," said Miller. "We don't want stolen stuff in here. It's a hassle and nobody wins when there's stolen merchandise."