I frequently visit pawn shops in the Johns Creek area. Being a private investigator, I often get to know the pawnbrokers and have, on occasion, come across evidence in pawn shops concerning cases I’m investigating; like the case of a female client who had a valuable piece of jewelry – which her husband had given her – stolen by a male “friend” with whom she had become very well “acquainted.”
She didn’t want to tell the cops about it, hoping the jewelry could be retrieved “quietly.”
Then there was the case of the cheating husband who covertly sold some jewelry that his wife thought she had misplaced. He had used the proceeds to buy a nice little bobble for his girlfriend. As it turned out, he didn’t realize his wife had decided to report it stolen and file a claim with their insurance company. Their insurance company was most interested in the findings of that case.
Yes, things like this do go on. You have no idea.
Of course, sometimes I just visit pawn shops to look at the guns and gold coins they’re selling because I like guns and gold. One interesting thing about a pawn shop is the fact that you can see the effects of the economy firsthand – from the perspective of the average person rather than that of a Wall Street financial guru.
I was in a pawn shop just the other day when I saw a guy walk in with a soft-sided, pistol-sized gun case. The man – a quiet, easygoing guy – watched the TV mounted above the counter as he waited patiently for the pawn broker to finish with another customer. Fox News was on and Barack Obama was appearing some place in Middle America where he “was not” campaigning on the taxpayer dime.
“I really don’t like that guy,” the man said with a chuckle, a headshake and a smile on his face as he turned toward me. “You know what I mean?”
“Don’t think he’s doing the job, huh?” I asked.
“If he were,” the man replied, “I wouldn’t be here, right now.”
“How so?” I asked.
“I’m 62,” the man replied. “My wife and I owned a small business here in town for years – made a great living, too. Then, about two years ago, things started going bad with the economy and all, ya’ know?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Fact is, a few months ago we had to file for bankruptcy,” he said as the smile left his face. “Thank God she’s an accountant and could find a job. But me? Well, there just isn’t anything out there for me.”
I kept listening.
“We lost our business, our savings – everything but the house,” he said with a sigh. “So, I’m selling my gun collection – a piece at a time.”
“Let’s see what you got,” I said, curious to see the weapon.
He unzipped his small case to reveal a beautiful, handcrafted showpiece; a SIG Sauer P220 .45ACP with a 6-inch barrel, an engraved, stainless beavertail frame and slide, sporting decorative, extended wood grip plates. It was a work of art – and, unfortunately, a bit out of my price range.
About that time the pawnbroker walked over.
“That is a nice gun,” the broker said.
“Yeah, I know,” the man replied. “I need to sell it, though.”
“I can’t do it,” the broker told him. “These high-end guns are just not moving for me right now. I could only pay what would be pennies on the dollar – and I’m not going to do that. The gun’s worth too much.”
“Well,” the man said with a laugh, “I appreciate you not trying to steal it from me.”
The broker handed the man a business card.
“Tell ya’ what,” the broker said, “Call me back – as often as you’d like – and if I find a buyer, I’ll see what I can do.”
The man thanked the broker and zipped up his gun case.
“I’m filing for early retirement and collecting my Social Security,” he said to me. “That’s at least some cash every month.”
All I could do was stand there. The man looked back at the TV. The report had continued in the interim and Obama was in another town by then – on his “I’m not really campaigning” bus tour of heartland America at the taxpayer’s expense.
“I really didn’t think I’d be in this position at this time in my life,” the man said. “But, I’ll tell you what – Republican, Tea Party, man, woman or trained monkey – whoever gets the nomination to run against that guy gets my vote next year.”
He walked away and it made me think about how often I’ve heard that same sentiment around Johns Creek lately – even from those who voted for Obama in 2008.
It looks like there is a huge change coming in 2012. People aren’t just thinking about changing from one candidate to another or even from one party to another. People are thinking about changing the face of government itself, and those kinds of changes in a general election can be felt all the way down to the local level.
I just hope it’s in time to save the small businesses in Johns Creek and the taxpayers who have spent their lives building them – because when small businesses collapse, so do the communities they serve.
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