People pawning valuables to pay for Christmas, Pawn Star’s Rick Harrison says

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Folks looking for spare cash this holiday season are turning to pawning, according to Rick Harrison of the hit TV show “Pawn Stars.”

It’s a trend that the owner of Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas has seen all year, as inflation keeps squeezing the average Las Vegas local’s dispensable cash for items like presents-- or even cash for necessities, such as housing.

“It’s the same old stuff. It’s the wedding bands. You do hear a lot from a lot of people: the rents in town have gone insane. A lot of people come in, and they’re just flabbergasted because their rent just went up $500, $600 bucks. [For] some of the gig workers, the price of gas, over the past couple of years,” Harrison said.

Harrison has been traveling across the country with his show “Pawn Stars Do America,” and said he has seen how inflation has been hitting communities.

“Rural communities were driving long distances is a fact of life: it hits people a lot harder. If you live in rural Texas, the grocery stores are 30, 40 miles,” he said.

What items are good to pawn, if you need extra cash for Christmas? Harrison suggests old and antique silverware and dishware are always good go-to items in your home that are often overlooked.

“Buckle down a little bit if you have to-- hopefully everything will get a little bit better,” Harrison said.

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