New pawn shop opens in Tamworth

"Everyone has stuff they never use anymore," says Tom Hobbs, owner of Ossipee Valley Pawn, the area's newest pawn shop, which opened Dec. 1. And rather than entertaining people in your home or dealing with the hassle of having a yard sale, Ossipee Valley Pawn offers a quick and easy way to get rid of that "old stuff."Hobbs moved to the valley in 1993 and started Conway Village Pawn with a partner. But after 13 years, Hobbs decided to go on his own."I had been thinking about it for some time, and in November of last year things just seemed to fall into place," he said. "I got the space in the Tamworth Marketplace and the rest is history."The pawn shop has been well received in the area, Hobbs said, because Tamworth/Ossipee-area residents previously needed to travel to Conway or the Rochester area for a pawn shop."This location will better serve Ossipee Valley and the Lakes Region," he said. "This is a great location. It offers plenty of parking, easy access off Route 16 and is only 2 1/2 miles from Route 25. One of my first customers said, 'It's so nice that Ossipee finally has its own pawn shop.' That's a great feeling.Pawn shops have received a negative rap over the years, mostly from TV. But what most people don't realize is that pawn shops are among the earliest forms of consumer credit, and that they date back to the first settlers. With the rise of commercial lending institutions at the turn of the century, pawn shops were no longer the primary source of consumer credit. However, they still play a major role in consumer lending.The general public needing to borrow a small sum of money, say $1,000, would find it difficult if not impossible to do so from a bank, Hobbs said. The cost of the paperwork alone would prohibit the loan from being profitable to the lender. Plus, the application period necessary to write the loan would make it impractical for probable immediacy of the need.At Ossipee Valley Pawn it's not all about pawning."Most of the merchandise we get comes from estate sales or people who just seem to have too much stuff," Hobbs said. "We will buy direct from the seller and offer a great deal to the buyer. That makes us sort of the 'middle man of stuff.'" Ossipee Valley Pawn will buy, sell, trade, E-consign and pawn a wide variety of merchandise, including home electronics, antiques, collectibles, home furnishings, hand and power tools, musical instruments, diamonds, gold, silver, coins, game systems, DVDs, CDs, cameras, firearms (Ossipee Valley Pawn is a federal licensed firearms dealer) and other items.With 17 years of experience, Hobbs will be happy to help you get rid of that "old stuff."Ossipee Valley Pawn is located in the Tamworth Marketplace on Route 16 just south of Chocorua Village. Call (603) 323-9488, or e-mail ovpawn@adelphia.net.