Tag

pawnbroking

How It All Began…

3rd October 2021 Often I get asked how I got interested in pawnbroking and how it all began. My family have been in the industry since 1840 and originally traded as a family business called Herbert Brown. The family sold the business back in 2007, but as a sixth generation jeweller and pawnbroker this passion was already in my blood so after a period of working with the new owners I left Herbert Brown and began as an independent, all over again. I have built my business steadily to 8... Read More

Christopher Brown York Shop 29/08/2021

The History Of Pawnbroking

29th August 2021 The first record of pawn loans were found in China and date back to around 200 BC and records of active pawnbrokers exist in almost every era and culture. Pawnbroking spread to England with the Norman conquest and after years of Jewish dominance Lombard merchants settled in England and reformed the process, in fact Edward III pawned his jewels to the Lombards to raise money for his war with France in 1338, and Henry V did the same in 1415. Pawnbroking is a very old financial service... Read More

Christopher Brown Seacroft Shop 01/08/2021

Its All In A Name

1st August 2021 We are delighted to announce that Brown and Gold Pawnbrokers in Seacroft are being rebranded to Christopher Brown Jewellers and Pawnbrokers. This is to allow the branch to tie in with our other 4 existing Christopher Brown Jewellers at York, Pontefract and Shipley and now our latest branch just open in Stockport, Manchester. This takes our branch network up to 8 branches across the North of England with 5 in our region including Brown & Gold at Batley. Pawnbroking is one of the oldest industries in the... Read More

28/04/2021

Diary of a Pawnbroker – May 2021

What a strange 12 months we have all had!         I hate to mention the ‘C word’ but we all are sick to the teeth of COVID taking up the news and the impact it has had on us all. I just hope and wish it has not affected you or your families too badly and hope and pray that life is finally starting to show signs of potential normality once again. We have been trading on a reduced hour basis to provide essential lending services throughout the lockdowns however... Read More

Times Have Changed, Or Have They?

28th February 2020 My family have been pawnbrokers for a very long time. In fact we have been in the trade for over 180 years and six generations. We began back in 1840 in Yorkshire and although that business has since ceased trading, the story continues and I have continued with family tradition and now have 8 stores across the north trading as Brown & Gold in Seacroft, Batley, Toxteth and Prescot and Christopher Brown Jewellers in York, Shipley, Liverpool and Pontefract. Jewellery retail is a major part of the... Read More

JAN 2020

3rd January 2020 In the lead up to the Christmas period we had a run on lending on luxury watches, particularly Rolex which helped many business owners manage their cash flow. It’s no surprise however that January and February are among the busiest months in the pawnbroking calendar. With everyone struggling due to the overspending brought about by the Christmas festivities, two thirds of us spend our Januarys paying back credit card bills and overdrafts. Apparently 50% of us avoid the famous January sales in an attempt to save money... Read More

As Good As Gold..

30th August 2019 We all sometimes wish we had a crystal ball and knew what was coming next. Whether it’s the right time to sell or buy a house, invest in the stock market or for our industry, buy or sell some jewellery or gold. For my part I wish I had invested more of my money on pre-owned Rolex when I first began this business. My investment on some models such as a stainless steel Daytona would have nearly TRIPLED over the last 5 years. Rolex watches have always... Read More

It’s Time For Summer Shine!!

2nd August 2019 The school summer holiday has begun and this marks an interesting time in the jewellers and pawnbrokers calendar. Parents who until now have been managing perfectly well with their work / life balance suddenly have a house full of children demanding money, holidays and most costly of all – their time! Kids need new uniforms, holidays need paying for and the household bills keep coming. It’s not surprising that the pawnbroking arm of the business can get really busy and many customers are looking to borrow a... Read More

Christopher Brown Jewellers York 05/06/2019

The ‘One Stop Shop’ for Summer!

5th June 2019 This month we launch our new Foreign Exchange department at our York and Pontefract branches. Seacroft, Shipley and Batley are already booming FX stores and it would seem that despite the uncertainty with the BREXIT decision and the political environment it doesn’t seem to have put us Brits off going abroad when it comes to the summer holidays. We try to be the most competitive supplier of Foreign Exchange in the locality and we check our rates throughout the day to make sure that remains the case.... Read More

JANUARY 2019

7th January 2019 Not many things are a certainty at present. The country’s economic future, Brexit, and who will be PM in 6 months’ time but one thing is certain, Christmas has passed and for those feeling the pinch Brown & Gold are a good option for a quick cash fix. January and February are among the busiest months in the pawnbroking calendar. With everyone struggling due to the overspending brought about by the Christmas festivities, two thirds of us spend January paying back credit card bills and overdrafts. Apparently 50%... Read More