(CNBC) — Wealthy people looking to fund new ventures are turning to their Rolexes and art collections as collateral for quick and easy loans from high-end pawn shops.
The handful of lending companies tapping into the trend let their affluent clients take quick thousand-dollar or million-dollar loans with high-end collectibles as collateral. That’s far greater than the average loan size of $150, according to the National Pawnbrokers Association. Business owners say the way the luxury goods-backed loans are growing points less to the financial distress associated with pawn shops and more to seize money-making opportunities.
The pickup in economic growth has shifted the balance toward small business owners growing their businesses, said Jordan Tabach-Bank, CEO of Beverly Hills-based The Loan Companies.
