Jimmy’s Jewelry and Pawn
Nader Jubran “practically grew up in business”. He started as a jeweler and later took on his father’s pawn shop. “It’s different, you know you run into different types of people every single day.” Jubran said.
Pawn Shops have a long history themselves. Jubran reveals “The journey that Christopher Columbus took, the Queen actually pawned her jewels in order to pay for the trip around the world.” He continued saying “A lot of jewelry stores back in the 40s-50s had separate entrances for people coming in to borrow money. They didn’t want their neighbors to see them coming in so they would come in secretly through a back-door entrance.”
Since Jubran has owned his pawn shop he has observed that, “There’s always been ups and downs. Some days aren’t as good as others, some days are slower than other days, and some days you’re busier than other days… Every day is a challenge especially in my industry because you really have to know a little bit about everything.”
He adds that since the start of COVID, “People that are out of work, they are coming in to borrow money.” Jubran noted that, “People have more time on their hands.” He had already been using Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay. However, when the pandemic hit instead of a rise in people shopping online, he realized that people were coming into the shop more. He understood “people are just trying to make ends meet right.”
Jubran has made sure to input regulations for his store. “We wear masks in the store, and we have to clear screens up in front of our showcases.” Jubran isn’t just cautious around his store; he is also making sure he is careful with his family. “I’m being more cautious; my father sometimes comes in to help and he’s an older gentleman in his 70s.”
Because of COVID, Jubran has learned some invaluable life lessons. “People need to prepare more for something that could happen. They need to have a little bit of a nest around the egg saved up to protect themselves in a situation like this. Just prepare for the unexpected!”