Choosing Thoughtful Gifts

When money problems occur, people often need a quick way to get cash, pay bills, and complete transactions. Luckily, a lot of pawn shops offer jewelry loans in the United States. It's normal to sell jewelry like rings, watches, and necklaces, but a lot of pawn shops can loan out money for a variety of other items. When you're offering your jewelry for a loan, the amount that you receive may not be enough for your needs.

The following four items can help you make a little extra money to go along with the jewelry loan money. Before cashing in, it's important to communicate with the local pawn shop to find out what types of loans are available and how to properly present the items.

Autographs

The precious autograph that you have displayed in your home can actually help you get a little extra cash until you have time to buy it back again. The value that you receive for an autograph will depend on numerous factors.

• Autograph Type: A glossy 8 by 10 photo is typical for an autograph, but you could have increased value for a piece of sports memorabilia like a jersey or football. Less official items like napkins or personal photos will decrease in value because they do not have the mass appeal.
• The Celebrity Status: It actually matters a lot who the autograph comes from. For example, a movie star that has faded out and forgotten will not have an autograph that is as valuable as a screen legend like Clint Eastwood.
• Authentication: Any type of proof of the autograph will help increase the value. This could be an image of the person actually signing the autograph or an official certificate of authentication.

Gift Cards

The unused gift cards in your wallet can be converted to cash at many loan and pawn shops. The value of your gift card should be confirmed through an online print out or a receipt. The pawn shop will likely use the gift card code to confirm this too.

The value you receive for your gift card will likely range from 15% to 50% depending on the type of gift card you have to offer. Exact estimates can be given directly at the pawn shop. If other gift cards are available, you may be able to exchange your gift card for another one of the same value.

Fast Food Memorabilia

The collector's items from fast food locations can turn into big bucks at a pawn shop. There are many types of memorabilia from fast food places you can offer a pawn shop. The older the memorabilia, the better.

• Fast Food Cups: Collector's cups feature designs from pop-culture including Disney, super heroes, and sport designs. These vary from glass cups, plastic fountain drink cups, or collector cups that come with kid meals. The cups have more value if they include the full collection.
• Fast Food Toys: Children's meals often come with toys that could have a big value applied to them. The toys should be in excellent condition and will likely be worth more if they are in the original wrapping.
• Other Collector's Items: Many fast food restaurants offer purchasing extras like watches, posters, and statues. Any of these items can help earn you extra cash at a pawn shop.

Your Own Hair

It may sound unusual, but many pawn shops are willing to purchase healthy hair from people. The hair market is constantly growing as the hair is used to make products like wigs and weaves. It's hard to duplicate real hair so that is why the purchasing and selling of hair is a hot commodity. When you plan to sell your hair, there are many conditions to consider.

• Length: The longer the hair, the more valuable it is. A hair pricing calculator can give you a free estimate on the value of your current hair.
• Color: Rare hair colors like red, auburn, and chestnut can help earn a little extra cash.
• Hair Treatments: Your hair is worth a lot if it is known as "virgin hair." This means that the hair has never been dyed or chemically treated. Natural hair like this is healthier and worth more.

Remember that every pawn shop is different so it's a good idea to shop around and find out about different rates before making a decision. This also includes current rates for jewelry like gold, silver, and diamonds.