Picayune area residents looking for a good deal on a variety of items can meet a friendly face at Easy Money Pawn in the south end of town.
The family run business opened in April of this year after the owners of Whitfield Rentals began receiving requests to purchase or loan money for tools, said co-owner Michele Whitfield.
Whitfield Rentals has been operating at their current location on Miss. 43 S., since 2006 when Derek Whitfield purchased the old diesel repair shop and renovated it into an equipment rental business, Michele Whitfield said.
After opening the rental business, Michele said her husband received a number of requests from regular customers to loan them money in exchange for tools.
Since there was not another pawn shop on the south end of town, the family decided to open one next door to their rental business to accommodate those requests.
What is now the pawn shop used to offer party rental supplies, and while the Whitfields still offer that service on a limited basis, they decided to use the space for the pawn shop instead.
Now the family combines their knowledge of various goods to offer gently used electronics, guns and jewelry, among other items.
Their son, Jacob, has knowledge of guns and electronics, while Derek knows a lot about tools. Michele adds her knowledge on jewelry to the fold.
Since opening the pawn shop in April, the Whitfields have gotten to know a variety of people in the area, Michele said.
Customers range from parents looking to purchase a gently used electronic device for their children, to the gun enthusiast who stops in to talk about firearms. No matter their interests, the Whitfields enjoy meeting the people who stop in, Michele said.
Easy Money Pawn currently has a stock of electronics such as console gaming machines, car amplifiers and DVD movies. Tools range from a bench grinder, socket wrenches and some larger specialty tools still in the retail box. Michele said at times people who buy tools will sell those items to the pawnshop when they can no longer return it to the retail store for a refund.
A variety of shotguns and rifles are also in stock. While they aren’t able to buy everything brought into the store, they will consider purchasing items that are in good condition or are unique, Michelle said.
So far, the Whitfields attribute their success in the pawn business to how they treat their customers.
“If you’re nice to people you’ll get repeat customers,” Michele Whitfield said.
She said she uses her more than 20 years working at a local retailer to the development of her customer skills. Those repeat customers also help build a larger audience through word of mouth referrals, she said.
Not only does the business buy and sell items, they also provide loans with collateral.
Easy Money Pawn is located at 2324 Miss. 43 S., next to Whitfield Rentals. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The business is closed on Sunday. They can be reached by phone at 601-749-3800.