Hufstetler said a majority of the American public has a preconceived notion about pawn shops.

“We’ve been known as the second oldest profession,” Hufstetler said, “and you know what the first one is.”

If his employees believe that the item is stolen, Hufstetler said, they will immediately inform police. For example, he said, without providing more details, some men recently attempted to pawn platinum wires at his store in Moultrie. Employees became suspicious and called local authorities, who then determined the expensive wires were stolen in Thomas County.  

With banks tightening lending rules, short-term loans from businesses like American Pawn offer an attractive alternative for Americans scraping through financial difficulties. But if you’ve never dealt with a pawn shop, here’s a primer: You go to American Pawn with, say, a vintage Yamaha guitar. The store manager, will offer you a loan based on how much he thinks he can resell the guitar in the store or on eBay. It’s the manager's job to quickly decide: What’s the likelihood that a musician or a collector will buy it if you grab the money and run? 

If the manager offers you $100, you would typically have to pay around $120 to get the guitar back, depending on the interest rate you’ve agreed upon. Georgia law prohibits pawn shops from charging more than 25 percent interest for the first three months. There are no accurate figures, but many shop owners around the country estimate that about 50 to 75 percent of their customers do not reclaim their merchandise.

You have 30 days to get your item back, but Georgia law allows an additional 10-day grace period. Hufstetler, who also owns pawn shops in Bainbridge, Cairo, Thomasville and Americus, emphasizes the importance of repeat business. His store policy, he said, is to hold the item for 60 days before offering it for sale to recoup his costs. The longer grace period lends itself to repeat business. “They’re happy, we’re happy,” Hufstetler said.

Loan amounts for firearms would vary, depending on the brand, model and condition. If you bring in a mint-condition Glock 17 pistol, for example, Hufstetler said he could offer a loan of up to $300 for a gun that usually retails for over $500.

Despite the presence of many firearms, which are all locked and unloaded, American Pawn seems family-friendly. Employees are trained to properly handle and secure firearms and the store is equipped with a modern surveillance system.

There are many repeat customers like Linda Hardey, 40, who came to the Thomasville store accompanied by six kids, including her 2-year-old granddaughter.

“My son gets good deals on games,” she said. “We just purchased a portable CD player and we’re getting a Playstation.”

Hufstetler proudly talks about his workers being very trustworthy and easy to deal with. That friendly demeanor came in handy when an elderly woman, cuddling a Yorkshire Terrier, approached Jonathon Gandy, the store manager in Thomasville.

“Jonathon, I have two antique shotguns,” she said. “Do you think you can do anything with those?” She got a nod and a smile.

The woman drove home and quickly came back with two shotguns, a single-barrel and a double-barrel. They were unloaded. Gandy took a quick look, talked about the potential resale value of each gun and quickly offered a total loan amount. The customer, who said her late husband was a gun collector, seemed satisfied with the deal. “That would work,” she said, smiling.

The woman filled out the required paperwork and was out of the store, cash in hand, in just a few minutes.