Bling in the New Year

The biggest party of the year is upon us. New Year’s Eve provides the best reason to kick your wardrobe into high fashion and have a little fun by adding something shiny and sparkly! Queen of PAWNS has just that perfect luxury watch or piece of jewelry to complete the wow factor for your party look. With so many fine jewelry items priced far below regular retail, you can afford to treat yourself to something sensational. Especially if Santa didn’t bring what you had on your wish list.

While on the subject, we would like to make a mention about purchasing brand new versus “new to you” jewelry. When you buy “brand new” jewelry, you are, guaranteed, to pay an overinflated price. Shoppers that are smart enough to shop for second hand jewelry get far more for their money without sacrificing quality or fashion. Did you know that many diamonds on the market are actually previously owned? Another thing that you may find interesting is that it is not uncommon for diamond brokers to shop in our stores. In fact, a great way to create custom jewelry is to shop for a second hand stone, regardless of its current setting, and have that same stone reset to your specified design. In the end, not only will you have a piece of jewelry that suits you perfectly, but you will very likely save money. Luxury can’t get much smarter than that. 

So while you’re putting together your party ensemble, come to Queen of Pawns and find stellar jewelry that is sure to Bling in the New Year in style. Have a safe and fabulous New Year!

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

3380 south military trail

Lake Worth, Florida 33463

561-434-4858

1180 South Military Trail

West Palm Beach, Florida 33415

561-343-4149

6080 Okeechobee Blvd.

West Palm Beach, Florida 33417

561-656-4149

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

5831 South Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, Fl 32839

407-722-8811

1700 West Vine Street

Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-201-3930

All Our Stores are Open:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7 pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Don't Panic, There Is Still Time

Gift giving is so much more fun when you add the thrill of the hunt and the victory of a bargain. Truth is, in the last few days left for holiday shopping, we’re running out of hunting time. Queen of PAWNS is a great place for fabulous last minute holiday presents and will get you gifting before you can say, 

“HO HO HO!” Here’s some ideas to get you started.

• For the fun-filled, quirky person on your list, nothing tops quirky better than a karaoke machine.

• For the kids and the whole family, a home video console will provide hours of fun, but also offers great brain activities for the young and not-so-young, alike. (See our previous posts, Why Would You Let Your Kids Play Video Games?? and Which Home Console Suits You Best? to help you make educated choices about this kind of purchase.)

• For the outdoor type, we have everything from grills, to bikes, to water sport equipment and fishing reels. 

• For the gadget lover, Queen of PAWNS is a haven. It’s a no brainer to shop for that type of person here. From iPods to tablets to computers, we have it all.

• For the big kid or the adult who refuses to grow up, remote control cars and airplanes never disappoint.  

• For the person always running ten minutes late, how about a luxury watch? We’ll even set it 10 minutes fast for you!

• For the do-it-yourselfer - power tools! And if your crafty one has all the tools they could  possibly want then how about a gold plated set of wrenches? Yeup, they exist and we often have them!

• And of course, jewelry is an all time favorite for those on the receiving end.

Shopping for loved ones at Queen of Pawns is a fun alternative to grumpy, crowded malls and the trap of over-priced, regular retail. We have your last minute gifts for everyone on your list, and maybe even something special for yourself. To add merriment, we are marking down selected items an additional 40% for the remainder of December.

While you're out, would you take a moment to drop off a new toy for our "Toys For All" toy drive and bring a smile to a child's face? Drop off locations are at our three east coast, South Florida stores. We will be accepting donations until January 5th for a community event scheduled January 11th.

See? There is still time to score gorgeous gifts for loved ones and to do something for the community. Happy Holidays!

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

3380 south military trail

Lake Worth, Florida 33463

561-434-4858

1180 South Military Trail

West Palm Beach, Florida 33415

561-343-4149

6080 Okeechobee Blvd.

West Palm Beach, Florida 33417

561-656-4149

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

5831 South Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, Fl 32839

407-722-8811

1700 West Vine Street

Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-201-3930

All Our Stores are Open:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7 pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

It Feels Good to Be Helpful

You may have heard us say it before, and we’ll say it again; we at Queen of PAWNS love what we do. It is very fortunate that our passion can support a team of employees and their families while also providing needed goods and services to the community. When you love what you do, it shows - people can feel that and it can be the simplest things that makes a person’s day. Recently, we were having a normal day - customers were coming and going, buying from our great inventory or acquiring loans. Then, out of the blue we received a letter. It was from one of our customers that visited us on one of our normal days. Only, it wasn’t a normal day for them. This customer was in need of instant money and decided to come to one our pawn shops for help. They had never pawned before and was nervous about using pawn as a solution for their short term financial needs. In the letter, we were thanked for the kind and respectful manner in which we handled this customer during their visit. We were touched that something we did affected some one so much that they wrote us a letter. It made our day. Do you see how the circle of kindness and respect just goes round and round?

This letter reminded us how important it is to be kind - ALWAYS. Make it a habit in your day to be considerate and helpful, no matter what your state of mind or circumstance and you will see, choosing to think of others is an instant mood booster! It doesn’t require any grand gesture either. Things like holding the door for a stranger, letting someone go in line in front of you, helping a neighbor with yard work or unloading groceries, complimenting a parent on the abilities or behavior of their child, being polite on the road, writing a thank you letter and smiling at some one are all simple things that we can do to make the world a better place.

The holidays are a great opportunity and reminder to start including kindness in our daily practice. It is at this time of year that charitable organizations make it easier to be a part of spreading good cheer. This year, Queen of PAWNS is excited to announce our participation with Azteca America 48 and Mia 92.1 FM for a “Toys for All,” toy drive. Our three South Florida stores (two in West Palm Beach and one in Lake Worth) will be accepting new, unwrapped toys until January 5^th. Underprivileged children living in Belle Glade, Clewiston and Pahokee who may not have received any gifts during the holidays will be given the donated toys at a public event on January 11^th at the Civic Park of Clewiston, Florida. Also at the event will be food, refreshments, entertainment, clowns, music, face painting and other goodies. 

We encourage you to count your blessings, be kind to others and help us bring a smile to a child’s face by donating a new toy at one of our drop off locations.

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

3380 south military trail

Lake Worth, Florida 33463

561-434-4858

1180 South Military Trail

West Palm Beach, Florida 33415

561-343-4149

6080 Okeechobee Blvd.

West Palm Beach, Florida 33417

561-656-4149

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

5831 South Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando, Fl 32839

407-722-8811

1700 West Vine Street

Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-201-3930

All Our Stores are Open:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7 pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Snow-Free and Festive

Who says you need snow for it to feel like the holidays? Create your own merry and bright by filling your front yard with holiday cheer. No, not string lights, although great, but we’ve got a different idea. Show the world your festive spirit with DIY wooden holiday lawn ornaments! Queen of PAWNS is here to tell you how. 

From playful to devotional, lawn ornaments can vary in size, but often are at least 3 feet tall. If you are a condo dweller, you can do smaller figures for your porch or balcony. There is also the option of creating wooden cut-out wreaths or other hanging decorations of all sorts for your front door. You don’t need years of experience as a wood worker to make these decorations from paint and plywood. What you do need however is, the inspiration to take on a festive project and the tools to make it happen. 

If you like to draw and have a basic engineering mind, you might want to tackle the design part of this process all by yourself. If you need patterns that have already been drawn out, accompanied by instructions for construction, they can be purchased in any woodworking specialty store on online. There are also several free options online for instructions and/or patterns. Here’s some ideas to get your creative juices flowing...

For projects that instruct without providing downloadable patterns, check out HGTV’s links for Lawn Reindeer and Rustic Nail-Head Christmas Trees.

If you are not comfortable drawing outlines for shapes yourself, find a picture of an image that you like, such as a Santa, angel, tree...anything, make an enlarged copy of it to any size you want your final piece to stand. Then, cut out the shapes and lay them on top of your plywood. Trace around the shapes with a pencil. Here is a link to a free pattern, complete with instructions of another reindeer - free reindeer pattern.

However you approach the pattern part of your lawn ornament project, once the design is drawn, you will need to cut the wood. Mostly what we have suggested so far would require 3/4” plywood. You can use whatever wood suits the size of your final figure best.  For delicate and smaller designs, 1/4” wood is more appropriate. To cut your wood, of course, will require a saw. For curves and smooth turns, you need to use a band saw, jig saw or scroll saw. Below is a brief description for each of those.

Bandsaws are good for smaller sizes of wood, so they wouldn’t work well on uncut plywood or kitchen counters. They cut smooth and quick with interchangeable blades that allow for different curvature. Wider blades are better for straight cuts. 

With jigsaws, you bring the tool to the work. They can be used to make straight or curved cuts. If making straight cuts, you may want to use a metal straight-edge or guide. 

Scroll saws are kind of like a very light duty bandsaw-jigsaw hybrid used to make intricate cuts. Its use is limited to thinner materials. Blades can be changed on scroll saws to work on metal, wood or plastic. 

Of course, all of these saws as well as other tools such as sanders and drills can be found at Queen of PAWNS*.

Finally, to show off your lawn figures at night - highlight them with outdoor grade spot lights or string lights.

Enjoy the creative process and let your merry shine bright!

*When looking for something specific, call the Queen of PAWNS nearest you to check inventory.


Queen of Pawns - South Florida
3380 south military trail
Lake Worth, Florida 33463
561-434-4858

1180 South Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida 33415
561-343-4149

6080 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, Florida 33417
561-656-4149

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida
5831 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, Fl 32839
407-722-8811

1700 West Vine Street
Kissimmee, FL 34741
407-201-3930

All Our Stores are Open:
Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm
Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM