Queen of PAWNS

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

3380 South Military Trail

All Our Stores are Open:

BLACK FRIDAY, November 28th – 7 AM.
Our West Palm Beach Store - 5 AM.

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Friday, October 17, 2014

QUEEN OF PAWNS Layaway for the Holidays

Queen of Pawns wants you to know, it’s time to start your Christmas shopping at Queen of Pawns now to take advantage of our Layaway plans. Our convenient layaway plans are FREE AND hassle FREE!! With only 10% of what you want to buy, put on Layaway NOW for that special gift or gifts for your loved ones for the holiday season. Remember that for Christmas season, At Queen of Pawns you can put items on layaway up to 6 months in advance. This way you can pay little by little to easily pay off at your convenience. What great way to plan your holiday shopping.

Has your mom or your wife always wanted that diamond ring? Have you been especially happy with all the things your husband has done around the house, taken you out for dinner and or cooked for you when you've have busy days at work? Show him your appreciation with a very impressive luxury watch from Queen of Pawns. We have the highest quality watches available anywhere at the best prices. Buying second hand Luxury watches as a gift are not only a great way to show your love, but it is also a great investment. No retail prices here, our Rolexes or Bvlgaris or Cartiers or Vacheron Constantin or whatever major brand are 100% original. As said above, using the layaway plan you can take your time to pay it off.

Lets not forget about your high achieving high school or college student who could really use a new computer, laptop, iPad, or tabletcomputer to help them do their assignments better, easier or both. Perhaps you’d like to treat them to something for fun like a video game console, or video games. If they’re athletic or love outdoor activities, there are a variety of boards for the surf, archery equipment, bicycles and more.

Also remember, save the date, for Black Friday, November 28, Black Friday THE ROYAL SALE OF THE YEAR! “ at THE QUEEN OF PAWNS and will open at the special time of 7AM !

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:
BLACK FRIDAY, November 28th – 7 AM.
Our West Palm Beach Store - 5 AM.
Monday - Saturday 9am - 7 pm
Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Thursday, October 16, 2014

BLACK FRIDAY, THE ROYAL SALE OF THE YEAR at QUEEN OF PAWNS !

For millions of people Black Friday is the time to do some serious Christmas shopping QUEEN OF PAWNS!

“Black Friday” was a term coined back in the 1960s to start the launch of the Christmas shopping season. The word “Black” refers to stores increasing sales get out of the “red” and into the “black,”. That’s from back in the day when accounting records were done manually, where red ink represented a loss, and black ink, a profit.

It became popular with as they realized they could attract big crowds with reduced prices. Black Friday had become the day to shop. Sometimes retailers put their items up for sale on the morning of Thanksgiving, or email online specials to consumers days or weeks before.

Since most do not like waiting in line at the stores, you must take advantage of THE ROYAL SALE OF THE YEAR AT QUEEN OF PAWNS where you can find the absolute best prices on second hand merchandise ... coming early is best ... televisions fly off the shelves in the first couple of hours ... the best deals on computers, laptops, iPads and tablet computers are taken by the early birds! You can often miss out on great power tools, landscaping equipment and sports equipment as they're gone in a matter of minutes.

Queen of Pawns reminds you that all our locations will be open from 7am on this great cost savings day!!!!! For early birds, our store on 1180 south military will open at 5am!!!!!

We will be waiting to get you your best deals! Remember, there is ONLY ONE BLACK FRIDAY in the year!

For those who cannot wait … and who wish to seal the deal, we remind you that Queen of Pawns offers a hassle free and comfortable layaway program. Give us 10% and we will put your product on the side for you. During the holiday season, we can keep your product for as long as 6 months on hold! Stop by and pay it little by little at your own rhythm!

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

All Our Stores are Open:
BLACK FRIDAY, November 28th – 7 AM.
Our West Palm Beach Store - 5 AM.

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Friday, March 7, 2014

Spring Forward

Daylight saving time (DST) or “summer time” is upon us. Yes, spring hasn’t even arrived yet and there is already talk of it being summer time. So, tonight, or rather tomorrow at 2 am, it is time to “spring forward” your clocks. Don’t get confused - it’s only summer time in terms of telling time and not the season. That doesn’t clear things up any, does it? This is making us dizzy. Let’s start over...

Daylight saving time (DST) starts Sunday, March 9^th. Remember to “spring forward” and turn your clocks one hour ahead. The official time change occurs at 2 am, but if you don’t happen to be awake at that time, just know that when you do wake up Sunday morning, you have basically lost an hour.

Here’s some fun facts about DST: You may have noticed that we called the event “daylight saving time.” It is a common mispronunciation for people to say “daylight savingS,” (with an S). This mispronunciation is so common that it goes unnoticed. We’re not sure that it really makes a much of a difference in the big picture - but it could win you a round of trivia.

As of 2007 the United States has infallibly changed our clocks by springing forward the second Sunday of March and “falling back,” to standard time the first Sunday of November. The only places within the United States that do not acknowledge the time change are Arizona, the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations which include Arizona and part of Utah and New Mexico, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Here in Florida, because of our southern location, DST is not very useful nor does it have much affect on how we use our daylight hours. For that reason, there is political opposition to DST in our state.

All we know for now is that beyond daylight saving time, the best savings in Florida are at Queen of PAWNS. Whatever the political debate is on DST, we think nothing is more satisfying than adjusting the time on a new-to-you luxury watch from Queen of Pawns. (We believe we have our priorities in order, don’t you?) Speaking of time, once again we are noticing how time flies, because March is our BIRTHDAY MONTH! It will be 19 years on March 25^th since we opened our first store in Florida. All month we will be having surprise sales and radical discounts on our top quality merchandise. Be sure to stop by, say, “Hi,” or “Happy Birthday,” and have some fun “springing into savings,” at Queen of PAWNS.

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

407201 3930

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

Friday, February 28, 2014

Appreciation

National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week is March 1^st through the 7^th. Expressing gratitude for anything in our lives can be a rewarding practice, so we decided to write our own letter of appreciation and we are addressing it to you:

Dear Awesome Customers of Queen of Pawns,

Another 12 months has passed and that adds up to 19 years of doing business in Florida. Without you, we wouldn’t be having another birthday. Let us break down what that really means...

Your loyalty allows us to help people who are in a pinch for money and or need a little extra cash. When you come to Queen of Pawns for a loan or make a purchase, you allow our talented team to serve you.

Thanks to you, we have a purpose to get up in the morning and get to do what we love, everyday. Where would we be without you, our awesome customers? Who knows, but we wouldn’t be here, doing what we know best to make a positive impact on the world around us.

We look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you for coming to us and entrusting Queen of PAWNS with your pawning needs year after year. To further express our appreciation, we are offering you a super special “thank you discount.” From now until the end of the month, just send us a Facebook message mentioning this letter of appreciation and receive our super special “thank you discount.”

Most sincerely,

Queen of PAWNS

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

407201 3930

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

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Get Your Valentines Jewelry at Face Value

Cartier, Gucci, Bvlgari and Tiffany - all designers we love at Queen of PAWNS, and jewelry we sell based on pennyweight. What is a pennyweight, you ask? Read on and we’ll explain in a moment.

With all due respect to designer jewelry, when it comes to reselling, there is an inherent depreciation. The jewelry is just as spectacular as it was brand new, only as a resell item, there is no overhead of marketing. When we purchase precious items, we pay market value of the materials within each piece. We inspect diamonds and gems, determine authenticity of the metals and take into consideration any obvious signs of wear and tear. One of the most reliable methods we use to determine the authenticity of, gold for example, is the nitric acid test; performed right in front of the seller. (See our previous post, “Don’t Be Fooled, Know Your Gold, Part I”.)

Not to create confusion, but luxury watches are another story. Certain designers and manufacturers have established standards and quality in the construction of their watches that have come to be expected from them. Names DO make a difference in the world of luxury watches. That said, Queen of Pawns has gorgeous, luxury watches, of all kinds, at unbeatable prices. For more insight to what makes a watch a luxury item, see our post, “How Watches Tell Time.”

Now about pennyweight.

Once we determine the percentage of alloy and authenticity of a precious metal, we can then find the current market value after using a scale that measures in pennyweight. One pennyweight equates approximately 1.555 grams. It is a common weight used amongst jewelers in the valuation and measurement of precious metals. It’s abbreviation is usually dwt. On a daily basis we are familiar with the market value of metals and gems. Jewelry is put in our showcases priced accordingly, with only a small percentage more to cover our expenses.

The good news is, at Queen of PAWNS, you can have the designer jewelry without the designer price tag! Keep this in mind as you shop for your Valentine these next few days. Get the “Wow!” without making your wallet say, “Ow!”

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

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

Saturday, January 4, 2014

In a World of Change, Some Things Are Consistent

“Change is constant,” this we all have heard before. We thought it would be fun to take a peek at some American cultural changes since our first Queen of PAWNS store opened in 1995.

President Bill Clinton was living in the White House. A U.S. postage stamp cost 32 cents and a gallon of gas was just over a buck. The technology of DVD’s are first announced and how can anyone forget, the George Forman “Lean Mean Grilling Machine,” was released. Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson were the world’s fashion icons, and one of the funniest lines of the time was Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi’s, “No soup for you!”

Since 1995, we opened four more stores, and just these past couple weeks another great change took place...our Kissimmee location is now open Sundays! Colossal, don’t you think? We thought it was worth a mention that all of our stores are now maintaining the same hours of operation. Monday through Saturday, doors are open from 9am until 7pm and Sundays 10:30am to 3:30pm.

On the counter point of change, there are several things that remain the same, day after day, year after year. One thing is our 10% pawn, another is our consistent, superior customer service and one more we should point out is that Valentine’s Day always lands on February 14^th. You weren’t expecting that little reminder, were you? If you are considering something extravagant for someone you love, like a pair of diamond earrings or a luxury watch, come in and see us. At Queen of PAWNS we understand all too well that even with our amazing and affordable prices on top-of-the-line merchandise, it happens that even the best of us need a little more time to budget for slightly higher ticket item purchases. That’s why we have our free layaway plan. Now is the time to start your Valentine’s Day shopping and if you find the perfect gift that says, “I love you,” but also want to be responsible with your monthly spending, then layaway is an ideal solution. With only a 10% deposit of the ticket price, we can hold on to your gift for 60 days or until the balance is paid.

Let us know how we can help, because even though the rest of the world is spinning in change, Queen of Pawns is reliably accommodating and Valentine’s Day is assuredly on it’s way.

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

All Our Stores are Open:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7 pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Friday, December 6, 2013

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

Monday, November 25, 2013

A Day Like No Other

It’s not a national holiday, but some people plan for it all year. It’s a day not for the timid or weak, complete with a thrill of the hunt, racing hearts and sweating palms. While the rest of the world sleeps off their over indulgence of a Thanksgiving feast, those of us committed to beating full retail prices are out celebrating BLACK FRIDAY! And Queen of PAWNS is no exception. We will be opening the doors to all our locations at 5 am, November 29^th and we will remain open until 7 pm. Bring your gift list with you and get ready for some serious savings. Everything in the store will be marked 50% off regular price! No other day of the year will bring you more possibilities to purchase top quality items at such rock bottom prices.

The day after Thanksgiving our friendly staff will be waiting for you to assist with your holiday shopping. Over the past year, our blog has provided several “cheat sheets,” to help you be better equipped and a more informed shopper for those higher ticket items. To make things a little easier we are including some useful links to these past entries.

If you are considering purchasing a television, be sure to read this first: SUPERBOWL XLVII - Kudos to the Host City, New Orleans!

This entry about watches and how they work will be helpful if you are considering any kind of watch: How Watches Tell Time.

Don’t even think about blindly shopping for gold. Before purchasing this precious metal for your precious someone, be sure to read our two part series: Don’t Be Fooled, Know Your Gold, Part I & Part II

Not all home video game consoles are created equally. In case you missed it, last month was dedicated to home gaming systems: Which Home Console Suits You Best.

Shopping help for home video games are found here: Simplify Your Search for the Perfect Home Video Game.

Of course, our staff is well informed and very helpful, so it is not necessary for you to be an expert in anything before making a wise purchase at QoP. We generated this list of useful links because want you to feel confident and empowered in your gift giving this season; we also know that there are certain types of shoppers who won’t even buy a toothbrush without doing extensive research. (We promise, we won’t mention any names!)

Come on by our biggest and most grand sales event of the entire year. How many ways can we say, “HUGE SAVINGS!”? Before you go anywhere else, shop at Queen of PAWNS for our BLACK FRIDAY Sales Event. Be the smartest gift giver amongst your friends and family. But before that, have a beautiful and abundant Happy Thanksgiving!

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

All Our Stores are Open:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 7pm

Sunday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Royal Layaway Until Christmas

Santa’s elves got nothing on us. Queen of PAWNS spins our own Christmas magic months before the holidays are on most people’s minds. Our workshops are always open and stocked with fantastic gifts for all boys and girls, young and old alike. Yes, QoP realizes that the Turkey hasn’t even landed and we’re already talking about Christmas, but we have an important message that is becoming more and more time sensitive with each passing day.

The holidays can be a very stressful time for many of us. Work often becomes more hectic, holiday parties and family gatherings can be demanding - and then there’s the gift list. With the average household budget getting tighter and tighter, it can be quite a challenge to reward every good boy and girl on your list with gifts worthy of their packaging. We at Queen of PAWNS cannot control most of these stress factors, but what we can do is help you budget for beautiful gifts that will dazzle and show just how much you care about your family and friends.

Aside from huge savings daily on top shelf items, we also offer a free layaway plan especially designed for Christmas to help you prepare up to SIX MONTHS in advance for your holiday gift giving. If you find that perfect item, but don’t have enough cash that day to purchase, it can still be yours to give! All you need to do is once you picked out your item, put down a 10% deposit* of the current price and before you know it, your item is paid off! (Layaway policy listed below.) Of course, at this point, the holidays are less than 60 days away, that is why we are in your ear NOW.

Another great opportunity to take advantage of even steeper discounts will be our Black Friday sales event, of course the day after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for more details!

*LAYAWAY POLICY:

Deposits are non-refundable.

10% minimum deposit at time of purchase.

Layaways must be paid off and picked up no more than 60 days after date of initial deposit.

Layaway terms are extendable only in writing.

Once a layaway term expires, deposit will be forfeited and items will be put back on sales floor.

There are no extra layaway or service charges.

Layaways are non-cancelable and non-refundable.

Layaway articles are removed from the sales floor.

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida

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

Monday, October 28, 2013

Simplify Your Search for the Perfect Video Game

If you are new to the world of video games, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure which games suit you best. It can also lead to buyer’s remorse and wasted dollars if we had to purchase games blindly. To help the consumer with this quandary, there are several forums online dedicated to researching and rating all new video games. In this post, we will direct you to the sites that we like and trust most.

Even though Queen of PAWNS deals only with second hand merchandise, you can still find relatively new video game releases within our inventory. Like we have said before, you just never know what you will find at a QoP showroom.

All of the sites listed below throughly review games for the three current platforms; PS, Xbox and Wii. They all also act as online forums where you can become a member and get involved many different ways. It is not necessary to join the forums to see their reviews. Without any further introduction, here’s the links to our favorite video game review sites.

Game Informer - News, reviews and previews with screen-shots from the games are found here. Game Informer also has podcasts and runs a monthly magazine that you can subscribe. They are also very conscious of avoiding spoilers, meaning they don’t give away the surprise endings to the games. Their review 1-10 system is based upon concept, graphics, sound, playability, entertainment and replay value.

Game Trailers - GameTrailers specialize in video reviews. Here you can see clips of the game in action. This is one of our favorite sites for game reviews for that reason. They are also very thorough. You have the option watching or reading the review. Original shows relating to gaming are here too. These shows are more like clips - only a few minutes - rather than a full show. Some of them are really cute, you should check them out. GameTrailers’ 1-10 rating system is based upon design, story, gameplay and presentation.

Game Spot - These folks have been into games for a long time and take gaming very seriously. Game Spot is multi-faceted with news reviews and previews like the other sites with a whole lot to offer in the original shows department. You can watch shows that range from informative to entertaining, including videos of gameplay, interviews, reviews and trailers. Their rating system is a little more complicated than the other sites. That said, they also take into consideration that not all gamers game alike and publish reviews from more than one qualified employee. If you’re really interested in how they rate games, you may want to read this.

IGN.com - IGN rates games, consoles and a myriad of other things like comics and movies. The reason the site gets a mention here is because it can be really handy if you find yourself stuck in a game and you don’t know the trick or “cheat code” to get to the next level. Walkthroughs, which is like having a tour guide through your game, are also here.

Finally, for the concerned parent, there is the Entertainment Software Rating Board that provides information such as age appropriateness about most all video games. Their website is www.ESRB.org.

To top off our ghoulish month of home video game discussions, Queen of PAWNS will be hosting a monstrous sale. From today, October 28th through November 1^st, home video game consoles will be marked down 35% at all of our locations. Remember to add a video game or two into your goodie bag while you’re there.

Queen of Pawns - South Florida

Queen of Pawns - Central Florida