Smart shoppers look everywhere they can think of for a good deal. But does that include heading to the local pawn shop to see if they can scrounge up a good bargain when looking for holiday gifts?

One Michigan pawn shop owner tells WWJ Radio that he’s seen a 49% increase in sales over last year’s holiday months. He attributes this in part to the fact that cash-strapped individuals are pawning newer, nicer electronics. So people in search of a low-priced iPad aren’t so ashamed about heading into a pawn shop to make a purchase.

“Sometimes I’m sure they are [embarrassed]. They might want to try and make it look as new as possible,” he tells WWJ. “But, you know, times are tough. People don’t mind as much. They’re looking for a deal more than anything.”

One shopper says he goes to the pawn shop because he gets good deals on video games for his daughter. Another pawn shop peruser explains that the used good stores are better than malls because “you can find more unique stuff here at pawn shops.”

“It’s the thought that counts, right?” says the man, who once bought his girlfriend a diamond ring at a pawn shop (but didn’t let her know the source). “If it looks good, I mean, you shouldn’t ask questions like that.”

So we wanted to know from y’all if you think pawn shops are a decent destination for doing your holiday gift buying:

Is The Pawn Shop The New Spot For Holiday Shopping? [CBSlocal.com]

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