Pawn King Provides Residents With A Golden Opportunity To Help Other

Pawn King Provides Residents With A Golden Opportunity To Help Other
By Carisa Biesecker
Lending a helping hand to those in need throughout the greater Brandon area, local Seffner-based Pawn King owners Heidi Crouse and Tim Kaye plan to donate 10 percent of their gold proceeds from half the month of May to the Greater Brandon Community Foundation.The decision to aid the charity was an easy one, according to Kaye. “Have you ever met Anne Nymark [co-founder] or the people in the foundation?” he quips. “These people are really making a difference. We have wanted to help the local community in some way, and since buying gold is a huge part of our business, we figured, why not?”Having opened its doors in 1998, the 3200-sq.-ft. Pawn King offers residents a treasure trove of undiscovered items to choose amongst, ranging from DVDs, videos games and musical instruments to firearms and jewelry. Pricing spans from just $2 to the thousands when it comes to diamonds, with a discounted jewelry case on-site that is reduced by 50 percent. For those seeking an instant profit, the business offers as much as $4 more per gram on 14k when compared to neighborhood competitor We Buy Gold, says Kaye, selling 14k for $14 per gram and 10k for $10. Because of this, Pawn King has heeded much more foot traffic and would like to, in turn, give back to the community, donating 10 percent of its profits made from gold purchases from mid-May until Monday, May 31, to the Greater Brandon Community Foundation. Founded in 2003 by Nymark, president, and Arlene Waldron, vice president, the charity has dispersed more than $950,000 to more than 50 charities’ endeavors. Kaye encourages residents to come out and buy or sell their gold in order to be a part of the effort. “You will be helping a great cause,” he adds.     Partnering with Heidi in November of 2008 to manage Pawn King, after the passing of its original owner, Jim Crouse, Kaye remarks about his business, saying, “With our four employees, we will always try to help a customer out and treat them with respect in a warm, family atmosphere.” Besides valuing their customers, the local pawn shop owners also focus on their safety, setting the shop apart from businesses like it. Gun safety classes are taught on the premises, with the next class falling on Saturday, May 29, at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $65 or $60 if a resident and his/her friend signs up. Veterans and their family members pay only $50. Residents are taught how to group shots and prepare themselves for a home invasion, though the classes “mainly help parents think things through,” comments Kaye.Open from Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Pawn King is located at 707 W. MLK Blvd. in Seffner, within the Winn Dixie Plaza. For more information, call 661-2277, e-mail Tim.pawnking@gmail.com or visit http://thepawnking.com.