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COHEN BROTHERSPawnshop · Est. 1955

Plain English, No Surprises

How it works

A pawn loan is the simplest loan there is: your item is the collateral, so there's no credit check and no paperwork. Here's the whole process, start to finish.

The pawn loan, step by step

  1. Bring your item

    Bring anything of value to 408 River Oaks Drive along with a valid state-issued photo ID (18+). Jewelry, gold, electronics, instruments, bikes, tools — if you're not sure it qualifies, bring it anyway. Chargers, remotes, boxes, and paperwork all help your number.

  2. Get a free appraisal & cash offer

    We evaluate your item in front of you — testing metals against spot prices, checking models and market demand — and explain exactly how we arrived at the offer. Accept, and you walk out with cash in minutes. Decline, and you walk out with your item. Free either way.

  3. Repay on your schedule & get your item back

    Your item is stored safely while you repay the loan plus the state-regulated charges. Pay it off within the loan period and it comes home with you. Need more time? Loans can be renewed. Change your mind entirely? The item simply covers the loan — you owe nothing more, and your credit is never touched.

The honest fine print

Pawnbroking is one of the oldest — and most regulated — forms of lending there is. Here's what that means for you:

  • Pawn loans are regulated under Illinois law — licensed pawnbrokers, regulated rates.
  • No credit check, no application, no waiting.
  • A pawn loan never affects your credit score — repaid or not.
  • Your item is stored safely until you come back for it.
  • You can renew your loan if you need more time.
  • Most customers repay and get their items back.
Banded stack of hundred-dollar bills sitting on a digital gram scale
Tested & weighed in front of you. Every offer starts on the scale, and we walk you through the number.

Not borrowing? Buy, sell, or trade.

Buy

Our retail floor is full of appraised jewelry, watches, electronics, and instruments at real-world prices — every piece checked by people who priced it honestly. Layaway available; military discount with valid ID; credit and debit accepted.

Sell

Want cash outright instead of a loan? We buy. Same free appraisal, same straight explanation, cash on the spot. Old, broken gold jewelry is still money — bring it in.

Trade

Upgrade without the out-of-pocket. Trade your item toward something on our floor and we'll put its full appraised value to work for you.

Pawn vs. sell, at a glance

A pawn loan and an outright sale both put cash in your hand today — the difference is what happens to your item. Here's how they compare.

Pawn it

Keep it — just borrow against it.

  • Walk out with cash today
  • Your item stays safely stored and insured
  • Pay back on your schedule and it comes home
  • No credit check, ever
  • Renewable if you need more time

Sell it

Done in one visit — no strings.

  • More cash up front
  • No repayment, ever
  • Done in one visit

Questions before you come in?

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