I recently had my first experience in a pawn shop. I stopped at Vegas Pawn in Scottsdale, partly because I had never before visited  a pawn shop and partly to see what sort of inventory they carried. I would never have thought about stopping in had I not watched a news show talking about businesses that do well in economic downturns – gun stores, gold brokers, pawn shops, check cashing stores, etc..

The shop is located next to Skin Cabaret in south Scottsdale. It kind of looks like it belongs in Vegas with the glitzy sign and the limos parked outside of the strip club next door.

There is no missing the amount of security in the place. In order to enter the interior of the pawn shop you first enter a cage that sort of resembles the shark cages that divers use. Once your inside of these security gates an employee will buzz a gate open to allow entry into the shop.

I was surprised at their inventory. I had expected jewelry, gold, diamonds, stereos, computers and things but I had no idea that they also buy and sell cars, boats, atvs, and other vehicles. Nor did I know that you can buy or sell loose diamonds at their Scottsdale location.

It’s a friendly place and interesting place to stop in and browse. I didn’t buy anything or pawn anything but if I need to in the near future that’s where I would go!

Google is leaving the valley and taking with it the unfulfilled promise of high paying jobs. They opened their office in Tempe in 2006 and have since employed approximately 50 people as opposed to the originally projected 600. One of Google’s Senior V.P.’s , Alan Eustace, announced their departure via blog on Sept. 19th citing internal issues. Their official date of closure is Nov. 21st, 2008.

The Arizona economy is not in good shape mainly due to its reliance on housing and tourism – neither of which is generating much revenue these days. Phoenix Business Journal reported on Thursday that the city’s unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point in August from 5.1 to 5.6 percent. This demonstrates a frightening trend considering that the unemployment rate in July was reported at 4.6 percent. Loss of jobs has been reported in retail, construction, and trade-related fields in the month August.