There's Easy Money At Spring Hill's Newest Pawn Shop

He opened a pawn shop knowing good and well the economy was in a rough patch.

But Norman Aldrich is selling and buying at a steady rate.

"I'm getting buyers," he said. "I'm getting a surprising amount of buyers."

Last month, Aldrich opened EasyMoney Pawn off Kass Circle. The store is packed with jewelry, DVDs, car stereos and wall art.

His biggest love is watches. To hear him tell it, it almost seems he opened the store just to collect more of them.

"My fetish in life is watches," he joked. "It's one of those things where if I open this store, I won't have to go run to yard sales anymore."

Legally, pawn shops must hold an item for 30 days to ensure they are not selling stolen items, Aldrich said. Those customers who sell their products to him must provide a driver's license and thumb print.

Most of what he collects gets sold. He is offering an X-Box 360 with a 120 gigabyte hard drive for $299. At a retail store, it would cost $450. It is not brand new, but it is close. Like many of the items at EasyMoney, it was hardly used before the owner realized he made an impulse buy. A pawn shop is a quick way to recover most of the money.

Aldrich used to design nuclear reactor systems when he lived in Connecticut. He moved 15 years ago to Florida and occupied his time selling cars.

That industry left him unfulfilled. One day, he visited his friend's store. He shared Aldrich's love for watches. Before long, his friend hired him to work there.

Soon after that, Aldrich was imbedded in the pawn business.

He plans to keep it that way until he retires. His son-in-law currently helps out and is primed to take over the store once the time is right, he said.

One stroll into EasyMoney is like taking a tour of somebody's garage - if that somebody is an obsessive collector. There is a charcoal drawing of Winston Churchill behind the counter. On the opposite end of the shop is an Angelina Jolie print and an original "Serpico" movie poster.

Aldrich also has a barber's chair, a Rainbow vacuum cleaner, several digital cameras, a kitchen table and a couple of acoustic guitars. He does not sell knives or guns.

He has had to reject a few customers. He has been offered everything from automobiles to pet snakes. Even pawn shop owners have their limitations.

In the end, Aldrich feels lucky to have found something worthwhile to occupy his time.

"I don't fish or play golf, so I had to find something to do," he said. "Everyday, there is something different here."

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz - EasyMoney Pawn

Owner - Norman Aldrich

Where it is - 1419 Kass Circle, Spring Hill

Get in touch - 352-688-2662