People reclaiming pawned valuables

People reclaiming pawned valuables

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Instead of pawning their valuables, most
visitors to the Senen pawn house this year are there to reclaim
their jewelry and electronic goods.

According to Sofyan, the head of the pawn house in Central
Jakarta, in contrast to last year, 60 percent of visitors are now
reclaiming previously deposited items while the rest are tending
to pawn electronics rather than jewelry.

Some customers have brought in electronic goods, generally
televisions and stereos, both for the money and also to ensure
their items are safely stored while they are out of Jakarta
celebrating Lebaran in their hometowns, Sofyan said.

Television sets can be pawned for around Rp 600,000 to Rp
800,000 depending on their condition while gold jewelry can pay
roughly Rp 40,000 per gram.

In past years, when Lebaran and Christmas have approached,
many Jakartans have brought in their valuables to convert into
ready cash for the holidays. This year, however, is different.

"I assume that people now are less willing to spend their
Lebaran or Christmas bonuses than in previous years and want to
minimize the amount of their debts by reclaiming their pawned
possessions," Sofyan told The Jakarta Post, adding that the
number of visitors had jumped to 200 per day since Monday,
compared to roughly 75 people on normal days.

In response to the growing demand, the pawn house has extended
its opening hours for the last two days before Lebaran.

Forty-seven-year-old Ernawati, who was at the pawn house with
her daughter, said she wanted to reclaim the necklace she had
pawned two months ago so that she could wear it at Lebaran.

"I have been paying the installments regularly and as we now
have the Lebaran bonus I can pay in full," she said.

Ernawati finds the pawn house very useful in difficult times,
especially when the family's savings are short.

She pawned her necklace when there was an "emergency"
situation in the family, she told The Jakarta Post.