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.