Rules for pawn shops differ from state to state. Some states, for example, limit the interest rate that pawn shops can charge on loans to three and a half percent a month. Other states allow rates as high as twenty-five percent. Not surprisingly, states with stronger regulations have fewer pawn shops.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: You might think the recession was good for business at pawn shops. But pawnbrokers say their sales of items dropped just like at other stores, while more people came to them seeking loans.

In the nineteen thirties, many banks failed during the Great Depression. Pawn shops were often among the only places where people could get money.

People do not need a job or a good credit history to get a loan from a pawnbroker. The most commonly pawned items are electronics, musical instruments, tools and expensive pieces of clothing. But people can get a loan on almost anything of value.

Kathy Pierce is one of the owners of Monster Pawn in Bloomington, Illinois. She is a member of the board of directors of the National Pawnbrokers Association.

KATHY PIERCE: "I take in lawn mowers and bicycles and canoes and concrete saws and drills and DVD players. I know a little bit about a lot of stuff."

CHRISTOPHER CRUISE: Kathy Pierce says the average loan she makes is sixty dollars. She also says she has seen an increase in the number of middle class customers.

KATHY PIERCE: "Now I see everybody. I see teachers. I'm in a small community with a lot of very large companies. A lot of people have jobs in my community -- that's not our problem. But bills are expensive and the electricity still goes up and people don’t get raises. Gas prices at four dollars this summer, I will be busy."