Meet Ross Lang, Owner of Cobb Pawn & Gold in Marietta GA

Ross Lang is the owner of Cobb Pawn & Gold in Marietta, Georgia, a family owned shop that has been in business for over 30 years.

1. How long have you been in business?

Cobb Pawn and Gold is a family owned and operated business established in 1982 as an alternative to a typical pawn shop in Marietta, GA with more the look and feel of a fine jewelry store, including the personal service you would expect. We specialize in low interest loans on diamonds, jewelry, watches, and other valuable assets. We also offer loans on boats, PWC's, heavy equipment, and more, all stored on our secured lot.

2. Why should you get a loan at Cobb Pawn & Gold vs a typical pawn shop?

We are a family owned and operated business. With over 30 years experience in the jewelry business, we have the expertise to assess and offer you the true value of your fine jewelry at interest rates a fraction of that of a typical pawn shop. Unlike most of our competition, our mission is not to acquire your treasured possessions and flip them for a one time quick profit; our goal is to have a long-term personal relationship with you. Many of our first time loan customers become some of our best retail customers, returning every holiday or birthday year after year for that special item and the same quality of service and respect they received the first time they walked in our door.

3. What is the most unusual item brought into your store?

It's hard to come up with just one item out of the thousands of loans over the last 30 plus years, but the first thing that comes to mind is a 1966 Pontiac GTO Tri-power with factory original paint. We've had the car a couple of times. The customer owns a small seasonal business of his own and has used it as collateral to purchase additional inventory when needed.

4. Is there really such a thing as win-win with pawn shops?

Yes. We recently had a customer that had a pawn loan with a local competitor on a civil war-era rifle that had been in his family for generations. He's retired on a fixed income and was caught in a dead end loan that he could never afford to pay out; he only pay the monthly fees and the pawn shop he was at would not accept any principal payments. We paid out the loan and wrote him a new loan at half the interest rate he was paying. The discount in the rate left him enough cash to pay on the principal every month, and he was able to get his rifle back in a few months.

5. You have fantastic reviews online. Why do your customers keep coming back?

Being a family ran business, we offer superior customer service at the best rates in the industry; it's that simple! Our loan process is fast, easy, and private. All your transactions with Cobb Pawn and Gold will be kept confidential by us. In addition, all your jewelry collateral, while in our possession, will be fully insured, secure and kept off premise in a bank vault. That's why Cobb Pawn and Gold's growing customer base and our reputation of discretion and professionalism have attracted some well-known local athletes, executives, entertainers, small business owners, and prosperous locals who need quick cash. We are well-known in the industry and purchase fine jewelry and Swiss watches all over the southeast from pawn shops and jewelry dealers.

Thanks, Ross!

Introducing JewelryBund, an Online Jewelry Wholesaler

Are you looking for jewelry at wholesale prices? JewelryBund manufactures and sells jewelry items to customers around the globe. The company aims to follow the latest trends from both Western countries and Korea in order to provide clients with a variety of fashionable products. The company owns three factories in China to produce their designs.

In browsing the site, I noticed a wide selection of pieces available for low prices. There are necklaces, rings, earrings, hair accessories, and more. The site offers selections of crystal jewelry items, rose gold jewelery, and silver jewelry. Wristwatches are available, too.

Some of the pieces are quite unique and striking, such as this silver ring with a colorful stone and nice-looking setting...

I could see how JewelryBund would be a fun site for entrepreneurs looking to sell fashion jewelry as well as for individuals who want to buy jewelry and other accessories for themselves and/or to share as gifts. These could be fun items for parties, showers, etc.

Introducing Treasures Auctions, a Group of Auction Websites

Treasures Auctions was founded in 2004 by Wayne and Estela Sedawie, a couple with many years of experience of cutting gemstones. From their home in Australia, they wanted to make quality gemstones, jewelry, and other items available to customers all over the world. The Treasures Auctions website brings together a collective of six specialized international auction websites.

Each day, there are thousands of auctions on these sites, allowing customers find what they're looking for, often at wholesale prices. The site has sold over 350,000 items online to people in more than 64 countries worldwide. The six sites featured at Treasures Auctions are...

Opal Auctions, featuring a wide selection of opals from verified wholesalers from around the world

Gem Rock Auctions, a site with auctions for colored gemstones, minerals, jewelry, and other unique items

Jewelry Auctioned, with auctions from a collective of international jewelry wholesalers

Gemstones Auctions, a site specializing in synthetic / man-made gemstones

Coins Auctioned, featuring coins from around the world in gold, silver, and other precious metals

MyFashionHQ, the newest site in the collective which offers unique fashion clothing and accessories.

The Sedawies have built up a lot of industry connections during the years they have spent cutting and selling rare gemstones, and they put their knowledge and experience to work for the customer in setting up their auction sites. Their sellers go through an approval process, too.

Treasures Auctions also features an interesting blog with information about a variety of different collectibles, and it's a useful resource for those who want to learn more about gemstones, coins, jewelry, or other investments.

An Update on GoldIRAForum

In the three months since I first visited GoldIRAForum, the website has added a lot more content. They also now have a Facebook page where you can keep up with their latest updates.

As I mentioned in my previous post, GoldIRAForum offers reviews of companies which offer Gold IRA plans, and a wealth (no pun intended!) of information about investing in gold. The site also gives information about other precious metals such as silver.

When I think about recent events such as the shutdown of the US government, I can understand all too well why people are looking at alternative investments which don't rely so heavily on the government (like bonds) or on the stock market (like many investment accounts). Plus, there is just something attractive about gold as a tangible thing.

The FAQ page gives a good overview of how a Gold IRA works. There is a difference between investing in gold as an individual collector/investor and investing in a Gold IRA where your gold is held at an IRS-approved depository.

But possibly the very best place to start if you're thinking of investing in a Gold IRA is the page with tips on avoiding scams!

An Introduction to GoldIRAForum.com

I've seen a lot of "cash for gold" advertisements, but there's a whole other side to gold investing and sales. With unreliable returns in the stock market, more people are looking to invest some of their retirement savings in precious metals, especially gold. There are a wealth (no pun intended!) of sites offering information on gold IRA investing.

One such site is GoldIRAForum.com. The site offers reviews of gold IRA companies, and a variety of tips and informational posts about buying and selling gold. Small-scale investors can learn about getting started with coins, jewelry, and so on.

If you or someone you know is considering rolling over some of your IRA or 401K assets into a gold IRA, you'll find some information to get you thinking. There are a lot of rules about IRAs and gold, so it's a great idea to start with some online research before buying or selling any gold either in-person or online.