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By MARK SCOLFORO
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
The Hillsdale Sport and Pawn Shop opened to the public last week as Rappahannock County’s only licensed pawn shop.
Owner Sammy Foster has also followed his favorite diversions, hunting and fishing, in stocking the store with a full line of equipment for the sportsman.
Unlike unlicensed pawn shops, which might purchase a gun for $50 and charge $75 to get it back a month later, Hillsdale is state-licensed, so the Commonwealth sets his rates and policies.
“I don’t ever want to own an item if at all possible,” said Mr. Foster, a Rappahannock native who now lives in Front Royal. “If someone loses something, it’s by their choice. If they come by every month and pay the interest, I’ll hold it indefinitely.”
The way a licensed pawn shop works is that it commits not to sell a pawned item for 30 days. If, after a month, the former owner has not paid the interest (or purchased the item back, with interest), then Mr. Foster advertises for and holds an auction. The items aren’t described in the ad, only listed by number.
The auctioneer sells items by block. For example, someone who pawned a ring couldn’t bid for that ring only: he would have to bid on a block of rings, probably every ring that was pawned in a certain period.
If no one bids for the items, then Mr. Foster retakes ownership.
“I’m not out to get anyone’s stuff. It’s in my best interest to keep it circulating,” he said.
If someone comes into the shop with an item priced to high for Mr. Foster, he will take it on consignment, he said.
The shop accepts a variety of valuables, including guns, rings, diamonds, electronics, watches, cameras and musical instruments. It won’t accept livestock, automobiles, or furniture.
His license to sell guns had not been processed at presstime, but Mr. Foster said he expects to be completely set-up by mid-April. The few guns he has obtained have been under provisions in the state law that allow any individual to purchase a relatively small number of guns.
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