BUSINESS

THE WAR IS OVER AND
THE JOY IS BEGINNING!

Silver and Gold

Continued from preceding page

Join us for the
AMERICAN
TECHNION
SOCIETY'S
50th
ANNIVERSARY
MISSION

seen a collection of unusual
characters.
A teen-age girl, a runaway
from Indiana, once came to
his shop and tried to pawn
her VCR. She needed money
to get home. Because his
store does not take VCRs,
Mr. Silver bought a bus
ticket for the girl and sent
her back to Indiana.
One young man brought in
jewels and requested $300.
Mr. Silver offered him $250.
The man pleaded for $300.
He needed a plane ticket to
Los Angeles, which cost
$300. He had a serious il-
lness and was going home to
die.
Customers have told Mr.
Silver they need money for
college tuition, to pay elec-
tric bills and for parking
tickets. One man was about
to go on trial for selling arms
to a hostile government and
needed funds to pay his
lawyer. Another needed a
few bucks to fix a flat tire,
while one woman pawned
her jewels to pay for a funer-
al.
"I love my business," Mr.
Silver says. "Some people
think it's sleazy, but it's not.
I help out thousands and
thousands of people every
year. We're the poor man's
banker."
Mr. Silver estimates his
business is growing by about
20 percent each year. "We're
busy in good times and bad
times," he says, because the
majority of those pawning do
so to pay for basic needs like
hospital bills and food.
"And you don't need a
credit rating here," he says.
"It's quick; it's cash; it's con-
fidential."
Mr. Silver describes
himself as fair when pricing
goods, for which he has paid
everything from $10 to
$80,000. "If they come in
with a baby, it's good for an
extra $10."

"THE ROAD TO
INDEPENDENCE"

April 10.21, 1991

NATIONAL MISSION CHAIRMAN - LAWRENCE S. JACKIER

* See Israel from a completely different perspective.
The Technion is Israel's oldest university and premier
technological resource - the largest center for applied
research in the Middle East.

* Journey through Israel's "Technion Connection" and
experience the pride, achievement and future vision of the
next Israeli generation!

* Each day will be filled with excitement in Tel Aviv, Haifa
and Jerusalem exploring the footsteps of Jewish history.

TEL-AVIV
APRILik11-13

* Observe Memorial Day candle lighting at the
Western Wall, and commemorate Israel's

43rd Independence Day.

*

Visit the nucleus of astounding technology -
the Technion. Dine with students, professors,
alumni and world famous scientists.

HAW
APRIL 14-15

All for only... $2400.00

JERUSALEM
APRIL 16-20

Now - more than ever -
is the time to show
your support for Israel...
COME AND VISIT!

I= MIN NM MI MI

MN NMI NMI MI =I NMI

MN EM MEI

AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY'S
50th ANNIVERSARY MISSION

"THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE"

Check one of the following, complete the information and mail:
❑ Please send me additional brochures
❑ Please register me for this exciting
Mission and bill me for a deposit of
that I can share with my friends.
$200.
❑ Please send me more information
❑ Please send me more information
about the American Society for
Technion and the Technion-Israel
about the Mission.
Institute of Technology.

Name
Address
City
Business Phone

State
Home Phone

Zip

For additional information please contact the Detroit Chapter Office
29645 W. 14 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-1666 • 313/737-1990

58

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1991

He says he tries to be com-
passionate because "I know I
could be on the other side of
the window someday."
Customers have six mon-
ths to redeem their goods,
with extensions available.
Unclaimed jewels, or those
purchased outright, are
usually placed in new set-
tings and resold at 40-60
percent below retail cost.
Says Mr. Silver: "We have a
whole orphanage of unloved
diamonds just looking for a
home."
Mr. Silver also sees
customers seeking a new
setting for their own gems.
"Like a divorcee," he says.
"For a few dollars she can
get a new ring. We take the
jewel out of the setting and
all the badness goes with it."

Cases and cases of jewels
fill the store. There are
charms, opals, Stars of
David and gold chains of
every shape and size. Hang-
ing on the wall is a large
display of pearls, gold chains
and watches. He has rings
for men, bracelets and dia-
mond earrings.
Some of the more unique
pieces, jewelry that has been
pawned and necklaces
waiting for repair all sit in
the store's 3,000-pound safe
at the back of the store. It's
decorated with comic strips.
Among its contents: re-
ligious medals, a set of Tif-
fany pearls, a 14-carat gold
watch from the turn of the
century and a bulky gold pin
shaped like a hand.
"We don't give opinions,"
Mr. Silver says, looking at
the hand pin. "We just give
loans."
Like Mr. Gold, Mr. Silver
says many of his customers
don't even come in to pawn.
They come to buy.
"Who comes to us?" he
asks. "A smart shopper look-
ing for a good deal." ❑

■ I

Bowman Will Speak
At Economic Forum

Former State of Michigan
Treasurer Robert Bowman
will launch the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation's Economic
Forum, noon - 1:30 p.m.
March 18 at Southfield's
Radisson Plaza.
For the first gathering of
the four-part series, Mr.
Bowman will discuss "Who's
Going to Do Well in the '90s?"
Currently serving as econo-
mic consultant to WXYZ-TV,
Mr Bowman became the
youngest state chief financial
officer in the nation when, at
the age of 27, he was named

to the post by Governor
James Blanchard.
Mr. Bowman had worked as
an investment banker for
Goldman Sach's & Co. He also
was special assistant for
domestic finance at the U.S.
Treasury Department.
The Economic Forum is
sponsored by Federation to
promote an interest in its ac-
tivities and to discuss impor-
tant political, economic and
social issues. Future sessions
will be held April 29, June 17
and Aug. 12.
There is a charge.

N