Sunday, November 26, 2006
Tired of chain stores? Try a pawn shop
New River Field Guide
Recent columns
- The Field Guide has led readers on five years of adventures
- New River Deli in Pembroke is still down-home
- Sal's of Radford fame comes to Blacksburg
- Bridge makes a big difference in Heritage Park
This week we begin my Christmas Shopping Spectacular series, in which I'll report on my visits to places that aren't chain stores.
This week we venture into Danny's on Roanoke Road in Christiansburg, which bills itself as the "NRV's largest pawn shop."
It's not quite as festive as a chain store's music-pumping, robot-reindeer-nodding, lights-blazing Christmas aisle, but it's not a dark and dingy shop either.
The store is brightly lit and most items for sale are clearly marked, something I can't say for the chain stores. The atmosphere was quite friendly and chatty as well, although after a while the never-ending hemming and hawing of a couple looking at jewelry started to get a bit old.
The merchandise runs from guns and knives to fiber optic busts of the members of KISS. In between are drills, video games, an Elvis knife, weed trimmers, TVs, CD players, bows, arrows, golf clubs, tool carts, a child-size motorcycle and chain saws, which were on sale the day I went.
There are stacks of DVD players and shelves packed with DVDs, priced at $5.99 each or as low as five for $20. I was amazed to find that the DVDs had actually been categorized. I found "Iron Monkey 2" in the Martial Arts section.
There are VHS movies and CDs, too, including a big CD holder for bargain-priced CDs without plastic cases.
And there are musical instruments, of course, including many, many guitars, a mandolin or two, fiddles, an alto sax and a coronet. And there's a stool bearing this message: "Customers, please feel free to sit and strum. Loudly if you're good. Softly if you're not."
Big ticket items included an ATV and a 42-inch plasma TV. And if you can't afford them, you can always ask for a loan.
Bottom line: If you're not comfortable buying people presents from a pawn shop, perhaps you'll find something for yourself at Danny's.
