Your one stop pawn shop!

Jerry's Pawn is Atlanta's leading pawnbroker for over 55 years. Our commitment to customer service has made us a front runner in the industry.

With expert metallurgists and appraisers on staff, we are experts at determining the value of your items. We buy, loan, and sell, and we always give you the most cash

Additionally, Jerry's Pawn is committed to giving back to the community through several philanthropic initiatives such as Musical Instrument Gift Day and other donation events organized by the Pawnbrokers Association of Georgia.

The History of Jerry's Pawn

After many years in the Pawn Industry in Atlanta, Jerry Mandel, in July 1972, decided it was time to go out on his own and create his own destiny. He received merchandise, supplies, and tools of the trade from his fellow Atlanta Pawnbrokers so that Jerry could get a running start when he opened. You see, Jerry was respected by all in the industry and the Atlanta area for his honest and fair dealing, both with the loans (pawns) they made and the sales that were made from the unredeemed merchandise. Jerry also had a very favorable relationship with Law Enforcement and would serve as an intermediary between his fellow Pawnbrokers and Law Enforcement should problems arise on either side.

Jerry’s Pawn Shop grew very quickly and soon became a fixture in Downtown Atlanta. The customer service was excellent as well as the “fair deal” reputation that drew customers from as far away as LaGrange and Dallas Georgia (which continues today). The law at the time required pawnbrokers to hold pawns 30 days before taking possession of the unredeemed merchandise, but because Jerry always wanted to give his customers every opportunity to get their personal property back, he held the pawns 90 days and would notify the customer by letter that their pawn would soon be forfeited. These actions were very much appreciated by the customers to the extent that the word got out how Jerry’s Pawn Shop treated their customers and soon it was obvious that Jerry had found his niche in the Greater Atlanta Area as well as in the surrounding areas.

In 1979 because of an employee’s illness, Jerry asked his son-in-law, Dave Adelman, to help him in the store during the employees’ absence. Dave knew nothing about the industry, had never even entered a Pawn Shop until he met his wife, Sheila, and never gave much thought to ever working in one. How wrong Dave was, and soon he began to like and enjoy the Pawn Industry, and the rest is history. He enjoyed working with the diverse customer base but mostly it was the ability to help those who were down on their luck and had nowhere else to turn for assistance.

During 1985 the Pawn Industry began to update and improve the negative reputation that the industry had dealt with since its beginning. Store owners started to clean up their stores and make them more presentable to the public. Jerry’s was no different, so in that same year we moved to our present location in downtown. It was brightly lit with show windows, wall units and showcases.

In November 1986, Jerry decided to slow down and enjoy life with his wife Roz and family, so he sold Jerry’s Pawn Shop to his daughter, Sheila, and son-in-law, Dave Adelman. The young couple continued in the growth of the business, and explored the idea of someday expanding with another store. However, they never forgot the philosophy that Jerry instilled in them and those who worked with them. Excellent customer service and honesty with the customers has always been “Number One”. In June of 1988, we installed a computer system to keep track of all the transactions that took place on a daily basis as well as the pawn and sales inventory. This new technology opened up a whole new dimension to the Pawnbroking Industry.

In 1995, Sheila and Dave realized the need to expand their downtown operation to the mid-town area of Atlanta and they opened their second location on Piedmont Road in Buckhead, in the space previously occupied by the once popular GiGi’s Pizza. Some say they can still smell the cheese & garlic aroma that filled that location. Also during this time e-commerce was becoming very popular. So Jerry’s upgraded their computer system, added more associates to the Jerry’s family and began selling on the internet. The Atlanta Olympic Games of 1996 were an exceptional time as it brought people from all over the world to our city and to Jerry’s.

Also of major importance, during this time, was the formation of the State and National Pawnbrokers Trade Associations. Jerry’s Pawn Shop, Inc. was one of the founding members of the Pawn Brokers Association of GA (PBAG). Dave was elected as PBAG’s second President for a two year term (1989-90) and Pawn Broker of the Year in 1991-92. He remained active on its Board of Directors until stepping down in 2009. On the national scene, in 1988 Dave attended the first National Convention, in Miami, of the newly formed National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA). Dave served on the NPA Board of Directors from 1988 through June of 2011. During this time, Dave served in many capacities and held many offices until serving as President of the National Pawnbrokers Association in 2007-09. Dave’s emphasis during his two year term was to bring the NPA to the next level in terms of the public’s perception of the industry by bringing on board, a public relations firm. Also of importance was the continuance of NPA’s Government Relations Program and its presence in Washington DC. In June 2011, at the National Convention’s Pawn Expo, Dave received the highest award given by the NPA, The Charles R. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award.

Upon graduation from college in 2002, Sheila and Dave’s daughter, Denise, joined the family business, now serving some 3rd & 4th generations of families in the Atlanta area. Those children, that we used to hold while we were serving their parents, are now the customers and we are doing the same for their children. We still maintain the same philosophy of excellent customer service and a fair and honest work ethic. During this time, we realized that a whole new way of doing business was unfolding and at a fast pace. General Manager, Alex Sporn, helped institute the new technologies in our stores. So, we once again upgraded our computer and security systems, initiated a web site and facebook page. We tweet, text and watch security cameras for either store anywhere in the world on our iPhones. Hopefully we are now up to the challenges of the 21st Century.

What does this all mean? Did Jerry, who started out on his own, in a store with maybe 800 square feet, one small gas heater for the winter months and fans galore for the hot summers, a few tools of the trade (none that required electricity), ever realize where the Pawn Industry would be today? Today we have the newest of technologies, more tools of the trade than we ever knew before, the world as our market, and selling our merchandise on the internet. Through all this, one thing remains constant, and thanks to our mentor, Jerry Mandel, we know how to do it best. That constant reminder of how Jerry treated his customers (most on a first name basis), how he gave them an honest and fair deal will always be the priority of Jerry’s Pawn Stores.

Our industry has evolved throughout the years in a positive direction. Being able to help those in need and assist in the communities we serve will continue to be the primary goal of Jerry’s Pawn Stores.

Marguerite Wilkenson said it best in her poem:

“G-d bless pawnbrokers
They are quiet men.
You may go once…………
You may go again…..
They do not question
As a brother might;
They never say
What they think is right;
They never hint
All you ought to know;
Lay your treasure down,
Take your cash and go,
Fold your ticket up
In a secret place
Take the burly world
By the throat again…..
G-d bless pawnbrokers
They are quiet men.”