'Hardcore Pawn' star in Youngstown Saturday

It used to be that going to a pawn shop was something you did only out of necessity and was certainly nothing to brag about.

But with the success of shows such as “Hardcore Pawn,” times have changed.

Ask Rich Pyle of the truTV series. “It’s now cool to go to the pawn shop,” he said. “People love to get deals and save money, and with the success of the show and others like it, the pawn shop has been brought into the mainstream.”

Pyle has worked for 25 years at American Jewelry and Loan, the Detroit pawn shop run by Leslie “Les” Gold where “Hardcore Pawn” is filmed.

This Saturday, he’ll come to the Youngstown area to visit Austintown Pawn, 3700 Mahoning Ave., one of the region’s largest pawn shops, as part of his promotional tour.

He’ll be in-store from 1 to 4 p.m. to greet customers and take photos with them, appraise objects, and probably close a deal or two.

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