Where to find the best Pawn shops in LA

I was staying at the luxurious Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills and asked the concierge for directions to some pawn shops.

You see this story is about the best pawn shops in LA – the places where the stars trade unwanted goods (such as the contents of Academy Award gift packs) for cash.

Here’s how the conversation went: “I’m looking for the best pawn shops in LA,” that’s me speaking.

“You want to go to a p.o.r.n shop,” he said dragging every letter slowly from his lips.

“Yes please. That’s right. Pawn shops.”

He whispered: “OK then. Go out the door take a left, then another left, and head down the road about 100 yards. And. Have a nice day.”

I followed his instructions to perfection and found myself standing in front of a neon sign that screamed “Live Nudes”. The building was attached to a hotel where the rooms rented by the hour.

I stood for a second or two and pondered exactly what the alternative to “live nudes” might be before hailing a taxi and asking him to take me to the La Cienega Jewelry & Loan shop – “where service & Integrity are #1”.

And with the US economy still struggling (it makes ours look like the superhero of economies) business is booming in the land of second-hand.

Welcome to pawn wonderland

You have to buzz the door to gain access to the La Cienega Jewelry & Loan shop. Once inside you will discover an Aladdin’s cave of goodies and, to be honest, a lot of junk.

There were Gold records on the wall; Fender guitars selling at a fraction of their value; electronic games and gadgets; rings; phones; and watches. The store wasn’t big but every available space was overflowing with product.

We then visited another two stores. One that just sold musical instruments and another where a pair of bikers wouldn’t let us enter, even though someone was inside clearly doing business.

“The shop’s closed. Go away.” They looked nowhere near as friendly as the Sons of Anarchy so we jumped back in the taxi, hastily retreating.

There is no signposted tour of pawn shops. You will have to grab a taxi from place to place. At least taxis are cheap compared with what we pay in Australia. But you will find gems and incredible bargains in all of them and it is a good distraction from the usual tourist haunts.

Four of the best pawn shops

Here are four worth a look in the Beverly Hills area.

1. Beverly Hills Pawn Shop, 8801 Wilshire Blvd. Known for fine jewellery.

2. Beverly Loan Company, 9440 Santa Monica Blvd. Diamonds are this shop’s best friends.

3. The Dina Collection, 249-251 S Beverly Drive. Watch this space.

4. Joe’s Gold and Silver, 239 S Robertson Bvld. The name says it all here.

Bargain hard especially now that our dollar is losing ground.

The deck at Eveleigh restaurant in West Hollywood.

I did find one place in LA where my accent was an asset though – the up-market restaurant Eveleigh on W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood.

In recent times it has gone from being a cottage to a Kenneth Cole store and now, with its cityscape view from the back deck, it is the king of California cuisine. And that seems odd really because it is the creation of Australian chef Jordan Toft. The food comes on small plates and is designed to be shared. The Kansas City chop – which I would recommend – could feed a football team.

Three other spots worth a visit are Esterel at the Sofitel, Providence near Paramount Studios (seafood) and Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi.

If you have children, try The Ivy at The Shore (pizzas) or visit the farmers’ markets for fresh fruit, vegetables and market stalls where the kids can go wild.

The party was in full swing when we returned to the Sofitel. It was opening night at the hotel’s Riviera 31 nightclub and every B-list celebrity, headed by Anne Heche and the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, were there.