About

HISTORY

In the late 1970’s Joe Mayse realized that there was a need yet unfulfilled in Columbia. There were no Pawnshops. In places he had lived previously, they were abundant, and customers experienced great benefit from the services they provided, but Columbia had none. So, with the help of his good friend, Larry Wayland Sr. he embarked on the journey to establish the pawn industry in then tiny little Columbia MO. Joe and his son Don acquired a small building, formerly a bar, at 2416 Paris Rd. While the building was small, it was bigger than a brand-new pawnshop would need, so they built a wall dividing it in half and relocated Don’s business, The Powderhorn Gunshop into the South half. The Paris Road Pawnshop got its start in the remaining space in 1979. Larry and Joe manned the daily operations in the earliest days, but they had almost no inventory to offer perspective customers. Family members canvased Columbia and surrounding towns buying anything they could find to stock the store. Garage and yard sales, farm and estate auctions, anywhere they could go to acquire inventory, they went. Before long they had a little bit to offer. Good stuff at better than expected prices.

The first few years were slow. Columbia residents were unfamiliar with the business model, but eventually things turned around and the store gained traction. Just as things were starting to look promising, Larry’s health deteriorated, and had to excuse himself from the business. Don stepped in to fill the void and found a real love for the business. As a father / son team they built the business with pride and the community liked what they had to offer. It was not long before they felt confident that they could expand by opening a second location. Jefferson City was a clear choice for their first expansion, and they opened on Dunklin Street in 1984. That same year, Joe had to excuse himself from the daily operations. In 1985, He died, and Don, Marylou and his staff were without their patriarch.
The Jefferson City location was an easier startup. Having the Columbia store as an established resource made inventory acquisitions easier and quicker. That was of huge benefit to the expansion process. So much so, that a third store was in the works for 1985. Columbia’s second location, downtown on Broadway. The Broadway location was fun with a great atmosphere. All the hustle and bustle of downtown Columbia right outside of the storefront glass. However, the space was soon too small, so that store was relocated to its present location on Columbia’s Business Loop where it resides today. In 1995 The Warrensburg, MO location was established followed by the most recent addition, in Sedalia MO in 2000.
Sadly, in December 2015 Family Pawn lost its remaining founder. Don Mayse was the man that changed the perception of Pawn Shops in central Missouri. Don was a great leader, pioneer, and friend. His son Brian, our current president, will continue the mission set out by Don and Family Pawn will continue to be the leader of Pawn Shops in Missouri.

With over 40 years of pawning experience and five convenient locations, Family Pawn strives to provide the best pawn experience for its customers and the communities it serves.
“Not your traditional Pawn Shop – Family Pawn.”

YOUR PAWN LOAN

A pawn loan is a very simple process. You, the customer, bring in something of value and we evaluate it and offer a loan amount based on many factors. Upon agreement we write a loan for that amount. Here at Family Pawn your loan is guaranteed for 90 days from the date of loan with service charges being accrued every 30 days. To be eligible for a loan from Family Pawn you must have a valid State Issued photo ID and you must be at least 18 years of age By Missouri Law we cannot make a Pawn loan to any person who does not provide an ID. No credit checks or extensive paperwork to fill out. No waiting to hear if you qualify. You can walk out of the store in as little as five minutes with CASH IN HAND!

Important differences between a Pawn loan and a “Payday loan:”

  • We share no information with any credit reporting agencies.
  • We pay cash, no checks or money cards, always cash.
  • You do not make principal payments, only service charge payments monthly.
  • You can choose to not repay the loan, and it will not negatively affect your status in any way.
  • You have the freedom to choose how long the loan will last.
  • We have an online “App” where you can login and make payments or check the loan status from the comfort of your home or office.

FOR THE RECORD

All items received by a pawnbroker must be listed with the city and/or state’s police department, therefore reducing the chance of a consumer receiving stolen property. The pawn industry is one of the most regulated in the country. Most regulation has been initiated, sponsored and supported by pawnbrokers. Regulatory agencies include the Office of Consumer Credit and Law Enforcement on a local and national level. Pawnbrokers have state, regional and national industry associations which work at self-policing the industry. In the case of public companies, the Federal Securities and Exchange Commission oversee their operations.

HISTORICAL FACTS

The Nursery Rhyme “Pop Goes The Weasel” refers to pawning. A weasel is a shoemaker’s tool and to “pop” is to pawn. “That’s the way the money goes… Pop goes the weasel.” Queen Isabella of Spain pawned the crown jewels to finance Columbus’ voyage to America. The word pawn originates from the Latin word “patinum” which means cloth or clothing. The French word “pan” refers to a skirt or blouse. In the early centuries, the principle assets people had were their clothes and borrowed money by pawning their clothing.