Going to the Tiki: Tiki Pawn opens on San Carlos Boulevard
Happily offering a fun, family-friendly atmosphere to the island community, Tiki Pawn opened its doors early September at the 19170 San Carlos Blvd. location, with an inventory that fits any age and any budget.
“We are a family-friendly pawn shop, and hoping that it will set us apart from the ‘norm’ that goes along with other pawn shops, and proud to support the local community,” said Lorraine Dorrance, owner. “I like to have a family-friendly pawn shop, for the kids, the tourists and the locals, with a very positive and welcoming atmosphere. So far, we’ve received wonderful compliments from our customers. We’ve been told it’s the nicest, cleanest pawn shop they’ve ever visited. I want people to come in and feel welcome here.”
Once entering Tiki Pawn, don’t worry about feeling any type of intimidation or hostility from the pawnbroker. The atmosphere and employees are, indeed, very friendly and helpful, with a very eclectic collection of goods and merchandise available, from generators, tools and fishing/diving apparatus to bikes, musical equipment, electronics, artowrk, and, of course, jewelry.
“We offer great deals on used merchandise and especially jewelry,” Lorraine said. “We offer fantastic savings on good used merchandise in a fun and eclectic atmosphere. Unlike lots of pawn shops, I’ll loan money on almost anything of value. We have and buy antiques, collectibles, Swarovski crystals, artwork, surf boards, Christmas decorations, electric scooters, professional tools, musical instruments, laptops, gaming units, tablets, designer sunglasses, leather goods and so much more. We’re a top buyer of beach cruiser bikes, and welcome gold as buy/sell/trade. We love to barter. We also like unique, hard-to-find items; the weirder, the better!”
Lorraine says her flexibility on items she buys, sells and trades adds to the eclectic atmosphere of her pawn shop.
“We’re more flexible and love to have all sorts of crazy stuff. It’s also a great place to get a generator,” she said.
Lorraine, along with her shop manager, Christopher Reich, is proud to be a part of the Fort Myers Beach community, with the shop owner recently moving from Denver, Co.
“I’ve been in the pawn shop business for 25 years, owning my own shop for the last 18 years in Colorado. When the opportunity came about in this location, I was excited,” she said. “I think it’s very important to become a part of the community and promote a positive environment. We’ve been integrating into the community, stopping in to all of the local businesses, and we absolutely love the people, the food and the atmosphere.”
Continuing to mesh and harmonize within their new community, Lorraine and Chris are sure to utilize local services for their new island shop.
“We cater to the local community. For instance, our mural on the side of the building was done by local artist Jeff “J.D.” Burdge. We used a local sign maker to make our new signs. The Nauti Turtle is planning to co-sponsoring our upcoming grand opening, and Paradise Taxi has been so kind to introduce us to other local businesses. I think it’s very important to become a part of the community and promote a positive environment.”
Wanting to keep an inviting, kid-friendly atmosphere in her island shop, Lorraine said she will not sell guns of any sort from that location, nor large knives, mace, taser guns or stun guns.
“We feel it wouldn’t be a good idea for the community, as a whole, as we are building a family-friendly environment,” she said. “But, we have plenty of game consoles, games, XBoxes, Playstations, wake boards, skateboard bikes, hand boards, sporting goods and much, much more.”
She said people of all walks of life come into her store to either buy, sell or trade, and she loves the diversity of not only the items they bring, but the people, too.
“Another service we offer is for those who may not know what they have or what their family members have (or had),” she said. “If you don’t know the value of certain pieces of jewelry, by appointment, I’m happy to sort through your items and let you know what you have and what it’s worth. You wouldn’t believe some of the things people have had and didn’t even realize it was far more valuable than they thought.”
Tiki Pawn is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, closed Thursday and Sunday. A 90-day layaway option is available with 30 percent down. All major credit cards are accepted, as well as cash, which is always smiled upon. The couple plans to host a grand opening celebration in December.
Visit the pawn shop’s eBay store by searching “Tiki Pawn,” and, while it’s currently under construction, TikiPawn.com will soon showcase numerous items available at the pawn shop, too.
“Everyone who has come in has been so positive. People have said, ‘Wow, you guys are really nice. I feel so comfortable talking to you.’ We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to come into the community. We have items for all budgets and price ranges, so come by and visit us anytime!”
For further information on the all-new Tiki Pawn, call the shop at 239-233-8954.