# Underground Economy Graphs The Americas Pawn Empire Infographic Takes a Look at the Phenomenon By Rebecca Byers | Published 2012-03-02 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/americas-pawn-empire-infographic References: [frugaldad](http://frugaldad.com/shopping/) & [frugaldad](http://frugaldad.com/) FrugalDad.com's Americas Pawn Empire infographic is a review of the latest statistics around the pawn shop business in the US, which has come into the spotlight in recent years with the success of reality television shows like 'Pawn Stars' and 'American Pickers,' and the creation of Pawngo.com, a Groupon-backed [online pawning service](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rax). According to the infographic, pawnbrokers were the number one source of consumer credit in the 1950s. The comprehensive Americas Pawn Empire infographic includes surprising facts, like that there are more pawnshops in the US than [McDonald's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/inflationary-mcdonalds-ads) restuarants, and that Pawn Stars is the second most-watched reality show, second only to Jersey Shore. Pawning is also technically the world's oldest profession, and has started to reclaim its "historic roles as [neighborhood flea markets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/primark-swap-shop), banks and museums" in an era of recession-inspired frugality. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.4/10 - Popularity: 54% | Activity: 69% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Online Pawning Services:** The rise of online pawning services like Pawngo.com presents an opportunity for the pawn shop industry to reach a wider audience and increase convenience for customers. - **Reality Tv-inspired Businesses:** The success of reality television shows like 'Pawn Stars' and 'American Pickers' has created a trend of businesses capitalizing on the popularity of these shows, offering opportunities for innovative partnerships and merchandise. - **Resurgence of Neighborhood Flea Markets:** As pawnshops reclaim their historic roles as neighborhood flea markets, there is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to create unique shopping experiences and foster community engagement. ### Who This Affects Most - **Pawn Shop Industry:** The pawn shop industry can explore the potential of online pawning services and leverage partnerships with popular reality TV shows to attract more customers and drive growth. - **Television Production Industry:** The success of 'Pawn Stars' and 'American Pickers' opens up opportunities for the television production industry to create more reality TV shows centered around unique businesses and industries. - **Thrifting and Flea Market Industry:** The resurgence of pawnshops as neighborhood flea markets presents a growth opportunity for the thrifting and flea market industry to collaborate with pawnshops and create vibrant, community-driven marketplaces. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Online Auction-Inspired Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-auction-format.md) - [Comforting Financial Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/experian.md) - [Cryptopunk NFT Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cryptopunk-nft-collection.md) - [Innovative Financial Visualization Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/financial-visualization-tool.md) - [Sustainable Marketplace Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mercari-pop-up.md) - [Creative Text-to-Infographic Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/infographic-tools.md) - [Creator Finance Trackers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gumroad-payout-tracker.md) - [Wealth Gap Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pie-society.md) - [Online Creator Banking Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cashstream.md)