A spokeswoman for H&T, said that consumers are more aware of the idea of selling their possessions because of the popularity of online auctions. "It's the eBay effect. People are more aware now that they can raise cash by selling things they don't need."
H&T的一名发言人说，由于网上拍卖的日益流行，典当被越来越多的人接受。“这就是‘eBay效应’。更多的人认同出售自己的闲置物品来获得现金。”
Pawnbrokers give customers money in return for an object which is held as security until the customer pays off the loan plus any interest charges. No credit checks are needed and, once the item is valued and a rate of interest agreed, the customer can leave with the money. Jewellery and watches are 'pledged' most often.
光顾当铺的人将物件作为抵押典当，当铺给出现金，直到典当人偿还本金和利息(偿还后可赎回抵押)。典当人不需经过信用检查，只需交易双方就典当品价值和利息达成一致，典当人既可换得现金。珠宝和手表是最常见的典当品。
According to the National Pawnbrokers Association, around 88 per cent of pledged goods are redeemed. But what if the worst happens and you are unable to pay for the item at the end of the loan period?
据英国全国典当协会统计，大约88%的典当品都被赎回。但是，如果最坏的情况发生，你在典当期内无力赎回抵押品该怎么办呢?
You can usually extend the length of time of borrowing. If you cannot do this, as a last resort, the pledge will get sold off, but it is generally not in the pawnbroker's interest to do so, particularly as many of them thrive on repeat customers.
通常你可以延长赎回期。若你还不能偿还，典当行最终将会出售抵押品。但是典当商这么做是不得已而为之的，因为他们特别依赖从回头客身上赚钱。
"The credit crunch isn't positive for any pawnbroker because we lend money and make money from people repaying their loans. If the credit crunch continues it won't be good for any business."
“信贷紧缩并非对所有的典当商都有利，因为典当行的利润来自于典当赎金和利息。如果信贷紧缩持续，最终对任何行业而言都是没有好处的。”
