Southwest-area pawnshop specializes in luxury merchandise

Louis Vuitton and Coach handbags line the wall. Diamond rings sparkle under bright lights. Apple electronics fill a secured glass case.

And they’re all listed at a fraction of the retail price.

Max Pawn, 6040 W. Sahara Ave., recently moved to a new location about six times bigger, according to owner Michael Mack.

“We went from a 450-square-foot sales floor to a 2,800-square-foot sales floor,” Mack said. “It certainly gives us more room, but it’s also more comfortable and inviting.”

Max Pawn is a traditional pawnshop with a luxury twist. Mack carries designer accessories, name-brand electronics and high-end household items at a discounted price.

“For example, the average Coach bag can range from $200 to $300 at retail price,” Mack said. “We have designer bags here starting at $50.”

The shop offers three services: pawning, selling and consigning. By law, pawned items are valid for 90 days. The business offers a consignment rate of 20 percent.

“We sell items fast, and we pay people fast,” Mack said. “The items are not the assets; the customers are. We don’t want the merchandise. We want the customers.”

In addition, all items are guaranteed, authenticated and monitored by the Metropolitan Police Department. According to Mack, the pawnshop takes in less than one-tenth of 1 percent of stolen merchandise.

“Everything we take in is run directly through Metro,” Mack said. “If someone has a watch stolen, we immediately get notified just in case we come across it.”

According to office manager Dawn Von Mendenhall, the shop attracts mostly female customers because of the high-end fashion items.

“It’s not intimidating for a lady to come in here because there’s primarily ladies behind the counter,” Von Mendenhall said. “It’s also a nice, clean and open environment.”

Max Pawn also serves as a Craigslist trading zone for people purchasing or selling items online. The shop will also authenticate and inspect the items free.

“There’s a lot of horror stories out there,” Mack said, “so we offer a safe environment for both parties.”

Mack hosts a radio show, Pawn Talk Live, at 2 p.m. every Saturday at the shop with co-host David Carney. The show features guests, call-ins, fashion tips and the latest metal and diamond reports.

“I never thought people would actually like it, but they do,” Mack said. “We have about 60,000 live listeners and 120,000 listeners on the Internet.”

Mack opened the original Max Pawn at 2400 S. Jones Blvd. in December 2009. As a fourth-generation pawnbroker, he’s handled many valuable items.

“I’ve pawned Rolls-Royces and Van Cleef & Arpels diamond pieces,” Mack said. “I sold a Hermes Birkin white crocodile handbag to someone in Hong Kong for $90,000.”

Mack also works with local charities by donating merchandise and money. He plans to help raise money for the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

“We’re in a heavily Filipino-populated neighborhood, so we’re going to try to work with them and see how we can help,” Mack said.

For more information or to shop online, visit max-pawn.com.

Contact Southwest/Spring Valley View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.