Granted its chart was looking like CSH until a few weeks ago so I would not of been sitting in it subject to a waterfall selloff, but cmon EZPW - give a guy a rally.

Thanks to a reader for sending this story; we had a story 2 months ago about how even the upper branches of society were reaching out for pawn shops (Nov 8: Bloomberg - Even Pawn Shops in Beverly Hills are Booming) but this story targets my favorite American shopper; the aspirational spender! He/she who drives his/her BMW on his/her weekly trips to Coach (COH) or Whole Food Markets (WFMI). He/she who has taken out ridiculous mortgages for houses the size of which they never even enter 4 rooms in the house during a 12 month period (but it's just go to be bigger than the neighbors - better lawn too). Of course it never rains in his/her neighborhood or else one would need to save for said rainy day. Live (spend!) like it's the last day of your life - that's happiness! (source: self help insiprational books that fill Borders) When things go wrong, the rest of America will be coming to the rescue in 2009-2011 so he/she shall retain his/her house and more importantly retain the cars, shopping trips, and if all goes well - get the $2500 watch back from the pawn shop. The horror of any of his dates seeing a watch of under $1000 on his arm! How can a man live like that?

Speaking as a person who has felt guilt buying the $49 watch, never owned a new car, and lives in a 70 year old house 1/4th the size of Mr./Mrs. Aspirational- I look forward (with glee) with helping these folks out from my wallet. It's the neighborly thing to do - although I live many neighborhoods away.

Now let me be clear, if you've got it - spend it; the trickle down economy needs you. But these people did not have it; they just pulled it (from the house ATM). And now the savers will be subsidizing them - all in the spirit of helping thy neighbor! Looking forward to it - I mean all I can get in a savings account is like 1% nowadays. (thanks Ben!)

As an aside, part of this story involves small business owners who are stuck going to pawn shops to fund their business as credit dries up - a beautiful overlay to the elite 0.02% of America getting their multi million bonuses while flying their jets and worrying if this year's bonus will have to be deferred to 2009 so it won't "look bad in the press" while accepting many billions of tax dollars to keep their lending institutions afloat.