Tom and I walk into the R & J Jewelry and Loan in San Jose, CA. We had decided to get up early and head into the shop to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for each other. Watching the different ads on Facebook and hearing them on the radio, I was dead set on finding the ideal luxury watch for Tom. I knew that I knew that R & J Jewelry and Loan was the place to shop.
I did a little research on the web and looked through their webpage. It said that R&J Jewelry and Loan has been in business since 1978 and that the pawnshop was family-owned. I liked that, family-owned. Something about knowing the family was able to work together to make R & J Jewelry and Loan a success said something about the honesty, integrity, and fortitudinous that owners must have. While looking through their site, I was excited that they have a reputation for personalized services and featured an extensive jewelry selection. How could I go wrong, I thought.
Excited that I had found the perfect place both Tom and I could shop together for each other, I decided to see what type of watch brands they might have. I looked on the service page and noticed that they specialize in fine watch brands. See, Tom is a watch collector, and his collection is enormous. He lives to find the perfect Rolex, the ideal Hublot or IWC watch. He knows them and is very selective in spending his money on them. From the looks of the webpage, I decided that a Rolex would be the best option for me to purchase for him.
Having decided what I wanted to get him, I needed to know what and how to do this. I called ahead, and the pawnbroker told me that they carry a large selection of name brands and that I should come in and look at all of them. He said they have a Breitling, a beautiful Patek Philippe, a few Marc Jacobs, a couple Richard Mille, and a good selection of pre-owned Rolex watches at a reasonable price in their store.
I knew I wouldn’t go wrong by going by and seeing what they had for Tom. I was so excited I made a little “pre-shopping” trip to the shop before going on our shopping spree together.
I wanted to see firsthand how the service was and what they had that was the new trend, and what they sold in the way of a different brand other than a Rolex, just in case I changed my mind. I didn’t want to seem wishy-washy when Tom and I went shopping together. I tried to present as if I was willing to create the perfect Valentine’s Day shopping experience and help him rest assured that I knew what I was doing. I wanted him to feel confident shopping at R&J Jewelry and Loan.
Greeted By A Friendly and Knowledge Watch Expert
On my “pre-shopping” visit, a friendly and knowledgeable pawnbroker greeted me. The store was immaculately clean, and there was a timepiece for everyone with luxury watch brands in several cases. I talked with the pawnbroker about my game plan for the shopping trip with Tom and shared an example of all his watches. I told him Tom had beautiful luxury watches, and he owned luxury watches for a specific purpose, like an IWC Portugieser.
I shared that all I knew is it the IWC Portugieser was one of the oldest and best-known watches from IWC and that Tom would wear it occasionally, mainly when he wanted to show off his style, like a status symbol. For me, each of his watches seemed to be a complicated watch, but for him, they each represented history, fashion, and style.
Rolex Yacht-Master
The pawnbroker let me know that one particular timepiece he just got in was a Rolex Yacht-Master. I had no idea what this was other than a Rolex watch, and I recognized the name as one of the brands Tom adores. The pawnbroker explained that a Yacht-Master is a luxury wristwatch with unprecedented mechanical functions such as a countdown that can be programmed from 1 to 10 minutes and allows skippers to precisely time and follow each race’s official starting procedure. I asked if it was waterproof.
He said that the Yacht-Master’s water resistance is “only” 100 meters, unlike the Rolex Submariner. It isn’t designed to be a professional dive watch that requires at least 200 meters of water resistance, and the Yacht-Master’s bidirectional bezel also keeps it from being a dive watch.
Rolex Sky-Dweller
I wasn’t sold on the Rolex Yacht-Master and would need to see Tom’s reaction when we visited the store together. The wonderful pawnbroker then showed me a Rolex Sky-Dweller. Being a luxury watch made for pilots and travelers, it was exquisite. It appeared to have a steel case base a bezel in white gold. This watch would be perfect for Tom’s collection. A new a Rolex watch would undoubtedly add value to his watch case full of luxury watch brands and add to his style. I was almost scared to ask the price but was pleasantly surprised.
The pawnbroker explained that their watches are purchased outright or placed on the sales floor if someone defaults on their collateral loan. He explained that each watch is closely examined and appraised because the company can’t afford to take in fakes or replicas when dealing with large amounts of money. Because they are a trusted pawnshop, they can work with several different customers, which allows them to buy luxury watch brands at reasonable prices and then pass the savings on to the buying customers.
As I searched for the perfect luxury watch, I began to look around the store closer. The layout was well thought out, and it displayed all the mechanical, automatic wind, and Rolex watches conveniently. All the watches were together in a display that highlighted their value. The watch accessories were easy to locate, and the cases created a feeling of “I want to be here and see that.”
What is Opt-In?
I noticed a sign that said “opt-in.” The pawnbroker said they have niche lists that customers can become a part of, so they are informed of current sales or when a particular product or brand hits the floor. I thought, why not. Maybe between today and the day, Tom and I visit the store together, there will be other watches I can check out.
The pawnbroker helped me use my phone to scan the QR code. It was so simple, and I was now going to know about any watch that came through the pawnshop’s door and was made available for purchase.
I asked if they also had an “opt-in” for luxury purses. I explained I wasn’t just interested in Louis Vuitton bags, but Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes spend dual time in my brain as bags I must eventually own. He laughed and said yes, they have a luxury bag niche list. I said, “show me the way, well, I mean QR code.”
My eyes wandered as I searched the various cases in amazement. There were gold rings, a gold bracelet any lady would want. Popular brands like Tiffany, Alexander Sparks, Chanel, and Cartier jewelry lined the cases. Oh, my women would flock to this store if they only knew all that was available. I felt like a celebrity shopping in London and was certainly treated like one.
Luxury Handbags
I stopped in my tracks. The purses that caught my eye were the luxury handbags made by Gaston Louis Vuitton in all of his wonder. There was no denying that the bags stand for durability, fashion, and style. I was a celebrity model looking for the right luxury handbag. Well, at least that’s what I imagined.
I hadn’t forgotten about Tom and his watches, but the luxury handbags took me over. Knowing the style and statement they make in the fashion world was undeniably drawing me into examining each bag, and I had to see them. The bags were exquisite. Gucci bags, Chanel Bags, several Louis Vuitton bags, all waiting for me. My life wouldn’t be the same if I left the store and didn’t at least look at them!
Each luxury handbag was a piece of art. Pre-owned and gently worn, they didn’t show any flaws or scratches because the bags were made with durability in mind. The craftsmanship in each bag was a stand-alone piece of art waiting for me to model. I thought of a dress at my house that would perfectly complement the Louis Vuitton bag I examined first.
I was in heaven. R&J Jewelry and Loan had to be the world’s best pawnshop ever. Ladies would be flocking to this shop if they only knew about all the beautiful authentic luxury handbags R & J Jewelry and Loan carried. There was the correct type of bag for everyone. But I had to find mine.
Louis Vuitton was my go-to brand, and I didn’t want to wear anything else. I wasn’t interested in collecting bags like my husband’s Rolex collection. Nope, I would use them. I used each bag I owned and wore it like I was walking down the runway in London, England, or Paris, France.
My Louis Vuitton handbags created for me a feeling of sophistication and style. Each bag spoke to me. I could imagine sporting my diamond and gold bracelet on my wrist while wearing my Louis Vuitton bag. I don’t think I could pass on shopping for the perfect dress to go with my dream fashion ensemble, but a dress would have to wait. Today it was all about the bags. I smiled, thinking about my outfit, complete with accessories, gold jewelry, and my Louis Vuitton purse.
The pawnbroker must have seen me smiling and came over to see if he could help. He took down bag after bag, and I looked at each of them. The quality was exemplary and able to stand alone concerning popular brands and craftsmanship.
I had my eye on a couple of the bags and only hoped they would be in the store when Tom and I visited for our His and Her Kind of Day shopping trip.
The Day Arrived
Tom and I woke up early and ate breakfast together. I didn’t let him know that I had “pre-visited” R & J Jewelry and Loan and was totally in love with the luxury watches and bags they had on their sales floor. I was excited to go with Tom to the store because I knew the pawnbroker could create a wonderful experience helping Tom and me with all of our questions. I knew that the pawnbroker I met was exemplary and never stopped helping me, even if he didn’t even know if I would return. He still treated me like I was Brad Pitt walking into his store. I knew Tom would be in his happy place, his world when he could see all of the luxury watch brands.
Oyster Perpetual Feature
As we walked into the store, Tom was taken back by the professionalism and how the pawnbroker could steer us right over to the line of watches he wanted to see. Between the time I had visited the store during my “pre-visit” and today, they had gotten in a few new Rolex watches.
Tom said he loves the Oyster Perpetual feature because it certifies that the look has a water-resistant screw-down case back and a self-winding movement powered by the wrist’s motion. I thought to myself, who knew?
I stood there with Tom, now knowing all about the oyster perpetual feature. Tom looked at the Sky-Dweller I had previously admired and the Rolex Yacht-Master, and he was equally impressed with the quality and the affordability of each watch.
He decided to buy the Sky-Dweller. I was elated, and it not only illustrated quality, but it was also a Rolex watch he could proudly add to his collection.
Rolex Daytona
There was another watch he had his eye on. It was a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. It hadn’t been in the store when I visited before, and Tom had been looking for one because of its mechanical chronograph watch design that meets the needs of racing drivers by measuring elapsed time. It also calculates average time as well.
I wasn’t sure this was the correct type of watch for him because I certainly didn’t want him racing our car through the streets of San Jose, but he knew better than anyone what luxury watch brands he wanted for his ever-growing collection.
Tom told the pawnbroker that he wasn’t sure if he had the cash to buy both watches today because he wanted to find a luxury bag for me. The pawnbroker explained that the watch might not be around long because the inventory changes daily.
Collateral Loan As An Option
He said that Tom could do a collateral loan against one of his other luxury watches if he wanted to go that route and purchase the watch while it was available. Tom explained that a collateral loan might work because he was scheduled to get a considerable bonus next month, and he could pay the loan balance off then.
SOLD – One Rolex Yacht-Master and One Daytona
Now that Tom was satisfied with his Valentine’s Day gifts and pleased he had the Daytona as a bonus, it was my turn. I shared earlier over breakfast that I wanted a new luxury handbag and that I had some I was willing to try and sell because I didn’t use them anymore. He suggested I find a purse I wanted today, and we could decide to sell the other bags outright later.
We walked over to where the bags were. There was a beautiful Chanel that was calling my name. I had always been drawn to Louis Vuitton bags, but this Chanel was captivating. Some of the bags were leather, and others were Louis Vuitton coated canvas. All the bags were in pristine condition, and the prices were so affordable it was unreal. For luxury bags, the price was right!
As I looked at the new bags that had come in since my “pre-visit,” I kept thinking about who might have worn the bag. Was it a bag I would wear, and would it fit my lifestyle? A girl can’t have too many luxury bags was my perspective.
I saw a gold bracelet out of the corner of my eye. It was a gold tennis bracelet. I asked Tom if I could look at it. He said, “of course.” It was gorgeous. I could see myself wearing my new dress and sporting this bracelet. I just had to have a bag too. So I asked.
“Please?”
SOLD – A Louis Vuitton Bag and Gold and Diamond Tennis Bracelet
Tom was accommodating and so kind. “Of course, why not? I can pay off a collateral loan when I get that bonus. We can get both today.”
I selected a Louis Vuitton luxury bag and a gold diamond tennis bracelet, and I was delighted. The pawnbroker explains how all of the mechanized is tested for authenticity. He explained that they have to know if something is “real” because they are often loaning large amounts of money on a luxury item so they can’t make mistakes.
Setting Up A Collateral Loan with No Credit Check
Tom set up the collateral loan with the pawnbroker after running home to get one of his Rolex watches out of his collection to use as collateral. I was taken aback when I found out that the pawnbroker didn’t even want to know our credit history or employment record. All that was needed was a valid state ID. Tom assured the pawnbroker and the Rolex watch that “I’ll be back to retrieve it.” I was sure he would because he loves his watches.
Driving home, I realized several takeaway points I had learned from our His and Her Kind Of Day.
1) A Pawnshop is a great place to buy, sell, and loan luxury items
2) R & J Jewelry and Loan has an exquisite selection of pre-owned luxury watch brands and luxury bags
3) The customer service I received from the pawnbroker during my pre and post-shopping visits built the connection I needed to choose R & J Jewelry and Loan as my go-to pawnshop
4) I didn’t know that Rolex made many luxury watches, and each wristwatch has its particular design
5) I had no idea that the gold items were always checked for purity, decreasing the risk of buying something fake
6) I was amazed that the model of the Rolex luxury watch always uses the oyster perpetual feature because it certifies that the watch has a screw-down case back that is water-resistant and a self-winding movement that is powered by the motion
7) Mechanical watches are a watch that uses a clockwork mechanism to measure the passage of time, as opposed to a quartz watch which functions electronically via a small battery, or a radio watch, which is a quartz watch synchronized to an atomic clock via radio waves
8) That pawnbrokers were such experts and willing to share their knowledge
9) R & J Pawnshop is an example of a company that cares about its customers
10) Shopping for a luxury watch doesn’t have to be a complicated watch adventure when you choose R&J Jewelry and Loan
11) No matter what reason you are shopping for a luxury watch, an iconic statement of sophistication, a luxury bag, a bracelet with diamonds, or something of value, you can rest assured that pawnshops are the place to visit
Once Home
Once Tom and I got home, we unpacked our gifts. We were so happy. Tom’s phone sounded with a text message, and it asked if his visit to R&J was what he had hoped for and if he would leave a review. Oh yes, he will leave a 5-star review.
We were getting ready to go out for dinner with my new bag on my shoulder and my tennis bracelet sparkling for everyone to admire. I was a fashion statement and felt I could compete with any of the models out there. I was beautiful!
Tom decided to wear his new Rolex. He stood proud and sophisticated. My phone sounded. Ugh, it was a text message. What?! Next week, there is an exclusive sale to “opt-in” folks shopping for luxury bags? I smiled and winked at Tom when he asked who it was. “Oh nothing dear, just and insiders notice about Louis Vuitton.”
