FAQ

Albert’s in Downtown JC has a large free parking lot directly across the street.

Albert’s Bristol has free parking in front of the store and to the right of the building.

Albert’s Kingsport has free parking immediately in front of the store. Additional parking is available along the side street and behind the building. Please do not park in the Insurance Company’s parking lot.

Albert’s in North Johnson City is across the street from Cootie Brown's and in the One Stop Wine and Spirits Shopping Center. There is free parking in front of the store. The shopping center has ample parking.

• Gold jewelry and coins
• Guitars and other musical instruments and equipment
• Gun, including rifles, shotguns, and pistols
• Laptop computers
• Flat screen TVs
• The latest video games and systems
• Hand and Power Tools in good condition
• Chainsaws
• Lawnmowers and Weedeaters
• Bicycles
• Blueray and DVD movies
• Knives

Once you have pawned your item and received your cash pawn loan, our employees are carefully trained to attach all the proper pawn inventory control numbers to your item(s), store the item(s) in a secure, climate controlled area where no one is allowed to touch your item(s) until you come back to pick it up.

The loan is for 30 days and by law must be kept in pawn for at least 48 hours. After the initial 48 hours you can pick up your item any time between then and the 30 days.

In an effort to reduce crime and to protect your property, we take information from a government issued ID (like a drivers license), fingerprint and take photos of all pawnees and sellers. If there is ever an issue of your identity, we are able to provide positive identification. As with all other personal information we collect, you are fully protected by the National Privacy Act.

In 2016, the federal government passed a law requiring all credit lenders to determine if the potential pawnee is active duty or an active duty dependent. In order to comply, we require our potential customers to participate with us in our effort to comply with the Military Lending Act (MLA).

To pawn a long gun (rifle or shotgun), you must be over 18 years of age, a Tennessee or Virginia resident and be able to pass a background check to pick your gun back up from pawn.

To pawn or sell a handgun, you must be at least 21 years old, a Tennessee resident (we buy but do not pawn handguns from Virginia residents) and be able to pass a background check to pick the gun back up. Only the owner/pawnee of the firearm will be allowed to pick the firearm up from pawn.

The rules are the same for buying a gun. The purchaser cannot buy a gun for another individual (Straw Purchase), and we do not sell to out of state customers except Virginians buying long guns. The purchaser must pass a background check performed by the Tennessee Beureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Federal Beureau of Investigation.

We base our loan amounts for jewelry on the metal value. While gold has a high metal value, silver has a very low metal value.

Televisions must be newer than three (3) years old (most companies put a manufactured date on the back of the TV), must have a working remote (ideally original) and must have a base (sometimes a wall mount is acceptable).

You can pawn cordless tools in good condition that are 18v and up with at least one battery and a charger; good hand tools- preferably American made; gas powered tools such as mowers, weed-eaters, chainsaws, etc., with enough gas to demonstrate it works; and some specialty tools.

We do not pawn or buy cell phones because there are too many issues with carriers and security locks.

Computers that came from the factory with Windows 8 or 10, have at least 2 gb RAM and 500 gb HDD, ebook readers in good condition and Apple or Samsung tablets not tied to a phone carrier can all be pawned. It is important you back up all your data before pawning the item just in case you are unable to redeem the pawn in the time allowed.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all personal or sensitive information does not reside on your computer. While in pawn, your data remains private and secure. No one is allowed to view your data, and it is returned to you fully intact once you redeem your pawned computer. If you forfeit your computer by not paying the renewal fees or redeeming the computer in the time allowed, it is erased and the computer is put out for sale without any data on it. We highly recommend you make a back up of all your data before pawning it just to be on the safe side. We make every effort to safegard your data however we assume no liability for your data.

We make loans on Xbox360, Xbox1, Playstation 3 and 4, Wii U and Nintendo Switch game systems. You need to bring in everything to operate the unit such as power cords, cables to the TV and at least one controller (and battery charger if applicable).We will need to test the unit out to be sure all is in working order so allow a little extra time for that procedure.

When you bring an item in to get a loan, we have to evaluate its current market value based on its condition, how many these items we currently have in stock, current selling price used and the loan must give us room to make a little profit if it is forfeited and we need to sell it. Just as a bank wouldn’t loan you the entire amount of your house on a second mortgage, we can’t loan you the entire amount the item is currently worth.

If after 30 days, you are unable to redeem the item for the full amount plus the interest and storage fees, you can carry the loan over for another 30 days by simply paying the interest and storage fees. You can continue to do this for as long as you like, however be aware pawn loans are designed for short term loans and it is best to redeem it as soon as possible.

Albert’s takes cash, major credit cards and debit cards with ID. We do not take checks, stamps, or bottle caps.

Yes, you can call the store where your loan was issued during regular business hours and pay for your interest/storage fee with a credit card or debit card over the phone to renew your pawn collateral loan. If the store is busy at that time, you may be asked to call back later in the day.

When you are issued a pawn ticket for your item, the pawn ticket is a legal document entitling whoever bears the ticket the right to redeem the item once the loan and interest amount are repaid. It is important to keep your ticket in a safe place. If you lose it, you are required to show proof of identity and sign a lost pawn ticket affidavit before you can pick it up. There is also a $1 charge for lost tickets when redeemed.

Anyone can make a payment for you. Your representative can give us the pawn ticket number or provide your name and the payment will be applied to your loan.

If you are unable to pick up your pawned item in person, you can give the ticket to a trusted person to come in and pay off the loan and interest. If you do not have the ticket to give to this person, you will be required to come in person with a photo ID to pick the item up.