By Ken Mammarella
Antony Farrace runs Levy’s Pawn Shop “probably differently than every other pawn shop” he knows, “because I am 100 percent customer-forward,” a style instilled by his grandparents.
In 1983, grandfather John Farrace bought Levy’s Old Reliable Loan Co. from the Levy family, which had established the downtown Wilmington business at least 130 years ago.
That style means that Farrace is accommodating about the time allowed to redeem items that have been pawned, going far beyond the 30-day state-mandated minimum.
He is conscientious about the condition of items sold. “Nothing is ever as is,” he says. “I never want anyone to lose out. Give me a chance to fix it.” He repairs watches, jewelry, computers and musical instruments — wherever they have been purchased.
He and staffer Dexter Koonce devote effort to cleaning what they’re selling, both pawned items that have not been redeemed and items people have sold to Levy’s. “We do the hard work,” Farrace says.
Levy’s caters to everyone. “I work with all types of situations, from loaning money for bills, groceries, gas or extracurricular activities,” he says.
He is ready to banter with everyone, particularly with his regulars, who represent 80 to 85 percent of the business. That repeat business is why “We do not advertise,” he says. “Never have, never will.”
And, considering all the items that pass through his hands, he’s “not attached to anything.”
Wait! That last observation might not be completely true, considering a few nostalgic items salvaged from Johnny’s Sub Shop, which his grandfather had opened in the late 1950s. Then there’s a Gibson ES-335 guitar that country music star Chris Stapleton, who was playing across the street at The Queen, saw in the window. The 1960s guitar drew the singer-songwriter inside, yielding an autograph for Farrace, a fan. The guitar, “like brand new,” returned to storage, where it had been for 50-plus years.
Levy’s has been around since at least 1893, according to a Wilmington Public Library search on Newspapers.com. A legal notice that year refers to E. Levy’s Confidential Loan at Seventh and Market Streets. By 1900, Ettie Levy’s loan office, at 1024 W. Eighth St., was asked about a pawned watch said to have been owned by a man who had disappeared from his home, the Every Evening reported.
In 1983, Levy’s moved to its current location, at 501 N. Market St., a building built in 1890 as a bank and had most recently been a jewelry store. Levy’s is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays and 8-11 a.m. Saturdays.
Jewelry represents 70 to 75 percent of Levy’s business, with electronics representing most of the rest, Farrace says. But even those two categories encompass a wide variety of items.
During a springtime visit, power tools and audiovisual equipment dominated the display windows. The displays change seasonally, with musical instruments often getting prime positions when The Queen has booked a big act or the Ladybug Music Festival is drawing crowds.
Inside, shelves, cases, walls and the floor itself are filled with guitars, violins, jewelry, electric toothbrushes, Swiss Army knives, watches, TVs, video games, cameras, vacuum cleaners, tools, coffee makers, wireless fences and — on this day (they may be sold before this article publishes) — two lawnmowers, a dirt bike, a table saw and a compressor.
Items for sale run from $7,000 to $5, with watches at the top and the bottom, he says, then quickly correcting himself to say that DVDs are even cheaper.
“We accept anything of value” for pawning or selling, states LevysPawnShop.com. In both cases, to stymie crime, state law requires pawn shops to log the customer ID, customer photo and the serial number of the merch (or, for jewelry, a description).
If someone comes in with an item to pawn, Farrace asks how much money they are looking for. The average loan is $300 to $1,000. Once he agrees to a figure, the customer gets that money at an interest rate of 10 percent per month. They have four months to pay the loan off or extend their time, if needed.
The building has five floors, with the upper ones used for storage. On the first floor, everything in front of a long length of rebar is for sale, with prices often significantly less than current retail.
Farrace manages the business for his mother and his aunt, who own it. His wife, Angie, helps out. Their two children are still too young to gauge their interest in continuing the family business.
“College taught me structure,” he says of his business degree, “but as far as the business, I got it all from my grandparents.”
John and his wife Concetta remained active in running Levy’s into their 90s.
“I could have skipped college,” says Farrace. “I learned everything I needed to know from my grandfather, starting with how customers are the most important.”
Customers who stopped in the store during the interview appreciate that focus.
“Always a good deal,” said Tony Bond, 75, who identified himself as a lifelong customer.
“They’re a good place with good prices,” said Kelly Thomas, who has pawned and bought items. “They’re awesome.”
Above: Antony Farrace currently manages Levy’s Pawn Shop. He credits his grandparents with providing his business savvy.
A Delaware native, Ken Mammarella was 18 when he was first paid as a freelance writer, and since then he’s written extensively about the interesting people, places and issues of Delaware and nearby areas. He also teaches at Wilmington University. For fun, he enjoys watching theater and creating it, playing board games and solving crosswords in ink.