WICHITA — Country Pawn & Supply owner Mark Springs isn't quitting the pawn shop business, but after 16 years, he's shaking things up with two new businesses.
The current business, which is at 3842 S. West St. near I-235, is part pawn shop, part car lot and part gun dealership.
"And I'm also a pastor. I've actually performed nine weddings here at the counter," Springs says.
"We're kind of a mixture between 'Pawn Stars,' 'American Pickers' and 'Sanford and Sons.' We have a little of everything."
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He buys, sells and loans on most anything, but that's about to change.
Springs is opening Country Sales & Supply and Mark Springs Machines where Country Pawn is now.
Country Sales will deal mainly with large-ticket items and accept pawns of only a minimum of $1,000.
Springs says most pawn shops do a minimum of $5 loans. He wants to do larger loans but not ones as large as a bank might make.
"We're that kind of place in the middle."
Another big change is Springs no longer will deal with guns.
"You have to have super-high security, and you have to deal with the federal government on guns," he says. "It also gives the government — the ATF — access to your place of business."
Also, when he sells a gun, Springs says he has to stay and do paperwork on the sale that day.
"I just don't want to do that anymore," he says.
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