As one of the UK’s leading pawnbrokers, Prestige Pawnbrokers specialises in providing short-term loans secured against high-value items. Like any successful business, it credits its success to a tight-knit team boasting expertise, passion and an unwavering eye for detail. Here they are!

James Constantinou

James, a serial entrepreneur, founded Prestige Pawnbrokers in 2009 and has held the position of Managing Director ever since. His expertise is vast and varied, encompassing vintage classic cars, property development, sales and marketing. According to James, “The business is driven by my ability and willingness to say yes when others would say no. I have a thirst for success and a desire to reach new boundaries.” He’s a passionate believer that the key to business success is an insatiable hunger for gain, as opposed to a fear of loss.

Jo Lawlor

As one of Constantinou’s oldest friends, Jo was a shoe-in for the position of professional pawnbroker. While she now makes a living trading luxury second hand goods, she has a 14-year background in the health and fitness industry. In fact, Jo is a qualified holistic therapist and a lady of many talents!

Delyth Du Plooy

Hailing from North Yorkshire, Delyth first discovered her interest in jewellery while studying Art and Design. Today she boasts qualifications from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and has travelled extensively in search of diamonds, gems and other rare stones. She considers pawn broking “an ancient trade that is just as relevant in society today as it was in Ancient Rome”.

Lawrence Pickett

Lawrence has racked up over 30 years of experience in the jewellery trade, with a particular interest in modern, urban and memorabilia pieces. He loves the people-oriented nature of pawnbroking, and gets a thrill out of helping clients turn trinkets into cold hard cash. As a self-confessed history buff, any item with a backstory immediately captures his attention. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that he’s a legitimate descendent of Henry VII!

Claudia Valentin

This haute-couture loving gal has an undying infatuation with high-end assets, including fine art, jewellery and luxury leather goods. She has a background in bespoke jewellery design and boasts an impressive personal network of contacts. Her eye for detail plays an intrinsic role in her success, and, for her, “appraising brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès, amongst others, has become second nature”.

More about other members of the team in the future posts.

 Over the past few years the UK has become hooked on reality TV shows. And when it comes to quality, diversity and unique content, Channel 4 reigns supreme. The station has become synonymous with niche documentaries and Posh Pawn has emerged as one of its most popular shows. Featuring a colourful collection of characters, a continuous influx of luxury items and a cornucopia of on-site action, seasons one and two were categorical hits! Now, managing director James Constantinou has signed on for a third series, and it’s set to hit TV screens soon.

Unfamiliar with the world of Posh Pawn? Read on for an overview of the concept, the team and what to expect.

A team of pawn stars

While the show itself is titled Posh Pawn, it actually follows the everyday working lives of the Prestige Pawnbrokers team. Led by serial entrepreneur James Constantinou, the business has quickly grown into London’s most coveted pawn broking shop. Over the years he’s built up a killer team of individuals boasting expertise in an array of different areas. From high-end horology and gemstone specialists to vintage car buffs and leather goods aficionados, nothing gets past the hawk-like eyes of the Prestige Pawnbrokers crew.

Pawn for the rich and famous

While everyday Brits with lacklustre items head down the road, the rich and famous make a beeline for Prestige Pawnbrokers. Here, they can cash in anything with a price tag that’s likely to impress. From helicopters, mini-submarines and Lamborghinis to Cartier watches, platinum rings and Hermès handbags, the general consensus is that anything luxurious goes.

A sneak peek into the world of high end pawn

For those interested in what goes on behind the scenes of a high-end pawn broker shop, Posh Pawn season 3 is a must-watch show. As well as showcasing the items themselves, the programme also delves into the context of why owners are selling and how much they’re likely to receive. The film crew follow the valuation process, with the Prestige Pawnbrokers team often calling on third-party experts to help establish exactly how much an item is worth. Sometimes they’ll even venture off site to visit the residences of owners or take their latest finds for a spin.

The Prestige Pawnbrokers team are back for a third series Posh Pawn of this autumn. Headed up by entrepreneur James Constantinou the new series has been scheduled to air on Channel 4 in October.

We are looking forward to giving the public an even closer look at the behind the scenes day to day running of Prestige including new aspects of our business such as our new online eshop

James Constantinou Director & Owner of Prestige

Since series 2 the business has grown and expanded with new staff members along with favourites such as the quick witted operations manager Jo Lawlor and Jewellery Experts Lawrence and Jamo.

Expect a series 3 to be the best Posh Pawn series to date!

Missed any of the previous Posh Pawn shows? Catch up now on Channel 4 On Demand

We are pleased to announce the opening of our new Hatton Garden store in London’s jewellery and diamond quarter in EC1 Holborn.

Come and visit us in our new store as soon as you can, you may even get the chance to star in ‘Posh Pawn’ currently being filmed on location in Hatton Garden and across our other stores.

Call the Hatton Garden store on: 0207 405 6664

Hatton Garden Store & Head Office
Prestige Pawnbrokers
New House
Ground Floor & Basement
67-68 Hatton Garden
London
EC1N 8JY

We are pleased to announce the first trailer for our new Posh Pawn series starting tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm!

After a successful one-off documentary last year, we return for a full 6 part series.  Follow us and the fortunes of James Constantinou and team in Surrey and London.  There is a dedicated site to the show available www.poshpawn.tv

Check out the show tonight! 8pm Thrusday 17/04/2014 on Channel 4

As notoriety of our brand has been growing it was not long before the press and media targeted prestige, this lead to the documentary Posh Pawn recently commissioned by Channel 4.

A frenzy of global interest in the brand followed leading to current plans of expansion. In September 2013 Posh Pawn was released on Channel 4 TV.  The documentary closely followed the day to day business of our high end pawnbrokers.

Since then we have been busy creating a dedicated site www.PoshPawn.TV where you will soon be able to find out exclusive news and behind the scenes action of our high end pawnbroking business.

Check out www.poshpawn.tv and remember to check back soon for exclusive information.

From helicopters to Lambourghinis and Hermes handbags, this documentary uncovers the hidden world of high-end pawnbroking

James Constantinou introduces his upmarket pawn business based in Weybridge, Surrey

View more details on the Channel 4 website:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/posh-pawn

The Pawn Shop from Boomerang is a 1 x 60 documentary uncovering the hidden world of high-end pawnbroking, with exclusive access to the experts and extraordinary clients involved in this growing industry. Focusing on Surrey-based Prestige Pawnbrokers, the undisputed kings at pawning expensive and exclusive objects in cash-strapped Britain, we’ll go behind-the-scenes and discover that when it comes to upmarket pawn everyone has a story to tell.

From a £1million helicopter, a £150k Ferrari or a Hermes handbag worth £25k, they are at the forefront when it comes to pawning luxurious and costly objects in cash-strapped Britain and part of a growing number of high-end pawnbrokers. Run by slick, former property developer, James Constantinou with the aid of a quirky team of asset experts including salt-of-the-earth jewellery expert Lawrence, feisty PA Jo and art expert Ben among others, Prestige has become the go-to place for people wanting fast cash in well-heeled Surrey. And it’s an empire on the move: James is taking big risks investing his hard earned cash in a brand new store in Richmond and has bigger plans in mind too. But will expanding make or break the business?
 

Read the press release on the channel 4 website, the pawn shop

Releasing cash by selling top quality wine has never been easier, with a global marketplace readily accessible online.

Prestige Pawnbrokers features in the Daily Telegraph read the full article on pawning wine here