D&R Pawn & Jewelry has moved out of 7364 Manchester Road in Maplewood, and Maplewood business owner Kay Rye, of Sole Survivor Leather says she’ll miss the owner. She submitted the following to 40 South.
To the Editor / To Our Maplewood Community,
You might not think a pawn shop could be the heart of a neighborhood—but you’d be wrong.
Dave’s Pawn Shop, which recently closed its doors and moved to a new location, was so much more than a place to buy or sell things. It was a hub. A fixture. A spot of unexpected welcome in the middle of our town. And Dave was the reason why.
Dave was kind & generous. He made time for everyone, and people noticed. Throughout the day, neighbors, passersby, and friends would pull up one of the chairs outside and chat with Dave, or Ernie who worked there, or with each other. Dogs always had a bowl of water waiting. There was laughter, a sense of ease – a feeling that you belonged.
Kids and grown-ups alike loved the battery-powered monkey and zebra that Dave kept out front. They zipped up and down the sidewalk bringing joy to everyone—yes, even the adults took a turn. One of the regulars even made it a tradition to take a ride every evening at closing time, weather permitting. A silly detail but it made me smile. It made the day better.
Dave’s shop brought diversity to our block. Pawn shops draw people from all walks of life, and Dave treated everyone with the same respect and good humor. He was a neighbor in the truest sense of the word.
Maplewood was better because Dave was here. His absence is felt already, and it hasn’t even been a week.
Kay Rye
Sole Survivor Leather, Maplewood
Cry me a River. …Heeee haw
D&R Pawn & Jewelry is moving all the way to St. Charles. Was the rent raised? Will this become another food and beverage restaurant/bar concept? Boutique shopping does not work in Maplewood.