Hardcore Pawn is an American reality television series about the day-to-day operations of American Jewelry and Loan, a family-owned and operated pawn shop in Detroit, Michigan's 8 Mile Road corridor.
American Jewelry and Loan is owned by Leslie"Les"Gold, the grandson of a pawnbroker who once owned Sam's Loans, a now-defunct pawnshop on Michigan Avenue in Detroit. Les first opened American Jewelry at the Green Eight Shopping Center on 8 Mile Road in Oak Park in 1978, moving to its present location in 1993.
In 2011, American Jewelry expanded to its second location when it acquired Premier Jewelry and Loan in Pontiac; the new location was featured in the first few episodes of
Hardcore Pawn's fifth season, and in two episodes of the sixth season, where Seth attempts to sell the Pontiac location behind Les's back.
Les's business partner and only son, Seth, is an alumnus of the University of Michigan and has been a co-owner of American Jewelry since graduating from school. Seth handles the shop's marketing and claims that if it wasn't for him, the shop's only marketing would be "an ad in the Yellow Pages". Les's daughter, Ashley, has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Michigan State University and earned her graduate diamond certification from the Gemological Institute of America. She is a co-owner of American Jewelry and has been working there for more than fifteen years, although she took three years off at one point for maternity leave. The sibling rivalry between her and Seth is a common element of many episodes.
Cast
- Leslie "Les" Gold, owner
- Seth Gold, Les' son, co-owner
- Ashley Gold Broad, Les' daughter, co-owner
- Karen Mitchel, Les' niece, co-manager—jewelry department
- Bobby J, store employee
- Byron, head of security
