Marie and Céline are on a mission to sell the contents of Marie’s overloaded car, which includes crystal cups, animal skins, and old scales. Their goal is to make a minimum of €5,500 by visiting a pawnshop in Brussels. While inside the pawnshop, they meet Olivier, an expert who evaluates their items. The loan system is becoming increasingly popular as it allows people to deposit their objects in return for cash. The pawnshop keeps the pledges in a secure location, and if the borrower cannot repay the loan within six months, the items are sold at auction. The Mont-de-piété loan sometimes leaves people disappointed as the evaluation of their offered items may not meet expectations, which is due to their potential resale value. Nonetheless, the institution has been helping people in financial difficulties for the past 400 years.
Marie reveals the contents of her car to us and the trunk is overloaded: crystal cups, animal skins, or old scales, the back of Marie’s car is full of surprises. With Céline, they hit the road this morning from Seraing, near Liège. The hope of the two friends: to get as much money as possible from these objects. “Au minimum 5.500€“, notes Céline. Entering the Brussels pawnshop is a first for Marie.
Pawnbroking is in fashion
The two pensioners discover this row of counters. Olivier is the expert who will determine how much their little treasure is worth: the 5,000 euros is to help other people.
Pawnbroking has been more and more successful in recent months: the borrower deposits his object and leaves with money. All these pledged goods, you will not see them: they are stored somewhere in the building, highly secure. Valuable paintings, bottles of fine wines, overpriced jewelry, these are tens of millions of euros of objects stored out of sight.
This precious reserve shelters jewels which belong to Edith, a regular of the place. “It is very good for people who need money“, she explains.”People deposit their goods, they receive money and following the 6 months, they come to collect them“. To recover a bracelet, Edith must repay her debt by paying a little interest, 3.25% for the first six months of the loan.
The institution sometimes makes people disappointed
For Céline and Marie, the valuation of the objects does not quite take the expected turn and the refusals are linked. “What makes us decide is a possible resale“, explains the expert. “If Madame does not know how to repay the loan, we must resell these objects and if they are unsaleable, we will not take them, because we will not have our money in return“. Finally, they will have for a hundred euros: much less than the 5,000 expected.
When the owners do not repay, the objects end up at auction. The amateurs, in the room, by telephone or on the Internet, chain the auctions. The Mont-de-piété donates part of the amount of the sale to the owner.
Jean-Jacques, tense, expects a certain lot. Lydia, in the front row, is waiting for another. A few hours before the sale, these two people were met by our teams in the room where the objects that will be auctioned are displayed. In scouting, they scrutinize the windows. Either way, they will eventually leave empty-handed.
Indeed, the Mont-de-piété sometimes makes people disappointed. But since its creation 400 years ago, the institution has made it easier for everyone to get through the hardships of everyday life.
In conclusion, the Mont-de-Piété in Brussels may not always bring the expected results for those hoping to get quick cash for their belongings, but the 400-year-old institution has been a valuable resource for many people over the years. Pawnbroking has become increasingly popular in recent months, allowing borrowers to deposit their objects and leave with money, knowing that their pledged goods are stored in a highly secure location. While not all objects are accepted for loans, those that are eventually end up at auction, where enthusiasts bid for a chance to own a valuable item. Despite some disappointments, the Mont-de-Piété remains an important part of everyday life for many people in Brussels and beyond.
