Located off Phelan Road, a few doors down from My Hero Subs & Pub is the BG Pawn Shop, a local family-owned business that’s been serving the Tri-Community for almost a decade. Josh Bonilla along with his father, brothers, and in-laws, have been working hard to provide a quality pawn shop to serve the community and support residents.
Not only do they buy gold, silver, jewelry, electronics, musical instruments, and collectibles to resell, but they also provide loans for individuals needing cash during unexpected times. “We’ve helped a lot of people. We help people pay their water bill, provide money for bail, and even bury their loved ones,” said Josh, who mentioned that the Tri-Community has experienced many unexpected deaths this year so far.
Josh says his clients come to BG not only for financial support but also for emotional support. The family business has seen clients from all walks of life go through different struggles. They joke that they are more than just a pawn shop; they’re also part-time therapists, listening to their customers’ stories and helping them through difficult times.
Although it was not always that way, the business owners say that operating a Pawn Shop came with some negative stigmas. While some people may think that most of the items pawned are more likely stolen goods, Josh verified that they have to meticulously document every item they buy and enter the transactions into the California Pawn & Secondhand Dealer System (CAPSS), which is run by the State of California’s Department of Justice.
“We work hand in hand with the police department. We’ve helped them before and given information to the cops in the past,” said Josh, who explained that anyone coming in to sell an item must have a valid government-issued ID, have their fingerprints scanned, and finally have their signature collected. This strict process is an effort to reduce crime since local law enforcement can search the CAPSS database for items that are reported stolen and, therefore, can be traced back from the information provided by the pawnshop to help find the perpetrators.
But, most of the time, the items are valid; in fact, BG Pawn Shop has seen some exceptionally rare things brought into the shop, including boxing gloves signed by Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant memorabilia, unique coins from around the world like South Africa, and Australia, and even historic WWII & WWI relics. Not only do they have an array of used items, but they offer a few brand-new items for sale as well. The BG Pawnshop is one of the only Pokemon-authorized vendors in the area, and they sell new Pokemon game releases and trading cards.
The business has found success by going digital and posting its items and collectibles online. It has a bustling eBay store and occasionally sells on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.
“We have learned to evolve our business to change with the times. Some people do not like change,” said Josh, who mentioned that the business has overcome many challenges, including when it first opened just one week after the 2016 Blue Cut Wildfire, which scorched over 30,000 acres in the area. They also made it through the 2020 pandemic, while many small businesses were forced to shut down.
For now, the family hopes to expand their business and remain a staple in the community, like participating in the Angel Tree Fundraiser during Christmas and being a judge during the 2023 Phelan Phun Days parade. BG Pawn Shop is located at 4184 Phelan Rd. in Phelan and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
