Earlier this year I lost a diamond out of my ring.  It was the second time I had lost a diamond out of that ring and I have since remedied what the problem seems to be with the design.  Chris and I had our rings redone for our 30th anniversary and I absolutely love the way our rings turned out BUT the big deal with mine was that I obviously could not handle having exposed prongs on the new design.  So now that is fixed with a different setting and life is good.

But losing a diamond is traumatic and I was majorly bummed about it as it was just one more thing in a string of bad experiences during a week.  My ring finger felt naked and when we were on a work road trip in April we found the perfect place to find an inexpensive band to wear in the meantime.

Enter Stan’s Gold Mine Store and Pawn Shop located off of Wilder Road in Bay City, Michigan.  We were in the area for a business trip and Chris “googled” local pawn shops thinking that would be a great place to find an inexpensive band.  We headed to Stan’s and had quite the time while we were there.

First of all there was this guy who greeted each customer as they entered the shop.  I wish I had taken a video because yes— there was some audio that went with him. We met Don Stanley the owner who is a lovely gentleman who has had businesses in the area for 4o years.  To say that we had fun with him would be an understatement.  We talked and shared stories and got a great feel for the place and for what there was available.  He prides himself in having great customer service and darn good prices and as a large volume and wholesale to the public dealer he definitely has a loyal following.  He has a couple of jewelers right there on site so adjustments and appraisals are easy and quick.I found a ring that I liked, the price was right and we made the transaction easily. I obviously did not want to have anything flashy or pricey–just something that would make my naked finger feel clothed again.  His daughter (let’s call her Stanette because I totally forgot to get her name) went online to show us some of the fun and unique commercials that they do with the local station  to promote their store.

You can imagine that we definitely had fun while we were here . But wait – like any good infomercial – there’s more!  Right next door is Wheeler Dealer Pawn Shop which also is part of the Stan’s family of stores.  Here his daughter showed us a myriad of wonderful things just waiting to be purchased by any discerning buyer.  From Beanie Babies to exercise equipment it was all here.

The pork lover in me loved the Original Appetizer maker for Pigs in a Blanket (and so much more) for only $15 but since I knew I needed to be downsizing I gave it a pass.

You know I love any adventure along this road we call life and I can guarantee you that if you stop in at Stan’s Gold Mine Store and Wheeler Dealer Pawn Shop you will definitely have an adventure.  You can also check out their Facebook page here.  If you make it there make sure you tell him that I sent you and that I am glad he discouraged Mr. Diamond from buying that horrible ring for himself.  Have you ever shopped at a similar place?  I would love to hear your stories in the comments section. Remember to Comment for a Cause.