Anna Cvitkovich didn’t think it would come to this.

The happily married Bend woman pawned her wedding ring for $150 Tuesday afternoon to get cash for bills.

Cvitkovich, 30, who is unemployed, hasn’t had much luck finding a job since moving to Bend seven months ago with her family, and she’s part of the growing number of people visiting pawnshops to get a quick loan, or to buy products such as jewelry or DVDs at discounted prices.

Two pawnbrokers around Bend say they are seeing a surge in first-time pawnshop visitors and people who are coming in to get money to pay bills or unexpected expenses.

More middle-range income people are coming in to the Bend Pawn and Trading Company, between Powers Road and Reed Lane off of U.S. Highway 97, said the shop’s owner, Randy Stormberg. “Overall, we’re seeing a definite increase in the amount of people coming in,” he said.

Stormberg said before the housing market plummeted, lots of contractors were coming in to buy tools. Now they’re coming in to sell them. He also said gold is another popular item because the price of gold per ounce is so high.

Pawnshops are easier than banks for people to get quick cash, because the loan’s collateral is an item that was brought in, Stormberg said.

If someone brings in an item, the pawnshop will assess the used retail value and loan the client money. Loans range from $5 to $10,000, Stormberg said. The pawnshop will hold the item for 60 days at a 3 percent interest rate per month. After 60 days, the client has a 30-day grace period to pick up the item.

If a client wishes to extend a loan, he or she has the option to as well, Stormberg said.

“I’d rather have that individual renew their loan or pick up their item,” he said.

If the item is not picked up, the pawnshop keeps it and sells it. Stormberg said that although more people are using pawnshops for quick loans, the percentage of forfeits hasn’t gone up. Stormberg said he has several clients whose loans — mainly for sentimental items such as jewelry or family items — have spanned 10 years.

“There are a lot of people hurting right now,” Stormberg said. “I’m just here to help people out the best I can.”

Tiffany Dubbs, an assistant manager for Cash Connection off of Northeast Fifth Street, said she’s seen at least a 25 to 30 percent increase in people coming in the store in the past couple months, which she directly attributes to the economy.

“It hurts to see people coming in just wanting $5,” Dubbs said.

Dubbs said Cash Connection, which also has outlets in Redmond and two other Oregon locations, has taken in so many tools from construction workers, it now sells tools on eBay.

Earl Oller, the president of the Oregon Pawnbrokers Association, said people pawn different items in different regions of Oregon. In Central Oregon, tools are popular. In the Portland area, jewelry reigns.

But there’s more than just jewelry and tools that can be brought into a shop, Oller said. “Everything has value to it. It can range from A to Z.”

Oller said pawnshops have gotten a bad reputation in the past, but they’re really good options for people in a bind who need cash quick. “If somebody takes the time to really look into it and talk to customers and actually go into a pawnshop and see how they operate, it’s not at all how you see in ‘Law and Order,’” Oller said.

Cvitkovich used a pawnshop in a bind, but she’s confident she will wear her wedding ring again.

“I think we’ll be able to get it back,” she said.