A Flashlight for the Spring Season - The Nebo Slyde

There is nothing like a good flashlight - I have bought plenty of both, but one I was happy to get in our store to sell is a nice model. Nebo has been with the Alliance Sports Group for ten years, and it has been a productive union.

Thew Slyde is an LED flashlight with 250 lumens in the main light, and 190 lumens in the built in worklight. The light takes 4 AAA batteries - it is no problem finding power for this thing, and a set of rechargable AAA's would be a perfect match. The flashlight mode stays lit for 2 hours, the work light mode provides light for about 3.5 hours.

These are heavy lights - with batteries, they come in at 300 grams, or a little over half a pound, and they have a good solid feel, especially the push button to turn the light off and on and the slide function which reveals the worklight.

The magnetic base is NOT a weak magnet, this thing grips very strongly. It would be nice if the light was dimmable, but that function is not available on this model.

250 Lumens is bright - you do not want to shine this light in your eyes, but it cuts through the darkness very effectively with a measured range of 220 meters, or 18 meters for the work light. It is still quite bright but a much more diffuse beam. These two different lights make this a great addition to your normal fishing equipment and camping equipment.

The magnet at the base of the Slyde is more than strong enough

The light is water resistant, with good rubber seals and dual screw caps that protect the battery compartment.

These sweet little flashlights are available now at Gaston Music & Pawn!

For new and used outdoors gear and more stop by Gaston Music & Pawn now!

Gaston Music & Pawn has been the pawn shop Gastonia residents  have depended on for years for short term loans and man other items including some of the best used fishing gear in Gastonia.

Turn Your Old Gold Into The Money You Need!

Gold Loans and Diamond Loans among the best items for Pawnshop Loans

Gaston Music & Pawn specializes in making short term loans on all sorts of quality merchandise, but there are some things which make the best loans. The best items are ones which do not quickly lose their lifespan. When you look at computers, TV's and other electronics they have a fairly short shelf life, and that is true for a pawnshops ability to make loans on items such as these.

However, some things have a much more stable used retail value. These include musical gear and instruments, firearms, certain types of tools - and gold and diamond jewelry.

Jewelry is especially good for short term loans as it is something that you may not use during the normal course of your life, and broken gold to a pawnshop is still gold.

Gold is down slightly now - it has been running about $1169 - $1200 or a little higher as of 03-2015. In real world terms, for a loan value from most pawn shops you are looking at about $9.00 to $12.00 per gram, depending on the purity of the gold and over all quality of the piece of jewelry.

Diamonds and gold make great items to get loans on, but beware getting loans on sentimental items!

Diamond's Can Make Great Collateral 

Diamonds are a bit trickier, and usually diamonds need to be at least 1/5th of a karat or more to loan beyond what the gold weight is on a diamond. The loan values are quite a but lower than new retail value, but they still make an excellent piece of collateral for loans.

Of course, we also buy any gold jewelry, no matter what condition it is in, and diamond rings, but getting a loan on your items does allow you to pick them back up.

There are a few things that we do caution people about - one is the size of the loan. It is always best to borrow the smallest amount you need so your items are easier to pick up, as large loans over 90 days especially can mount up. For instance, a $150.00 loan for the first 30 days is only $183.00, but if it is not picked up until the third month it will be $249.00.

A Diamond Designer Ring at Gaston Music & Pawn!

The other thing we recommend is that you judge the sentimental value of anything you might want to get a loan on - if you have your grandmothers ring which means the world to you, you may want to consider whether you ever use it as a way to get the short term money you need.

Most of the things I have been sentimental about don't have any real value but this should always be considered when you need money and are looking for a short term loan from a pawn shop.

Gaston Music & Pawn has been the pawn shop Gastonia residents have chosen for years - if you need money, our collateral based short term loans in Gastonia may be just thing to get you by!

The Southern Quiche Recipe - Or A Great Way To Use Eggs!

A Simple Quiche

The Quiche has a bad reputation - and yes, if done right, men do love it! This simple dish is almost infinitely variable and is one of my favorite recipes, and can suit nearly any taste by the vegetables and meats that are included in the quiche. From a delicious breakfast quiche to a savory vegetarian dish, this dinner will impress everyone, and leave the cook plenty of time to talk and visit with the guests instead of slaving in the kitchen. Best of all, the veggies and meats are included; serve with some rolls or some other bread and all the bases are covered!

The recipe here will use the ingredients found below, but they can be substituted by the meat & veggies of your choice – this is one of my favorite formulations of this quick and easy dish, though. This dish also makes a great vegetarian dish!

Cook all meats completely before cooking the quiche!

Sausage (ground Neese’s is what I like best, but you can also use Italian Sausage, or any type of bratwurst. On those types, cook the sausage completely and then cut them into small bite sized chunks)

Green beans or Snow Peas

Purple/Red Onions

Broccoli or slices of red or yellow bell peppers

Cheddar Cheese

Munster or another soft white cheese

Eggs

Milk 

1 Deep Dish Pie Pan (frozen or scratch made, in deep pie tin)

Saute the veggies before making the pie; start with the onions, and cook them the longest; cook the peas/beans and broccoli so they are just barely cooked. Cook all veggies in a frying pan with butter or olive oil (the peas/beans and broccoli will finish cooking inside the pie).

Take the veggies and the meat, and make a layer in the bottom of the pie crust, then add a layer of grated cheese (mix the varieties). Do a second and a third layer until the meat, veggies and cheese come even with the top of the pie crust.

Mix eggs and milk together (usually three eggs) until they are the same consistency as what you would mix for scrambled eggs. Pour this mixture into the pie pan until the egg mixture is even with the top of the meat and veggie layers. Cover with tinfoil, bake for about 45 – 60 minutes in a oven preheated to 375. 

The eggs can overrun the pie crust if filled to high, so place the pie crust on a tin foil lined cookie sheet. Cook until the eggs are done or nearly done, then uncover the pie crust, put on a final layer of cheese and cook another 20-30 minutes until the top layer of cheese is a golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes then cut into slices and serve!

Even though we are a music store Gastonia players have relied on for years, as a pawn shop Gastonia residents depend on we occasionally get very good deals on KitchenAid mixers and other high end kitchen appliances and equipment!