History

Almost 150 years of customer service

Founded in 1882, Helsingin Pantti is a company that specialises in pawnbroking and auctioneering. Our company’s almost 150-year history speaks volumes for our responsibility and continuous ability to evolve. We are always ready to provide our customers with a personal and professional service.

We serve you at 12 pawn shops around Finland. Each of our pawn shops also offers a splendid selection of jewellery for sale – you can buy something for yourself or as a gift immediately. All our offices provide you with relaxed and straightforward service and the best experts in valuables.

We started out from small loans

Pawnbroking operations started in Finland after the mid-19th century, and the first office was founded in Turku in 1869. Soon after that, in 1882, a pawn shop was also founded in Helsinki. That is the year that is considered to officially mark the start of the long history of Helsingin Pantti. The amounts loaned were very small at first. In the 19th century, the smallest loan amount was three Finnish marks, while the longest loan period was three months.

Pawned possessions in each era

The history of Helsingin Pantti is long and coloured by various phenomena over the decades. Over the course of the almost 150 years, a wide range of items has been brought in to pawn. In the early years, these included clothing, pieces of art, utility items, gold, silver, copper and bonds, among other things. Over the years, the pawned items have remained partly the same, but the range of items also reflects changes over different eras. For example, the years after World War II saw an increase in the number of technical devices, such as record players, sewing machines and vacuum cleaners, being pawned.

Helsingin Pantti has had offices in several different locations in Helsinki and other cities. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the pawn shop required a great deal of storage space, as many of the valuables pawned could be very large in size. For example, bicycles and sewing machines required their own storage spaces.

Borrow, bid, buy

In recent years, the auctioneering developed around the pawnbroking operations has also expanded to an online shop that allows collectors to make good finds. The need to borrow money continues to exist, which is why the company has been keen to develop its pawnbroking operations according to the customers’ needs. The foundation remains the same. Get a loan easily and quickly.