Before credit cards, pawn shops were the poor and working class’s “banks.” People pawned valuables for cash, then redeemed them when they could. The heart of the shop was the “second uncle,” whose expertise separated real from fake and set fair prices. In tougher times, parents even “pawned” children to him for blessings. Today, pawn shops are fading, and the neon sign “fortune within sight” (蝠鼠吊金錢) is rarely seen. Long live ""second uncle"". 在未有信用卡的年代，草根階層周轉不靈，會到當舖典當私人物品借錢，到有錢便贖回抵押品。俗稱二叔公的老櫃員，負責鑑別典當品的真偽並估值。舊時父母怕子女養不大，更會典當給二叔公祈福。時移世易，典當業日漸式微，標記「蝠鼠吊金錢」霓虹招牌也買少見少。
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1 PICode is a patented technology developed by an HKUST professor in collaboration with Articulator.
