The tough economic times have many struggling to pay their monthly bills and some are turning to area pawn shops to come up with the cash.

With the current economy, some pawn shop owners say they are seeing more unfamiliar faces walk through their doors.

Gary Bain says his clientele is changing.

“I'm seeing more people pawn stuff that you really wouldn't think. I've had lawyers pawn stuff, I mean it's just been...the economy's bad,” said Bain, owner of Gary’s Pawn Shop in Corbin.

It is something his customers can attest to.

“I'm pretty much having to pawn stuff to make ends meet. I mean, plain and simple,” said Mary Veach, a customer.

Bain says more people are pawning high-end electronics.

“LCD TV's are the biggest item right now, laptops…”and the list goes on. But he says he still has to keep tabs on what he takes in.

“I have to be sort of selective on what I take in pawn because I, you know, I have to turn around and sell it if they don't pick it up. So I mean, it's just sort of rolling the dice when you pawn something,” said Bain.

For people like Richmond and Clara Cox pawning pays the bills.

“The electric bill's so dern high we had to pawn stuff to pay it this month. It's like what, 500 dollars every month?” said Richmond.

“We've had to pawn our TV, and we've had to pawn stuff, my rings and stuff that really I didn't want to,” said Clara.

She says tough times call for tough decisions.

Many pawners say if things don't change soon, they'll have to keep pawning off their most valued possessions.

Bain says over the past several months, his inventory has increased by 20 percent.