Sam's Pawn Shop of Wood River

Sam's Pawn Shop of Wood River is a pawn shop in Wood River, IL. It holds a rating of 3.20 based on 208 reviews. The shop buys jewelry, firearms, equipment, and more, and carries electronics, new and used firearms, jewelry, tools and equipment, and musical instruments alongside a broader inventory. Customers can take out cash loans by pawning items, sell gold or other valuables outright, or shop for discounted goods. Hours run Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the shop closed Sunday and Monday.

The Wood River location is part of a family business with deep roots in the area. The Balaco family has been involved in local commerce for over a hundred years and four generations. Sam Balaco I purchased the Modern Store, a local clothing store, in 1917 and later acquired the BonAir in 1938. His son Lotteo Balaco joined the business in 1941 and went on to own the BonAir for forty years while also running Holliday Hills Riding Stables, H&H Sales, and other ventures. Lotteo's son, Sam Balaco II, opened Sam's Loans, Inc., the original Sam's Pawn Shop, in 1991, and his daughter Stacy Balaco Dixon joined in 1995, followed by son-in-law Corey Dixon in 2005 and grandson Matthew Dixon in 2025. After Sam Balaco II's passing in 2022, ownership passed to Stacy, placing her among a small number of woman-owned and operated pawnbrokers in the country. She has updated the building's interior and exterior and expanded the jewelry selection while preserving the family-run character established when the shop first opened.

The shop is situated in the historic Antique District of Broadway in nearby Alton, a location connected to the family's long presence in the region. Contact is available by phone at (618) 462-5696 or by email at [email protected].