Trading is in my blood. I vividly remember, as an elementary school student, trading baseball cards with my classmates. My trading interest blossomed as I learned how to buy low and sell high via various part-time business endeavors. These businesses included selling produce I got for free from my grandparent's garden door-to-door and a real estate publishing/marketing company. This interest led me to major in business/economics in college.

It was here where I learned about the stock and derivative markets. This knowledge set me on a life-long journey into the trading arena of the financial markets. I quickly realized that I was not alone in this pursuit. Everyone is a trader of one sort or another. Some trade their time, knowledge, talents and skills for a steady salary. Others decide to go at it alone by trading their and others abilities directly for monetary compensation via business. Still others decide to take a hands-on approach by directly interacting with the financial markets. No question about it, trading — in one form or another — is the world's oldest profession.

A fascinating twist on the trading game is the pawn shop business. These companies make loans on and purchase items of value from people in need of fast cash. These loans are often at exuberant interest rates, and the prices paid directly for items are way below market value. The business works because the customers are in need of immediate cash, and thus are willing to pay nearly any price for the privilege. As you can imagine, the worse things get economically, the more people there will be that will be forced to pawn their valuables for cash. Therefore, this industry is not only recession-proof, but it's inversely correlated with the economy. So if you are an economic bear, then investing in the pawn shop business is a no-brainer.

These businesses were once relegated to the seedy section of cities and didn't exactly have the best reputation. However, this perception is changing rapidly.

As even the once wealthy are forced to sell items at pawn shops, the status of these once looked-down-upon alternative finance companies grows. In fact, the second most popular reality show of all time, Pawn Stars, is based on a family-owned, Las Vegas-based pawn shop. Even uber-rich enclaves like Palm Beach, Florida, and Beverly Hills, California, have their share of pawn shops.