Traditionally, pawning was done face-to-face. You had to present your collateral to the shop and surrender it physically for inspection before any agreements could take place. Now, online pawning allows you to list your item on pawnshops so you can get offers more quickly and lessen the hassle of having to make trips to physical stores frequently.
Source: http://blog.pawnhero.ph/pawnshops-then-and-now-infographic/
