ECW Founder Tod Gordon’s Pawn Shop Celebrating 160th Anniversary

The pawn shop owned by ECW founder Tod Gordon is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. Gordon, who most wrestling fans remember as the founder of Easten Championship Wrestling (which went on to become Extreme Championship Wrestling), was profiled by the Philadelphia Inquirer as part of a piece on the pawn shop, Carver W. Reed. Gordon’s family has owned the business since his grandfather bought it in the 19th century; it was founded by its namesake in 1860 and has been in business ever since.

Gordon noted in the piece that the shop survived the last pandemic, the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, saying, “We’re still here. The last pandemic couldn’t shut us down, and neither will this one.” He did note that the current pandemic has caused them to cancel plans for a big anniversary event.

“A lot of people are hurting,” he said. “I don’t think we should celebrate anything this year. But it’s disappointing. I wanted to thank my customers for helping us hit this big milestone birthday.”

You can see the full piece at the link.