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Santa Cruz Pawn By David Espinoza www.santacruzpawn.com IT'S NOT THE MOST STIMULATING website in cyberspace--after all, this is a pawn shop we're talking about here. Nonetheless, for any collector of assorted gadgets and antiques or for dinero desparados, www.santacruzpawn.com (the online version of Santa Cruz Pawn, Watch Repair & Jewelry) is a paradise. The main page smartly includes a "Featured Items This Week" section with pictures of a vintage smoking stand, French stereo viewer and Sperry Gyro-Compass-Repeater (i.e., oil compass), though the opening photo of Seabright Avenue and Soquel Avenue street signs is pretty lame. There are no pictures of the storefront (a good thing if you've ever been past it), but if you click on the Contact Us button, you get a nice shot of the inside. Aside from a broken button on the "Items for Sale" page, this site deserves an A for getting straight to the point, a B for aesthetics and a C+ for creativity. Here's something to ponder: how bizarre is it that in cyberspace, where time has no meaning, store owner Tom Macchiarella pitches grandfather clocks and high-priced antique watches? [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]