The principles of pawning; cornstarch removes oil from suede shoes

Dear Heloise: I needed some cash quickly, so I popped into my neighborhood pawnshop. I was surprised!

Everyone there was pleasant and professional. I brought in a gold necklace in great condition as collateral for my loan. The shop lent me an amount against the necklace, which, honestly, is a fraction of what it’s worth, but they asked me how much money I needed, and that’s about what I walked out with. Here are some hints to remember: The pawn industry is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission, and in some instances the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

There are fees and interest, but pawn loans are meant to be short-term loans, and not a long-term solution to financial problems.

Read the terms of the loan on the pawn ticket, and ask questions don’t understand something.

If I’m not able to repay the loan, they keep the necklace and put it up for sale, but I do have a few months to come up with the money and the interest.—Mary M. in Illinois if you

BACKUP CAMERA Dear Heloise: I have a hard time judging in a parking space if I’m up far enough. My car has a backup camera, so if I pull into a parking space, I put the car into reverse (so the camera will come on) to see if I’m far enough into the parking space.—Carol L., Bridgeport, W.Va.

By viewing the backup camera, you also can check to see that you are aligned evenly in the space between the striping.—Heloise

SUEDE SAVER Dear Heloise: I spilled a bit of mayo on my suede sandal, but I decided not to panic. I wiped up as much as I could, then sprinkled some cornstarch baby powder on the spot.

I let it sit for a few minutes, then buffed the spot lightly with a paper towel. The stain didn’t come out completely the first time, but after a couple more tries, the stain was out! (I applied some of the powder to the other shoe so the color would be “even.”)

So if you spill oil on suede, don’t despair. The stain can be sopped up or tremendously lightened with cornstarch baby powder!—Helen N. in Washington