Lee Hankin Cary

After spending a short time in sales early in his career, Lee decided he was best suited for owning his own business. In 1983, he and his brother began to operate a small "Mom & Pop" drugstore (sundries, cigarettes, candy and more) located in Northeast Philadelphia. He soon learned that it was impossible to compete with the drugstore chains that were booming in the area. Being the entrepreneur that he is, he found there were a number of times riders of the public train were strapped for cash and needed money for a pass and decided to transform that little shop into his first "pawn shop." From there, he went on to open a few shops, many of which were located in "strip centers" - a first for the pawnshop business. After running the shops quite successfully, Lee decided his real passion was in the jewelry business. Lee and Donna moved to Cary in the Summer of 1998 for a change of pace. Lee went on to train at the Gemological Institute of America, GIA, and the birth of Joint Venture Jewelry began. Lee is responsible for all appraisals, repairs, as well as jewelry cleaning and polishing. He oversees all consignment take-ins, and consignor relations. After being an avid athlete all his life, tennis (USPTA teaching pro and has coached both Green Hope High School and Meredith College), golf, racquetball, running and mountain biking (the American Tobacco Trail's his favorite), Lee wore out his right hip. In early 2012, Lee had total hip replacement surgery and has recovered remarkably! Besides sports, Lee has a weakness for cars; don't get him started about Mercedes and NASCAR! He also has conformed to his new Southern culture, embracing the PBR and pickup trucks. Lee's newest gem is his Miniature Pinscher, Ruby. She can always be found close to her Daddy! Favorite Quote: "It's only money -“ meant to be earned & spent. You never know what lies ahead, enjoy the moment."