Segment Information - Operating Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									$ 402,118	$ 388,022	$ 368,085
Jewelry scrapping sales									57,973	96,241	131,675
Pawn service charges									247,204	248,378	251,354
Consumer loan fees and interest									78,066	63,702	51,861
Other revenues									3,008	3,949	6,550
Total revenues	$ 188,834	$ 181,621	$ 205,190	$ 212,724	$ 196,651	$ 188,117	$ 205,179	$ 210,345	788,369	800,292	809,525
Merchandise cost of goods sold									267,789	248,637	218,617
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									46,066	72,830	96,115
Consumer loan bad debt									29,571	22,051	14,360
Net revenues	$ 106,329	$ 107,988	$ 113,570	$ 117,056	$ 107,615	$ 110,517	$ 117,256	$ 121,386	444,943	456,774	480,433
Operating expenses:
Operations									327,603	325,921	301,688
Administrative									72,986	79,944	70,493
Depreciation and amortization									33,543	31,762	28,096
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									2,659	(5,841)	1,300
Interest expense									42,202	28,389	16,189
Interest income									(1,608)	(1,298)	(992)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									5,473	(5,948)	(13,240)
Impairment of investments									29,237	7,940	43,198
Restructuring									17,080	6,664	0
Other (income) expense									6,611	480	2,077
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									(90,843)	(11,239)	31,624
Operating Segments [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									402,118	388,022	368,085
Jewelry scrapping sales									57,973	96,241	131,675
Pawn service charges									247,204	248,378	251,354
Consumer loan fees and interest									78,066	63,702	51,861
Other revenues									3,008	3,949	6,550
Total revenues									788,369	800,292	809,525
Merchandise cost of goods sold									267,789	248,637	218,617
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									46,066	72,830	96,115
Consumer loan bad debt									29,571	22,051	14,360
Net revenues									444,943	456,774	480,433
Operating expenses:
Operations									327,603	325,921	301,688
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									22,867	22,027	19,893
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									1,252	(6,805)	167
Interest expense									25,892	20,506	12,066
Interest income									(1,450)	(1,020)	(742)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									5,473	(5,948)	(13,240)
Impairment of investments									29,237	7,940	43,198
Restructuring									7,378	0
Other (income) expense									6,419	105	1,332
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									20,272	94,048	116,071
Operating Segments [Member] | U.S. Pawn [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									334,635	325,337	308,462
Jewelry scrapping sales									54,343	89,471	122,484
Pawn service charges									216,211	217,891	221,775
Consumer loan fees and interest									0	0	0
Other revenues									945	1,377	1,438
Total revenues									606,134	634,076	654,159
Merchandise cost of goods sold									218,953	205,144	182,071
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									42,845	66,713	88,212
Consumer loan bad debt									0	5	0
Net revenues									344,336	362,214	383,876
Operating expenses:
Operations									244,232	236,225	229,115
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									15,227	13,333	12,111
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									995	(6,809)	105
Interest expense									60	3	52
Interest income									(42)	(18)	(7)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Restructuring									4,016	0
Other (income) expense									0	1	1
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									79,848	119,479	142,499
Operating Segments [Member] | Mexico Pawn [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									65,408	60,302	57,564
Jewelry scrapping sales									3,267	6,302	8,540
Pawn service charges									30,993	30,487	29,579
Consumer loan fees and interest									0	0	0
Other revenues									1,021	1,016	1,017
Total revenues									100,689	98,107	96,700
Merchandise cost of goods sold									47,371	42,044	35,470
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									2,954	5,807	7,496
Consumer loan bad debt									0	0	0
Net revenues									50,364	50,256	53,734
Operating expenses:
Operations									43,927	48,907	44,775
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									4,440	5,374	4,706
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									258	27	17
Interest expense									15	25	85
Interest income									(78)	(3)	(66)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Restructuring									799	0
Other (income) expense									1,988	116	33
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									(985)	(4,190)	4,184
Operating Segments [Member] | Grupo Finmart [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping sales									0	0	0
Pawn service charges									0	0	0
Consumer loan fees and interest									68,114	53,377	42,527
Other revenues									255	1,145	1,959
Total revenues									68,369	54,522	44,486
Merchandise cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Consumer loan bad debt									26,446	19,605	11,714
Net revenues									41,923	34,917	32,772
Operating expenses:
Operations									32,664	32,184	17,593
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									2,584	2,503	2,227
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									0	0	0
Interest expense									25,817	20,478	11,929
Interest income									(1,330)	(999)	(669)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Restructuring									0	0
Other (income) expense									4,424	(121)	(251)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									(22,236)	(19,128)	1,943
Operating Segments [Member] | Other International [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									2,075	2,383	2,059
Jewelry scrapping sales									363	468	651
Pawn service charges									0	0	0
Consumer loan fees and interest									9,952	10,325	9,334
Other revenues									787	411	2,136
Total revenues									13,177	13,587	14,180
Merchandise cost of goods sold									1,465	1,449	1,076
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									267	310	407
Consumer loan bad debt									3,125	2,441	2,646
Net revenues									8,320	9,387	10,051
Operating expenses:
Operations									6,780	8,605	10,205
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									616	817	849
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									(1)	(23)	45
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest income									0	0	0
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									5,473	(5,948)	(13,240)
Impairment of investments									29,237	7,940	43,198
Restructuring									2,563	0
Other (income) expense									7	109	1,549
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									(36,355)	(2,113)	(32,555)
Corporate [Member]
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping sales									0	0	0
Pawn service charges									0	0	0
Consumer loan fees and interest									0	0	0
Other revenues									0	0	0
Total revenues									0	0	0
Merchandise cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Consumer loan bad debt									0	0	0
Net revenues									0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Operations									0	0	0
Administrative									72,986	79,944	70,493
Depreciation and amortization									10,676	9,735	8,203
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									1,407	964	1,133
Interest expense									16,310	7,883	4,123
Interest income									(158)	(278)	(250)
Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Restructuring									9,702	6,664
Other (income) expense									192	375	745
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes									$ (111,115)	$ (105,287)	$ (84,447)