Segment Information - Operating Segment Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									$ 409,107,000	$ 402,118,000	$ 388,022,000
Jewelry scrapping sales									50,113,000	57,973,000	96,241,000
Pawn service charges									261,800,000	247,204,000	248,378,000
Other revenues									9,485,000	12,705,000	13,129,000
Total revenues	$ 184,585,000	$ 170,150,000	$ 188,213,000	$ 187,557,000	$ 170,291,000	$ 164,619,000	$ 188,735,000	$ 196,355,000	730,505,000	720,000,000	745,770,000
Merchandise cost of goods sold									258,271,000	267,789,000	248,637,000
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									42,039,000	46,066,000	72,830,000
Other cost of revenues									1,965,000	3,125,000	2,446,000
Net revenues	$ 106,861,000	$ 100,394,000	$ 108,365,000	$ 112,610,000	$ 99,547,000	$ 93,808,000	$ 101,238,000	$ 108,427,000	428,230,000	403,020,000	421,857,000
Operating expenses:
Operations									301,387,000	294,939,000	293,737,000
Administrative									68,101,000	72,986,000	79,944,000
Depreciation and amortization									26,542,000	30,959,000	29,259,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									1,106,000	2,659,000	(5,841,000)
Restructuring									1,921,000	17,080,000	6,664,000
Interest expense									16,477,000	16,385,000	7,911,000
Interest income									(81,000)	(278,000)	(299,000)
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									255,000	5,473,000	(5,948,000)
Impairment of investments									10,957,000	26,837,000	7,940,000
Other expense									1,202,000	2,187,000	601,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									363,000	(66,207,000)	7,889,000
Operating Segments
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									409,107,000	402,118,000	388,022,000
Jewelry scrapping sales									50,113,000	57,973,000	96,241,000
Pawn service charges									261,800,000	247,204,000	248,378,000
Other revenues									9,485,000	12,705,000	13,129,000
Total revenues									730,505,000	720,000,000	745,770,000
Merchandise cost of goods sold									258,271,000	267,789,000	248,637,000
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									42,039,000	46,066,000	72,830,000
Other cost of revenues									1,965,000	3,125,000	2,446,000
Net revenues									428,230,000	403,020,000	421,857,000
Operating expenses:
Operations									301,387,000	294,939,000	293,737,000
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									15,425,000	20,283,000	19,524,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									837,000	1,252,000	(6,805,000)
Restructuring									1,738,000	7,378,000	0
Interest expense									234,000	75,000	28,000
Interest income									(32,000)	(120,000)	(21,000)
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									255,000	5,473,000	(5,948,000)
Impairment of investments									10,957,000	26,837,000	7,940,000
Other expense									1,275,000	1,995,000	226,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									96,154,000	44,908,000	113,176,000
Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									348,771,000	334,635,000	325,337,000
Jewelry scrapping sales									47,810,000	54,343,000	89,471,000
Pawn service charges									229,893,000	216,211,000	217,891,000
Other revenues									331,000	945,000	1,377,000
Total revenues									626,805,000	606,134,000	634,076,000
Merchandise cost of goods sold									217,268,000	218,953,000	205,144,000
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									40,138,000	42,845,000	66,713,000
Other cost of revenues									0	0	5,000
Net revenues									369,399,000	344,336,000	362,214,000
Operating expenses:
Operations									255,321,000	244,232,000	236,225,000
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									12,242,000	15,227,000	13,333,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									664,000	995,000	(6,809,000)
Restructuring									993,000	4,016,000	0
Interest expense									125,000	60,000	3,000
Interest income									(2,000)	(42,000)	(18,000)
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Other expense									0	0	1,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									100,056,000	79,848,000	119,479,000
Operating Segments | Mexico Pawn
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									60,331,000	65,408,000	60,302,000
Jewelry scrapping sales									2,282,000	3,267,000	6,302,000
Pawn service charges									31,907,000	30,993,000	30,487,000
Other revenues									385,000	1,021,000	1,016,000
Total revenues									94,905,000	100,689,000	98,107,000
Merchandise cost of goods sold									41,002,000	47,371,000	42,044,000
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									1,885,000	2,954,000	5,807,000
Other cost of revenues									0	0	0
Net revenues									52,018,000	50,364,000	50,256,000
Operating expenses:
Operations									38,481,000	43,927,000	48,907,000
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									2,965,000	4,440,000	5,374,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									169,000	258,000	27,000
Restructuring									543,000	799,000	0
Interest expense									109,000	15,000	25,000
Interest income									(30,000)	(78,000)	(3,000)
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Other expense									1,273,000	1,988,000	116,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									8,508,000	(985,000)	(4,190,000)
Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									5,000	2,075,000	2,383,000
Jewelry scrapping sales									21,000	363,000	468,000
Pawn service charges									0	0	0
Other revenues									8,769,000	10,739,000	10,736,000
Total revenues									8,795,000	13,177,000	13,587,000
Merchandise cost of goods sold									1,000	1,465,000	1,449,000
Jewelry scrapping cost of goods sold									16,000	267,000	310,000
Other cost of revenues									1,965,000	3,125,000	2,441,000
Net revenues									6,813,000	8,320,000	9,387,000
Operating expenses:
Operations									7,585,000	6,780,000	8,605,000
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									218,000	616,000	817,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									4,000	(1,000)	(23,000)
Restructuring									202,000	2,563,000	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest income									0	0	0
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									255,000	5,473,000	(5,948,000)
Impairment of investments									10,957,000	26,837,000	7,940,000
Other expense									2,000	7,000	109,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									(12,410,000)	(33,955,000)	(2,113,000)
Corporate
Revenues:
Merchandise sales									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping sales									0	0	0
Pawn service charges									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
Other cost of revenues									0	0	0
Net revenues									0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Operations									0	0	0
Administrative									68,101,000	72,986,000	79,944,000
Depreciation and amortization									11,117,000	10,676,000	9,735,000
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets									269,000	1,407,000	964,000
Restructuring									183,000	9,702,000	6,664,000
Interest expense									16,243,000	16,310,000	7,883,000
Interest income									(49,000)	(158,000)	(278,000)
Loss (income) from investments in unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0	0	0
Other expense									(73,000)	192,000	375,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									$ (95,791,000)	$ (111,115,000)	$ (105,287,000)