Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 202,465	$ 199,612	$ 632,890	$ 606,180
Net revenues	115,853	114,742	373,592	357,088
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	84,727	82,932	261,756	248,758
Administrative	15,053	13,268	46,795	39,688
Depreciation and amortization	7,254	6,124	21,114	18,298
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	24	314	3,643	453
Interest expense	9,832	7,394	27,212	19,070
Interest income	(3,172)	(4,358)	(9,637)	(12,896)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	(1,320)	(1,151)	(632)	(3,477)
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	19,725	0
Other (income) expense	(4)	(5,287)	(121)	(5,473)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	3,459	15,506	3,737	52,667
Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues	202,465	199,612	632,890	606,180
Net revenues	115,853	114,742	373,592	357,088
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	84,727	82,932	261,756	248,758
Administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	4,632	4,009	13,684	12,194
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	2	100	3,621	228
Interest expense	1,567	3	1,850	6
Interest income	(376)	(672)	(1,226)	(2,072)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	(1,320)	(1,151)	(632)	(3,477)
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates			19,725
Other (income) expense	40	(103)	227	(110)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	26,581	29,624	74,587	101,561
Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	156,462	157,302	488,779	479,045
Net revenues	92,008	89,633	292,168	283,397
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	65,449	65,257	200,884	196,635
Administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	2,934	3,010	8,951	9,340
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	4	74	2,856	197
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates			0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	(3)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	23,621	21,292	79,477	77,228
Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	44,733	40,707	139,837	121,781
Net revenues	23,151	23,855	78,617	69,610
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	18,284	14,997	54,703	44,847
Administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	1,626	951	4,543	2,712
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	(8)	26	743	31
Interest expense	1,491	3	1,570	6
Interest income	(376)	(672)	(1,226)	(2,072)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates			0
Other (income) expense	34	(103)	(63)	11
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	2,100	8,653	18,347	24,075
Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,270	1,603	4,274	5,354
Net revenues	694	1,254	2,807	4,081
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	994	2,678	6,169	7,276
Administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	72	48	190	142
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	6	0	22	0
Interest expense	76	0	280	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	(1,320)	(1,151)	(632)	(3,477)
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates			19,725
Other (income) expense	6	0	290	(118)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	860	(321)	(23,237)	258
Corporate Items
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Segment and corporate expenses (income):
Operations	0	0	0	0
Administrative	15,053	13,268	46,795	39,688
Depreciation and amortization	2,622	2,115	7,430	6,104
Loss (gain) on sale or disposal of assets and other	22	214	22	225
Interest expense	8,265	7,391	25,362	19,064
Interest income	(2,796)	(3,686)	(8,411)	(10,824)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0
Impairment of investment in unconsolidated affiliates			0
Other (income) expense	(44)	(5,184)	(348)	(5,363)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	(23,122)	(14,118)	(70,850)	(48,894)
Merchandise
Revenues:
Total revenues	103,902	104,737	346,186	333,270
Cost of revenues	70,271	66,896	225,183	210,283
Merchandise | Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues	103,902	104,737	346,186	333,270
Cost of revenues	70,271	66,896	225,183	210,283
Merchandise | Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	83,904	83,898	275,639	270,145
Cost of revenues	52,855	52,340	172,931	166,965
Merchandise | Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	19,998	20,839	70,547	63,125
Cost of revenues	17,416	14,556	52,252	43,318
Merchandise | Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Merchandise | Corporate Items
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping
Revenues:
Total revenues	18,212	20,428	37,873	44,166
Cost of revenues	15,765	17,625	32,648	37,536
Jewelry scrapping | Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues	18,212	20,428	37,873	44,166
Cost of revenues	15,765	17,625	32,648	37,536
Jewelry scrapping | Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	13,889	17,813	28,357	34,515
Cost of revenues	11,599	15,329	23,680	28,683
Jewelry scrapping | Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	4,323	2,615	9,516	9,651
Cost of revenues	4,166	2,296	8,968	8,853
Jewelry scrapping | Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping | Corporate Items
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Pawn service
Revenues:
Total revenues	78,980	72,544	244,298	222,597
Pawn service | Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues	78,980	72,544	244,298	222,597
Pawn service | Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	58,635	55,536	184,658	174,180
Pawn service | Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	20,345	17,008	59,640	48,417
Pawn service | Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Pawn service | Corporate Items
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,371	1,903	4,533	6,147
Cost of revenues	576	349	1,467	1,273
Other | Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,371	1,903	4,533	6,147
Cost of revenues	576	349	1,467	1,273
Other | Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	34	55	125	205
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Other | Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues	67	245	134	588
Cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Other | Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,270	1,603	4,274	5,354
Cost of revenues	576	349	1,467	1,273
Other | Corporate Items
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0