How to Sell Your Gold: 5 Tips on Where to Go & What to Do When Searching for a Jewelry Buyer

Dan Brauser, COO of Dollars4Gold, an internet-based jewelry buyer, offers suggestions on how to sell gold, silver and other precious metal items the right way for the most amount of money:

Selling Online vs. Locally

The process by which your local jeweler buys and sells gold and other precious metals is far more complicated than what’s found online. Generally, jewelers and pawn brokers deal with subcontractors, or “middle men,” who work as liaisons between the jeweler and pawn brokers and a metal refinery to sell their gold items. As a result, the customer is typically paid less for their valuables because the jeweler/pawn broker needs to compensate for the fees associated with their own re-selling process. Online outlets like Dollars4Gold cut out the middle man by working directly with the refinery, which allows them to pass the savings onto the customer. Not to mention, with the price of gasoline soaring, selling your jewelry online cuts out the tiresome and gas-guzzling process of searching for the best price among the jewelers in your town.

Credibility through Company Affiliations

When searching for a trust worthy jewelry buyer online, pay close attention to what partnerships the jewelry buyer advertises on their Web site to ensure third-party approval. For example, Dollars4Gold is a member of the Better Business Bureau Online, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, International Precious Metals Institute and is a certified licensee of the TRUSTe® Privacy Seal Program.

Getting the Highest Payout
Jewelry buyers and pawn brokers often use subcontractors or “middle men” to search for the highest paying refinery. Unfortunately, this service increases costs for the buyer, which in turn affects the customer by giving them a much smaller payout than would have been achieved without a subcontractor. Avoid these buyers and look for a company who refines their own metals and has a trusted history in the industry.

When to Sell

Many experts predict gold and other precious metals will continue to rise in the coming months. However, it’s impossible to tell what market forces and world events could disrupt this upward spiral, making now the ideal opportunity to sell your valuable items.

Identify Shipping Procedures

Any type of valuable, whether it’s your grandma’s silver flatware or your high school class ring, should be shipped safely and securely without cost for the customer. Be sure the jewelry buyers offers the following before sending your valuable precious metals items: a satisfaction guarantee; package shipments through a nationally recognized and trusted postal service like the United States Postal Service; a tracking number which helps track the shipment through the day it’s received by the refinery; and cost-free shipping and insurance.