The surge in popularity of gold buying and selling in recent years is likely the result of the perfect storms of financial insecurity and economic turbulence. If investing in gold is something you have intended to learn more about, you have come to the right place. Continue on for some terrific tips that you can put to use right away.
It is important to understand the type of scale your gold dealer uses. Some dealers use a Troy scale while others use a pennyweight. On a Troy scale, gold weighs 31.1 grams per ounce. A pennyweight equals 1.555 grams. In comparison, a US scale measures each ounce of gold at 28 grams.
If you have a nice gold piece, consider selling it privately rather than through a gold purchasing agency or jewelry store. Many companies that are in business to buy gold will only buy it to melt and sell, meaning they will pay only for the weight of the gold. An individual who likes your piece might be willing to pay a higher price tag, because they are likely to keep and enjoy the piece.
Before finalizing your gold sale, get the entire thing down in writing. Later on, if there’s any sort of problems related to the sale, you’ll need this signed written document at the ready to prove your case. If you don’t have it, you may find that proving any sort of fraud will be nearly impossible.
When you are buying or selling gold to another person, make sure you are keeping yourself protected agaisnt identity theft. Avoid giving out your personal financial information. This includes bank account numbers, credit card numbers and Social Security numbers. Take special care to not give out this type of information, especially over the phone to people that you don’t know.
Now is the best time to sell because gold prices have been at near record highs. You can sell your broken or unwanted gold jewelry, gold-plated dinner wear, gold coins and even dental gold. Gold buyers are anxious to buy anything that contains gold. Get several bids to ensure that you are getting the best price.
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Have an understanding of the current market value of gold before you sell it. You can call a jewelry store for this information. Gold value changes often, sometimes from day to day, and you want to make sure your buyer is offering you a fair price for your pieces, based on current market value.
Before buying or selling gold, look into the market price for gold for the day. There are daily fluctuations on price for precious metals, so it’s important for you to know what the current going rate is. This will help you understand whether the dealer is overpriced or fair in the offers made to you.
Avoid rare gold coins unless you really know what you are buying. Rare gold coins can be difficult to sell, and they sometimes lose value quickly. They also might not contain as much gold as you think. Leave such purchases for the experts, and stick to better known coins for your own collection.
If you are thinking about becoming a buyer or seller of gold, make sure you are legal! In the United States, you must have a license to purchase, sell or trade gold in any quantities on a regular basis. Check with your city or town about how to become licensed, and then enjoy your new entitlement to dealing in gold.
Use dollar cost averaging to limit your risk in gold investing. That means putting a certain amount of money aside for gold investing each month. That way you buy at low and higher prices and don’t try to time the price. Over time, this insures you get a good price and limits your risk.
There is no regulation on the sale price of gold, so be ready to do a little negotiating. There is typically room in the initial offer for a bit of negotiation, so go for it. If you don’t, you’ll definitely be coming out on the losing side of the sale or purchase.
Make sure you go to any gold dealer with your official I.D. in hand. This is a must as there are Federal regulations surrounding it. This is to protect the dealer in case there are issues later on stolen goods or other shady gold selling tactics. As well, if the dealer doesn’t ask for your I.D., you may want to look elsewhere to do business. It may be a sign that something isn’t right.
The concept of using gold as a way to consolidate and protect personal wealth is nothing new, but the immense interest in this investment vehicle in recent years has taken some by surprise. If gold investing appeals to you, it is important that you arm yourself with expert advice. Using this article as a foundation is a great way to have begun.
