For thousands of years, humans have treasured gold and regarded it as a prized possession. You can buy it as an investment or as a beautiful piece of jewelry for the one you love. If you are looking to get into buying more gold, here are some tips to help you invest wisely.
Know the meaning of different karat weights when buying or selling gold. Twenty four karat gold is worth more than fourteen, which is worth more than ten. If you understand the differences, you can make sure that you buy or sell for a fair price based on the true value of the piece.
Take precautions if you mail your items. There are a lot of mail-in services these days, and while they can be convenient, you need to protect yourself. Send the pieces through insured mail, take photographs and know the company’s policies in case they lose your gold pieces and you want a settlement.
Know that all gold investment come with risks. If you’re buying gold bullion coins to invest in, take time to learn about the coins before you buy them. Buyers who are uninformed tend to make hasty purchases, which they often overpay for. Like other investments, you don’t have guarantees. No one can predict that gold prices will stay the same or that they will remain popular later on.
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.
Know that the price of gold fluctuates on a daily basis, just like any other precious metal. What you think you may be getting could be quite different than what you actually get if you waited an extended period between price look up and selling. When selling gold, watch the market for a few days to see how it’s performing. This will help you choose the best day to sell.
Just like you would do a price comparison on a vehicle you are interested in purchasing, make sure you go to more than one place to inquire about the value of your gold. Different shops and dealers are going to quote you different prices. Get the most money possible for your jewelry.
If you are planning to buy gold coins, consider holding on to them for awhile before making a sale. Gold can fluctuate in value on a daily basis, meaning if you buy today, sometimes the value will be less tomorrow. This can lead to frustration if you try to sell too soon. Save yourself the headache by buying for the long run.
Once you decide to sell your gold, start your search with local dealers. Go into a store and get a ballpark figure for your pieces. From there, you can begin checking online and in other shops to see where you can get the most bang for your buck. Get at least four to five quotes before you go forward with a sale.
If you are purchasing gold jewelry and have allergies to nickel or other metals, only purchase 18 or 22 karat gold. Almost all gold jewelry has some other metals in it because pure gold is very soft and not easy to wear on a day to day basis. By buying 18 or 22 karat, you are ensuring you’re getting the most gold, meaning less change for an allergic reaction.
Before you sell your scrap gold to a dealer at rock-bottom prices, make sure that it isn’t worth more to you the way it is. Some things that lay people think aren’t good enough for anything other than scrap can turn out to be very valuable. See an appraiser to be sure.
Buying gold from individuals is a nice way to get a good deal. But, you need to know about the risks that come with this kind of purchase. Thus, get yourself appraisals of all coins. If you happen across someone wishing to sell cheaply and you believe the item to be genuine, you can always buy and cross your fingers.
If you have gems in your gold, tell the dealer you would like to keep the gems once the gold has been melted. But, it could be hard to take them out of the gems are tiny. Most places won’t want your small gems since they’re not worth much after the jewelry is melted.
As you have seen, gold is a highly prized, precious metal. It has lasting value and can be a wise investment if you know how to do it. Now you are better educated about gold and how to buy it. So get started on your own collection of gold today.