# need your expertise/help



## Anonymous (Nov 3, 2009)

Hello everyone, i wanted to start out by saying how helpful this site has been and the information invaluable! here is my situation, i currently buy scrap karat gold, i mentioned this to a potential customer and he asked me if i buy gold nuggets,placer-gold,gold fines.as he and his wife are hobby prospectors they have a few oz. and have joined a club that has a claim,anyway i told him i would look into it and see if this is something i can handle and at the same time quote the fairest price i know refiners will do this but i have not checked that out yet as I'm looking for your guidance first. if i can do it i would like to broker the deal and charge a fee/percentage this would be a regular basis set up, as there a quite a few members in the club. Another option may be to buy it out right and then resell im not sure what direction to go in and what the pit falls may be yet, any help would be greatly appreciated if anyone would like to discuss more private that is fine too through pm or e-mail, or im. I hope this could be a win win for all parties involved 


best regards


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## markqf1 (Nov 3, 2009)

Keep in mind that placer gold has a very wide range of gold content.
You would probably need an assay to determine what to pay for it.

Mark


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## nickvc (Nov 4, 2009)

vending said:


> Hello everyone, i wanted to start out by saying how helpful this site has been and the information invaluable! here is my situation, i currently buy scrap karat gold, i mentioned this to a potential customer and he asked me if i buy gold nuggets,placer-gold,gold fines.as he and his wife are hobby prospectors they have a few oz. and have joined a club that has a claim,anyway i told him i would look into it and see if this is something i can handle and at the same time quote the fairest price i know refiners will do this but i have not checked that out yet as I'm looking for your guidance first. if i can do it i would like to broker the deal and charge a fee/percentage this would be a regular basis set up, as there a quite a few members in the club. Another option may be to buy it out right and then resell im not sure what direction to go in and what the pit falls may be yet, any help would be greatly appreciated if anyone would like to discuss more private that is fine too through pm or e-mail, or im. I hope this could be a win win for all parties involved
> 
> 
> best regards


check out one of the leading members of this forum GSP im sure if you read his posts you will find the help and advice you require from assaying to trading the metals. Nick.


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## Anonymous (Nov 4, 2009)

Hello, thank you for the replys i will do some more checking,


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## Anonymous (Nov 4, 2009)

Just want to remind that placer gold, at least in normal times sell for more than spot if it is any kind of a nugget, even pickers.
Not sure if that is still true the way things are now.

Jim


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## goldsilverpro (Nov 5, 2009)

vending,

I am assuming that you're only interested in buying and selling based on the gold content. As far as selling nuggets for more than the gold content, I can't help you.

Here's the pitfalls, as far as I can see them.
(1) The gold content will vary, although it might be fairly consistent if it were all collected in a specific geological area.
(2) Especially with the fines, there could easily be some fine mineral contamination. You might only be able to see this with a microscope.

For these reasons, the only fool-proof way to buy would be to melt the material, sample the bar or button by drilling (or, pin sample), and then assay the drillings. Of course, you would then have to find a buyer that would give you a fair shake on gold in this condition. BTW, were it me, I would handle karat gold in the same way. It's the only way (except refining) that you'll know exactly what you have.

Melting could be done with a torch in an inexpensive jeweler's melting dish. As far as assaying is concerned, I doubt if a touchstone would be that accurate, since the composition would be somewhat different than karat golds. You could send the samples out to an assayer. Also, in a couple of weeks, I will be setup to do assays on a commercial basis. For drillings, I will charge about $25 per sample.

You may be interested in doing your own assays. There has been little on the forum telling you exactly how to do this. I cover it pretty thoroughly in the book I wrote (see my signature at the bottom of my posts). I don't specifically mention placer, but it would be done exactly like karat golds, which are covered in the book.

The final option is to try and buy low and play everything by ear. After buying and selling a few lots, you should soon learn what you have to pay to make the desired profit. In any case, though, I would suggest melting the material before you buy, in order to know the total weight of what you're buying. Also, if you sell it unmelted, the guy you sell it to will be in a better position to cheat you.


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## butcher (Nov 7, 2009)

just somthing to consider, if you are in a mining area check with your mining supply outlet store,or local gold/coin dealer, they usually buy gold,( here they do), this should give some idea of going price. a scratch stone karat needles and acid can give you some idea also, good magnifier.
alot placer miners here make nugget jewelry, or nicknacks and sell for more than spot.


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## Irons (Nov 7, 2009)

I think the touchstone test might be thrown off by any PGM content. It would be a shame to pay a penalty at the refinery.

The minimum setup charge for the PGMs would probably exceed their value unless you had a large amount.


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