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Over the years so many Cash for Gold and Pawn shops have popped up that the market is saturated with them. They offer quick and easy turn around for those who are less than savvy about what then are selling. Someone has legit Karat Gold, but doesn't know how or want to refine and they are getting and taking 20-30 cent on the dollar. This literally makes it hard for someone like me because I have actually had some places tell me why would I pay you close to melt for your refined stuff when I get plenty of scrap jewelry so cheap. I had an amazing recycler I worked with for years. They were 2 partners who started the business in there 20's and were both mid 60's when I met them. I would travel 55 miles one way to go to them. They would XRF every piece side by side with you and would go into the office and let you listen in on the call to the refiner. They would give me every penny they could with still making a small but decent profit. They would buy lunch every time I went and we would sit in the office and drink coffee and reminisce about the good old days. Sadly I know I have to find another because there days are limited these past few years. My Grandfather always used to tell me Signatures and handshakes mean nothing if the person doesn't value the reputation of there own last name, and then he would add and never do anything to water down our last name.I always wonder how you guys in the US have such a hard time finding honest gold buyers. Is it everywhere or is it localised?
It must be really tough for some.
I always wonder how you guys in the US have such a hard time finding honest gold buyers.
This demonstrates why powder is a tough sell. This gold isn't pure and need refining in order to get the best price.Melted. Kept one gram for keepsake.
This demonstrates why powder is a tough sell. This gold isn't pure and need refining in order to get the best price.
Yeah I get that Kurt - I know what you're meaning. The issue is that when you XRF a bar like that you will get a reading much lower on the top when the base of the bar will gun up a lot higher. The impurities seem to cluster at the top of the bar. Hence you'll get often get paid on the top bar reading. That's what I meant about getting a better price.Per the bold print (above quote) - I don't know how things work over there in England but over here in the U.S. that is not quite true (at least in my experience)
Over here (in my experience) with both "we buy gold" shops & "actual" refineries gold is bought/paid out on the "content" of gold & not on its purity as well as the amount of gold you are selling so it does not matter if you are selling 10K 12K 14K 18K or pure (999 +) 24K gold the payout rate is the same - for the content of the gold in the item being sold
Example; - the refinery I sell my gold (& silver to) pays out 96 % of spot on gold I send (if I send in less then 5 ozt of gold content
So if I send them 5 ozt of my refined 24K (999 +) they will pay me 96% of spot for that 5ozt gold
on the other hand - if I send them say a batch of 12K (which is 50 % gold & 50% "other" metal) they will still pay 96 % on the gold "content" of the batch of 12K gold I send them
Another words - to get paid for 5 ozt gold - at the 96 % payout rate - I would have to send them 10 ozt of 12K gold
So it does not matter how pure the gold is I send them & that is because they pay out the same based on the gold content sent in & not on its purity
That is because actual refineries don't really make their money so much on the refining of the gold but rather make their money on making "value added" products from the gold they receive - which they sell for a premium over spot
Products such as Jewlers casting shot, wire, tubing, sheet solder &/or stamping out bullion coins/rounds/bars
So - because refineries pay out based on gold "content" - "we buy gold" shops - generally speaking buy their gold based on gold content & not on purity - because that is how they get paid from the refinery when they send a batch in
That is why I never really got into refining karat gold because when I send my gold to the refinery I get paid the same percentage of spot - on the gold content of what I send in - whether its is 10K (or other karat) or gold refined to 24K (999 +)
For what it is worth
Kurt
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