Many people have notice the increased interest in investing in gold. Learning how to invest in gold is key to being successful. Below, you’ll find a number of great gold investment tips that will teach you a lot.
You need to know what a karat is. Gold is a soft metal so it must be combined with other metals for durability. Each karat, which is 1/24 pure gold, tells you how much gold is in the alloy compared to other metals. A piece that has less than 10 karats cannot legally be called gold.
Prior to buying or selling any gold, be sure you truly understand how gold pricing works. The prices of metals like platinum, gold and silver can fluctuate greatly in just one day. Before you do any buying or selling, check the market prices beforehand. You need to get ready to pay higher prices than mere melt value on fractional pieces as opposed to one-ounce pieces.
Avoid gold coins that are being sold at flea markets and local pawn shops. They may seem like a great deal, but all that glitters is not gold. The coins may be counterfeit and/or they may have been cleaned to make them appear far more valuable than they actually are.
Only jewelry that is at least 10 karats can be sold to gold dealers. The more karats your piece is, the higher amount it will command on the market. Therefore, a necklace that is 14 karats should get you a better price than something that is only 10 karats. Prior to taking in your jewelry, look at each piece to determine how many karats it is. This may help you decide whether you want to sell it or not.
When looking for a gold coin dealer to buy from, make sure you do your research. Carefully look at their five key traits: reputation, experience, guarantee, ethics, and size. You also need to find out about any minimal restrictions like minimum amounts, whether they may only accept certain types of payments, and when you’ll get your coins.
You need to know what you have before you go to sell it. Higher karats equals higher gold density and more value. Buyers who do not have a good reputation may try to take advantage of sellers who don’t know exactly what they have. Twenty-four karat gold is almost pure gold so it is worth way more than fourteen karat gold.
When purchasing gold jewelry, ask the jeweler for a certificate of authenticity. This certificate is proof that you are purchasing a good piece of jewelry made of solid cold. Be sure the certificate indicates the price of the jewelry. Should you ever decide to sell your jewelry, this will be of help.
Try to determine the best type of gold for you to buy. Generally, the best types of gold to get are gold coins, bullion bars, or GoldMoney. Determining the type you want can help you see the amount of money you can set aside for buying and help you figure out why you’re buying it to begin with.
Before selling you gold through the mail, be sure you know what the procedure is for getting your items back and any costs involved in doing so. A lot of buyers offer free shipping but will charge you a lot to send the item back. Understand what you will have to pay if you don’t like their offer. Protect yourself.
Check your local Better Business Bureau before purchasing or selling gold to a dealer. Your local Better Business Bureau will have a record of any complaints lodged about a company. By checking with your Better Business Bureau, you can ensure that you are selling or buying from a reputable dealer.
When you are strapped for cash, sell your gold. Anything containing gold can be sold. This includes bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry. Gold plated china, gold plated cups and even dental gold can be sold for extra cash. Additionally, broken jewelry, gold coins and gold bullions can also be sold to a gold dealer.
Check online reviews before you head to the store and spend any of your hard earned money on gold. Make sure that there are not a ton of complaints since this increases the likelihood you will have a bad experience. You should also check with the BBB to be even more sure.
Know what your goals are before you invest money in gold. Gold is a great hedge against economic instability and inflation, but it can be a volatile investment. If you keep yourself protected, you’ll end up making more money with your gold.
Keep in mind that most gold dealers are not interested in plated or gold filled pieces. They want the pieces to melt down, and they will only pay you based on the melt down value. Plated and gold filled pieces can’t really be melted down for any profit, so they will usually turn those pieces away.
Do not immediately discount pawn shops as a place to sell your gold. They will often buy pieces that other stores do not want to buy because they are not always looking to buy simply to melt a piece down. You can also haggle prices in a pawn shop, meaning you might get a better deal than you expected.
You should know that people are excited about gold all of the time because it’s something that just keeps going up in value it seems. Perhaps you have bee among those wanting to learn more. By applying the ideas and concepts outlined above to your own gold strategy, success really can be yours.