Any serious investor knows to put a bit of their investments into the commodity market. Gold tends to be the best commodity that is out there. From building a retirement nest egg to making beer money, this article will help you achieve a financial goal.

Think about using the web. Gold transactions do not require physical storefronts. You can find a lot of many websites out there to sell your gold. The website will mail you a kit for mailing in your gold items.

When selling gold, it is a good idea to get an estimated value from more than one source. There are a large number of venues for selling your gold, and they each have different target margins. If you’re able to work with a couple of different places, you can see if you’re getting the best deal.

Before you buy gold from gold sellers, schedule a timely delivery. If your seller doesn’t give you an immediate deliver, get something in writing which confirms delivery of your pieces. The date they expect you to get them should not be a mystery; it should be clearly stated. Don’t proceed with the order until you have this in hand.

This is easy to do over time, and you can see how this can make a valuable investment. Keep your stash in a safe location until you get enough to cash in.

Before buying or selling gold, be sure you are aware of how metals are priced. Prices of precious metals fluctuate everyday, so pick a day to check on the spot price before you buy or sell. A higher percentage over the melt should be expected when purchasing fractional gold pieces such as 1/2 or a 1/4th ounce against a one ounce piece.

Only buy gold jewelry from a seller if you can return it. If that happens, make sure you get your money back.

Anything with gold can be sold. This could be tableware, home decor, and other stuff you have around your house. It also doesn’t need to be 100% pure gold. It may just have a tiny amount of gold or partially pure. You still stand to make a nice return on the sale of it.

You may think that solid gold jewelry is too expensive and choose to purchase gold plated or filled jewelry. You do not have to pay full price for gold jewelry if you find that the prices offered by jewelry stores are too expensive. It is cheaper online and at pawn shops.

Most private sellers and pawn brokers are only willing to pay melt value for your gold.

Sell gold to buyers who are licensed to buy gold. There are many people who will buy your gold, so don’t feel like you have to sell to the first person you come across.

Know that anything that has gold in it is sellable to a gold dealer. It could be a broken jewelry item, table settings, home decor items or anything that is in the house. Solid 24-karat gold isn’t the only type that dealers are interested in, either. It may simply be gold plated or part of the item has gold within it. You are sure to turn a decent profit.

Don’t discount the value of looking for gold items from thrift stores or antique shops. You can find bargains if you understand what to look for.You can reap the seller’s loss if you do your homework first.

There are many unscrupulous companies in the gold market. You need to do your research to keep yourself safe.

If you send off gold by mail, see how much it is to have it returned to you if the offer isn’t that great. Companies often provide free shipping, but it can be costly to get them back to you in the mail. Understand what you will have to pay if you don’t like their offer. Protect yourself.

Separate your gold into groups based on karat weight. Some vendors may try to weigh all of your gold at once and offer you what the lowest karat. This is a scam that will cheat you receiving less money.

You can sell gold through the mail! A lot of sellers enjoy doing this simple option.

Sell to licensed buyers only. You could still have a problem, but licensed buyers are more likely reputable. Many entities buy gold, so you don’t necessarily have to sell when you get the first offer.

Get to know the dealer you’re going to buy gold from. If the dealer does have complaints filed against them, use another dealer.

Don’t sell your gold out of desperation if you feel it would get a good price. Gold is always increasing in value, and it’s high right now; however it might go up even more. You may be able to sell your gold.

Have your pieces appraised before you sell them as scrap gold. This tends to be true for pieces that have intricate workmanship and details. You might have to pay a fee to get this appraisal, but it might bring you profit eventually. Appraisers may know others that will buy your precious jewelry, too.

Karat Weight

When you sell gold, make sure your items are separated by karat weight. Gold values vary based on karat weight, so if they are weighed together you will not get all it is worth. Higher karat values yield higher value overall.

Earring backs are often solid gold when the earring isn’t. Sometimes rings are only partially gold, and sometimes necklaces just have gold clasps. You can often sell these smaller pieces together to get more money. Selling lightweight gold in a lot will increase your chances of selling them.

If you are thinking about selling gold on the Internet, shop around for pricing before doing anything. Although mailing does offer some simplicity, consider your profit before you do anything.

Don’t get too far over your head if you’re just starting out as a gold investor. Avoid using gold futures and other similar investments.Futures are riskier and very volatile. You can sometimes lose money pretty quickly if you are not sure about your moves. Let the more experienced investors make these kinds of complex investments like this.

Sort your gold by how many karats it is. Don’t allow the dealer to rip you off by pricing all the gold at the least pure karat weight. This will result in you receiving less money. Instead you should go in with pre-separated piles to make the biggest return.

You should understand you will not get 100% of the value of your gold. Gold dealers are a business just like any other businesses. You can expect to get about 50% to 75% of the total value.

Be sure you understand what you are getting from your purchase. Some “gold” coins have just been gold or actually gold-plated.

You can sell your gold through the mail. Many sellers like this process because it is simple. You receive a postage-paid envelope in which you place your gold items, put it in the mail and wait for a check. Although this method of selling your gold is convenient, you might not get top dollar for your gold. In a few cases you might get 30% less for a piece, so know that.

Now you should know a little more about gold trading. Apply these ideas to upgrade your portfolio or just make a little money. Keep all of this in mind to succeed with gold.