Gold is valued universally and has consistently held its ground since it was initially discovered a long time ago. If you want to start buying gold, the following advice can help you get the best value for your money when you buy or sell this precious metal.

Do not dabble in the gold market until you are familiar with pricing on precious metals works? The prices of precious metals fluctuates daily, so be certain you know the spot price before any transaction. You should be ready to pay a premium to the melt prices.

Get multiple estimates for your gold pieces if you are looking to sell them. Different places that buy gold will have different price ranges to offer. By getting multiple estimates, you can be assured that you will get a fair price when you sell.

Before you buy gold from gold sellers, know when it is going to be delivered. If the seller delays delivery, you need written confirmation of when to expect your items. The date they expect you to get them should not be a mystery; it should be clearly stated. Don’t order anything without this information.

Check the current price in the gold market values before you ever sell any jewelry. This will help you to evaluate a fair price when you sell or buy.

Be sure to find a reputable gold buyer to do business with. You are able to find out more about their reputations with the local BBB and through online reviews. A good buyer will treat you well and offer a fair price on your jewelry. Protect your gold investment by doing this.

If you decide to send your jewelry to a company through the mail, do your homework on the company and its policies before you make a commitment. Find out when you will receive your money, and make sure you insure your package.

This can accumulate over time, and can lead to an accumulation of real value in the span of a year or two. Keep your stash in a safe until you have enough of it to cash in.

Do careful and thorough research on any gold seller you are considering doing business with. Read online reviews and check with your local Better Business Bureau to find out if a dealer has any complaints filed against them. Soliciting multiple bids will help ensure you get the best price.

Make sure you verify the price of gold the day you plan to buy or sell. Many websites contain this information daily.Never pay any more than 8% premiums on your gold. Some dealers charge more than that, but don’t pay it.

Don’t rule out getting gold items from thrift stores or antique stores. You can find great bargains in these places. You can take advantage of this if you research a bit.

Prior to selling old jewelry, research the going price for gold. This will indicate whether you’re getting a fair price or not. Many dealers will pay market value, however others rely on people desperate for cash to get the most for themselves.

There are many unscrupulous companies in the gold market. You have to do your research and be careful.

Be sure you know about the gold in your items. Not everything is worth its weight in it. Other metals are often mixed with gold in order to make it stronger.This will reduce the price. This applies to gold plated with gold.

Make sure you know the spot price of gold the day you plan to buy or sell. Many websites update this information daily. Never pay any more than an 8 percent markup on the gold prices. If you find a dealer asking for more than 8%, they’re overcharging and may not be ethical.

Shop around before making any decisions about a gold buyer you will use. You might be amazed by the differences in the offers that you’ll get! Going with the very first buyer might not be a bad deal. Take a bit of extra time at first so you’ve got the maximum return on your pocket.

Many times the item will see the item have a karat rating. However, there are some times when there aren’t visible signs, there are other ways to determine purity.Acid tests are simple ways to do this, so if the rep does this, they might be new.

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 companies say they’ll let you ship for free, but to get things back they charge quite a bit. Know ahead of time if you must pay to get jewelry back.

When you sell gold, separate it into groups with different karat values.Gold values differ by karat, so lumping different weights together will result in a reduction in the price received.Gold with higher karat value is worth more valuable.

Know what your investment goals are before you invest money in gold. Gold is good to have in an unstable economy, but it can be a volatile proposition. If you educate yourself on the gold market and have a game plan going in, you are more likely to profit.

Never sell your gold to someone who does not have the appropriate state licensure. While you could still get ripped off, a licensed buyer is more likely to be reputable. Never sell without doing research and verifying the dealer is licensed.

It’s essential that you don’t overbuy when buying gold. Gold is not something that gives you the income of bonds do. The price tends to fluctuate a lot in the gold is also volatile. It escalates in value when equities devalue. You ought not invest no more than five percent of your total portfolio in gold.

Monthly and weekly gold charts are great for performing your technical analysis. Using both timelines will help you get a full understanding of the market.

Know what you have when it comes to gold. Not all gold piece are worth their weight in gold. Usually, there are other metals mixed with gold for stability. This can make the price a lot lower. Gold plated items may also be deceiving. Get your items appraised before selling your gold.

Remember your ID when you go to sell gold.Thieves like to target gold because they can sell it for a lucrative heist. To catch them, laws are in place that mean anyone selling gold has to have proper identification. This makes it easier to find stolen goods.

You may lose quite a bit of money if you sell your coins for scrap gold melt. Doing your research beforehand will help you get the best deal possible.

Research the daily spot price before you sell your gold. Look around to understand what people are asking for similar pieces. This gives you an idea of what you should get. Always ask for more than what you want, because this will leave some room to negotiate.

Think about how the gold was made before you consider buying it. Machine made gold jewelry holds less value than a handcrafted piece. The price will be much higher when sold as jewelry, but you may get more money selling hand crafted jewelry as a whole piece.

If you use a mail service to sell your gold, ask the company about a reimbursement policy if they lost your items by mistake. Many companies will limit the amount of liability that’s assigned to them for your lost items.

A magnet can be used as a cheap and fast way to determine if a piece is really made of gold. Gold is not magnetic. In some cases, jewelry may have a clasp that is made of gold, but the rest of the jewelry piece is made of plated metal. Using a magnet is an excellent way to find this out.

Gold is a valuable, durable, attractive resource. It’s still ideally suited for use as a tradeable commodity, too. Gold tends to be a good investment in times of economic uncertainty, increasing in value as markets get jumpier. With your new-found knowledge about gold, you can now go forward with your plans.