When you go to sell your gold, make sure your expectations are not too high and bring your government-issued identification. On average, gold dealers pay between 70 and 80 percent of the actual value. The law requires that dealers ask sellers for identification when buying gold to aid police in their investigations about stolen property.

Take precautions if you mail your items. There are a lot of mail-in services these days, and while they can be convenient, you need to protect yourself. Send the pieces through insured mail, take photographs and know the company’s policies in case they lose your gold pieces and you want a settlement.

You might have avoided gold because of the price, and chose instead to buy gold-filled or gold-plated pieces instead. You can still buy gold jewelry without spending too much at the jewelry store. Pawn shops and online sites have hundreds of gold pieces for sale.

Verify the market price before selling your gold jewelry. Gold dealers cannot scam you out of money when you are informed about the value of your items. Most dealers should sell according to the market, but sometimes they’ll try to scam you if they think you just want quick cash.

Research any mail-in gold jewelry purchaser before sending your jewelry off to them. Be sure to understand when to expect payment and how to insure your items. Take a snapshot of everything that you send in the mail for security.

Remember to look for gold in thrift and antique shops. You can find great bargains if you understand what to look for. Often people do not realize the value of old jewelry and simply donate it or put it in a garage sale. If you know what you’re doing, this can be your benefit.

When you’re selling your gold, you have to do the proper research. See what others are bidding for gold items similar to yours. This will help you establish a price level to utilize. Ask for more than you are happy to accept so that the buyer has room to negotiate the price.

Watch out for the gold buying bait and switch. There are buyers out there that promote the price they’ll pay for bulk gold, but don’t tell you that the price is much more for smaller quantities. This can leave you making a very bad deal. Ask before you make any sort of commitment.

If you are interested in reaping the benefits of selling gold but do not have any gold to sell yourself, consider organizing a gold party. This is a party where you invite your friends and family to sell their gold pieces. Stylish Wall Light invite an appraiser to make the purchases, and you receive proceeds from the profits earned.

If you attend a gold party, you want to ask the representative how the value of the jewelry is determined exactly. In most cases, gold will be stamped with the karat it is made with. Some sellers are trained to calculate the value of a piece of gold that is not stamped. Using Stylish Wall Light can be a great way to determine the karat of the gold.

Do not assume because there is no stamp that a piece of gold is not real. There are many solid gold pieces out there that are not stamped at all. Try testing the gold in question with a magnet and if it does not stick, you probably have solid gold.

Understand fees and commissions when buying investment gold pieces. Most reputable dealers will charge between five and seven percent. You need to realize this cost incurred to make sure you are still getting a good deal on the pieces you are buying, based on their true value at the time of purchase.

After reading this article, you should know more about gold than you did before. Use these ideas to improve your investment portfolio, or just to make some money by itself. Keep these tips in mind to be a successful gold investor.