The type of gold you want to buy will determine where you will buy. If you want to buy jewelry, a pawn shop or a real estate sale, you will often have quality items at a low price. The problem with buying second hand gold is that you have no guarantee that the item will be in good condition. It is usually better to buy jewelry in a department store or in a fine jewelry store.
Gold bars, such as coins and bullion, can be purchased at coin stores. Bullion can also be purchased at coin fairs, where professional collectors sell their unwanted coins and gold bars. You can find jewelry and coin stores in your local phone book. The United States Mint also has a list of gold retailers on its website.
You can buy gold coins through croupiers, pawnshops and individual sellers you trust. If you decide to buy your gold coins online, be sure to go through a dealer that is listed in the U.S. UU. Whether you buy your gold coins in person or online, you don't want to waste money on counterfeits or less pure gold than you are led to believe.
Buying physical gold bars online is a fairly simple process. A common way to buy gold bars is through authorized online retailers. Search for gold bullion products on reputable retail websites such as American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX), JM Bullion, and Wholesale Coins Direct. Select the gold bars you want to buy by weight, quantity and price.
One path you can take is to buy gold at a local store. Perks include being able to touch gold and take it out of the store once you've purchased it. Many companies that offer money for gold do so to resell their gold with a profit margin, which means that the price they offer to buy their gold will be much lower. These stores, like pawnshops that operate with a buy and sell model, need to offer less than their gold is worth to make a profit.
By knowing what you have and what it is worth, as well as by selling to a reliable gold buyer, you will go to great lengths to get a fair price for your gold. That's one of the reasons why legendary investors, such as Warren Buffett, warn against investing in gold and instead advocating. Buyers of gold bars should check websites such as the Better Business Bureau and Ripoff Report to learn more about a gold seller's reputation. Not long ago I received an email from a person who was told by a so-called “IRA Specialist” that he should test Gold Eagles on his IRA account and avoid the regular issuance of Gold Eagles because the latter was reportable and the former was not in accordance with government rules.
Before selling your gold bars, it is vital to know the spot price, so that you have a general idea of the value of your gold at that time. Mint contains 91.67% gold, but costs more than simple gold bars due to its value as a collector's item. In general, avoid buying gold online through bidding sites - you may end up in a bidding war and pay more for a gold coin than it is worth. If you have been waiting for the right price of your gold bars, now is a good time to sell, with the price of gold reaching the highest levels for several years.
But keep in mind that, just like gold coins, you're likely to pay more for the amount of gold you actually receive. If you decide that investing in physical gold is the right thing for you, here are a few things to keep in mind. In his book How to Buy and Sell Gold and Silver Privately, Internet marketer and business coach Doyle Shuler explains many of the complexities surrounding taxes and buying gold. Gold futures are more liquid than physical gold and have no management fees, although brokerages may charge a trading fee (also called a commission) per contract.
Compared to the stock market, where even the biggest companies can and have failed, buying gold “often seems less risky,” Adam Vettese, a market analyst at investment platform eToro, told CNBC. Investing in gold isn't for everyone, and some investors just bet on cash-flowing businesses instead of relying on someone else to pay more for the shiny metal. . .
