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My Scrap Gold Adventure

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United States
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 Posted 09/29/2025  9:11 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add glenmorenee to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I had gathered up some scrap gold a little while ago and it seemed a good a time as any to try and sell or at least see what the process was to sell scrap gold. It was a mixed batch, some broken ring pieces, mostly found rings and bracelets, even some dental gold. Mostly 14KT and some 18KT. One ring I found 60 years ago. I calculated it to be almost 32 grams of pure Au. I took it to a gold dealer in the jewelry district and they glanced at it and said to take it upstairs and have it melted and assayed for $35 and they'd comp me the fee.

Here are some pics getting ready to melt, melting and purifying with borax, drilling 2 small divots in the bar (I understand this to make it easier to X-Ray). Last pic is the bar and the assay results, 29.68 grams!
My-Scrap-Gold-Adventure
My-Scrap-Gold-Adventure
My-Scrap-Gold-Adventure
My-Scrap-Gold-Adventure
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ratman4762's Avatar
United States
2520 Posts
 Posted 09/29/2025  10:27 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ratman4762 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Interesting. I've sold scrap gold on a couple of occasions and never went through that. Two times I sold at different jewelers and they sorted by fineness and weighed and did their calculations and paid me. Third time I sold on ebay.
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Zurie's Avatar
United States
5661 Posts
 Posted 09/30/2025  01:25 am  Show Profile   Check Zurie's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add Zurie to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Did you end up keeping the gold bar, or did you sell it to the dealer? If you sold it, were you able to get close to spot?
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jbuck's Avatar
United States
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CoinHunter53562's Avatar
United States
2049 Posts
 Posted 09/30/2025  09:52 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add CoinHunter53562 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
That gold bar strangely looks like 3I/Atlas.
Valued Member
United States
311 Posts
 Posted 09/30/2025  10:21 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add glenmorenee to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
[Ratman4762], Yes, that is more typical but you need to go in with a pretty good idea how much actual gold you have so you can calculate how much discount to spot they are charging. Knowing your number allows you to comparison shop between jewelers.

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ratman4762's Avatar
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 Posted 09/30/2025  11:35 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ratman4762 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
[Ratman4762], Yes, that is more typical but you need to go in with a pretty good idea how much actual gold you have
Indeed, but fairly simple to do with a scale and a calculator.
Valued Member
United States
311 Posts
 Posted 09/30/2025  12:13 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add glenmorenee to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
[Zurie]

This is what I gather from the adding machine tape.

Confirmed that 52.95 total grams at 56.05% purity gives 29.678 gms Au.

2% discount/fee leaves me with 29.084 gms Au or .935 oz Au.

Using $3823 spot, my bar worth $3582.92 plus $35 credit for assay, total $3617.92.

I traded for this coin which was spot +$59. So my bar and cash rounded to $260 for the coin.


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Zurie's Avatar
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 Posted 09/30/2025  12:48 pm  Show Profile   Check Zurie's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add Zurie to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nice exchange! Sure looks a lot nicer than a bag of scrap jewelry!
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jbuck's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 09/30/2025  12:50 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I traded for this coin which was spot +$59. So my bar and cash rounded to $260 for the coin.
Excellent!
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HondoB's Avatar
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 Posted 09/30/2025  4:19 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Excellent story and outcome, glenmorenee! I wish there was a place like that near me - just watching the process would have been worth a price of admission. And much more fulfilling than watching someone work over your pile with a scale and calculator.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
Valued Member
United States
311 Posts
 Posted 10/01/2025  11:56 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add glenmorenee to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
[Zurie] [Hondo Boguss]

Yes, much easier to pass along to the kids! Jewelry in a random drawer can get overlooked and tossed! I was at an estate sale and found this huge gold ring buried in all the stuff they pulled out of a bathroom. I discreetly asked the person conducting the sale and luckily the owner of the home was there. Usually a service is hired for the sale. I showed her the ring and what was odd was that it took her a moment to recognize it because whoever wore this ring, his hands must have been huge. At estate sales, valuable stuff gets "palmed" all the time, but I turned it in. I go to a lot of estate sales, and I can do without the wrath of estate sale Gods.

This method is fairer and safer for both buyer and seller. I was relieved that the discount on the bar was only 2%. I would guess that the discount at the "We Buy Gold" places would be much higher.
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HondoB's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 10/01/2025  12:50 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
At estate sales, valuable stuff gets "palmed" all the time

About 20 years ago, my SO (at the time) made her living off of reselling from estate and garage sales. At one sale she found 5 St. Gaudens $20 coins in the tray of a jewelry box. Yes she turned them over to the owner. They gave her a very nice discount that day.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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