Stopped by one of those Cash for Gold places today...:rofl:

[Deno]

No wonder he had a pistol on his hip, these places all cater to thieves.

We were broke into April 20Th, I spent a lot of time in these type places

and pawn shops handing out flyer's on our stolen jewelry.

It was my impression that the cash for gold places were run by low life's.

 

[artman60]

I like this thread, now if I only could find some gold, I'll know what to do with it. LOL Artie

 

[JohnApthorp]

Hi mudpuppie,
just like you, I was in our local shopping centre recently when gold was over the $1700 an oz mark. I took in my 53.3 gram nuggett. The kindly gentleman offerred me $900.00.
Unfortunately there are desperate people out there who would take that amount. I wasn't one.
Look after your nuggetts - you may need them some day.

 

[Sven]

This is one of the best places to sell your gold, they guys up here in Ontario Canada like to deal with them.
http://www.goldrefining.ca/

You guys in the US need to deal directly with a refiner if you have enough.

 

[Critterhunter]

ARA is where it's at. They only skim 2% of the market price off the gold, and they'll even buy the stones from you or send them back if you want. I heard they have a gem guy on site who gives a pretty good price on the stones. You have to remember that many jewlers buy at wholesale prices and mark it up high, and that they can often get stones on loan to try to sell without fronting the cash until they do, so it's very hard to get anywhere near retail on a diamond or other stone, but I hear ARA is pretty fair if you consider that it's going to be a bit below the wholesale price a jewler can get. Has to be in order for them to make a profit re-selling those rocks to wholesalers.

One thing, I heard that it's pointless to send your rings to them insured, because unless you have a receipt for the cost of buying them you can't get the money back if they are lost or something. I would guess you might be able to get them appraised and then use that before sending them as proof, but by the time you do that what is that going to cost you? Even if you do somehow decide to ship them insured, it's still dirt cheap. Like $7 to $14 ain't it for a whole mess of rings I think? More than makes up for say somebody only giving you 80% (if your lucky) of the gold weight priced compared to ARA giving you 98%.

 

[Smudge]

Not to mention the fact that trying to file an insurance claim on a package is like entering a very bad episode of the Twilight Zone.

 

[edjcox]

Sell all your gold... The Chinese are buying it all....

They're just returning that worthless money we print and turning into gold / silver /platinum....

Where we going to be when no one has any?

 

[lasser]

I am new at this game and curious as how to sell the gold, old coins, jewlery and artifacts I find... I see in forums where everyone claims to get big bucks for their finds and would like to know where they sell it and to whom???...surely not to rip off artsts Pawn Shops or "cash for gold"?...about all I can run across is articles saying "at auction or "collectors"....E-Bay, I dont think so !...now! I know auctions charge a an arm and a leg to auction off anything and then there is taxes!.....so in my foggy mind I assume a "collector" would be the best shot but where and how do you find a "collector"?.....but it raises the question to paying taxes on what a "collector" pays me.....I am getting the feeling that it just aint worth the effort to find anything other than just the idea of finding things.....finding any outstanding artifacts or valueable jewelry is extremely rare especialy here in the U.S.A.......guess that is why it is called a hobby?

 

[Critterhunter]

If you've been enticed to buy a metal detector based on shows like American Digger or whatever it's called with that showman wrestling guy, then I've got bad news for you...Metal detecting is hard work, and you hardly ever find a thing of real value. Even most old coins are pretty much worthless unless you get a key date or something. Most silver coins, for instance, are only worth their scrap weight in silver. I've been detecting for years and have dug my share of old coins and rings. Only 3 of my coins were worth anything worth talking about, and even then we are only talking in the range of $150 to about $1300 depending on which of the three. Far as rings go, most dug turn out to be junk metal, and the gold ones are usually only worth their weight in scrap gold (which is still nice), but then you've got to dig a ton of junk to find those rings, because gold can read like anything on the conductivity scale.

I only mention all this because you seem intent on finding out what you are going to do with all the great finds you make. Not trying to throw cold water on your enthusiasm but if you're in this to find a bunch of valuable stuff then it's going to get old real fast. This hobby is still fantastic though for other reasons. The great friends you meet, the sites you get to enjoy in the great outdoors, reading up on history, and also enjoying the mystery of discovery digging up an old coin or relic and wondering just who touched it last and how it was lost. Far as things worth any real value or where to sell them, that should be the least of your concerns when getting into this hobby. Chances are you'll not have to worry about that for a long time, if ever. Probably the most important thing to know is who will give you the best scrap weight dollar for your gold (which doesn't come easy finding either), and ARA is where it's at for that by most people's opinions.

I wouldn't trade this hobby for any other in the world. The good friends I have for years meeting through this hobby, the sites and history I've learned of, and just a good excuse for getting outside and enjoying a beautiful day. Those are the real riches in this hobby, and I'm sorry to say that all those shows on TV are built on shadows and mirrors that are going to lure a lot of people into buying an expensive machine and finding out that it isn't how it works in the real world. Also, their recovery methods are giving a rather bad reputation to this hobby. In the opening scenes for one thing they are using shovels, and not only that but they are throwing the dirt a mile away from the hole. That alone sends a very bad image to the general public about what our hobby is about. Most of us have very strong ethics about recovery methods and such.

Far as "monetary" value goes, the easiest way to rack up any real dollar amounts is by just going to modern schools and digging clad all day. You can then use that money to buy old coins you want. Silver and other old coins at public sites are hard work and takes a ton of experience to sniff out because of how beaten public venues have been by detectors over the years. Don't get me wrong, that's part of the fun and challenge. If finding silver was easy there wouldn't be any challenge to this "sport". But don't try to cut your teeth on detecting doing it at pounded out old parks. Go to modern parks where you can dig clad and get up to speed faster. Once you've mastered the machine more you can then try your hand at fishing some more old coins out of "dead" old parks. If you try to hit those from the start it will probably quickly destroy your enthusiasm.

Good luck and welcome to this great hobby. Most of us are not going to get rich, but we are going to have a lot of fun trying.

 

[lasser]

the points you bring out for the hobby is well taken and contrary to believe I enjoy going out with my detectors, even tho I know the odds are against me to find anything that will come close to my investment in this hobby, ....I also dislike the show you mention as it is a farce for sure and demeans all metal detectorists, and believe me that show or any other show didn't enticed me into metal detecting..
I was refering to the cost of the hobby versus the monetary rewards you expect to arrive at...it is not a cheap hobby by any standards with all the many costs and expenses involved plus the cost of a elite detector ($600-$1000's)....you can invest thousands of dollars and your return wii be far less than your investment....go to the sites that are selling detectors and equiptment and they tout you into thinking there is fortunes to be made finding gold, silver, artifacts, old coins, caches, and so much more bull....Garret, and all the rest are full of it, great salesmen tho !...there is more written on how and where to find all these riches but the only ones making any money from the hobby is the ones writting about it or selling detectors.

I appreciate your zest for the hobby and see your points and I commend you on taking up for the hobby.

If you want to get out and get fresh air and exercise go to the track, the odds are much better, you will get a better return on your bucks spent !!....if you got money to burn then buy a metal detector and become a treasure hunter.

Good hunting !

 

[Critterhunter]

I'm glad you have your eyes wide open about the hobby. Only thing I'll say is that detectors do pay for themselves rather quickly for a lot of people in both the clad they rack up, the silver they scrap, or in particular any gold rings they scrap. But by the same token not everybody does even that well.

One of the more sure ways to pay for your machine faster is to water hunt or hunt the beach looking for rings. Using a good quality long handled scoop (almost another $200) you can quickly scoop targets in the sand or in the water so, finding rings being a numbers game where the more trash you dig the better your odds, you've got a better chance at finding gold by hitting the beach/water, or at least it takes less effort then digging holes on land with a digger...to dig all those trash signals you need to take a chance on in order for the law of averages to finally put a gold ring in your pouch.

But in terms of expensive hobby, detecting is one of the few that can actually give you a little money back each time you go out. Even a clad-only day can at least pay for your gas to and from the site if it's close by on an average day, or on a really good day for clad some guys will rack up enough to say pay for about a 50 or 60 mile drive to a site at today's gas prices.

So sure, there is *some* money to be made, but it's not ever going to get people rich, unless you are lucky enough to find that "one" expensive ring, or that "one" hidden cache, or like I said before perhaps if you have a large private land site to hunt that is loaded with say civil war artifacts. Even if you are lucky enough to make one of the above three recoveries, that's more than likely not going to be a fortune, but enough to brag about and continue your quest for that elusive "one".

 

[lasser]

I would like to oppologize for making it sound as if I am new at metal detecting, I should have stated I am new at this forum thing....my bad!

I have been metal detecting for about 10 years ...have a Bounty Hunter Lone Star (8 in coil) and a Garret 350 (8x11 coil) both serve me well and surfice for my needs at present, have had more expensive ones but they weren't any better than what I have now and they go just as deep, I also use A Pro Pointer......I mainly hunt in ghost towns and deserted hamlets here in KY. ..... the hamlet I am presently hunting in is a hamlet that was settled in the late 1700's and was still under British rule, it is now farm land, no buildings...it once boasted about 16 builings and a thriving thoroughbred race track in the mid 1800's, dont know where the track sat precisely but have a good idea and will check it out this fall, last house in hamlet burned down in 1952.....I search for coins, relics, artifacts but yet to find any thing of great value, just a matter of time tho only problem is it is about 60-70 miles one way to the area and my 4x4 Explorer is eating me up in gas costs........I also hunt old schools and old pic nic grounds in the same area..most are virgin sites......dont do modern school yards!I I obtain my info by word of mouth from people of the area and some from old articles.I am friends with the farmers who own the land and am fortunate to have permission from them to hunt on their land....

My orginal post was in hope to maybe find info on new collectors and places to sell my finds when it happens...I dont mean to bad mouth metal detecting just speak the truth about it. I have had bad experiences with dealers and others who low ball me and try to "steal" my finds as you know happens too often. I do enjoy it as a way to get exercise, fresh air and the thrill of the find, not just for the money.

Here in Ky there is no Gold or beaches so thats out !

I am not a collecter of things I find, I prefere to sell them rather then keep them.

good hunting!!