Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things does Goldmans buy?
Do you buy jewelry with diamonds or semi-precious stones?
Do you care what the jewelry looks like?
What kind of silver do you buy?
What if I don't know if it is gold or silver?
What if I decide I don't want to sell something?
Will I be safe when I come to your Expo with gold and silver?
Why sell to us?
Can I get more money if I sell on an on line auction, by a classified ad, or on consignment?
Why should I consider selling to Goldmans?
What kinds of things does Goldmans buy?
We buy anything gold or silver, single earrings, broken bracelets, jewelry you just don’t like anymore, class rings, coins, gifts not to your taste,
- Sterling silver, platinum or gold (All sterling must be marked “925”, “SS”, “Sterling”, “Ster.” No silver plate please. )
- Broken jewelry, jewelry that has been run over by a car or dropped in the garbage disposal.
- Single earrings, matched earrings
- Jewelry you just don’ t like anymore
- Things your ex gave you
- Gold wedding bands and engagement rings
- Gold class rings, cluster rings, cocktail rings
- Silver, platinum and gold watches
- Gold or silver coins and medals
- Silver, platinum and gold brooches and pins
- Scrap dental gold (teeth must be removed—hit with a hammer or use pliers)
- Gold grills
- Silver, platinum and gold lockets and charms
- Scrap / damaged jewelry, broken chains and items missing stones
- Sterling silverware, single pieces or whole sets. Sterling platters, bowls.
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Do you buy jewelry with diamonds or semi-precious stones?
Unless your diamond is large, over 1/2 carat , we are not able to offer extra money.
However, we pay the weight of diamonds at the same price we pay for gold.
If possible, we remove any diamonds and semi-precious stones you wish to keep. Channel set stones and tiny stones are very difficult to remove. Most stones, especially diamonds, though hard, are also brittle and sometimes
crack when removed.
You may wish to use these loose diamonds and semi-precious stones in a pair of earrings, a pendant or other piece of jewelry. As you know, if you want to buy a diamond, you will pay out a big price. So, if you already own the diamond, you are ahead!
We find that jewelers are uninterested in buying this kind of jewelry, unless it is rare or extremely desirable. Gold has become so expensive that jewelers’ sales are down and they are unable to sell the jewelry they already have, much less used pieces which may be out of date. Also, many women are switching to white gold and silver, and no longer want yellow gold. How great is it that you can sell this jewelry that you don’t want and get money, even if no one wants to wear it!
< back to top
Do you care what the jewelry looks like?
No, the jewelry you bring to Goldmans can be broken, run over by a car, missing all stones, tangled together-you name it. We will test it, weigh it and tell you our price, all with you sitting comfortably with one of our highly trained testers and watching everything that is going on. We will explain our procedures and you can ask any questions you have. People find it quite interesting and
enjoyable!
< back to top
What kind of silver do you buy?
We buy silver marked "Sterling", or "925", "SS" or “Ster”. We do not buy silver that is
unmarked, marked “SP”,"EP", "ESPN", "Silverplate", or "Plate". If you're not sure, bring it in--we'll tell you what you have.
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What if I don't know if it is gold or silver?
Bring it in! Testing is what we do best. We are happy to tell you what you have. We'll give you
back anything that isn't gold or silver and we may be able to suggest places you could sell them.
< back to top
What if I decide I don't want to sell something?
We will be happy to weigh any individual piece separately and tell you the price. You can decide if you want to accept the price, or you may want to keep it and sell the rest. Or maybe you want to keep more than one piece or all of it. It's your decision!
< back to top
Will I be safe when I come to your Expo with gold and silver?
This is an excellent question. We always have security at our Expos—armed off- duty Police or Security Guards. This is for our safety as well as yours. We have never had a problem at an Expo, and our Security is one of the reasons. Thieves don’t like to rob places when the Police are already there! We are licensed everywhere we go, and most state require us to record information from drivers licenses. People who don’t want to give out this information sell their things elsewhere.
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Why sell to us?
Our practices are completely transparent. We hear stories from our customers of their experiences with internet and television gold buyers—and none of them are good. At Goldmans, you have the opportunity to sit back in your own personal session with one of our certified gold testers, and watch the entire process. The scale and testing machine will be right in front of you. Ask your questions. Get a our top price offer on any individual piece of gold. Keep a piece, or some of them or all of them. We pay by check for your safety and ours. If we gave you cash, someone would probably relieve you of it in the parking lot!
Our checks are on local banks—stop in for cash, or put it through your own bank. We have no BBB complaints. By the time you leave, you’ll know almost as much about gold and gold buying as we do!
< back to top
Can I get more money if I sell on an online auction, by a classified ad, or on consignment?
Online auctions appear to be easy ways to sell your items, but rarely work out that way.
First, most if not all of the buyers are professionals and will only offer the scrap-gold price. Then you have to pay the auction costs as well as any costs you incurred if you had someone list it for you. If it doesn’t bring the price you want and you have placed a reserve, you still have to pay the auction fees, so you are out money. If you don’t place a reserve, you may get a very low price. Also, be prepared to have to return the money and take the piece back if the buyer claims that you didn’t accurately describe it.
We placed diamond rings and tennis bracelets on ebay, hoping that we could get higher bids than scrap gold. We wanted to find an outlet for diamonds so that we could offer more to our customers for diamond jewelry. We got only the scrap gold price and we were selling the diamonds for free, plus incurring auction fees. So, we listed the items with an appraisal that cost us $40 each, and we still didn’t get a bid over scrap gold.
We finally figured out that there are so many thousands of gold rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. listed on ebay, that no one would bid more than scrap value unless the item was extremely rare or exceptional.
Online auctions are also an attractive opportunity for criminals. Be wary of foreign buyers that have no references or feedback. Feedback can be deceptive since it can be posted by friends of the sellers or the sellers themselves on different computers. Never send the item unless you have received payment that has cleared your bank.
All of this is true for online classifieds, if not more so. Online classifieds are even more anonymous than auctions. Never invite people to your home. A bank lobby is often an ok place to meet. If you list your phone number, be aware that they can probably get your address. Don’t take personal check or bank checks (they can be counterfeit). Take cash at you bank and deposit it before you leave. You can’t be too careful—this is gold and silver you are selling, and the people you are meeting know it. You’ve told thousands of people that you have this merchandise, probably at your home. You must be vigilant.
What about consignment to a jeweler? Usually the consignor will take as much as 50% of the amount that is received. Also, the jeweler will want to sell his own pieces first, as he gets all of the money. You may have to wait months and months, and the piece may not sell at all.
< back to top
Why should I consider selling to Goldmans?
Selling your gold to Goldmans lets you avoid the problems we have been discussing. Goldmans is approved by the Better Business Bureau. We attribute our success to the trust we have earned from our customers. We are experts in buying gold and know when something is gold or not gold. Often a buyer is not expert, and will tell you something isn’t gold when it is, so you take it home and throw it out, or put in your jewelry box for the next 10 years. We have been surprised at the lack of expertise of so many of the gold buyers who have flooded the market trying to cash in on a quick buck.
We take pride in our transparency. We teach you all about your gold and silver so that you can never be cheated. We use only certified scales, and we weigh everything in front of you. We explain how you can tell what you have by magnets (which we give you), and by reading the marks. We give you a card listing all of the marks you may find on gold and how to interpret them. For Goldmans, an informed customer is our best customer.
We have also heard the many ways unscrupulous buyers cheat their customers. Because this kind of fraud is considered a low priority non-violent crime, the police are, unfortunately, not interested in catching these buyers, even when they are reported. The police are only interested in nabbing the criminals who sell stolen gold, not in protecting the public from thieves in the form of gold buyers.
We also provide our Top Price Guarantee, assuring that you receive the highest price no matter what. We put no pressure on you to sell any of your items. We answer any questions you may have. Our testers are rigorously trained and professional. It is our philosophy that people should have fun selling things they don’t want and getting money! So we do our best to see that you can relax and enjoy yourself. Bring your spouse, your kids, your friends. They are welcome to join you and learn about precious metals.
< back to top
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things does Goldmans buy?
Do you buy jewelry with diamonds or semi-precious stones?
Do you care what the jewelry looks like?
What kind of silver do you buy?
What if I don't know if it is gold or silver?
What if I decide I don't want to sell something?
Will I be safe when I come to your Expo with gold and silver?
Why sell to us?
Can I get more money if I sell on an on line auction, by a classified ad, or on consignment?
Why should I consider selling to Goldmans?
What kinds of things does Goldmans buy?
We buy anything gold or silver, single earrings, broken bracelets, jewelry you just don’t like anymore, class rings, coins, gifts not to your taste,
- Sterling silver, platinum or gold (All sterling must be marked “925”, “SS”, “Sterling”, “Ster.” No silver plate please. )
- Broken jewelry, jewelry that has been run over by a car or dropped in the garbage disposal.
- Single earrings, matched earrings
- Jewelry you just don’ t like anymore
- Things your ex gave you
- Gold wedding bands and engagement rings
- Gold class rings, cluster rings, cocktail rings
- Silver, platinum and gold watches
- Gold or silver coins and medals
- Silver, platinum and gold brooches and pins
- Scrap dental gold (teeth must be removed—hit with a hammer or use pliers)
- Gold grills
- Silver, platinum and gold lockets and charms
- Scrap / damaged jewelry, broken chains and items missing stones
- Sterling silverware, single pieces or whole sets. Sterling platters, bowls.
< back to top
Do you buy jewelry with diamonds or semi-precious stones?
Unless your diamond is large, over 1/2 carat , we are not able to offer extra money.
However, we pay the weight of diamonds at the same price we pay for gold.
If possible, we remove any diamonds and semi-precious stones you wish to keep. Channel set stones and tiny stones are very difficult to remove. Most stones, especially diamonds, though hard, are also brittle and sometimes
crack when removed.
You may wish to use these loose diamonds and semi-precious stones in a pair of earrings, a pendant or other piece of jewelry. As you know, if you want to buy a diamond, you will pay out a big price. So, if you already own the diamond, you are ahead!
We find that jewelers are uninterested in buying this kind of jewelry, unless it is rare or extremely desirable. Gold has become so expensive that jewelers’ sales are down and they are unable to sell the jewelry they already have, much less used pieces which may be out of date. Also, many women are switching to white gold and silver, and no longer want yellow gold. How great is it that you can sell this jewelry that you don’t want and get money, even if no one wants to wear it!
< back to top
Do you care what the jewelry looks like?
No, the jewelry you bring to Goldmans can be broken, run over by a car, missing all stones, tangled together-you name it. We will test it, weigh it and tell you our price, all with you sitting comfortably with one of our highly trained testers and watching everything that is going on. We will explain our procedures and you can ask any questions you have. People find it quite interesting and
enjoyable!
< back to top
What kind of silver do you buy?
We buy silver marked "Sterling", or "925", "SS" or “Ster”. We do not buy silver that is
unmarked, marked “SP”,"EP", "ESPN", "Silverplate", or "Plate". If you're not sure, bring it in--we'll tell you what you have.
< back to top
What if I don't know if it is gold or silver?
Bring it in! Testing is what we do best. We are happy to tell you what you have. We'll give you
back anything that isn't gold or silver and we may be able to suggest places you could sell them.
< back to top
What if I decide I don't want to sell something?
We will be happy to weigh any individual piece separately and tell you the price. You can decide if you want to accept the price, or you may want to keep it and sell the rest. Or maybe you want to keep more than one piece or all of it. It's your decision!
< back to top
Will I be safe when I come to your Expo with gold and silver?
This is an excellent question. We always have security at our Expos—armed off- duty Police or Security Guards. This is for our safety as well as yours. We have never had a problem at an Expo, and our Security is one of the reasons. Thieves don’t like to rob places when the Police are already there! We are licensed everywhere we go, and most state require us to record information from drivers licenses. People who don’t want to give out this information sell their things elsewhere.
< back to top
Why sell to us?
Our practices are completely transparent. We hear stories from our customers of their experiences with internet and television gold buyers—and none of them are good. At Goldmans, you have the opportunity to sit back in your own personal session with one of our certified gold testers, and watch the entire process. The scale and testing machine will be right in front of you. Ask your questions. Get a our top price offer on any individual piece of gold. Keep a piece, or some of them or all of them. We pay by check for your safety and ours. If we gave you cash, someone would probably relieve you of it in the parking lot!
Our checks are on local banks—stop in for cash, or put it through your own bank. We have no BBB complaints. By the time you leave, you’ll know almost as much about gold and gold buying as we do!
< back to top
Can I get more money if I sell on an online auction, by a classified ad, or on consignment?
Online auctions appear to be easy ways to sell your items, but rarely work out that way.
First, most if not all of the buyers are professionals and will only offer the scrap-gold price. Then you have to pay the auction costs as well as any costs you incurred if you had someone list it for you. If it doesn’t bring the price you want and you have placed a reserve, you still have to pay the auction fees, so you are out money. If you don’t place a reserve, you may get a very low price. Also, be prepared to have to return the money and take the piece back if the buyer claims that you didn’t accurately describe it.
We placed diamond rings and tennis bracelets on ebay, hoping that we could get higher bids than scrap gold. We wanted to find an outlet for diamonds so that we could offer more to our customers for diamond jewelry. We got only the scrap gold price and we were selling the diamonds for free, plus incurring auction fees. So, we listed the items with an appraisal that cost us $40 each, and we still didn’t get a bid over scrap gold.
We finally figured out that there are so many thousands of gold rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. listed on ebay, that no one would bid more than scrap value unless the item was extremely rare or exceptional.
Online auctions are also an attractive opportunity for criminals. Be wary of foreign buyers that have no references or feedback. Feedback can be deceptive since it can be posted by friends of the sellers or the sellers themselves on different computers. Never send the item unless you have received payment that has cleared your bank.
All of this is true for online classifieds, if not more so. Online classifieds are even more anonymous than auctions. Never invite people to your home. A bank lobby is often an ok place to meet. If you list your phone number, be aware that they can probably get your address. Don’t take personal check or bank checks (they can be counterfeit). Take cash at you bank and deposit it before you leave. You can’t be too careful—this is gold and silver you are selling, and the people you are meeting know it. You’ve told thousands of people that you have this merchandise, probably at your home. You must be vigilant.
What about consignment to a jeweler? Usually the consignor will take as much as 50% of the amount that is received. Also, the jeweler will want to sell his own pieces first, as he gets all of the money. You may have to wait months and months, and the piece may not sell at all.
< back to top
Why should I consider selling to Goldmans?
Selling your gold to Goldmans lets you avoid the problems we have been discussing. Goldmans is approved by the Better Business Bureau. We attribute our success to the trust we have earned from our customers. We are experts in buying gold and know when something is gold or not gold. Often a buyer is not expert, and will tell you something isn’t gold when it is, so you take it home and throw it out, or put in your jewelry box for the next 10 years. We have been surprised at the lack of expertise of so many of the gold buyers who have flooded the market trying to cash in on a quick buck.
We take pride in our transparency. We teach you all about your gold and silver so that you can never be cheated. We use only certified scales, and we weigh everything in front of you. We explain how you can tell what you have by magnets (which we give you), and by reading the marks. We give you a card listing all of the marks you may find on gold and how to interpret them. For Goldmans, an informed customer is our best customer.
We have also heard the many ways unscrupulous buyers cheat their customers. Because this kind of fraud is considered a low priority non-violent crime, the police are, unfortunately, not interested in catching these buyers, even when they are reported. The police are only interested in nabbing the criminals who sell stolen gold, not in protecting the public from thieves in the form of gold buyers.
We also provide our Top Price Guarantee, assuring that you receive the highest price no matter what. We put no pressure on you to sell any of your items. We answer any questions you may have. Our testers are rigorously trained and professional. It is our philosophy that people should have fun selling things they don’t want and getting money! So we do our best to see that you can relax and enjoy yourself. Bring your spouse, your kids, your friends. They are welcome to join you and learn about precious metals.
< back to top