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selling placer gold

my friend is a small time miner(& rather successful) and has accumulated quite a bit of gold, both flakes and nuggets.

his local shops offer about 70% of melt. he has gotten over 90% before(outside of CA).


Is 70% a fair value?

where can the 'best' price be found?
BST transactions: guitarwes; glmmcowan; coiny; nibanny; messydesk

Comments

  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,761 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No, it's not fair. Even small nuggets sell at a premium. Flakes and fines might
    be worth less but still 70% does seem low.

    Check nuggets on ebay and check the completed sales for your answer.
    Now there is ebay and Paypal fees but even with them you'd be doing better
    than 70%.

    If he wants to stay under the radar with the Gov't then it is what it is and there
    is a price to pay for that.

    bob

    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,660 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Get over melt for small nuggets on ebay, and well over melt for nuggets a gram and up.

    flake in parcels will probably do at least melt there too

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • PokermandudePokermandude Posts: 2,713 ✭✭✭
    Depends on the purity as well. Placer gold (depending on the area it is from) can vary a lot. I've read that some areas it can be as low as 2 parts gold per 1 part silver.

    Or is the 70% of melt number after an assay is done?
    http://stores.ebay.ca/Mattscoin - Canadian coins, World Coins, Silver, Gold, Coin lots, Modern Mint Products & Collections
  • fiveNdimefiveNdime Posts: 1,088 ✭✭
    i am unsure of the assay performed, beyond the acid test. i will ask about that.


    % purity would make a huge difference.

    i thought the reason he called it 'placer gold' was to imply some known purity? image


    he has the flake measured out in vials @ 2oz
    BST transactions: guitarwes; glmmcowan; coiny; nibanny; messydesk
  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,761 ✭✭✭✭✭
    California gold placers (gold that is free from it's native vein or lode) that are normally
    panned, sluiced, etc are usually quite free of native rock/quartz. They are also usually
    above 22k in purity. However, they are prized because they are natural and rare.

    If you don't think that they are rare try and find a few. A lot of work for such little gems!

    bobimage
    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com


  • << <i>my friend is a small time miner(& rather successful) and has accumulated quite a bit of gold, both flakes and nuggets.

    his local shops offer about 70% of melt. he has gotten over 90% before(outside of CA).


    Is 70% a fair value?

    where can the 'best' price be found? >>



    Do you have any pictures of the gold? One cannot say what the grade of a coin might be without seeing it. Similarly, sight unseen, the 'gold' might be worth any amount. I was recently shown a pyritic mill concentrate that was represented as placer gold. It was worth nothing.
    ---
    By 70%, do you mean that your friend is paid 70% of spot times the gross weight of the material? I know of a place that pays 83% but it's got to meet certain specifications as they refine it. Their standard is Arkansas River ( Colorado) gold. It's pretty yellow stuff and free of all quartz. Is your friend's bright yellow? Darker, kind of copper'ish? Whistling in the dark here. Your friend could be pooping in the tall cotton at 70% or getting screwed. Quien sabe?
    ----
    Yes, nice collectible nuggets do command a premium. They also sit around for ages waiting for a buyer. Perhaps gold prices plummet in the meanwhile. Top prices and time are inversely related, so your friend either wants a regular buyer who will pay as strong a price as possible or he wants to extract the absolute max in which case he probably should try EBay. After all, what could go wrong?
    _---
    Please put up some pix and let's see what we're talking about here.
    Many, many perfect transactions with other members. Ask please.
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