Over the past few days, a number of
subscribers have reached out wanting to sell their gold watches. With
gold hitting an all-time high, this is hardly a surprise. In fact, I'll
probably be doing the same myself in the near future.
First of all, we're talking about scrap gold, not your shiny Rolex
Presidents. Scrap gold comes from broken watches, bracelets, links, and
jewellery - sent to a refiner to be melted down and reused. And yes, now
is the perfect time to turn junk into gold.
However, the process of turning scrap into bullion is a bit tricky, to
say the least. Having gone through this journey a number of times, I
speak from experience.
Basically, you have two options:
Sell your scrap to businesses that buy scrap gold, or deal directly with a refinery.
In the first case, the easiest way is to find a local buyer online, make an appointment, and show up with your scrap.
The problem? They'll rip you off. You won't get anywhere near what an
online gold scrap calculator might estimate. The price they pay is
significantly lower than the gold spot price. They'll also complain
about all sorts of things - purity, carat, content - all being "unknown"
or "too risky." But you'll walk away with cash in hand.
Dealing with refiners directly comes with its own challenges. The most
obvious one: as wholesale businesses, they're primarily interested in
large quantities of scrap metal. One broken watch and a couple of
earrings aren't worth their trouble.
There are also numerous "fixed costs" associated with refining. The
assay fee - a charge to test and determine the purity of your gold - can
be either a flat rate or a percentage of the total value. Some
refineries waive assay fees for large quantities, while others charge
for incoming weight, retention, and handling, in addition to the assay
itself.
Then there's the refining time. It can take weeks to get your 24K gold
back. But what really makes me nervous is the downright dodginess of the
process. You're expected to place complete trust in the refiner, while
having no leverage or oversight whatsoever. You leave your scrap - and
whatever comes out of it is what it is.
For example, the common procedure is to have your scrap pre-sorted (9K,
14K, 18K, 24K), weighed, and recorded, then weighed again at the
refinery. However, the last time I handed over my metal, I was simply
asked to leave it behind - to be weighed later - because, apparently,
"the scales weren't working." And I did. There's no point arguing with a
refiner. It's a take-it-or-leave-it deal.
The upside is that, at the end of the refining process, you'll receive a
lump of pure 24K gold (plus some silver), and you'll have the option to
sell it on the spot at the actual market rate, have it stored, or take
physical possession. You'll also receive a proper receipt.
To be fair, gold merchants and refiners are constant targets for forgers
and crooks, so their lives aren't easy either. Dealing directly with
them requires experience - and strong nerves. And yes, they're all the
same.
Of course, if you have an 18K gold watch you'd like to sell for scrap,
or any fine modern or vintage piece similar to our current stock, feel
free to reach out. I'll be happy to make you an offer upon inspection.
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