Collecting Gold And Silver For Fun: Easy Places To Look For Pieces

14 July 2016
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If you are wanting to get into collecting gold and silver as a hobby, then you want to know the best and easiest places to look for your pieces. Broken or outdated jewelry, collectible items, and other trinkets are all things you should look for when building your investment. Here are easy places to look for precious metals so you can get started with your fun and potentially profitable hobby.

Online auctions

You can buy scrap silver and gold at online auctions. When browsing through scrap for purchase, look for bulk lots of 10k gold (or higher) and .925 silver pieces which are indicative of a higher actual precious metal content. The larger a 'lot' placed on auction is, the better your potential deal can be. Make sure you know what the current price per ounce for precious metals are so you don't bid above a lot's current worth. Avoid auctions that list silver or gold-filled items, plated pieces, or copper or nickel items, as this means you aren't getting as much true gold and silver in your purchase.

Estate sales

An estate sale can be a fabulous way to find collectible precious metals in the form of bells, plates, belt buckles, and more. The key to making your hobby successful by shopping at an estate sale is persistence. Since gold, silver, and furniture items are often the very first to go at these type of home sales, you need to make sure you show up to these events early so you can get in on the good items. While it may be a long shot, you can even contact the companies hosting the events to see if there is any way you can see estate sale offerings before the rest of the general public. If you have cash in hand, this may be a great way to nab gold and silver pieces before someone else does.

Thrift stores

Thrift stores are not only awesome for finding great discount clothing and household goods, they can be a treasure trove of precious metals as well. Store employees are often trained to remove all silver or gold items from the regular shelves, but things are often missed due to unique markings or inexpensive appearance. Regularly visit thrift stores to browse through their silverware collection, belt buckles, purses, and more to see if you can score a great deal on missed collectible pieces.

If you want to get into collecting silver and gold, estate sales, online scrap metal auctions, and thrift stores are excellent and simple places to get started. Use these venues to collect valuable pieces until you have become experienced enough to shop with sellers, collectors, and even other gold and silver buyers.