Frequently Asked Questions

Our typical customer tends to be either 60 years old or their family member.  It is very common for there to be stress and an overwhelming feeling dealing with downsizing, rightsizing, a loved one passing away, and inheriting family heirlooms. We understand this and take it into account throughout the whole process from beginning to end.

100 ounces is equal to 91.1 troy ounces.  Silver and gold are valued in troy ounces.  We explain this since most kitchen scales are in regular ounces.

No you do not.  Don’t polish it, don’t clean, just call or text for a free evaluation.  Even a broken or damage piece of silver or gold can still have value

The easiest thing to do is to call us for an evaluation as it is not always easy to tell.  If it is marked E.P.N.C. (Electroplated Nickel Copper), E.P.C. (Electroplated Copper), or even Quadruple Plate, are a few examples of silver-plated markings.  If a knife blade says steel that is NOT necessarily a bad sign for the rest of the set.  If you see a flatware piece or tea set marked either Sterling Silver or Sterling then that is a very good sign.

Sterling Silver stamped 925 is 92.5% pure with a 7.5% alloy to give it strength

Sterling Silver is on the soft side so the blades of the knife are always steel, even when the handle is Sterling Silver. 

24kt is pure gold which is incredibly soft.  18kt is 75% pure. 1465 is 58% pure

The truth is the market for antiques are not what it used to be.  Separately, not everything old necessarily has a demand for it.  In addition, silver dollars from 1921 and before in some years had almost 100,000,000 produced in a single year.   They may be a century old but be quite common but certain ones might be quite rare.  That is why everything is carefully and individually examine to determine its worth.

We hear that every day.  Times have changed and the truth is most people and families do not entertain like they used to.  Do you want to dump these items eventually one day on another family member like it was on you? This sensitive topic is delicately dealt with during our hassle-free evaluation.  It is so great to hear scenarios like

o   “The money that we received for the flatware allowed Grandma and Grandpa to take the family out one last time”

o   “Thanks to what you paid us, we used it to have a mini family reunion”

o   “We are going to use this found money for a needed vacation to create new memories”

   Yes we do.  Its value is normally based off its main material which is brass or copper.  They are usually not very valuable but should not be thrown away.

Silver dimes, Quarters, Half Dollars, and Dollars contained 90% of until 1964.  From 1965 to 1970 the Kenney Half Dollars still contained silver but only 40%.

 Please do NOT.  If it happens to be a rare coin, this can diminish its value.  Cleaning the coins will never increase their value.

Many of the items that we purchase successfully find a new home other than the melting pot.   We are proud to say that well over 100 flatware sets have found a new home all over The United States and hundreds of pieces of jewelry.  Did you know that it is even illegal to melt down U.S. Currency?

We do not have a storefront and the associated overhead expenses.  This certainly allows us to offer you more. There is a reason those Cash for Gold Store which were commonplace on every street corner a decade are all gone and we are still here to service you.

The mail order places can be risky.  Is your package insured if it get “lost” in the mail?  How is it properly insured to get there since its value isn’t known yet when mailed?  Is it even insured at all by them with their “pre-paid envelope”? What happens if they have your jewelry give you an incredibly low offer?  How do you safely and securely know that you get all of your jewelry back and who pays for that?  There have in the past been stories on the National News Programs about the mail in gold establishments over the years.

You will ALWAYS get top dollar selling an item directly to another end-use yourself.  Most people are afraid of Craig’s List, eBay, etc. and prefer to get a little less than be afraid or become another victim of fraud and end up getting nothing at all.

It is worth a call.  With our many years of experience if we do not purchase it, we certainly might be able to steer you in the right direction or advise you accordingly.

Yes, we understand the incredible trust and legal responsibility that has been placed upon you.  Our entire process is carefully explained step by step including how we determine the value that we are offering.

Absolutely, we have worked with many banks, executors, and attorneys over the years

  We wish that this was always the case.  Some items that were made in the 1800s had so many made that they are not rare at all.  Other times that were popular at one time in the past simply are no longer in demand or used today.