Are you selling jewelry or rare coins at your garage sale? Watch out for that undercover dealer who will try to underpay you. Unscrupulous (sometimes weekend) gold and other dealers often frequent garage sales looking for items for which the seller may not know the true value. While there is nothing illegal about this, it is a dishonest practice that tries to take advantage of people’s lack of information and knowledge.
Many times these dealers do not own businesses and try to buy things cheap from unsuspecting people who do not know the real price. Even a small gold chain may be worth up to $150 or more but the seller may be offered only $10 for the piece in a box of other worthless pieces, because the seller may think it is not gold. Sometimes, the dealer will justify the lower price because of some minor flaw or the condition of the metal. However, the item is often worth far more than their offer based on the weight of metal, alone!
They may give you the impression they are going to use the item, when in fact they are just reselling it. Whether or not the buyer intends to use or resell the item, you deserve a fair price. And the dealer needs to identify himself as a dealer to you. A deep discounted price is a sign of dishonesty, and you should hold off because you can get a better price from an honest dealer.
I identify myself as a dealer, because I have a reputation to uphold. I am not a random individual, touring garage sales. I am a business owner and a member of the many organizations (e.g., Burbank Chamber of Commerce) and I have an A rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I take pride in my reputation as an upstanding businessman, but don’t take my word for it; see what my customers say about me on Yelp.
Come in for a free verbal appraisal to know your item’s true worth. Bring your items to our office, and I will appraise them in person. I’ll walk you through the process; explaining how and why the item is worth what it is. Then, if you’re satisfied with my appraisal, I will buy the item(s) from you, and you will be offered a no obligation fair price.
Are you, or someone you know, interested in selling old jewelry or rare coins? We also offer up to 15% commission on jewelry sales when you refer your friends and family. Please call Paul Albarian today at (818) 827-7152 to set up an appointment and get a free evaluation.