Exciting Gold Items that Aren’t Worth Much Money
Our precious metal recycling professionals hate to disappoint any customers or callers to our toll-free number. We really do, but sometimes we have to tell those potential customers that the big, impressive-looking gold items they are calling about aren’t worth recycling.
When we have to tell them that, we are disappointed for several reasons. First, they won’t make any money from what they just found. Second, we won’t have the opportunity to work with them or establish a long-term relationship. And third, we will not have the opportunity to examine or test what they have found.
So, What Kind of Gold Items Are We Writing About?
Books with gilt-edge pages or gold embossing
Yes, they make quite a visual statement and look impressive. Yet they contain only a tiny amount of gold, if they contain any gold at all. So if you have some of them, put them on the shelf or maybe try to sell them for their collectible value.
Big Gold-Covered Walls in Churches or Other Buildings
You can walk into many churches, temples and shrines around the world and be overwhelmed by the sight of walls and other religious items that shine with the unmistakable glow of genuine gold. The problem is that even if you are actually looking at gold, you are only seeing a tiny quantity of gold leaf that has been beaten thin and used to cover many square feet of the surface. We could burn the building down and recover a tiny amount of gold – but obviously, it would not be worth the time or effort to do so.
So if you go into a gold-covered religious space, do sit down and worship, meditate or pray. But remember that all the gold you are seeing cannot be turned into a profitable investment.
“Gold” Paints, Makeup and Other Liquids
These substances, in nearly all cases, contain only metallic or silica flakes that are floating around in a yellow-colored liquid of some kind. We could heat them, we could add precipitating chemicals, we could put them in centrifuges, but even if you sent us gallons upon gallons of them, they still wouldn’t produce gold. So paint your nails or your model car with them – or better yet, do not buy them in the first place if you are thinking of making an investment in gold.
Gold Leaf-Covered Wooden Picture Frames
Do they contain gold? Yes, they do! And if they are made with genuine gold leaf, we could burn them and recover the gold they displayed. The problem is the quantity of gold is so small that it is not worth the time and effort. Remember that only a tiny amount of gold – a penny’s worth or less - can be made into enough gold leaf to cover a very big frame. So if you have a beautiful gold-leafed frame, put a picture in it and hang it on the wall. Sadly, it won’t give you a bit of payback, no matter how impressive it looks.
CD, DVDs, and Other Out-of-Date Digital Media
These items can be very deceiving. Some look like they are made of silver – but aren’t. Some look like they are plated with gold – but aren’t. You’re getting the idea. If you have some of these items lying around, you can play and enjoy them or you can recycle them because they are made of plastic. But again, don’t expect to extract precious metal from them or make any money.
Gold-Toned Architectural Glass
You pass a skyscraper and notice vast expanses of gold-toned glass. (It’s only gold-toned we need to tell you, it doesn’t contain gold.) Or you have the chance to buy an old yacht or mansion that contains glass that appears to be embossed with gold.
Sorry to disappoint you, but these materials probably do not contain any gold at all. Or if gold is there, there is too little of it to extract profitably. So spend your investing dollars elsewhere – in places where you stand to make a good return on investment.
Where do those opportunities lie? To find out, be sure to read past articles that we have posted on this blog.
Want to Learn More about Profiting by Recycling Gold Scrap, Silver Scrap and Platinum?
Call us at 800-426-2344. We are here to help you distinguish between good and not-so-good precious metal investments – and to help you achieve the highest possible return on every dollar you invest.