How to Be Safe from the Coronavirus when You Buy or Sell Gold, Platinum and Silver
There have always been some health risks – most of them easily managed – associated with investing in precious metals. Some precious metal prospectors have tried to smelt piles of material that contained silver or gold, for example, and in the process have released noxious gases that hurt their lungs or made them feel sick. Other people have lit their garages on fire while melting of smelting metals. Other precious metal hunters have fallen down wells, gotten chased by dogs, gotten sunburned and encountered other minor health problems, but we won’t dwell on those.
But today, people who invest in platinum scrap, gold scrap and silver scrap have a new health concern to consider . . .
They need to take extra care not to expose themselves to COVID-19
Investors risk exposure to the virus at two times:
When they are acquiring precious metals and precious metal scrap
When they are parting ways with precious metals they own (which could mean selling them or getting them to refineries for processing)
Let’s look at both of those activities and find ways to minimize or eliminate the risks.
Safe and Unsafe Ways to Acquire Precious Metals and Precious Metal Scrap
In general, the ways you obtain precious metals can be divided into safe (you have no contact with other people) and unsafe (you do have contact).
Example of safe: You take your metal detector into a field and locate and dig up some old coins. Because you have no contact with anyone else (and those coins have probably been underground for an exceptionally long time), you are not at risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Examples of less safe, or unsafe: You go looking for jewelry and other recyclables at an estate sale where the operators are not practicing social distancing; you go into a factory that is being shut down and buy piles of old thermocouple wire from someone, face-to-face; you buy some jewelry from eBay and when someone you don’t know delivers it, you bring it into your house without sanitizing the package.
You get the idea, which is to think carefully about any points of contact between yourself and other people. Those contacts could happen person-to-person, or (as is the case with the eBay delivery we mentioned just above) remotely. So try to think proactively and be just a little more careful than you think you absolutely need to be.
Safe and Unsafe Ways to Part Ways with Precious Metal Scrap
In many ways selling precious gold, silver, platinum, and other precious metal scrap is safer than acquiring it, because you have more control over what happens. But again, there are safe and unsafe approaches:
Example of safe: You list and sell some old jewelry on eBay and have FedEx or another shipping service pick it up from your front porch.
Example of less safe, or unsafe: You list some bullion you want to sell on Craigslist and personally deliver it to your buyer.
Want to Be Protected and Safe? Let Us Advise You
Our touch-free, remote process of testing and recycling your precious metals is secure and safe. It all starts when you call one of our precious metal consultants at 800-426-2344. That expert will tell you how to send your gold scrap, silver scrap or platinum scrap (or other items) to us for testing and evaluation. And if you decide to have us recycle your items, we will of course do so remotely, in our modern facilities.
Safe? Yes. Profitable? Definitely! Why not call us to learn more?
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