If you're thinking about selling unwanted gold, the single most important thing you can do before you approach any buyer is to be informed.
Gold has a clear, calculable value based on live market prices. That means you can work out what your items are roughly worth before you sell - and use that knowledge to make sure you're getting a fair deal. The problem is, most sellers don't know this. And some buyers rely on that.
Why We've Written This Guide
The market for buying second-hand precious metals is largely unregulated. There's no licensing requirement, no mandatory pricing obligations, and no minimum standard a buyer has to meet before they start trading. Anyone can set up as a gold buyer with no vetting and no accountability.
Compare that with, say, a scrap metal dealer buying copper. They must hold a licence and operate within the legal framework of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. That legislation was introduced specifically to protect consumers and create a traceable audit trail.
No equivalent protection exists for sellers of gold, silver, platinum or palladium.
That's not a reason to panic - there are reputable, transparent buyers out there. But it does mean the responsibility for getting a fair price sits with you, as the seller. And that's exactly why we've put this guide together.
What's in the Guide
Our free guide covers everything you need to know before selling your precious metals, written in plain, straightforward language.
You'll find a full breakdown of the do's - including how to identify your gold's purity, how to weigh your items, and how to calculate a fair value before you sell. You'll also find the don'ts - the most common mistakes sellers make, from accepting the first offer to trusting 'best price guaranteed' claims that are never backed up with evidence.
There's a clear explanation of how precious metals are valued, a gold purity reference table, an honest overview of the different types of buyer operating in the UK, and a list of red flags to watch for. We've also included a set of questions every seller should ask any buyer before agreeing to a sale.
Who It's For
Whether you've got a box of old jewellery, a handful of inherited coins, a silver item you no longer need, or something more unusual, this guide is for you. It doesn't matter whether you end up selling with us or not - the advice works regardless of which route you choose.
We've written it because we believe an informed seller is a protected seller. Keeping people in the dark benefits low-paying buyers, not sellers.
A Note on Impartiality
This guide is produced by Gold Traders. We've been buying precious metals since 2008, and in 2022 we became the first precious metals company in the UK to receive Trading Standards accreditation through their national Buy With Confidence scheme.
We're proud of that, but we want to be clear - the advice in this guide is genuinely impartial. There are other reputable dealers in the market. Our aim is simply to help you avoid a bad deal, whoever you ultimately sell to.
Download the Guide
The guide is free and available to download right now. No sign-up required.
Ready to Sell Your Gold?
If you'd like a free, no-obligation valuation from a Trading Standards accredited dealer, we'd be happy to help. You can visit us in person at our branches in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire or Bodmin, Cornwall, or use our simple online claim form to get a postal valuation.
We publish both the live market price and the rate we actually pay - for every metal, for every purity - so you can see exactly what we pay before you commit to anything.
