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Seven Common Mistakes People Make Selling Gold

Written by Madeleine Coe | Sep 18, 2025 12:00:00 PM

Gold’s current rally is the biggest since 1979, according to Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal.

This year, gold has appreciated 40%, reaching record highs above $3,600 per ounce.

Make no mistake... we are firmly in a sustained precious metals bull market.

However, despite the strong performance, retail participation continues to lag.

This dynamic has resulted in historically low premiums on bullion—presenting a compelling window for investors to act now.

But, there's another strategy to capitalize on the current strength in gold.

Many investors are selling their precious metal as gold outperforms many other assets in the current market.

But wait!

If you have never sold gold before, there are plenty of pitfalls.

In an active market like today, unscrupulous actors are willing to prey on unsuspecting investors.

Don’t be a victim.

Sell with strategy in mind.

Don’t Make These Mistakes!

7. Working with an irreputable dealer.
It pays to do your homework. If the dealer has slow payment issues and complaints, it is a warning sign. That dealer should be avoided.

If a dealer hasn’t been in business for at least five years, but preferably ten or more, it may notbe possible to know if they will be safe to work with.

If a dealer won’t buy back metal you purchased from them, or quotes you only a fraction of what they charged you to buy the metal, steer clear of all future transactions.


6. Forgetting to shop at least two to three dealers before you sell.
There may be a dealer you prefer to work with, perhaps the dealer who you also regularly prefer to purchase from, or one that has been recommended by word of mouth or a financial newsletter you subscribe to. It pays to have a trustworthy dealer you can go to, but don’t let brand loyalty prevent you from being strategic.

Get quotes from several dealers to make sure that your final offer is within a reasonable range. Then you can rest easy knowing where your money will be treated best.


5. Not knowing the spot price.
Make sure the dealer gives you a quote AND provides the Spot Price on which it was based. The Gold Spot Price is in constant fluctuation in an active market and without knowing the exact price your quote was based on, you won’t be able to accurately compare margins between dealers.


4. Selling for the wrong reasons.
Fear and greed make poor strategies for liquidating your gold. Sell because your allocations change. Sell because your financial goals change. Sell because you need the money for a financial crisis.

Do not sell because you are scared or overly confident. That’s not investing. That’s gambling.

Emotion loses untold sums of money for investors.

We recommend that investors maintain an allocation of gold in their core holdings at all times, unless it’s a crisis situation. Don’t let gold spot prices at all time highs convince you to part with your wealth protection.


3. Sending merchandise to a dealer for sale BEFORE you confirm what you’re getting in return.

Do not send your physical metals to a dealer get confirmation of the quote. Ask if you can send them a written inventory and/or images of the coins and bars you plan to sell, which should include the amount of oz. of each and details on what types of sovereign coins, rounds, or bars you wish to part with for an accurate quote, and then ship them the merchandise once you’re happy with the quote. A trustworthy dealer will not ask for metals first.

Once you confirm, only then will you ship your metals to the dealer, and you can expect to receive your payment within several business days of their receipt by the dealer.

2. Neglecting to ask about insurance for the shipment.

Ensure your precious metals shipment is insured for the full amount when in transit to the dealer. Mail services are usually reliable, but errors have been known to happen and you want to be sure that you’re not sending your metals off into the ether. Additionally, it’s important to make sure the insurance covers the full value of your metals. Don’t settle for partial insurance to save a few bucks as you will not be full protected if the package is lost, damaged, or stolen in transit.

1. Forgetting to ask this important question before buying precious metal.

If you didn’t take this step when you purchased the metal, you may be in for a shock when you decide to sell. Before you buy gold or any other precious metals, ask the dealer, “When I am ready to sell, will you buy this back from me?”

If the answer is no, DO NOT buy from them… period.

If a dealer does not buy back, it means one of two things. Either, they do not value the metals, or they are embarrassed by the spreads between the sale and purchase prices.

Although not likely, if they don’t value the merchandise, they should just give it to you. Most likely, they are charging you way too much for the precious metals, and they don’t want you to know how much they are charging you.

No matter what lame excuse they give for not buying back – and they can be quite creative – it all comes down to the fact that they are embarrassed they are overcharging you.

Don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Sell Your Gold to ASI
When you start evaluating potential dealers to sell your metal to, make sure ASI is on the list. With over four decades of experience—serving clients since 1982—we deliver reliability, expertise, and a client-focused approach every step of the way.

We are here to make the process easy and safe, and clients can expect the same trustworthy service and attention to detail as they receive when they buy from us.

We’re here to help you avoid the mistakes.

We make the process easy from locking in your price to getting paid.

As a matter of fact, we buy back even if you did not purchase the metal from ASI.

Start the process today by requesting a quote. Call 1-800-831-0007 to speak with one of our preferred client representatives.

Or, if you’re looking for more information, download our FREE guide on How to Sell Precious Metals.