Buying gold as bars or bullion was described in this original article as a potentially beneficial financial choice. Gold bars are privately manufactured instead of government issued, which can make them more affordable. Although produced privately, members of the public could not acquire bars directly from the producer. Individuals interested in gold bars instead needed to work through a retailer or authorized dealer. This article reviewed the potential sources that were available to retail purchasers at publication.
Places to Buy Gold
When this article was originally published, gold had recently drawn headlines after reaching a new all-time high and attracting demand as a hedge against financial uncertainty. Although often presented as a solid investment choice, the public had only a limited number of outlets. The most common options at that time included local and online coin dealers, auction websites, pawn shops, and jewelry stores.
Online Coin Dealers
Online coin dealers could be useful for people without a nearby coin shop or those living in a state that charged sales tax. At publication, some online dealers were established businesses with strong records, while others were short-lived companies or had histories of significant delays and unfilled orders. The article stressed carefully researching an online dealer before ordering gold bars; otherwise, a buyer could risk losing a substantial amount of money.
Local Coin Dealers
A local coin dealer was often the preferred option, especially for someone near a dealer and in a state without sales tax on precious-metals purchases. Most dealers understood that investors could buy gold bars online and were expected to offer competitive prices. Still, online dealers generally did considerably more business, so a local dealer’s price for a gold bar could be somewhat higher. The benefit of a local transaction was immediate possession of the bar at the transaction itself. Local dealers were also described as offering a secure, comfortable setting that supported privacy and anonymity.
Auction Sites
At the time of publication, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers occasionally met customers who had bought gold bars through auction sites and later discovered that the item was counterfeit. Unless that concern was identified early enough, the purchaser might not have been able to return the bar for a refund. The article advised auction-site buyers to use recognized dealers or platforms that thoroughly screened products and provided a generous return policy.
Pawn Shops and Jewelry Stores
At the time of original publication, the article described the following: Many pawn shops and jewelry stores also sell gold bars, though not every store had gold-bar expertise. Put differently, a shop unfamiliar with testing and authenticating bars could unknowingly sell replicas. The original article suggested that prospective purchasers prepare questions for a pawn shop or jewelry store. If the answers were not satisfactory, readers were encouraged at publication to continue their search for a more knowledgeable shop.
At publication, Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers described itself as metro Atlanta’s leading coin and bullion dealer and reported substantial online business through our mail order option. The original article said local readers could schedule an in-person appointment and readers outside metro Atlanta could use online or mail options, with the same service offered in each case. At the time of publication, readers were invited to use Contact us at 404-236-9744 to arrange an appointment or discuss those options.
