# How should I sell this gold cap?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987 "2009-11-18T01:45:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/1 "2009-11-18T01:45:26Z")

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There have been several recent threads discussing the price of gold, and investing in gold. But I recently had a tooth with a gold cap pulled and I want to know how I can cash it in.

Are any of those “We’ll send you an envelope” companies safe? Do they buy at anything near the current listed price? Would I have to get the cap off the tooth first?

Do jewelers and/or pawn shops sell gold? Would they buy dental gold?

Any information will be appreciated. And I assume that I won’t get much, but I paid for the damn thing and if I can get anything back, I want it.

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/2 "2009-11-18T02:13:30Z")

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I asked my dentist and he gave me a preprinted envelope for an outfit that does this. I had to mail it and trust that they would send me the money, which they did - a whole $7. Maybe your dentist has info. I would look online and see what is out there, and if any seem reputable, or if you can find a site where people recommend places.

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**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/3 "2009-11-18T03:40:06Z")

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Cash4Gold has been the target of much criticism. They apparently offer far less than local pawn shops, on average. There’s a pawn shop in my town that posts their gold buying price every day. Today it was $1102 per ounce, IIRC.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/4 "2009-11-18T03:47:51Z")

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My dentist gave me an envelope for [Garfield Refining Company](http://www.garfieldrefining.com/), and indicated they’d not had any negative feedback about them. I sent in three gold crowns and got a check for about $100. I did not remove the teeth from the crowns.

You’ll notice that they list the current day’s prices on their website ($1135/oz. as I write this). I’ve noticed that some companies don’t do this, and it makes me wonder if those those companies have something to hide.

ETA: I see that Cash4Gold has a holiday special, offering 25% more than their standard rates. That pretty well confirms that their standard rates are well below market value, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their “special holiday bonus” is still below what more reputable companies pay.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/5 "2009-11-18T04:49:33Z")

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Garfield is an old established good company. I’d have no qualms about recommending them.

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-sell-this-gold-cap/517987/6 "2009-11-18T09:11:18Z")

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Thanks everyone. This is great. I’ll let you know how it goes.