In order to sell gold, it’s often a good idea to know what you’ve got before you make a deal with anyone. If you take a look back at the history of gold, you’ll know it’s been valued for at least 5,000 years or more.

It’s also known to be one of the heaviest metals there is and even heavier than lead. And because it’s in such a high demand and there’s just not enough of it, the price of the precious metal is phenomenal at currently over $1,100 an ounce.

One of the biggest concerns many people have when they sell gold is whether or not it’s real. One of the easiest ways to tell if it’s the real deal is if it’s engraved with a “K” marking, which is the initial for karat.

However, not every piece you come across may be marked. When you find an unmarked piece, you can often tell it’s real just by it’s texture and coloring. Unlike a fake piece, an item that is made from the real precious metal will be a rich golden yellow color and will be much softer in texture. It also won’t leave a greenish black color on the skin and it rarely tarnishes or becomes altered by weather.

One of the easiest ways to sell your gold is by coins. Gold coins are much easier to sell because they’re easily recognizable and it’s easier to spot a fake. In addition, gold coins are a highly sought out collectible, not only by coin dealers, but also individuals just looking to add to their collection.

But no matter what type of gold item you may have and who you choose to deal with, you should be aware that some dealers may not be willing to give you a fair share of what your items are really worth. That’s because some businesses that buy and sell used gold don’t want to have to pay such a high price for your gold items, so it’s always a good idea to shop around for the best price possible.

And while it’s easy to sell gold locally, it’s just as easily do so online. You can do a search for dealers online who are willing to buy the precious metal using almost any search engine. In addition, there are tools online that will help you find gold dealers.

Of course there are also auction sites like eBay and Amazon, which can be helpful when you have gold to sell. Keep in mind however that the price of gold can fluctuate daily, which means if you set your price high and the price drops, you might not get any bids on your gold items.

But whether you decide to make a deal online or offline to someone local, just remember, always check the price of gold before you sell gold because there’s a guarantee that that market value will change at least twice a day and every dealer will know it.