How to Buy Dental Gold in Los Angeles

Gold Crown

Many people have old gold dental work put away somewhere at home. People with gold crowns need to have them replaced periodically. Sometimes they will take the old crown home, other times they will leave it with the dentist. In either event, that old crown is made of gold, and may even include platinum or other precious metals. That means it is worth money, and many people make a living from buying and selling other people'’ old dental work. This is particularly true in Los Angeles, which is one of America’s largest cities and has an abundance of gold crowns walking the streets. If this type of venture is of interest to you, follow these simple steps to buy dental gold in Los Angeles.

Things You'll Need

• Budget
• Digital scale
• Telephone

Instructions

1. Monitor the current market price of gold. Known as the “spot price”, the wholesale market rate of pure gold is updated twice each day. You can always check the current rate by visiting kitco.com or by reading the business section of your local newspaper. Tracking the trends of the gold industry will help you identify whether it is a good time to buy or a good time to sell dental gold.

2. Telephone local gold refiners to determine who pays the highest rates for gold. You generally want to find out what percentage of the spot price the refiner will pay when buying dental gold. This allows you to know which refiner will give you the most money when it is time to sell. The main refiner in Los Angeles is David H Fell and Company (see Resources), they have a location on South Hill Street at [phone] and another on Bandini Blvd (in the suburb of Commerce) at [phone]. You may also want to check the rates at SA Refinery at [phone].

3. Contact local jewelers to ask what they pay for dental gold. This will let you know how much they are offering dentists and individuals with old gold crowns. This is important to your own pricing. You want to offer a rate that is slightly higher than what others are offering, without going over the amount you can expect to receive from the refiner.

4. Call every dentist office in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Ask if they have any dental gold for sale. You should also find out how many Karats their gold is. Dental gold ranges from 10k to 18k, but 16k is the most common. If they are unsure of the purity of their gold, you will need to use an acid scratch test to determine how many Karats the gold is.

5. Advertise in local newspapers to get the attention of individuals who have old dental crowns to sell. There are several newspapers in the Los Angeles area. You should carry a “Want to Buy” advertisement in the classifieds section of the “Los Angeles Times,” the “Los Angeles Daily News," the “Los Angeles Downtown News” and “LA Weekly.” Links to these publications can be found in the Resources section below.

Tips & Warnings

• Always weigh the gold with a digital scale, and use an acid scratch test to determine how pure the gold is. This helps you determine how much to spend on the gold while still being able to make a profit.

Resources

• David H Fell & Company
• Los Angeles Times
• Los Angeles Daily News
• Los Angeles Downtown News
• LA Weekly