How to Sell Gold for Profit

By Tabitha Reaves

This is the worst recession for over 60 years and as we have all had to cut corners, tighten our belts and look for ways to save cash, many people have been taking a good, hard look at where they can make extra money. Many of us have old jewelry which is simply wasting away in a drawer or a box somewhere - it is unlikely to be ever used again and it is in every sense of the word, dead weight.

Selling gold and especially old jewelry has become a boom industry in the US and around the world.

Why?

The answer is simple - in times of recession, investors look to buy gold because it is considered a stable, secure investment - gold is what backs the currency reserves of the US dollar and currencies all around the world. When economic times get rough, gold is where the smart money invests and in turn, this drives up the price of gold while stocks and shares fall in value.

Because top dollar is now being offered for gold, it makes a good proposition for gold refiners to buy in the relatively small quantities of gold and precious metals included in your jewelry collection. The issue for you is how to get the best price for the collection you are looking to sell and how not to get scammed in the process!

First of all, deal with a gold buyer who is prepared to offer you a published price for the precious metal involved - not just gold, but also platinum and silver - reputable dealers will publish a daily buy-price for metals so you can easily see what you will get for your metal and be able to compare prices with other dealers. If you cannot see a published price or the dealer is not ready to come forward with a price when you ask, avoid doing business with them - this is something which is basic and fundamental.

In addition, when you are dealing with a dealer using the internet (or indeed in any advertizing medium) you should take some basic precautions to make sure you are dealing with who they say they are! Remember, you are trusting a substantial amount of money to their gold buying process and you want to be sure you are going to receive payment from the person you are sending the precious cargo to. If they have an internet site, check the contact information and make sure you are dealing with a real company at the end of the telephone number. If you call the company and you only get a call-center or customer service staff who do not appear willing to discuss your potential sale, then quite simply, don't deal with them. You should also make sure that the address they give is a physical mailing address for their business and that it can be verified.

When you have decided who you are going to transact the business with, make sure that they provide you with secure and insured courier or mailing services so you can be assured that the jewelry makes it to their refinery and if there is a claim, you are going to be fully compensated for any loss or mistake. - 23309

About the Author:

The best online resource to sell gold or sell silver can be found at www.refinity.com

Trading Decreased Volatility Breakout (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Aging Trend: This is the third stage of the trend and is the period of consolidation as the trend comes to maturity. As the momentum of the trend exhausts itself, volatility tends to decrease at this stage of the trend. This is the period where lot of profit taking will take place.

Both the bulls and the bears are hesitant to make daring moves at this stage of the trend. Experienced traders try to get out of their trades at this stage of the trend by closing their positions. This satisfies the appetites of inexperienced traders as they consolidate their positions.

This is the period of consolidation and the prices tend to stay calm during this period. Currency prices have moved by a large amount in the previous period of high volatility. The trend takes a short break and the volatility is low during this stage of the trend.

End of Trend: This is the last stage of the trend and this is the time when the prevailing trend ends and reverses itself after some new information is revealed about a currency that changes the opinion of the crowd. As the market players tend to absorb the information, this results in the rapid adjustment of prices within a short time.

Many stops will get triggered during this stage of the trend. Especially if they have been caught on the wrong side of the market, traders become desperate to get out of their positions. Most know that the trend has come to an end. The best way to preserve their profits is to get out of the trend as early as possible. Experienced traders had already gotten out of the trend during the aging stage of the trend. Most of the traders who are trying to get out now are inexperienced traders.

There is a sharp follow through of the prices in the reversed direction during this stage of the trend. Now you know and understand that within a trend, currency prices can experience decreased volatility followed by increased volatility as the crowd psychology keeps on changing.

Traders with open positions during this low period of volatility are the most vulnerable to unanticipated news. Decreased volatility can be found during trending or ranging phases.

During this time gains can be made from the unsuspecting players and this is known as the Decreased Volatility Breakout Strategy. Deceased volatility provides an excellent opportunity to traders to prepare and profit from an imminent change from low to high volatility.

How do you measure that the change in volatility? There are several technical indicators that can help you visualize the volatility in the currency prices. The success of this strategy lies in measuring the volatility of the forex market correctly. There are various ways to do that.

One such is the triangle patterns. Though they maybe difficult to identify for new traders but with experience you can learn how to identify the triangle patterns on price charts. You can use triangle patterns as one of the best indicators of decreasing price volatility in the currency price charts. Combine the triangle patterns with technical indicators to confirm or deny decreasing price volatility. Two of the most useful indicators that can help you measure the volatility of the currency prices are: 1) Moving Averages and 2) Bollinger Bands.

You can take advantage of the decreasing price volatility in the forex market through identifying the triangle formations. When a particular type of triangle has been identified by the trader, a high probability trade may be in sight. All triangles show decreasing price volatility in the forex market. - 23309

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Get Netpicks Forex Signals Free. Learn Forex Trading!