This has been yet another crazy week in a busy month in what has turned out to be an insane year.  I have 73 emails that need to be answered, and 238 items on my task list.  (How is that even possible??)  So when Karen told me a couple of weeks ago that she was having a “gold party,” I put it on the calendar but didn’t really think I’d make it.  Luckily, Karen bribed me with wine, and late this afternoon I decided to go.

A “gold party” is where you dig all of your broken, outdated, and unwanted gold out of your jewelry box, and bring it to the party to sell.  Until 4:30 this afternoon, I didn’t even know where my gold jewelry was.  Ben found my jewelry box and Aliya and I went through it looking for stuff that looked like real gold.  Most of what I took to the party was from old boyfriends or was mangled.  I haven’t worn any of it for at least 10 years.  It wasn’t a very impressive pile, so I was thinking maybe $100 – $200.

I arrived at Karen’s at 6:30 and there was plenty of food, wine, and conversation, and then one by one we took our baggies into the gold specialists from Gold Party New England.  When my turn came I apologetically presented my baggie, and Kristen and Ann went to work.  About 20 minutes later I had a check in my hand for $610.77.  A real check.  Made out to me.  I don’t know if you could use an extra $600 right now, but I sure can.  I didn’t even sell everything in my bag – there were two items worth about $130 that I ended up keeping, and a few of the items with stones wouldn’t have weighed much after the stone was removed so I kept them for Aliya and Norah instead. 

I was very pleasantly surprised.  There was no pressure to sell, the prices were very fair, and the gold specialists were extremely professional and knowledgeable.  There was nothing shady about it…they tested and weighed the gold right in front of us, and calculated the prices based on about 70-75% of today’s closing price for gold.  The average check tonight was about $350, and there were two large pieces that aren’t included in that average – a $1,300 watch which one of the party guests needs to discuss with her family, and a $900 bracelet that needs further testing. 

I will be having a gold party of my own after the holidays, so start hunting now.  You’ll be amazed at what your old, broken, neglected gold is worth.