Selling Gold Shouldn’t Be a Gamble – Here’s What You Need to Know

You want to sell your gold, but let’s be honest—the industry is filled with lowball offers, shady buyers, and horror stories of lost packages. We get it. That’s why GoldVara was built differently—to make selling gold simple, transparent, and secure.

I’m Steve Madar, and for nearly 20 years, I’ve built some of the most trusted gold-buying companies in America. I’ve helped thousands of people turn their gold and jewelry into real cash without the runaround. Now, with GoldVara, I’ve made the process even easier, safer, and fairer.

OUR SHARED SUCCESS

Alex Saje
Alex Saje
Over the years I've collected an assortment of jewelry that no one was enjoying. And downsizing has become a priority for me. What do you do with old jewelry? And prices this high. So I visited a few online buyers to avoid the hustle and bustle of going into town. The communication with Goldvara was great from the start so I decided to give them a chance. And things went smoothly and as expected based on the website.
Tanya Barsano
Tanya Barsano
After requesting an estimate online, I heard back right away from Erica with a clear offer, and what seems like an easy process, after checking the reviews online, I decided to request a kit. Off I shipped my jewelry to who knows where. After 2 days, they had my stuff, and an offer was in my email. I happily accepted and took payment- THANK YOU for making this easy and rewarding.
Angel Lopez
Angel Lopez
First time using a gold website so I was uneasy but they seemed really upfront with prices from the estimates and checked in every step of the way. Got a better deal than the physical gold buying stores I checked out around town. Will be coming back soon! Ty!
Gabi Miz
Gabi Miz
I found goldvara online when I was looking to sell a couple pieces of jewelry I had since I was a little girl. Steve was so easy to work with, he has a really comfortable way about him, and he came across as knowledgeable and trustworthy. For example, he advised me to hold onto my pearl jewelry because he couldn’t offer a price he felt was fair. I really respected that. And I know I received a great price for the other gold pieces I sent in. I’d recommend these guys in a heartbeat!
Christy H
Christy H

Great customer service!

It was a pleasure dealing with Steve, he made the entire process seamless from start to finish.
Rana Boujaoude
Rana Boujaoude
Selling my jewelry was quick and easy. I received confirmation at every step of the way and the price I received was awesome. I would definitely recommend using this company to sell your jewelry.

The Reality of the Gold Buying Industry

The gold buying business isn’t just about weighing metal and making offers—it’s a mix of market knowledge, psychology, negotiation, and trust-building

Not all gold buyers play fair. Many rely on tricks and intimidation to squeeze more profit out of sellers who don’t know how the game works.

Payouts Vary

If You Don’t Know How to Negotiate, You Lose

Free Appraisals

Aren’t Always Honest

In-Person Gold Selling is Often
Stressful

Many Gold Buyers Count on Customer
Ignorance

How WE Built a Better Gold
Buying Experience

1. Transparency Over Tricks

At GoldVara, we publish our gold payout prices, no gimmicks or bait-and-switch offers. If a seller’s jewelry has added value (like designer branding or gemstones), we recognize that.

2. An Honest Evaluation Process

How We Assess Gold:

First Step: The Eye Test – After handling thousands of pieces of jewelry, we can instantly recognize common, unique, and valuable pieces.

Physical Inspection – We confirm expectations through non-destructive testing, such as:
- Checking for hallmarks, stamps, or markings.
- Grouping gold by purity and weighing each type separately.
- Adjusting for non-precious gemstones (which add weight but not value).

Branded, Estate, or Vintage Jewelry – If a piece has collector or resale value, we price it against the second-hand luxury market, not just by metal weight.

3. A Process That’s Fair, Fast, and Secure

➤ Sellers get free shipping via FedEx or UPS with tracking and Insurance.

➤ Discrete packaging No logos, no GoldVara branding, no risk.

➤ All Packages are delivered and held at FedEx and UPS locations for added security.

➤ A detailed offer is emailed to you showing a full breakdown of items, weights and gold purity and the price offered for each item according to our published payout prices - simply click “Accept” or “Decline” - it's that simple

➤ No pressure to sell—if a seller declines the offer, we return their items for free.

➤ Payouts happen within 1 business day via Zelle, ACH, or Check (Crypto coming soon!)

Why WE Launched GoldVara

With gold prices skyrocketing, sellers need a trusted, transparent and hassle free option to sell by mail.

GoldVara removes the stress of in-person sales and gives sellers a no-hassle way to get a real offer.

Gold has surged in the last 12 months.

At these prices, people need a fast, fair, and trustworthy way to cash in on gold’s value.

Final Takeaways
What Sellers Should Know About the Gold Buying Business

Gold buyers vary in honesty – Some lowball, some play games, and a few operate fairly.

Haggling in person is exhausting – If you don’t negotiate hard, you lose money.

Brand and gemstone value matters – Many buyers ignore this, but it affects what your jewelry is worth.

Shipping your gold can be safer than keeping it at home – Theft, loss, and damage happen more often than people realize.

Choose a buyer with real experience and transparency – That’s what we built GoldVara for.

Thinking of Selling Your Gold?
Do It the Right Way.

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Let’s get your gold safely on its way

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Let’s get you a personalized estimate.