If you have gold lying around that's not used, selling it can provide some quick cash. You might sell it at a number of different locations, depending on what you have. Here are some of the best places to sell unwanted gold.

Pawn Shops

Most pawn shops buy gold for a little less than the spot price, since they have to process it and earn a small profit by reselling it. Pawn shops generally melt the gold they receive down and then sell it to a wholesale buyer.

In some situations, selling to a pawn shop might not get you the highest price for your gold. This is one of the most convenient options, though, and you will get a fair price for gold that has no purpose other than to be melted down.

Antique Dealer

If you have an especially old piece, an antique dealer might pay a higher price for your gold item. Antique dealers aren't just interested in the smelt value of your gold, they'll also consider the intrinsic value of the piece itself. A fine antique piece of jewelry might be worth much more than what merely melting the piece down would fetch.

Selling to an antique dealer will require a little more patience, as they'll want to evaluate the piece and might get a third-party appraisal. The wait can be worthwhile if you have a rare, old piece, however.

Jeweler

A jeweler may be interested in newer unique gold pieces that you have, particularly if they're rings, necklaces, earrings or watches. Any pieces you sell to a jeweler might be resold as-is, refurbished and then resold, or remounted with different gems. In all of these cases, the goal of the jeweler is to resell your piece as jewelry and not smelting gold.

Coin Buyer

If you have gold coins, a coin buyer will take them for their gold content or their collectability. Standard gold coins will fetch a fair amount based on gold's spot price at the time of sale, since gold coins tend to be fairly pure. Rare coins might sell for more if they have added value on the collectible market.

Online Buyer

If you have a lot of gold to sell, an online buyer may offer the best price. Online buyers tend to have lower overhead, which allows them to keep costs down and pay more for gold. You'll have to ship the gold, but the added payment can be more than the cost of shipping if you have any sizeable amount to offload.

Contact a company like Beaverton Coin & Currency to learn more.