Despite the pandemic of the corona virus and the crisis, the citizens of Serbia did not resort to higher sales of household gold, although the number of pawnshops, ie shops that buy gold in Belgrade, seems to be increasing.
The pawnshops visited by Danas reporters say the corona virus pandemic has not increased their turnover.
Asked whether people have been selling gold more often in recent months, workers said the situation was the same as before the corona virus pandemic.
“We expected to have more work when it comes to buying gold. When times are in crisis, people lose their jobs, wages are reduced, and these are the circumstances when many resort to selling gold and other valuables. However, our turnover is almost identical to this time last year,” says an employee in a Belgrade pawnshop.
In the second place, they state that the income from the purchase of gold jumped slightly, but that the situation may change in the coming months.
“I think people have savings and are spending it now. Most are reluctant to sell their jewelry because they often received it as a gift or inherited it. That is why they prefer to spend what they have, and we are the option they decide on when they are in that situation,” explains a worker in a jewelry store near the city center.
When it comes to the age of those who sell valuable items, in one jewelry store they say that they are mostly older people, and in other places they state that there are no rules.
“Very young people also come, but also middle-aged people, although both grandmothers and grandfathers pawn jewelry. All that matters to us is that the person is older than eighteen and has an ID card. By law, during each purchase, we must issue a certificate that contains information about the subject of sale and information about who brought the item. This prevents someone from selling stolen jewelry, because it can be easily discovered,” explains a worker of a goldsmith.
The subject of the pledge is most often jewelry, and ducats and watches less often. One goldsmith told us that they do not buy watches at all.
The fineness of the gold that citizens bring is in most cases fourteen carats, but it is often eighteen carats of gold.
A pawnshop worker explains what affects the price of gold and to what extent it varies from place to place.
“When someone sells a larger quantity, we offer him a better price. We monitor the stock exchange every day and form the price accordingly. The differences between goldsmiths should not be more than one euro per gram. However, the closer you are to the center, the more money you will get for the valuable item you are selling, and as you move away, the price is worse,” he told Danas.
