When selecting a dealer, it’s essential to establish an ongoing professional relationship. Most dealers prefer to buy back the same gold bars they have previously sold since they trust the quality of the gold brand; hence you will receive a better buy-back price. However, if you want to trade your gold bars to another dealer, ensure that your bars are tradable. Check for accredited refineries and how established they are in your country.

Most dealers offer a rangeof bar weights to accommodate the requirements of large and small investors. Yet, keep in mind that larger bars usually have lower percentage premiums above the value of the gold content and a minor difference between the buying and selling price per gram or troy ounce.Before choosing your dealer, take note of their bar weight pricing policy by considering the following:

• In a market fluctuation, the premium value will indicate the premium reduction that could occur where buybacks exceed sales. The dealer may be obliged to buy back bars at the scrap gold price.
  
• The spread between the purchase and sell-back price indicates the current premium reduction if you sell the bar back to the dealer. When a dealer sells bars, the premium typically includes refining, bar manufacturing, delivery, and overhead costs. The premium may also be affected by the gold price conditions at the time. If the gold price is unstable, the bar’s premium above the value of its gold content can be higher, and the spread can be more comprehensive. The reason is that dealers are exposed to greater risk during this time, hence increase their spreads.
  
• In countries where duties or taxes apply to gold bars, some dealers incorporate them within their quoted spreads, while others record them separately.

Suppose you wish to store the gold bars outside your location; some dealers offer additional services, including allocating the gold bars in your name. Unallocated gold is where your gold investment is stored within a pool of other gold bars, and your gold investment is related to the gold price, but the gold is used for other purposes. For example, fabricators may loan gold, as the dealer can generate income; in this way, storage charges are generally not applied.