Old jewellery makes money

By Frits Poelman

A British company is searching the North for expensive watches and gold jewellery.  Anyone with gold in a drawer can cash it in today and tomorrow. 

GRONINGEN.  Yesterday, the first day of the British “Roadshow EU” in the NH Hotel in Groningen was visited by several dozen people.  Not many compared with other towns, says the young gold dealer Morne Botes.  But he is satisfied with the attendance nevertheless.   The buyers are ready again today and tomorrow is another day in the Van der Valk motel in Westerbroek.

Groningen is the last Dutch town where Botes hopes to do business.  After that he goes to Belgium and other European countries and later back to the Netherlands again.  He has done this for five years.  Just now, with his wife, his brother and two other employees, the young dealer of South-African origin is criss-crossing the Netherlands.  They are on the look-out for top-brand watches such as Rolex, Omega, Cartier and Longines.  It’s impossible to think of any expensive brand of watch that Botes and his team don’t offer money for.

They have their eye on the drawers and jewellery boxes in which the Dutch keep their unused jewellery.  People often forget about their jewellery and watches for years once they’ve bought them or inherited them.  Botes tries to persuade them to open the boxes and let him appraise the contents.  “Because of the rising price of gold, that can be very attractive.  We are happy to do it and jewellers are not always interested.”

Any gold is welcome, says Botes in the little room on the top floor of the hotel.  There are five tables with a place for the dealer and two chairs on the other side.  A remarkable number of older couples shuffle in.  The dealers have much interest in all jewellery.  “We’re interested in the gold.  We melt down the jewellery and the people get cash in hand from us.  How much?  At the moment a gram of gold is worth about 14 euros.”