New Cash 4 Gold shop offers cash for your broken bling

Rak opened Cash 4 Gold last month on Milan Road near Sandusky Mall, in a complex housing a laundromat and car wash. "We're not selling jewelry," Rak said. "We only buy gold, so we're able to offer a better buyout price." While the offered price depends on the ever-changing market, the last few years have seen increased prices for gold and silver. Gold prices also depend on the quantity of the precious metal, such as 24 Karat or 10 Karat. It can range anywhere from $15 to $21 an ounce. Silver averages about $30 an ounce. Rak's store buys gold, silver, sterling silver — old silverware sets, for instance — platinum and old coins minted in 1964 or years prior. The shop then sells the material to companies that melts it down. This is Rak's second location, following the 2010 opening of a cash-for-gold shop in Lorain. Customers bring in old jewelry they no longer wear, broken jewelry, a single earring when the other has been lost, wedding rings after a divorce, and items found in garage or estate sales. People typically use the extra cash to pay bills or buy new jewelry, she said. The shop is managed by Laurie Budd, who recommends people to stop in with their items so she can offer a free assessment. During the process, she explains everything she's doing. "All done right before you," Budd said, assuring an item never leaves someone's sight. Rak and her husband also operate an e-commerce business that sells whirlpools, hot tubs, steam showers and the like. They went into the precious metals field after seeing the success of a business acquaintance. "We saw the traffic he got into the store and how excited the customers were to get money," Rak said. Sandusky Cash 4 Gold Where: 4307 Milan Road, Perkins Township Phone: 419-502- 5900 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. SaturdayRegister photo/LUKE WARK Owner Rhoda Rak, left and manager Laurie Budd opened one of Sandusky's newest stores, Cash 4 Gold, last month across from the Sandusky Mall on State Route 250. The business buys old and unwanted gold and silver in exchange for cash.