How selling gold from Stafford by post works
GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buyer. We do not run a shop or branch in Stafford, and we do not need to. The whole process is built so you never have to travel, never have to commit before you are ready, and never have to accept an offer you are not happy with.
Here is exactly how it works from a ST-postcode address:
No pressure to begin with
There is genuinely nothing to commit to up front. A WhatsApp message with a couple of photos of your gold or silver gets you a quick indicative figure and an honest answer to any question. Whether you post anything is your call, made later.
GoldPaid has no high-street branches. It is postal-only and UK-wide, which is what keeps it lean and means you never have to travel.
The process, step by step
- Get in touch and show us. A WhatsApp photo of your gold or silver is all we need to give you an honest quick indicative figure before anything is posted.
- Get your free label. We send a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, fully tracked. If you have no printer, a QR code for the counter does the same job.
- Send it at your own pace. Wrap it in any padded envelope and hand it in at a Post Office whenever it suits you.
- See the written offer. We weigh and XRF-assay every item, then send an itemised breakdown showing exactly how the figure was reached.
- Decide. Say yes and the money is sent by Faster Payments. Say no and your items come straight back, free and insured.
What we can check from your photos
Clear photos tell us a surprising amount before your gold or silver leaves the house. They are how we reach a sensible quick indicative figure, and how we flag anything worth knowing before you post.
- Hallmarks and assay marks. A close photo of a hallmark often shows the assay office mark and the fineness, which points to whether an item is 9, 18 or 22 carat gold, or sterling silver.
- Carat and fineness stamps. Numbers such as 375, 750, 916 or 925 stamped on a clasp or band help confirm the metal before testing.
- Approximate weight. A photo next to a coin or a ruler gives a rough sense of size and weight, which feeds the indicative figure.
- Solid or plated. Wear at edges, a worn-through base metal, or marks like "GP", "rolled gold" or "EPNS" usually indicate plating rather than solid precious metal. We will tell you honestly if an item looks plated.
- Stones and non-gold parts. Set stones, clasps, springs, watch movements and base-metal fittings are not precious metal and are accounted for separately, so a photo helps us explain how they affect the figure.
Who sells gold from Stafford
Stafford sits in the Staffordshire area, and a meaningful share of customers from this area are clearing inherited jewellery, settling estates, or simply selling pieces they no longer wear after a house move or downsize.
The items we most commonly receive from Stafford are inherited and family-passed jewellery, broken chains and single earrings, plain wedding and signet bands, charm bracelets, gold sovereigns and pre-decimal coins, hallmarked silver tea services and silver cutlery, and the occasional bullion bar or commemorative coin set.
Where the figure comes from
There is no guesswork in the offer. We confirm purity by XRF assay, weigh on calibrated scales, and price against the live market rate on the day. Every one of those numbers appears in the written breakdown you receive before deciding. The full method is on how we value gold.
Posting gold from a ST-postcode: how the next 24 hours go
The ST postcode area covers Stafford and the surrounding Staffordshire districts. A parcel handed in at any Post Office counter inside that area joins the same Royal Mail Special Delivery pipeline; Royal Mail does not run a different track based on where you post from.
Most counters accept Special Delivery up to around 5pm on weekdays. Hand the parcel in before that day's acceptance cut-off and it normally arrives with us the following working morning, signed for by 1pm. The receipt the clerk gives you carries a 13-character tracking reference, take a photograph of it before you leave. That photo, in practical terms, is the single document that protects you between the moment the parcel leaves your hand and the moment our written offer arrives in your inbox.
How your parcel is protected
Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. Your items travel on Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: fully tracked, needs a signature on delivery, arranged with that compensation cover per parcel. Worth more than that? Tell us before you post, and we will either arrange extra cover or suggest splitting the items across separate parcels. See postage and insurance for the full picture.
No obligation, ever
You are free to walk away at any point before you accept. Decline the offer and everything is repacked and returned to you free of charge, fully tracked and insured. There is no assessment fee and no sales pressure afterwards. The detail is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Being paid
If you accept, payment follows by Faster Payments, transferred directly to your bank account. It is the last step, and a simple one.
Why sellers choose GoldPaid
GoldPaid is a small, owner-run UK business built on one promise: show the working. Every item is XRF-assayed and weighed on calibrated scales, every offer is itemised in writing, postage is free and insured both ways, and there is never a countdown or a hard sell. If something is worth more to a specialist than to us, we say so.
Common questions
How long does it take from Stafford?
Special Delivery from Stafford is overnight to us in most cases. The assay, weigh and written offer all happen on the day of arrival, and your bank transfer is sent by Faster Payments as soon as you accept the figure.
Can I ask questions before I post anything?
Yes, and we recommend it. Message us on WhatsApp or call, ask anything about the items, the cover, the testing process, or the return if you decline. Nothing needs to be posted until you are satisfied with the answers.
How is the Royal Mail cover arranged?
Special Delivery Guaranteed is the only postage we use. It is fully tracked and signed for. Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. If your items may be worth more than that, tell us first and we will confirm the appropriate postal option.
What happens if I do not accept the offer?
Decline and everything comes back free of charge, tracked and signed for. There is no admin fee for declining, no callback chain, no obligation.
How should I photograph my items before posting?
Lay each item flat on a plain surface in good daylight, then take one clear overall photo and a close-up of any hallmark or carat stamp. Photographing items next to a coin or a ruler helps show their size. From those photos we can usually read hallmarks, spot carat stamps and tell whether something looks solid or plated, which is enough for a quick indicative figure on WhatsApp.
Do I need to clean or polish my gold before sending it?
No. Please send items as they are. Value comes from the weight and purity of the precious metal, not the shine, and gentle wear, tarnish or small repairs make no difference to a postal valuation. There is no need to remove stones or dismantle anything either; set stones and non-gold parts are simply accounted for separately.