Gold & Silver Resale Gap Calculator

The price you pay for gold or silver and the amount a dealer would pay you today are different numbers. Use a written bid for the same coins or bars and quantity to see the gap. Then explore the future dealer bid that would cover the costs you include.

Your written quote · USD

Compare purchase and resale.

Illustrative amounts are prefilled. Replace them with your own quote. No signup or personal details required.

Total purchase cost ($)Products plus purchase-related charges you paid. Current dealer bid ($)Total offer for the exact same holdings, before selling charges. Selling charges ($)Include shipping, assay, or other sale costs not already deducted. Other costs to recover ($)For example, storage or IRA account fees; avoid counting costs twice.

Illustrative result

See the full picture.

Choose “Calculate my resale gap” to see your results.

Read the result correctly

The required change is in your dealer’s bid for the whole basket. It is not a prediction of how much spot gold or silver must rise. Bids can also change with demand for the product, its condition, dealer inventory, and transaction terms. There may be no buyer at the assumed future price.

A zero selling fee does not mean a zero purchase-to-resale gap. Conversely, an offer above your included costs shows a potential surplus under that quote; it is not a completed sale or an after-tax return.

Formulas you can check

Current net proceeds = current dealer bid − selling charges.
Costs to recover = total purchase cost + other costs you include.
Current gap = costs to recover − current net proceeds.
Required future gross bid = costs to recover + selling charges.
Required bid change = (required future gross bid ÷ current dealer bid − 1) × 100.

With a $10,500 purchase, a $9,700 current bid, $150 selling charges, and $200 other costs, current net proceeds are $9,550. The gap is $1,150. A gross bid of $10,850 would cover the $10,700 costs plus the $150 selling charge: an approximately 11.86% increase from the current bid.

The model holds the included costs fixed. Add expected future storage or account charges yourself. Percentage-based selling fees may change as the bid changes; enter a revised dollar estimate and recalculate. Taxes, opportunity cost, inflation, future fees you have not entered, and investment suitability are not modeled.

Dealer markup and resale gap are different measures

A dealer’s markup above acquisition cost requires that acquisition cost to be known: (product selling price − dealer acquisition cost) ÷ dealer acquisition cost. Do not infer it from spot price or a resale bid. This calculator measures the gap between your outlay and a quoted resale value; it does not determine the dealer’s profit.

Use it when comparing gold companies

Get the exact products, quantities, condition, and full purchase cost in writing.
Ask each dealer for a current bid on those same holdings and any selling charges.
Record the quote time and expiry. Compare quotes obtained as close together as practical.
For a precious metals IRA, list custody and storage costs separately and ask how liquidation and payment are handled.

Use the dealer quote checklist and printable decision record alongside the calculator, or read the gold IRA fee and custody questions.

Source and method

The CFTC and FINRA precious metals buyer advisory provides background on resale prices and transaction costs. The arithmetic and example here are this website’s own educational model, not a regulator-endorsed calculator. Read the editorial standards and professional affiliation disclosure.

Educational commentary only. Prices and forecasts change; precious metals can lose value.

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