As we write today’s post, platinum is trading on the London Fix for $1,244.00. That’s a nice high price. And what about Rhodium? It’s trading for $24,500.00.

No, that is not a typo . . . rhodium really is trading for the sky-high price of $24,500.00 per Troy Ounce.

No matter what you invest in, you are probably worried about something. If you have money in stocks, how are the companies faring that you have invested in? If you invest in art, have the kind of items you have invested in been increasing in value, or going down? And if you invest in collectible cars and own a 1957 Thunderbird (just one possible investment), how much did a similar car sell for at auction last month?

Sometimes it is hard to resist climbing into a dumpster and looking around. Who could resist dumpsters that look like these?

April 15th coming up soon and it is time to start thinking about taxes.

By the way, the deadline for filing our federal taxes in 2021 is April 15th. You might remember that in 2020, the filing deadline was extended until July 15th, because of Covid-19. But this year the filing deadline is again April 15th unless (of course) you file for an extension.

We hope you made a lot of money in 2020 by having us test and recycle your silver, gold and even platinum scrap. But as you have noticed, a new year is dawning, so we would like to remind you that there is money to be made – sometimes a great deal of money – by investing in these additional forms of precious metal scrap.

There are many reasons why this is a good time to make money in precious metals. Manufacturing businesses are downsizing or closing, and that gives you an opportunity to buy gold scrap, silver scrap and even platinum scrap from them. Jewelry stores are closing too. General businesses are downsizing too and selling off computers and other electronic devices. And then there is the fact that in the current economic climate, which is harsh, some people are eager to sell jewelry, household items, and other personal possessions that contain precious metals.

The meaning of the term “floor sweepings” is pretty obvious, right? You go into an area of a factory where gold, platinum or silver jewelry or other products were manufactured, you sweep them up, and send them to a precious metals refinery like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, correct?

We’ve been seeing an online education explosion over the last few months. From kindergarten through graduate school, students have been using their computers to learn. And we’re just learning that colleges from coast to coast will continue to teach classes online as the 2020-21 school year begins.

Everybody likes to invest in platinum. Even small quantities of it are valuable, which means you can store a lot of money’s worth of it in just a small space. It’s not that difficult to find, as we will discuss in our post today. It’s liquid, meaning that when you decide to sell what you have, you can do so fast.

And as an investment, platinum has the traditional virtues that all precious metals do. Even though trading prices can rise and fall, precious metal values have been shown to be more stable in the long term than the investments you make in stocks.

“Can I find a precious metals refinery that’s still operating during the coronavirus period?” a man from Ohio asked recently.

The answer is, you can. In fact, Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners is still ready to test and recycle precious metals for our customers. How can we be doing that? Weren’t we required by law to close down because we are a nonessential business? No, we can continue working, and working safely, for several reasons.

With platinum currently trading at $762, it is certainly a metal that merits your consideration as you look for ways to invest in precious metals.

To be sure, there are so many ways to invest your money today. You could buy bullion, coins, gold scrap, and more. But of all the many precious metals to invest in, platinum wire merits special consideration right now.

Have you been completely satisfied with the investments you have made in precious metals? Do you think you have invested your money in the right metals? Do you feel like you could benefit from some new ideas and new strategies to realize more income from the bullion, gold scrap, platinum scrap, silver and other investments you have made?

Our phone rang a few days ago. A woman on the other end of the line asked a question that seems to be on the minds of many people just now . . .

“I’ve been furloughed from my job and I could use some cash,” she said. “Now would be a good time for me to sell some old items of jewelry, but I can’t find any gold refineries that buy from the public near me. Even those `We Buy Gold’ roadside stores in my area have shut down during the coronavirus crisis.”

If you live in most parts of the country, you’re not supposed to leave your house, except to go to the food store or pharmacy. If that’s been your situation for more than a few days, chances are that you are itching to do something productive and energizing.

So we have a suggestion for you – and one that could be not only interesting but profitable . . .

We all just got a three-month extension for filing our Federal taxes. That’s right, instead of filing on April 15th, we now have until July 15th.

Now, you might say, “What’s the difference, I’m going to have to file and/or pay my taxes anyway, right?” But you have another option. You can take the extra time you’ve been given to take a deep breath and consider some ways to get more value and income from the precious metals and precious metal scrap you own. Whether you center your holdings in platinum scrap, gold scrap, or silver scrap, here are some issues worth considering now.

We write a lot on this blog about platinum scrap. But what is platinum scrap, and why is it your best way to invest in platinum?

In today’s post, we’ll explain. Platinum scrap falls into several categories.

Every few years, a rumor starts to circulate about a new way to make a lot of money by recycling materials that contain gold, platinum, silver and other precious metals.

In today’s post, let’s explore some of these rumors and find out whether they are true or false.

We all know that platinum is rare in nature. But does that mean that you can’t find it anywhere? Not at all. In fact, there are a lot of sources of platinum that people let slip through their fingers – sometimes literally so.

We don’t want you to do that. So in today’s post, let’s explore some places where you can probably find recyclable platinum scrap today. Ready? Here we go.

“Platinum Is the Hardest Metal” and Other Common Misconceptions about the Hardness of Precious Metals

Lots of people assume that platinum is the hardest precious metal. But they are wrong! Although platinum is about two times harder than gold, it is still a relatively soft metal that can be shaped fairly easily. Perhaps the misconception that platinum is very hard has arisen because people confuse tarnish-resistance with hardness. Platinum is extremely tarnish-resistant, yes. But is it also especially hard? No. The fact that it resists tarnishing explains why it can be plated onto silver (which tarnishes easily) to create jewelry that retains its bright surface sheen. But that has nothing to do with hardness.

Let’s say you have come across something that is made of white metal – a ring, a cigarette case, a laboratory crucible – and you would like to know what it is made of. It could be white gold, silver, or platinum. So, how can you tell for sure what you are looking at?