Mobile gold and jewellery buyer

Members of the public clearing out drawers, inheritances or broken jewellery. Your income comes from the gap between what you pay and what a refiner or dealer pays you.

You pay a percentage of the metal value and sell on at a higher price, keeping the margin. Occasional pieces worth more as jewellery can be resold for extra margin.

• Confident with numbers and weights
• Fair, clear and honest with customers
• Careful attention to detail and security

• Check whether you need a scrap metal dealer's licence from your local council, as rules differ between areas and nations
• Check anti-money laundering rules with HMRC, including whether you must register as a high value dealer if you take or make large cash payments
• Keep ID and transaction records so you can show items were not stolen, and check what the police and your council expect
• Insurance for stock and cash in transit, plus public liability, as you carry valuables and work in other people's homes
• Metal prices move daily, so sell on quickly to avoid losing money on stock

Startup costs are estimates, typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on your testing and weighing equipment, how much cash you hold to buy stock, and your insurance. Metal prices move daily, so sell on quickly.

Check whether you need a scrap metal dealer's licence from your local council, as rules differ between areas and nations. Also check anti-money laundering rules with HMRC, including whether you must register as a high value dealer for large cash payments.

Monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how much you buy and the gap between what you pay and what a refiner or dealer pays you. The estimate assumes at least about 10 hours a week.