Back in the 1990's, when I managed a hotel, the phone rang at the front desk. The girl on the switchboard gave me a look and said "The girl at the gas station next door is asking for you." I pointed to one of the desk phones and the call was transferred. The girls at the desk looked at me with concern as I took the call. When I hung up I told the girls that the girl at the gas station said someone had given her counterfeit money.
I went to the gas station. The counterfeit money turned out to be red seal two dollar bills from the early 1950's. The situation repeated a few days later and a bond of trust developed me and the clerk as she began to allow me to audit her till daily. Someone in the neighborhood had been raiding their grandparent's coin and money collection. I found more of the red seal 2 dollar bills, silver certificate ones, silver dollars, silver fifty cent pieces, silver quarters and silver dimes.
After a couple of years the girl at the gas station quit. In that time, I had accumulated ten pounds of coins as well as a thick envelope of rare currency.
I retired a couple of months ago. Since the coins and currency had "matured" for thirty years, I decided to cash in. I called stores that bought these items and was told that they would buy the coins and currency at "wholesale prices" (pennies on the dollar). I then began to dabble with Ebay, trying to sell coins and the bills one at a time. This was a huge FAIL. I tried a batch of five coins. After the transaction was completed, the buyer told me that he had taken advantage of me and I should use the words "Loose Silver." So, I jacked up my prices and used the words "Loose Silver."
I've developed two buyers, one on the east coast and one on the west coast. Better yet, just minutes after I post the items for sale, the items are bought.
So, the next time you see one of those ads for "Buy Gold", know that it is a scam, unless you have a sucker lined up.