The silver price is global and identical for everyone: what truly sets dealers apart is the buyback rate, meaning the percentage of the day's spot price actually paid out once the margin is deducted.
Many sellers compare advertised prices without realising they all rest on the same base: the global silver price, quoted in dollars per troy ounce (31.1035 g) and then converted into euros per gram. This price is not negotiated at the counter: it moves with the markets, up and down.
The only variable a dealer controls is the margin. The buyback rate expresses the share of the day's price that actually comes back to you: a dealer with a low margin pays a high percentage of the spot price, one with heavier costs pays less. To compare properly, always reduce each offer to this percentage, for the same fineness (999, 925, 800) and the same weight.
An advertised rate is only useful if it is net. Before closing, ask precise questions to spot what may be deducted:
A reputable dealer details these items before valuing, provides written proof and applies no pressure. Always ask for the net rate, all fees included, so you compare figures that are genuinely equivalent.
To make your choice objective, always proceed in the same order. First, identify the fineness of your items using their hallmarks (the Minerva head for solid silver, the "silver plate" mention to be set aside). Then weigh the batch and estimate the fine silver weight. Next, ask each dealer for a net rate expressed as a percentage of the day's price. Finally, compare those percentages, never isolated amounts.
This approach protects you from misleading claims and helps you spot the best offer. To go further, see our ranking of silver buyback professionals and our guide on reading the silver price before you sell.
Not always: an attractive gross rate can be cancelled out by testing, melting or handling fees. Compare only net rates, all fees deducted, for the same fineness and the same weight.
Because the silver price is identical for everyone, but each dealer freely sets a margin based on processing costs, volume and commercial policy. That margin is what creates the gap between offers.