In my "On Your Side" column Sunday, I checked prices at nine Twin Cities gold buyers. Search here for my June 6 article, available by Saturday evening.

One additional point I want to make is about Gold Guys' price guarantee. As I mentioned in the article, the Gold Guys make a big deal out of paying the highest price guaranteed. My own price comparisons have shwon that the Gold Guys don't pay the highest price unless you ask them to beat someone else's price. The only way you can do that is to shop around first. In my price check I found a gold assayer in the northern suburbs that pays about 33 percent more per pennyweight on 14 karat gold than the Gold Guys.

I confirmed with Joe Beasy, one of the owners, that they will beat all competitors. If they are unfamiliar with a competitor, they might ask for a written statement from the competitor saying how much they're willing to pay for your gold. If the Gold Guys are familiar with the competitor, a customer can tell them how much the competitor is paying. Beazy said they typically will beat quoted prices by 10 percent.

Personally, I'm against asking the Gold Guys to price beat. Why should I give my business to a retailer who wasn't paying a competitive price to begin with? I'd rather patronize the company that is paying the highest price, not the one paying among the lowest. When a lot people ask Gold Guys to price match, the business paying consumers the highest amounts closes its doors because of a lack of business. And then the Gold Guys doesn't have to pay higher prices anymore because there is no one left to price match.

Another retailer Wedding Day Diamonds, is on the low end of gold prices paid in my new price comparison as well as the previous one several months ago. Umit Nasifoglu, co-owner of Wedding Day, said that his prices paid can be increased in several ways:

1. Receive 25 percent more if the cash price is converted to store credit.

2. Receive 20 percent more by downloading a coupon at the store site.

3. Receive 10 percent more if the amount of gold sold is more than $300.

FYI, coupons can be stacked too. While these tips are helpful, they are not exclusive to Wedding Day. If you are selling gold at any jewelry store and you are considering a purchase there, it might be worth it to you to ask for store credit, but only if you are already considering a purchase.

If you have a lot of gold to sell, ask in advance (by phone) if a higher price per pennyweight is paid for larger amounts.

Anyone want to comment about your experience selling gold at the Gold Guys, Wedding Day or another competitor?