For the ’49ers, it was gold fever. For the ’09ers, it might just be gold fillings.
People squeezed by the recession are making a few extra bucks by selling old gold caps, bridgework and other bits of what is known in the trade as “dental scrap.” Depending on weight and other factors, a gold tooth can go for $50.
Outside the Continental Coin and Jewelry Co. in Los Angeles, an electronic marquee flashes images of moneymaking opportunities — a dazzling gold ring here, a bright gold dental crown there. “If it’s gold, we’re buying it,” marketing director Jeff Ringer said. “You’d be amazed at what people bring in.”
He opened a bag and poured out an oral El Dorado — about 5 pounds of gold chunks that once had been inside mouths. Most of the booty was souvenirs of dental visits when worn gold was popped out or bad teeth pulled. Almost nobody has his dental work yanked for walking-around money.
