Need some cash? Have an Olympic medal around the house you want to sell? Bronze will get just 5k, silver 8k, gold 10k

does it say the even on the medal?

I've always wondered what the actual metal in the medals is worth if you wanted to sell it. Without the memorabilia factor added in, I mean. Good to know a gold medal is mostly silver. So if you melted it down and sold it a "gold" medal would be worth probably less than your grandmaw's forks and spoons.

A real USArmy Bronze Star with the V device retails for around 20 bucks at your local Army surplus war memorabilia store.

I wonder how many of each have been awarded?

frogs wrote:

I've always wondered what the actual metal in the medals is worth if you wanted to sell it. Without the memorabilia factor added in, I mean. Good to know a gold medal is mostly silver. So if you melted it down and sold it a "gold" medal would be worth probably less than your grandmaw's forks and spoons.

Here you go, frogs:

2014 Sochi medals, by metal content (Feb 2014 metal prices):

Gold: about $600 (525 grams silver, 6 grams gold)

Silver: about $370 (525 grams silver)

Bronze: about $3.50 (copper mixed with zinc & tin)

Wow, bronze is pathetic.

Interesting to learn that Gold was only gold between 1904 & 1912.

Dow Theory fwiw... who knows wrote:

Bronze: about $3.50 (copper mixed with zinc & tin)

Wow, bronze is pathetic.

Man, no shit. Bronze is almost an insult. Why not just change the 3rd place medal to carbon fiber?

In the context of distance running, given that price range or even something only slightly above it, no runner in their right mind would want to sell their medals, unless they were in serious financial trouble/desperation. The amount of blood, sweat, tears, sacrifices of all kinds, time as money, literal money invested into training and logistics and financial opportunities forsaked, in pursuit of a chance at an Olympic medal far exceed even moderately double digit sale, much less that pathetic single digit average offering. Now, of course, the status, repute, marketing that comes with such a medal translates into financial opportunities. And then, since that's the case, why lose possession of the physical symbol of that Olympic medalist status? And the social awe you'll impress upon house guests? for such petty change

I agree and it makes me wonder why anyone would buy one. I'd rather have a $1 medal I won at a local 5k than someone else's olympic gold. I'd rather just give them $10K, take a picture together, and let them keep the medal.

Kipketer_Pumpkin_Eater wrote:

In the context of distance running, given that price range or even something only slightly above it, no runner in their right mind would want to sell their medals, unless they were in serious financial trouble/desperation. The amount of blood, sweat, tears, sacrifices of all kinds, time as money, literal money invested into training and logistics and financial opportunities forsaked, in pursuit of a chance at an Olympic medal far exceed even moderately double digit sale, much less that pathetic single digit average offering. Now, of course, the status, repute, marketing that comes with such a medal translates into financial opportunities. And then, since that's the case, why lose possession of the physical symbol of that Olympic medalist status? And the social awe you'll impress upon house guests? for such petty change

A medal is only a symbol, as you state. It is essentially a useless hunk of metal that represents the accomplishment and results.

No one can take the accomplishment away. Results are recorded in history. If you lost or even sold your medal you could still rest assured knowing and remembering that you achieved the accomplishment and would be able to show others the results.

I can relate to anyone who would consider selling an Olympic medal. I have sold much lesser awards I have won. Olympic medalists and others have sold medals and other awards if they think that the value of the money is worth more than the symbolic memory of the accomplishment represented by the medal or award.

I think the odd thing is not selling an award, but shelling out serious money to buy one. To each his own...

How much did Joe Greene get for his OG LJ medal, pawned in Las Vegas ?