Free precious-metal auction calculator
Set your maximum bid before the fees set it for you.
Start with the gold, silver, platinum, or palladium inside the lot. Choose how much of estimated melt value you are willing to spend, then back out the buyer's premium, sales tax, shipping, and fixed fees. The result is the highest hammer bid that stays inside your all-in limit.
This is a buying limit, not a promise that the metal is genuine, the seller's weight is correct, or the lot can be resold at melt. Read the auction terms to confirm what is taxed and which fees apply.
Calculate the maximum hammer bid.
Use only the weight of the stated precious-metal parts. Subtract stones, watch movements, steel springs, weighted sections, and other material before calculating.
Find listings worth running through this calculator.
Membership opens the complete searchable catalog, with no credits or per-listing charges. Search current and sold-out records, then sort listings with enough price, weight, and purity evidence by how close they are to estimated melt value. $9.99 for the first month, then $49.99/month.
See membership →
How the maximum bid is calculated.
Estimated melt value = metal-bearing weight × purity × reference price per gram. The target all-in ceiling is that estimate multiplied by your chosen percentage of melt.
Maximum hammer bid = (target all-in ceiling − fixed costs) ÷ ((1 + buyer's premium rate) × (1 + tax rate)). This assumes sales tax applies to the hammer price plus buyer's premium. If the auction uses a different tax base or adds percentage fees beyond the premium, adjust the inputs or use a lower bid.
A negative result means the fixed costs alone exceed the target. A positive result is still only a ceiling based on the inputs you supplied. Recheck the lot description, condition report, metal marks, scale units, bid increments, shipping terms, and return policy before bidding.