Milford store caters to varied needs
Gun shop and gold exchange is incorporated into local jewelry store, By Jerry Goldberg MILFORD In the tough economic times we are facing, Guns n Gold is doing more buying of gold than selling, according to Stephanie Connelly owner of Guns n’ Gold. Connelly told the Courier that people are selling their old jewelry, not to buy something else, but to pay their heating bills or buy food. “I had a woman come in who had cancer and she was selling her gold jewelry to pay for her prescriptions because she lost her job by taking off too much time,” Connelly recalled. “I’ve been in this location for three years selling just jewelry. Ive always been into guns and there’s no gun shop around so I figured it’s about time.” Connelly divided the jewelry store very nicely and added a section to display firearms for sale. She even has a small living room set up so a spouse of the shopping mate can sit on a comfortable couch and watch TV or have a cup of coffee while their significant other is looking at guns or jewelry. Connelly said she has police officers as well as the regular Joe come in to look around or purchase a new gun. “My customers are hunters, collectors and those that just want a gun for the sport of it.” Guns n Gold carries ammunition as well as gun accessories along with a wide assortment of firearms from revolvers and semi-automatics on up to rifles and shotguns. “We just opened the gun shop on Friday and we’re doing well. “I even had a little old lady who was 79 years old buy her first gun. She bought a .38 Special for protection. I thought that was great and told her good for you.’” Connelly went on to opine, “You better get em’ while you can, you never know. With Obama in office you can’t tell what might happen. Everyone should have the right to protect themselves.” She said jewelry is not a necessity and having money to pay for your daily needs is. Guns n Gold melts down the jewelry and sells it to a larger refinery, which re-melts it and molds it into bars which are then sold to their customers, she said. Gold is currently $1,098 per ounce according to Connelly. Value the seller can expect depends on purity. “Pure gold,” 25 karat gold is too soft for most uses. Twenty-four karat gold is referred to as being “24 parts pure gold.” while fourteen karat gold is 14 parts pure, with other metals are added to pure gold to make it harder and more durable. With all the other metals that are sometimes contained in 14 karat gold it usually melts down to be about 56.5 percent pure. Connelly said. Some lesser quality gold comes out of China, where a lot of it is marked 14 karat but is only 52.3 percent pure. Connelly runs the business along with her husband, brother and father, who is a retired deputy sheriff and a former corrections officer at the Pike County Correctional Facility. Guns n Gold is a small shop in the retail strip at 601 West Harford Street, where it becomes US Route 6 in Milford Township. For more information, call Stephanie at 570-409-6886.