Quote:
Originally Posted by Apache
In the US, if you buy stolen merchandise and did not pay a fair market price, you can be charged with buying stolen merchandise. And that can be a dangerous because of differing perceptions on what an item is worth. Jewelry is a good example. The standard for the industry is triple cost for new jewelry. You can buy it used for the scrap value which is actually less than cost. A 14K ring is only 58.5% gold. The rest is alloys. Any diamonds, in the ring, do not have a scrap value but is still less that retail.
Apache
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I would state this somewhat differently. In the US, you can be charged with a crime if you knowingly purchase stolen goods. Proof that you knew the goods were stolen can be shown by the facts and circumstances of the purchase, such as paying such a low price that you would have had to have known that the goods were stolen. Particularly if you bought it from a guy selling new boxed items out of his trunk.
Of course, if you have a gold buying business and are paying $50 for a diamond ring that retailed for $4,000 and aren't asking for any evidence of ownership, you may face some scrutiny. And rightly so.