Cash4Gold is a low-rent business that buys cheap TV time to promote its program for people to send it gold in exchange for cash. Turn that old jewelry into money.

It turns out that Cash4Gold is an outstanding business. According to TechCruch and The New York Post, the company made $30 million on $90 million in revenue and sales are on track to hit $160 million this year.

Cash4Gold is certainly an example that bottom-feeding can be profitable for companies that prey on people’s worst financial fears. Gold has been presented as everything from a safe-haven in trouble economic times to a hedge against inflation. Gold can rise and fall like any other investment or commodity so the Cash4Gold claims are meaningless.

Feeding on fear has always been good business.

Douglas A. McIntyre