Combination Retailing System For Appraising Precious Stones And Metals And Dispensing Gift Cards, Coupons And The Like

A system located in one of a first area and a second area;

• the system configured to appraise and retain an item physically received from a seller and to thereafter sell the item to a buyer;
• the item having at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a precious metal, and a semi-precious metal;
• the system comprising:
• a transaction point computer configured to appraise the item;
• wherein appraising the item includes:
• (1) determining a composition of the item using an evaluating device;
• and
• (2) associating an exchange value with the item using data obtained by the evaluating device and market data obtained over a network;
• a networking device;
• a legal database for storing a first set of rules and a second set of rules;
• the first set of rules governing the sale of the item in the first area;
• the second set of rules governing the sale of the item in the second area;
• a global positioning device for determining a location of the system;
• a vault for retaining the item;
• and
• a display case for displaying the item;
• wherein the computer includes machine readable instructions to ensure that the sale of the item to the buyer is in compliance with the first set of rules when the location is the first area and the second set of rules when the location is the second area.

A computer implemented method for appraising and selling an item;

• the item having at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a precious metal, and a semi-precious metal;
• the method comprising steps:
• using a kiosk to physically receive the item from a seller;
• appraising the item within the kiosk;
• wherein appraising the item includes:
• (1) determining a composition of the item using an evaluating device;
• and
• (2) associating an exchange value with the item using data obtained by the evaluating device and market data obtained over a network;
• using a global positioning device to determine a location of the kiosk;
• using a legal database stored in a non-transitory memory to ascertain a set of rules governing the sale of the item in the location;
• the set of rules comprising a holding requirement;
• the holding requirement dictating that the item be retained for a fixed number of days after it is received from the seller and before it is sold to a buyer;
• allowing the buyer to purchase the item at the kiosk in compliance with the set of rules after the fixed number of days have elapsed.