Gold teeth cashed in during bite

The original advert was placed in 1937 by Mr Kemp's family

A jeweller who took out an advert offering to buy old gold, including false teeth, has been inundated with people feeling the financial bite.

As the economy falters and access to credit proves difficult, the price of gold continues to be strong.

But family-run firm Melville Kemp, of Derby Road in Nottingham, said people were now selling extracted gold crowns.

In the seven months since the advert appeared the firm has bought "literally kilos of old gold", said Mr Kemp.

The advert was based on one originally taken out by the family in 1937.

Since the most recent scheme started in September the family business has found the initiative a big success.

The retail sector went down but we've been buying gold Melville Kemp

He said: "The first time the advert appeared somebody came in with plastic teeth - which of course we didn't want - but we've had lots and lots of gold teeth.

"We've had crowns which had been extracted by dentists and the people to whom they belonged didn't bother to take them away - so the dentist just kept them.

"We had the relatives of deceased dentists bringing in gold their fathers had bought with the intention of making it into teeth many years ago."

Mr Kemp said one caller had brought in a miniature set of gold teeth, which he said was probably from a traveller's sample set.

He said the advert had been based on the original his father used in 1937 "in those days many people had false teeth - very often solid gold".

And he added: "We've had literally kilos of gold brought in over the last few months.

"This is what has been the basis of our business because the retail sector went down, but we've been buying gold."

Mr Kemp said that globally in difficult economic times people regarded gold as "something of a tangible value".

"It's something to fall back in an emergency," he said.

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