Business Community

A Goldmine in Gig Harbor

Lisa Knesal calls them her Wonder Woman rings.

The interior designer has been a customer of Gig Harbor’s Goldmine Coins and Relics for about five years. This Saturday morning, she’s trying on gemstone rings in search of just the right sparkle to fit between her two sapphire channel bands — her “Wonder Woman” rings.

What does she like about Goldmine? “Everything,” Knesal says.

“It’s beautiful,” she adds as she slips rings on and off her fingers. The rings shimmer under the bright artificial lights on a dreary February Saturday.

New location

Goldmine Coins and Relics, a Gig Harbor family-owned business since 2013, has a new location. In January, the business relocated to the old Umpqua Bank building next to the Elephant Car Wash near the Inn at Gig Harbor.

Goldmine Coins & Relics is hard to miss from Highway 16. Its towering sign above the one-story building, is visible to thousands of commuters every day traveling along the busy highway. 

Goldmine Coins & Relics recently moved to the former Umpqua Bank building near the Inn at Gig Harbor. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

“The location has dramatically increased business,” says Dave Anderson, adding, “the highway exposure has been a game-changer. ” Dave, along with brother James Anderson, runs the family business with their dad, Jim Anderson.

Goldmine offers a large selection of jewelry, coins, relics, fossils and trading cards. They are also among only five certified Professional Sports Authenticator, or PSA, dealers in Washington state. A PSA dealer is certified to authenticate and grade cards and collectibles. The business also provides jewelry repair and verbal appraisals.

Roman trinkets

A visit to Goldmine offers consumers a glimpse into history reaching as far back as the Roman Empire. Collectibles include a more than 2,000-year-old ring from Ancient Rome, inscribed with two lovers’ names, Annius and Servialia.

A more than 2,000-year-old ring from Ancient Rome, in-scripted with two lovers’ names, Annius and Servialia. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Delicate slender bottles referred to as “tear catchers” held the tears of devoted wives while their Roman husbands were away at battle. As the story goes, upon the soldier’s return, wives were thought to have presented their warriors with the tear-filled vases.

Even infants find their niche in the collectibles market, with colorful tiny glass bracelets once worn by Roman babies.

A little bit closer to home, the Andersons lay claim to a rare 1928 $10 bill, originally issued from First National Bank of Gig Harbor. A comparable $10 bill, auctioned recently, commanded a price of $15,000.

This $10 bill was issued in 1928. A similar bill recently auctioned for $15,000. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

The Anderson family’s passion for collectibles spans three generations, tracing back to Dave’s grandmother and great-grandmother. Dave’s father, Jim Anderson, inherited the love of coin collecting from his mother. “Grandma had coins,” explains Dave, while “Great Grandma liked to antique.”

Pokemon and Magic cards

Goldmine also offers a large collection of trading cards from different gaming companies.

It may be time to pull out some of those dusty shoe boxes filled with trading cards from your kid’s closet to find out their value. Since Pokémon launched 28 years ago, the value of many of its cards has increased right along with the game’s popularity.

It all comes down to the rarity and condition of a card. The “Zapdos” card, a first edition base set of Pokémon from 1999, is estimated to be worth thousands of dollars.

This 25-year-old Pokemon card is more of an investment than a playing card. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

There are only 15 Mox Ruby Unlimited PSA 10, 1993 cards for Magic: The Gathering in the world. One of them is housed here in Gig Harbor at Goldmine. The card is estimated to be worth tens of thousands of dollars. 

A 30-year-old Magic: The Gathering card at Goldmine Coins & Relics in Gig Harbor. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

The global sports trading card market is growing. From $600 million in 2022, the industry is estimated to surpass $760 million by 2028.

Gems and fossils

Goldmine Coins & Relics sells a variety of quality gemstone rings and unique jewelry.

Standing out among the gemstone rings is the Lightning Ridge Australian opal, one of the finest opals in the world, a fossilized marine life stone. The rare gems display a dazzling array of colors, with magnificent patterns of beauty. Australian opals are considered to be one of the rarest and most valuable gemstones, formed over 100 million years ago.

From bottom left clockwise: A pink Tourmaline worth around $1,400; a white lightening ridge opal, $2,000; a yellow sapphire, $2,300; blue sapphire and diamonds, $1,500; green tourmaline and diamonds $3,400; ruby and diamonds, $1,600; emerald and diamonds, $6,700. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

While Gig Harbor may not have a Natural History Museum, Goldmine does offer aspiring paleontologists an opportunity to see ancient fossils in person. One of the largest and most feared carnivores is the Tyrannosaurs Rex. Goldmine has T.rex teeth date back to the late Cretaceous period, more than 66 million ago.

This skull fossil is 30 million years old. It was from a Hoplophoneus, a predecessor to the false saber-tooth cats. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Out of this world

Valuable collections can literally derive from out of this world.

A recent estate handled by Goldmine included a meteorite from South America. The meteorite’s true crystalline structure is exposed following a process of etching the stone with a chemical wash to reveal the geometric patterns.

A piece of a meteorite from South America. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

As a Professional Sports Authenticator dealer, Goldmine provides private estate certification. Dave Anderson says that “99% percent of (their) business is referral,” and his customers have been loyal and supportive. He believes it’s a reflection of how Goldmine treats its customers.

The collectibles industry continues to grow. In 2022, individual rare coin sales exceeded $6 billion in total volume, a record.

Not all items brought in for a verbal evaluation will bring big dollars to customers. However, a PSA Dealer provides the community with an expert to give true number value estimates.

With a close eye, owner Jim Anderson examined a collection of coins brought in by two seniors on a Saturday morning. After carefully examining the plastic-wrapped coins, preserved to last generations, he paused. “Two dollars,” he told the women. They chuckled and smiled at one another.

Just like The Antique Roadshow on PBS, a visit to Goldmine Coins and Relics, is part adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt. You might even walk away with a couple of dollars, a piece of history, or if you’re lucky, enough to pay your college tuition.

Gold Mine Coins & Relics

Website: click here

Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Address: Address: 3107 56th Street, Gig Harbor, WA 98335

The interior of Goldmine Coins & Relics. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann