To sell valuables in Red Dead Redemption 2, take them to a fence: general stores will not buy jewelry, watches or gold, and only a fence pays cash for them. Story Mode has four fences, at Emerald Ranch, Rhodes, Saint Denis and the Van Horn Trading Post, and you can also donate valuables to the gang’s camp instead of selling them. Below we cover what counts as a valuable, where each fence is and when it opens, what the community wiki says they pay, and the few valuables you should never sell.
This guide covers Story Mode in the current build of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4, Xbox One and PC. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players run those versions through backward compatibility, so nothing below changes by platform.
What Counts as a Valuable
Valuables have their own tab in Arthur’s satchel. Hold Right on the D-pad on PlayStation or Xbox to open the satchel (B on PC, per community keybinding lists) and page across to Valuables to see what you are carrying. The community wiki groups them like this:
- Everyday jewelry: rings, earrings, buckles, bracelets, necklaces and gold or silver teeth, looted from bodies, drawers and lockboxes.
- Pocket watches: gold, silver and platinum. The wiki notes you can carry only five of each kind, and that cap never rises with satchel upgrades.
- Gold: nuggets, ingots and full gold bars, mostly from lockboxes and treasure hunts.
- Jewelry bags: small and large bags of mixed loot found in drawers and lockboxes.
- Unique items: one-off pieces such as Penelope’s Bracelet, the Reutlinger Pocket Watch or the statues mailed to you by stranger mission characters.
Pelts and carcasses are a separate trade that goes to a butcher or the Trapper. If you are hunting, our guide to perfect pelts covers where those sell.
Fences vs General Stores
This is where most players get stuck. General stores are where you stock up on supplies, but player guides agree that their shopkeepers will not take jewelry, watches or gold. Those are stolen goods as far as the game is concerned, and only a fence handles them, no questions asked.
Fences also do more than buy. Per the community wiki, they sell weapons, documents, kits and provisions, and they craft talismans and trinkets from legendary animal parts plus a valuable or two, which is a good reason to keep certain jewelry (see below).
Every Fence and When It Opens
| Fence | Where | When it opens (per the community wiki) |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Ranch | The Heartlands, New Hanover | After Hosea’s Chapter 2 mission “The Spines of America” |
| Rhodes | Just north of the town center, Scarlett Meadows | Once free roam opens after “Eastward Bound” |
| Saint Denis | Saint Denis Market, in the east of the city | Once free roam opens after “Eastward Bound” |
| Van Horn Trading Post | Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover | Once free roam opens after “Eastward Bound” |
Early game. Emerald Ranch is the closest fence to the Chapter 2 camp at Horseshoe Overlook, which is why most players sell there first. The other three are open just as early but sit a long ride away from that camp.
In Valentine. There is no fence in Valentine. The nearest one is Emerald Ranch, also in the Heartlands.
Specialty fences. Emerald Ranch doubles as the wagon fence, which buys stolen wagons and stagecoaches, and the wiki lists a horse fence at Clemens Cove that opens after the Chapter 3 mission “Horse Flesh for Dinner” and pays for stolen horses. Neither buys jewelry, so they are a separate earner for wagon and horse thieves.
How to Sell at a Fence
- Ride to the fence and walk up to the counter. Per the community wiki, the fence is the one shop in the game that lets you in while you wear a mask or bandana.
- Open the sell menu from the prompt at the counter and choose the Valuables category.
- Pick each item and confirm the sale. The menu shows what the fence will pay, so check it against the table below.
- Clear your bounty before a big loot run. The community wiki warns that getting arrested with a high bounty costs you cash; our guide to getting rid of your bounty shows how to pay it off.
What Fences Pay
These are the prices the community wiki lists for Story Mode. They are the wiki’s rounded figures, but they show which loot is worth the trip:
| Valuable | Wiki price |
|---|---|
| Gold bar | $500 |
| Gold ingot | $300 |
| Large jewelry bag | $50 |
| Small jewelry bag | $25 |
| Gold nugget | $25 |
| Platinum pocket watch | $12 |
| Gold pendant or platinum chain necklace | $8 to $10 |
| Gold wedding ring | $5 |
| Silver earring or buckle | $1 |
The takeaway: ordinary jewelry adds up slowly, while gold is where the real money is. The community wiki says the gold bar in the lockbox at Limpany refills every in-game day or two, and the game’s treasure hunts end in stacks of bars.
Selling vs Donating to Camp
You can also drop valuables in the camp’s donation box. That turns them into camp funds rather than cash for Arthur, which pays for gang upgrades such as the lodging that unlocks fast travel. Per the community wiki, donating three valuables is the camp milestone behind the Kit satchel upgrade, so a few cheap rings in the box early on are not wasted.
Valuables You Should Not Sell
The community wiki flags several items that are needed for crafting or cannot be replaced:
- Crafting jewelry. A Gold Earring, Silver Earring, Gold Jointed Bracelet and Silver Chain Bracelet are ingredients in the fence’s legendary talismans. Keep one of each until you have crafted what you want.
- Unique items. Most one-off valuables, such as the Quartz Chunk and Penelope’s Bracelet, cannot be bought back once sold or donated.
- Pocket watches you wear. Gold, silver and platinum pocket watches double as Arthur’s watch.
When in doubt, save before a selling trip; our guide on how to save your game shows where the manual save lives.
Selling Valuables in Red Dead Online
Red Dead Online also uses fences for jewelry and watches, and the community wiki lists an extra Online-only fence, the River Traders Pawn Shop at Thieves’ Landing, while the wagon and horse fences are not available there. Per the wiki, your Online satchel holds five of each valuable until you buy its upgrade. Online gold bars are a premium currency, not loot to sell. For more Arthur guides, browse our Red Dead guides hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you sell valuables in RDR2? At a fence. Story Mode has fences at Emerald Ranch, Rhodes, Saint Denis and the Van Horn Trading Post.
Can you sell jewelry at a general store in RDR2? No. Player guides agree that general store clerks will not take jewelry, watches or gold, so you need a fence.
Where is the first fence in RDR2? Most players use Emerald Ranch first, since it is closest to the Chapter 2 camp. The community wiki says it opens after Hosea’s mission “The Spines of America”.
Is there a fence in Valentine? No. The nearest fence to Valentine is at Emerald Ranch, also in the Heartlands.
Should you sell or donate valuables? Sell them if you want cash for Arthur, donate them if you want to fund camp upgrades. Keep crafting jewelry and unique items either way.
How much is a gold bar worth? The community wiki says a fence pays $500 for each gold bar.