Do you have silver and gold you're looking to get rid of? Now might be the time to sell.

Local pawn shops and jewelry stores say they've been swamped the past two weeks, as prices for silver and gold continue to increase. On Monday, silver was about $24.50 for an ounce, while gold was nearing $2,000 an ounce.

"It's very high. It's the highest it's ever been, as long as I've been in jewelry," says Karen Flanagan the store manager of Philip Alexander Jewelers in Colonie.

Flanagan has helped buy and sell silver and gold for about two decades. She says business has increased as more people look to make extra cash.

Philip Alexander Jewelers gives customers money for any unwanted items. Less popular pieces will be melted and sold elsewhere. More unique items can be resold in the store.

"It's like any other trend," says Flanagan, "You can pick out ‘80s clothes from the 2000s. Jewelry is the same way."

Flanagan says unlike in the past, most people don't seem to be selling because they are facing financial hardship.