A childhood hobby has led to a new business the, Humboldt Gold Exchange

A childhood hobby turned into a gold and silver coin and jewelry store in Eureka. 

“I think this is a passion that we both have that is just collecting the old and appreciating the old,” said Nicole Krela, owner of the Humboldt Gold Exchange. “And so it just started with collecting some coins and then it moved on to jewelry and a bunch of different things.”

Keith Krela, also owner of the Humboldt Gold Exchange, has been collecting coins since he was a kid. The couple, Keith and Nicole, were driven to open this business because they remember the excitement of collecting coins and jewelry when they were kids and they want to spark that interest in children.

“I remember there was a store here locally that I would go to often when I was a kid, and now there’s no more coin stores here locally,” Keith said. “I think the last one just closed a few months ago. And so that’s one reason why.”

The Humboldt Gold Exchange buys scrap gold and silver like broken or unwanted jewelry for resale. They also have private rooms for folks to have a more closed-door shopping experience. 

This is the couple’s first business and it all stemmed from a passion for one-of-a-kind collectables.

“We’re going to have a soft opening all week,” Keith said. “Then on Saturday with the grand opening  we’re going to have a raffle, we have a gold coin that we’re going to be giving away.”

The Humboldt Gold Exchange is located at 1631 4th Street, Eureka. Their grand opening is on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Everyone who shows up will get a raffle ticket to possibly win a gold coin. The first 50 kids will receive a free silver coin and a coin folder to go with it.