Do any of you invest in gold and silver, and if so, how?

[375Ruger416]

Good discussion gentleman. I’ve been following gold, silver, and bitcoin for a while but have neglected to buy any thus far missing some good opportunités due to the difficulty of purchasing and selling some of these assets.

I agree with the poster who said - know your purpose [sic]. As an investment - gold mining companies, easiest way gold or precious minerals ETF, as a hoard against the apocalypse physical coins or gold stored by a 3rd party offsite. With precious metals at a high, options 1 and 2 are much different than number 3.

Geopolitical and economic uncertainty are also at recent highs which makes weighing the pros and cons much more challenging…. Between AI, China, Russia, the Middle East only God knows what the future will bring. I am, however, confident in predicting the next 5-20 years will be a bumpy ride.

 

[Flbt]

Not understanding you’re question/statement?

I buy silver because of its use in electronics manufacturing/absolutely not believing that I’ll be trading fractional silver for food…. At that point ammo will be the coin of the realm.

Don’t use things for trade goods that can kill your or take the rest of your goods.

 

[Flbt]

Good discussion gentleman. I’ve been following gold, silver, and bitcoin for a while but have neglected to buy any thus far missing some good opportunités due to the difficulty of purchasing and selling some of these assets.

I agree with the poster who said - know your purpose [sic]. As an investment - gold mining companies, easiest way gold or precious minerals ETF, as a hoard against the apocalypse physical coins or gold stored by a 3rd party offsite. With precious metals at a high, options 1 and 2 are much different than number 3.

Geopolitical and economic uncertainty are also at recent highs which makes weighing the pros and cons much more challenging…. Between AI, China, Russia, the Middle East only God knows what the future will bring. I am, however, confident in predicting the next 5-20 years will be a bumpy ride.

If a 3 party stores your metal they own your metal if real bad stuff happens.

 

[Flbt]

I have here all ways like American coins.
For the way there handle at the coin shop.
A lot of my silver and a few gold coins were passed down by family.
They kept what they could when the government (STOLE THE VALUE OF MONEY)
And I have added some over the years.

One of my aunts told me the value of keeping some around and the value of no paperwork

 

[gillettehunter]

As a jeweler I bought and sold hundreds of thousands in bullion. 1 oz sizes are usually the easiest to work with. I have sold silver bars up to 1000 oz tho. With gold where it’s at smaller denominations can also be considered useful. I always worked with physical metals. Buy whatever you’re comfortable with.
“Stackers” seem to buy regardless of the price. I’ve sold some but have been holding most of my physical metals. Getting to the point where it’s hard to hold. Refineries are so backed up they are refusing to take silver scrap. Gold is easier and more profitable than silver to process. Many jewelry stores in the US handle bullion. My son has our store now. If someone is interested I can put you in touch with him.
Bruce

 

[rookhawk]

Buy stocks or bars for the safe deposit box ?
I don't really have any ideas and am open to good suggestions.
Yes, I know it's too expensive at the moment, but that's always the case.
Greetings and thanks
Foxi

I'm a big fan of investing in the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) SLV and GLD. You're buying actual metals held in vaults by Sprott and regularly audited. The management fees a very reasonable, and they are instantly liquid with the click of a button from your favorite brokerage app.

You can hold them in brokerage, or in a retirement account giving you tax advantages.

The naysayers will point to the preference for physical metals but there are consequences: 1.) You can be robbed. 2.) You pay a surcharge over the spot price to buy 2.) You do not get the premium over spot when you sell.

The only reason to own physical gold versus digital that people bring up is the end of the world scenarios where all computers are dead and your stock portfolio cannot be accessed. I am not sure that gold and silver will be nearly as valuable in that apocalypse as bullets, diesel, gasoline, and food. I believe that aspect of physical metals is oversold and very, very unlikely.

FYI: I bought SLV in November and its up 60% in sixty days! I can sell it with no commissions, instantly, any time I wish. Or I can hold it indefinitely. Or I can sell covered calls on it. Or I can put a trailing stop loss on it.

 

[Charlie64]

Silver has not been this high since the Hunt Brothers tried to corner the market! That was the fall of Kodak Eastman.

Buy now at near USD 80/- ounce. No, I dont think so but I do not see it back in the USD 20s in the near future.

Cannot hurt to have metals as part of a balanced portfolio.

.

 

[Sourdough]

I invest in Gold, Silver and Copper. Coins. I once owned shares of a gold mine but they went bust and so did my investment. I also own gold bars, as in gram bars of various sizes. When I travel out of the country I wear a belt that has some of these hidden in the belt. That way when the SHTF I’ve got some bargaining chips to use to get away or out. I buy my precious metals thru APMEX.

 

[VertigoBE]

Part physical, part ETF’s and part mining stocks, offset with some S&P500 ETF, specific tech/industry ETF and some specific stocks.

 

[Flbt]

I'm a big fan of investing in the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) SLV and GLD. You're buying actual metals held in vaults by Sprott and regularly audited. The management fees a very reasonable, and they are instantly liquid with the click of a button from your favorite brokerage app.

You can hold them in brokerage, or in a retirement account giving you tax advantages.

The naysayers will point to the preference for physical metals but there are consequences: 1.) You can be robbed. 2.) You pay a surcharge over the spot price to buy 2.) You do not get the premium over spot when you sell.

The only reason to own physical gold versus digital that people bring up is the end of the world scenarios where all computers are dead and your stock portfolio cannot be accessed. I am not sure that gold and silver will be nearly as valuable in that apocalypse as bullets, diesel, gasoline, and food. I believe that aspect of physical metals is oversold and very, very unlikely.

FYI: I bought SLV in November and its up 60% in sixty days! I can sell it with no commissions, instantly, any time I wish. Or I can hold it indefinitely. Or I can sell covered calls on it. Or I can put a trailing stop loss on it.

I have heard stories from Rhodesia farmers that came to Fl in the 80s.
They said if it was not for gold British sovereign they would have never made it.

You never know when something will happen.
And I agree in a true shtf bullets ,food and fule will be the most important.
But as things settle down some form of exchange will be nessary.
Gggrand dad was a traveling blacksmith.
Small community’s that did not need a full time smith
When he made his rounds barter was not a option especially at the start. The wagon was loaded down.
Food and board was supplied by the Comuity for him and the horses just to come to them.
He was going to be payed for his work. If gold and silver worked when ever day life would be shtf life today. Why want it work now ?

 

[rookhawk]

If gold and silver worked when ever day life would be shtf life today. Why want it work now ?

Because there is not enough physical gold and silver coinage in circulation to make it a practical unit of exchange. In the post-apocalypse scenario you're expecting to provide a tenth of an ounce of silver for a good or service, but how will they make change? Most people do not have gold or silver. Food, Fuel, Bullets are going to be more likely for that far-flung scenario.

But as a hedge against inflation and fiat currency? Its great for that purpose and you can just buy ETFs to accomplish that without needing to physically secure the resource.

 

[Red Leg]

I have heard stories from Rhodesia farmers that came to Fl in the 80s.
They said if it was not for gold British sovereign they would have never made it.

You never know when something will happen.
And I agree in a true shtf bullets ,food and fule will be the most important.
But as things settle down some form of exchange will be nessary.
Gggrand dad was a traveling blacksmith.
Small community’s that did not need a full time smith
When he made his rounds barter was not a option especially at the start. The wagon was loaded down.
Food and board was supplied by the Comuity for him and the horses just to come to them.
He was going to be payed for his work. If gold and silver worked when ever day life would be shtf life today. Why want it work now ?

I am with you on this one. "Hack silver" was a medium of exchange through much of the Middle Ages when coined silver was difficult to obtain. I think I can visualize a situation where such material would be of great utility as the initial survival days are overcome.

 

[Flbt]

Because there is not enough physical gold and silver coinage in circulation to make it a practical unit of exchange. In the post-apocalypse scenario you're expecting to provide a tenth of an ounce of silver for a good or service, but how will they make change? Most people do not have gold or silver. Food, Fuel, Bullets are going to be more likely for that far-flung scenario.

But as a hedge against inflation and fiat currency? Its great for that purpose and you can just buy ETFs to accomplish that without needing to physically secure the resource.

Fl had a long history of cutting up coins. Pices of eight? A Spanish cut into pices.

How much jewelry is out there?

Yea I know mines mostly for insurance if the dollar fails or something else. And a way to save some extra in a hobby.
And in a devorice or something no paper value.

 

[BryceM]

Interesting topic. I’ve bought and sold plenty of both over the years. I think it’s a good idea to have a little, mostly just to diversify. I have allusions (delusions?) that precious metals will be a highly desirable material of exchange in a SHTF scenario. More like a steady store of value for the other side when the “new normal” appears. Lately, silver has outperformed almost everything, but this only matters if you’re willing to sell. It makes no sense to me to be a strong buyer right now. It could go up, but it’s already at historically high prices. Maybe the best strategy is to buy a little every few months (dollar cost averaging). If it’s worth owning, it’s worth having it physically in-hand. Anything else is just another version of a paper asset. Buying and selling bullion is pretty easy. Cash deals. Unless you’re just setting up your heirs, it’s important to sell it, eventually, too. They certainly will.

For silver, the physical form isn’t terribly important. For gold, I’d recommend government-issued coins. I prefer generic pre-1933 gold double eagles. They trade for not much over spot price and there’s a bit of history there too. More modern buffalo or AGE coins are also good.

Just remember, the guys on TV would rather have your cash than their gold…… they’re always telling you how important it is to buy some.

 

[Rimbaud]

Further to my earlier post, market talk on silver also includes a liquidity squeeze in London -- where silver benchmark prices are set -- which amplifies the moves. Goldman has advised clients that speculation around US trade policy--with silver theoretically eligible for tariffs of up to 50% (despite its exemption in April 2025)-- sparked pre-positioning into the US in 2025, drawing inventory out of London and reducing the available float. Goldman told clients that 1,000 tonnes of weekly net silver demand typically lifts prices by about 2%, but that beta has surged to 7% amid tightness. As for GLD, it was created at the behest of gold companies by the World Gold Council (like Debeers for diamonds) to reduce physical gold price volatility. I haven't checked this datapoint in ages, but something like 70% or more of gold demand, and thus price volatility, came from Asian religious festivals and buying. In some nations, women are only allowed to own what they can wear into the marriage and thus gold bangles are very popular gifts. GLD has made it super easy for anyone to buy gold as the ETF is backed by gold deposits on underground vaults - though the famously paranoid crowd doubts that, too. Some have mentioned the weaponization of the US dollar, and challenges to our primacy in the world. China and Russia have tried for a very long time to create an alternative to the dollar, but they have largely failed because America has one thing that differentiates us from those markets, and countries - laws, transparency, etc - which define our capital markets even when political histrionics cause some to wonder and worry.

 

[Flbt]

Because there is not enough physical gold and silver coinage in circulation to make it a practical unit of exchange. In the post-apocalypse scenario you're expecting to provide a tenth of an ounce of silver for a good or service, but how will they make change? Most people do not have gold or silver. Food, Fuel, Bullets are going to be more likely for that far-flung scenario.

But as a hedge against inflation and fiat currency? Its great for that purpose and you can just buy ETFs to accomplish that without needing to physically secure the resource.

One thing about not much in coins is out there.
You would not make many purchases to begin with. And there would not be that much to buy.
My aunt that came up in the depredation.
Said they traded for a lot of things.
And that it didn’t mater if you had money or not because the most of the time there was nothing to buy.
That what they needed money the most for was government bs. Like tax on the farm
And then winter shoes.
Hogs and pecans at the market is what took care of that

She said one of the most valuable things was a milk cow.
That with more milk ,cream and butter than they could use. Was some of the best trad things there was. Thant and grandpa shine and tabaco.

 

[V.Veritas]

That's a 2024 report. Since than 2 things happened. Cental banks bought more gold and the price of gold is significantly higher.
Be your own bank or follow their lead for the same reasons.

Why Do Central Banks Buy Gold?

Global central banks held more than 36,699 metric tons (MT) of gold in their reserves as of year-end 2023. Most of that supply has been amassed since 2010, when central bankers commenced a gold-buying spree.Central banks were net sellers of gold before that time, selling roughly 4,426 MT of gold...

investingnews.com

 

[Altitude sickness]

One thing about not much in coins is out there.
You would not make many purchases to begin with. And there would not be that much to buy.
My aunt that came up in the depredation.
Said they traded for a lot of things.
And that it didn’t mater if you had money or not because the most of the time there was nothing to buy.
That what they needed money the most for was government bs. Like tax on the farm
And then winter shoes.
Hogs and pecans at the market is what took care of that

She said one of the most valuable things was a milk cow.
That with more milk ,cream and butter than they could use. Was some of the best trad things there was. Thant and grandpa shine and tabaco.

Your aunt gave you a perfect example ( the Depression) Zimbabwe and Venezuela are also good examples.

Baring a complete apocalypse, the most likely scenario is the dollar being so devalued or being replaced as the Reserve Currency and $500k stuffed in your mattress won’t even pay your annual property taxes.

Even in very severe situation’s the government still wants their taxes. you will owe your taxes eventually. You need something that will not be devalued to pay those legacy cost.


But propane, food, water, ammunition, firearm’s, antibiotics, heirloom seeds on and on will be the currency of the realm during a real collapse.

People that can cobble and fix things will also be able to barter their skills for items


But again, the most likely scenario that makes cash less valuable is the eventual replacement of the dollar as the reserve currency. There are many clear signs that it’s already started. and it will eventually happen. When is the question.


Also, looking back in history when a currency has been so devalued it’s worthless. There were not slow off ramps. It happened immediately.
Many were prepared and made moves years in advance, but most were caught without a chair when the music stopped.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I should clarify my statement I’m not saying what happened in Zimbabwe or Venezuela is going to happen in the U.S. or other countries.

I only use those countries as an example that when their currency tanked, the government still wanted their tax money.

 

[Flbt]

I should clarify my statement I’m not saying what happened in Zimbabwe or Venezuela is going to happen in the U.S. or other countries.

I only use those countries as an example that when their currency tanked, the government still wanted their tax money.

Sounds about par for the corse as far as government go.
Cause the problem steal money ( assets/ value) from the problems they cause.