Precious Metals

[Anonymous]

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@Gardenhandwrote:

I believe physical silver at current prices is a great opportunity. With the industrial uses and medical equipment uses on the rise along with current silver to gold ratios being what they are, i believe it's just a matter of time before prices start to rise. If/when they do I think the masses will start to catch on and I don't believe that the silver etfs and other trading vehicles will be able to support the potential bubble this could create. This obviously would increase the demand for physical silver and the people collecting now will be rewarded in a big way.

I believe 50 to 100 dollars per ounce is a given in the next five to ten years and if the masses move in creating the etf breaking bubble then physical silver hitting 1,000 per ounce is not impossible before it's all said and done. I like small cap silver mining stocks for trading and physical silver bullion for a long term hold. 

The best part about silver at these levels in my opinion is there is very little risk if any at current prices. The risk to reward is like no other investment out there. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity in my book.

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I also feel silver will be 50-100 dollars but it will take time. Numismatic Canadian coins are very attractive to me.

[Anonymous]

At present I've got a bit too much cash in the "mattress", so I've been thining about converting it to either Silver or Gold. That seems the most common, but what do people tink of Palladium or Platinum? Or even Gemstones? 

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymouswrote:

At present I've got a bit too much cash in the "mattress", so I've been thining about converting it to either Silver or Gold. That seems the most common, but what do people tink of Palladium or Platinum? Or even Gemstones? 

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Gemstones, and finished jewelry in general, don't share the same small buy/sell spread that bullion has.

Buy $10k of gemstones and try to sell them back to the dealer. You'd be lucky to get $5k.

Buy $10k of silver bullion and try to sell it back to the dealer. You could get maybe $9.8k.

(Not that I'm a big fan of metals in general, as I've said.)

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymouswrote:
I also feel silver will be 50-100 dollars but it will take time. Numismatic Canadian coins are very attractive to me.

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Any particular series? I have some Canadian proof-like sets. Mostly 1960's if I recall.

I mostly collected US coins, but also got a few late Roman pieces. If I picked up the hobby again I'd focus on ancients.

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14wrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:
I also feel silver will be 50-100 dollars but it will take time. Numismatic Canadian coins are very attractive to me.

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Any particular series? I have some Canadian proof-like sets. Mostly 1960's if I recall.

I mostly collected US coins, but also got a few late Roman pieces. If I picked up the hobby again I'd focus on ancients.

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gold mapple leaf or silver.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymouswrote:

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@wasCB14wrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:
I also feel silver will be 50-100 dollars but it will take time. Numismatic Canadian coins are very attractive to me.

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Any particular series? I have some Canadian proof-like sets. Mostly 1960's if I recall.

I mostly collected US coins, but also got a few late Roman pieces. If I picked up the hobby again I'd focus on ancients.

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gold mapple leaf or silver.

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"Numismatic" refers to coins with a collector value that greatly exceeds their face value or melt value. For an extreme example, think of a rare silver dollar from early America that collectors might buy for $100k or more, even though it only has about an ounce of silver. Condition is usually important, valuation can be very subjective, and they can be hard to sell quickly at a fair value.

"Bullion" is the more accurate term for coins like the Canadian Maple Leaf, which are generally valued according to their metal content, and appeal to people who are more interested in the metal than the history, or the desire to have a complete collection.

There can be grey areas in this distinction. Silver coins from 1900 or 1950 in terrible shape may have some limited collector appeal, and yet may trade for not much more than their melt value.

[Kree]

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@wasCB14wrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:

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@wasCB14wrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:
I also feel silver will be 50-100 dollars but it will take time. Numismatic Canadian coins are very attractive to me.

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Any particular series? I have some Canadian proof-like sets. Mostly 1960's if I recall.

I mostly collected US coins, but also got a few late Roman pieces. If I picked up the hobby again I'd focus on ancients.

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gold mapple leaf or silver.

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"Numismatic" refers to coins with a collector value that greatly exceeds their face value or melt value. For an extreme example, think of a rare silver dollar from early America that collectors might buy for $100k or more, even though it only has about an ounce of silver. Condition is usually important, valuation can be very subjective, and they can be hard to sell quickly at a fair value.

"Bullion" is the more accurate term for coins like the Canadian Maple Leaf, which are generally valued according to their metal content, and appeal to people who are more interested in the metal than the history, or the desire to have a complete collection.

There can be grey areas in this distinction. Silver coins from 1900 or 1950 in terrible shape may have some limited collector appeal, and yet may trade for not much more than their melt value.

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I've got a 150 year old Dutch gold 5 guilder coin. Last time I checked it wasn't selling for much more than melt value either.  Definitly lots of grey areas.

[Anonymous]

Kree ... very interesting. Would have figured there would be some value based on its age for sure?!

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14wrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:

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@Anonymouswrote:
WOW! Real gold and silver owners! For myself I have regularly invested in precious metal stocks and done well (not for the faint of heart). Others on this board have questioned them as an investment but, I live in the middle of several mines and proposed new precious metal mining so I feel comfortable. Also, I pay attention. It is an area where you need to pay attention. Holding real gold and silver is better than sticking paper money in a mattress

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+1 Agreed!

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There have been some long stretches where gold has trailed treasuries and even cash. Timing matters. Gold can rise quickly in value occasionally, but much of the time declines in nominal and inflation-adjusted value. Look at a chart that goes back a few decades and it's hard to trust it to be a reliable store of value (in the sense that price moves don't seem to correlate with recent or expected inflation).

While I follow your comments I have a hard time finding real estate a more comforting alternative.

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As I mentioned precious metals is not for the faint of heart. I have done well since I watch it regularily (daily or more and I don't run ever time there is a swing). In truth, I have found real estate to not be comforting. My past has involved being part of large residential developments, shopping malls and golf courses. Turned down investing in apartments. Any way, I feel more comfortable with precious metals. In my distant recent past I worked with a civil engineer on mapping gold deposits so I am comfortable in such a world. You need to remember it is about your own expertise and comfort for risk (which I know you understand) and real estate is not my idea of comfort! Was involved with some investment in residential developments with money stuck in infrastructure and no one came so I have had my fill and I have walked the walk (one only needs to look at the crash of 2008 which I am sure you have).

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymouswrote:
Kree ... very interesting. Would have figured there would be some value based on its age for sure?!

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Age plus gold can sometimes mean scarcity, especially if a lot of the coinage was melted and the gold reused. Scarcity plus collector demand can mean numismatic value.

However, age alone really means nothing.

For example, think of how big the Roman Republic (and later Empire) was. Think of how long it lasted, and consider that each Emperor wanted to create new currency with his face on it. Think of all the low-denomination copper and copper alloy coins they would have needed.

The coins can be historically interesting, but many exist in vast quantities and have limited collector demand.