investing in gold and silver

[nick17]

does anyone invest in gold and silver or what do think about it?

[Colt45]

Came very close to buying gold coins when they were still just under $300 an ounce -

should, coulda, woulda........

[Lotusguy]

Gold is a part of my retirement portfolio, yes - but I bought quite a while ago - not sure if I would buy again at current prices.

[CaptainQuintero]

You missed the boat by about 3 years for any decent return IMO, it's just too crazy at the moment, gold at least; This month has just been crazy. Silver, meh last resort not enough movement. You want to be investing in the actual mining companies not the metal if you can but again, that was advise for 5 or 6 years ago.

At the moment I'd just say leave it. Remember don't ever invest money that you are not prepared (and able) to loose.

[Dbone]

Yes, I buy silver from time to time. Guess my faith in paper money lead me to believe it won't last forever and if i ever live to see that day I'll have something else of value besides jewelry. When I buy, I buy the cheapest silver available. Not the stuff with collectors value, after all that's not my motive. I literately visit my dealer and ask him what's the cheapest silver I can buy, I do have some just plain old chucks. It's not to build wealth. I live in the US and if you read the Constitution the only legal currency is gold and silver. Notes of credit are prohibited as currency, yet that's what we're provided. I had better just stop there LOL.

[NJP]

I have been for years. More silver recently than gold. Understanding the gap that needs to be bridged between what they have printed against what they say is in reserve, keeps me buying regularly.

[mk05]

I'd buy silver. When the zombie apocalypse arrives and those buggers, vampires, et all are coming after you, you're going to need those silver bullets.

[CigarAsh]

For me, I've got junk silver and gold 1oz coins (krugerands, american eagles, canadian maple leafs) put away as "insurance" in case of a financial panic that devalues the paper currency. Paranoid? Sure - but anyone who has been paying attention should have a healthy dose of paranoia about current state of US and world economy. Unsustainable debt and governments "printing" paper money at alarming rates make me nervous. I don't have a huge stash (nor do I have a survivalist bunker), just enough to hedge my bets as any prudent investor should.

[kuzi16]

I'd buy silver. When the zombie apocalypse arrives and those buggers, vampires, et all are coming after you, you're going to need those silver bullets.

that is one way to diversify your portfolio. personally, i dont like bullets when it comes to the zombie apocalypse. at some point you will run out of em. blades will probably be a better way to go.

silver and gold, in reality, have never been worthless. should the worst happen, they could be very valuable. should slightly less than the worst happen, it could save your rear. should slightly less than that happen, you made a good investment.

i do feel that the time to buy gold was a few years ago. the point of huge returns may be past.

[nick17]

I am yest to start investing in gld or silver but at this moment in time I will be investing in silver because thats what i can afford, and from what i have seen silver or gold always increase in value its just a matter of time. I look at any precious metal as a long term investment or a hedge against a catastrophic collapse of the economy

[Cletus]

I can see buying gold and silver as an investment, in that you sell it for more than you paid for it. But for those of you who are thinking gold/silver/palladium/platinum will be useful when paper money is worthless, how do you envision trading precious metals for goods and services? I see a 1/10th ounce gold coin is worth a couple hundred USD, give or take. Do you think you will be able to trade one of these coins for groceries?

This is a sincere question.

[nick17]

we have used Gold and even silver as currency in the past i dont see why we cant do it again. however I dont think we will ever revert to the "gold slandered" because they simply just isnt enough of it in the world for the population we currently have, so we would have to use a combination of gold and silver.

so for example gold is currently $1678.97CDA per ounce and silver is 31.14CDA per ounce why can i not use an ounce of silver to trade for a cigar worth 31.14 its the same as money we can still use a dollar amount just have a conversion for the value of a dollar to weight in gold or silver

[Orion21]

Here is a hard lesson many people learn about when getting into buying precious metals in their raw form . . .

What the going price is, is not what you are going to get paid for them. The novice precious metal investor will be lucky to pocket 50% of the going rate for any of these metals. If you buy gold at $1,500 an ounce and try to turn around and sell it for $750-$1000 that isn't a great investment. Even if you bought it at $500 an ounce and are giddy with delight because todays price is $1,683 an ounce, try to find a place that will give you the going rate. It won't happen, so good luck.

[BradNC]

I buy 1 oz silver eagle rolls whenever I can. Many gurus say the silver target is $180s - $190s. Gold has kept me away due to the high price. I don't doubt it will go higher personally.

[CigarAsh]

I can see buying gold and silver as an investment, in that you sell it for more than you paid for it. But for those of you who are thinking gold/silver/palladium/platinum will be useful when paper money is worthless, how do you envision trading precious metals for goods and services? I see a 1/10th ounce gold coin is worth a couple hundred USD, give or take. Do you think you will be able to trade one of these coins for groceries?

This is a sincere question.

Paper currency or some sort of debt currency won't ever go away. Precious metals will always have some sort of value that is relative to the prevailing currency. If a hyperinflationary event occurs, then your metal is just worth more of the hyperinflated currency. If we ever got to the point of a societal breakdown where there is no currency, my small stash of metals will still be useful - precious metals have always had value in human history - but I'm not sure I'm equipped to deal with it.

Of course this is all moot if it's the zombie apocalypse we're talking about. Then you're gonna need the right firepower.

[Orion21]

If you all are worried about end of times and are hording gold to be able to buy and trade maybe you should consider investing in the goods you would hope to buy or trade in? I don't want to get this thread off topic, but if one of your reasons for "investing" in gold is to have marketable currency then you aren't investing at all and have a very different reason for owing precious metals.

If you are interested in actually investing in precious metals I would suggest ETF's or some other securitized form of precious metals so that they can be marketed and sold instantaneously as part of a diversified investment approach.

[demiurgic]

I'd buy silver. When the zombie apocalypse arrives and those buggers, vampires, et all are coming after you, you're going to need those silver bullets.

Yup! Damn buggers wont die with garlic. Also, we have not hit the historical ratio between gold and silver of something like 13:1 I think it's more like 60:1 right now. Totally off, thanks exclusively to JP Morgan and their paper based shorts.

Silver is still a phenomenal market in physical OR like Captain Quintero said, mine based companies (Hint - SSRI on the index. Great Canadian company. Afriend of a friend knew the CEO way back).

[Ken Gargett]

from what i have seen silver or gold always increase in value its just a matter of time.

may i suggest you google bunker hunt.

be very careful. and remember that today we have a silver price of $31 an ounce. in 1980, it was $50 an ounce.

on the graph below, it historically sits a lot lower than it is today.

i would be much more inclined to find blue chip stocks that mine gold or silver (producrs, not explorers) and look to them. but nothing guaranteed.

[Duane]

I have an small stash of single malt whisky that attracts alot of attention in the whisky auction houses. But i will not be buying/investing in anymore now, have my reasons the bubble has burst.

Been looking at going down the path of buying gold/palladium. I think our paper money will turn into credits in the near future and the world will trade as one (just like in the movies).

[Fuzz]

You guys are all mad to invest in precious metals. The best commodity to invest in is FCOJ! Corner the market and you will be set for life!!

[Colt45]

You guys are all mad to invest in precious metals. The best commodity to invest in is FCOJ! Corner the market and you will be set for life!!

Looking good Fuzz!

[brazoseagle]

I prefer commemorative plates, ideally those commemorating 1970's and 1980's television shows!

[Puros Y Vino]

Buy stocks in vices. I bought into Diageo plc (DEO) -NYSE They own a lot of well known brands of beverages. Not cheap, but performs beautifully. If you're morally ambiguous you can also buy into companies that fuel the Military Industrial Complex.

[madandana]

This may sound dumb.What if whatever qualities gold and silver possess are duplicated by some new technology.Would this make your stash worth less? I posed this question a few years ago about diamonds to a very intelligent friend and he Said there is no way they could duplicate the quality a of diamonds and now they are talking about doing just that.Atleast for industrial use.

[CigarAsh]

This may sound dumb.What if whatever qualities gold and silver possess are duplicated by some new technology.Would this make your stash worth less? I posed this question a few years ago about diamonds to a very intelligent friend and he Said there is no way they could duplicate the quality a of diamonds and now they are talking about doing just that.Atleast for industrial use.

Transmutation of elements? Awesome. I want one of those machines!