As noted in my intro post the other day, I started buying Ag and Au earlier this year. My initial buys have been through one of the larger bullion dealers (& producer) in my capital city (ABC) and the transactions have been easy etc and price v other local dealers appears is good. Thus for a newbie I’m happy. Now my question/s to the vastly more experienced forum members and stackers here as I grow my knowledge base is…..and putting aside price & sellers margin as a determinant on what and whom to buy from, is what are members views on : 1) The various large bullion dealers. I read a lot of comments about Perth Mint and not so much about ABC as dealers. 2) Perth Mint v ABC product (domestic) v int’ls product such as Baird, Pamp Suisse, Scottsdale to name a few. 3) What’s better and why re “cast v minted” bars. Noting price diff for higher quality finish. 4) Assay certificates - a nice to have but if you buy from a reputable dealer a reputable product…but not a must have? I buy not for collect-ability or rarity but for portfolio investment and a hedge against the “SHTF” moment. Sorry for the newbie questions but keen to understand more as a dive further into this investment strategy. Thanks for your consideration and comments.
I've found that Perth Bullion (not to be confused with Perth Mint) often have the best bullion prices. e.g. Perth Mint 10oz bars at $226 vs $234 for an ABC 10oz bar from ABC. Even the nice 10oz RCM serial numbered bars are $229, cheap than ABC. No contest.
Cheers for the feedback all. Much appreciated. I'm enjoying reading some of the older threads. Some interesting topics and discussions (some more robust than others). Good stuff. Glad to see no PC culture in this forum. I like that. Thanks for the heads up re the course ozcooper. Done and dusted...some great info for newbies in there.
Perth Bullion is really good, shipping costs anywhere in Aus are really good. Goldstackers are also good. If you’re only interest is as a store of wealth/investment (instead of say collecting old bars from interesting bygone producers) your best bet is to stick with the aforementioned LBMA listed refiners.
Local is best if you are buying small quantities at time. Even if buying larger lots and your sole objective is quantity of metal, talk with your local dealer. Im sure many dealers will match generic metal prices advertised at a competitor, if they have stock. Also depending where you live, getting to know some of the members would get you even a better deal.
Thanks for feedback. That's pretty much my strategy at present, but who knows. One might start getting bit by the collector bug one day. Ta. Just checked them out. My part of Sydney too. Thanks for the direction on them. Good point....thanks. I noted some of the Sydney members get together in town or out Ryde way. Might have to intro myself in person in the not too distant future.