Hi, everyone! I guess it's time to go from lurker to participant in this great forum. I started stacking in April, at the time when prices were at their highest, and at that time i didn't have the benefit of the wisdom of fellow stackers, so I felt quite intimitated, but determined to get started. My first purchase was a 1 kg 2011 rabbit, cause i wanted my first coin to be special. Since then i have had a soft spot for the coins from the Perth Mint, and i have added a few as the prices gradually came down a bit. Since then i got some 5 oz and 2 oz rabbits, some carded roos and then i ventured into the mexican libertads. Never had the benefit of any local coin stores, so it's been internet purchases all the way, untill today actually. I am Scandinavian, but currently live in Spain, and I will spend 4 months of the next 6 in Germany, so that's why put Europe in my header. Very excited to see what i can find in coin stores in Germany, since the Germans seem very keen on the Perth silver. I would really like to add to the years i have of lunars and kooks! I've had some luck in numismatic stores online, and I've even tried the eBay-route, but especially the latter seems both time consuming and expensive, so I am looking for other ways. Today i feel I got a little lucky when i found a coin store here locally. I have seen a lot of those Compro Oro places, you know, little shops set up to get people to part with their precious metals. Today I decided to go in and ask if they were selling any silver coins. No such luck. They said the didn't know of any places selling. So I Kept on and went into a jewelry store where they actually pointed me in the direction of a numismatic store at the flower market. Long story short, i ended up with a gilded koala and two gilded ASLs, as well as a Spanish coin with a pablo picasso image of Miguel de Cervantes! This last one was the real coup, I think, cause I got if for 28 euro, while its printed value is 30 euros! How often do they sell you 30 euros for 28? I am definitely going back again! It had a mintage of 5000, so I am happy with my first visit to a coin store in Spain! Anyway, sorry for the long winded first post. I look very much forward to being a part of the forum, and to get to know you all better. God loads of questions, but I've tried to learn as much as I can lurking here and in other forums.
Thanks to all who've taken the time to welcome me! It's much appreciated. Naphtalene man: I wish all trips to the coinshop would allow something like a 30 euro face value for the price of 28! This leads me to wonder why they don't print a higher face value on the coins? Why only have a face value of $1 or $5 as the typical value on 1 oz coins? Is this because the mint will have to pay this amount to the state for the right to make coins? Is a high face value limited only to coins with a low mintage? It was pointed out, on another board, I think, that there are some Canadian olympic coins from 1992 which have a face value of $15. (Might be 920 silver, and not .9999) Not sure if they are worth it, as it seems there are coins that get more interests and other that are less sought after... Anyway, things for me to find out in the months to come, I guess... Also, forgot to mention that I really hope to engage in some trades here. I don't know if that will be restricted to people who are close geographically, of if people trade much between Europe and Australia. I hear the postage is high, and might stop most of the trades, but to you on the other end of the world, speak up if you welcome trades or participation in auctions with Europeans!
Hi there xiki, a good time to be entering the market for sure. Seasonality is definitely a significant factor in silver. Happy stacking.
Hey, Gino! I guess I will have to get used to watching diagrams and such, for now it's been a gut instinct that I need to get silver. Unfortunately, the more silver i have, the more I want to keep looking. I started out being influenced by the bullion people, but my inner numismatic comes out, and I try to combine the two halves. So far I buy only government issued coin, as coins have no sales tax in my country. Rounds, as far as I understand it, would have a sales tax of 25 %. Ladybird! I've noticed you are one of the Europeans who makes something happen in the International trades forum! I hope to make you company there in due time. Lovely roses! Thanks again to all for welcoming me!