Being terminally sceptic and risk averse, the only place I will buy PMs is at well-known, reputable dealers. I realise that I could buy cheaper elsewhere, but my lack of knowledge and confidence - along with a feeling that having receipts from dealers when I come to sell will make buyers feel more comfortable - pushes me into their clutches. So. May I ask where you have bought from? Dealers only? Silver Stackers? eBay? Gumtree or classifieds? Any stories to tell of amazing buys or dreadful mistakes? Advice for folks buying from 'private' sellers?
Dealers and here. 2 buys off ebay but i tend to stay away from there for bullion, the 2 buys so far have been good, one was a ss member as well so i felt safe with, the other had a lot of good feed back and no username changes, and is same as another one i got i know is real from what i can tell. So far it has been very smooth sailing...
I've bought/sold from/to all those sources. Here's my 2 cents Dealers : No risk but top dollar to buy from and poor buyback $$ for you Ebay : Horrible buying and selling (fees are so high I rarely bother even looking now) Gumtree : Timewasters galore but got one really good deal from someone who needed cash to save his house Stackers : Great experiences from trusted members and F2F makes it better for future deals SteveS, you are more than welcome to meet/ trade with stackers at my espresso bar in Brissy CBD, plenty of us do and I'm sure others can vouch for the safety. Plus Penguin is the best guy to deal with or so I've heard...
Thanks. I hadn't heard of Goldbuyers but I just looked them up. It appears that they only buy, they don't sell?
I'd be happy to, but my stacking is quite modest so I don't know if I could bring much to the discussions.
They are in the same building as Goldstackers and SS member "brashy7" works there. They do sell. I bought 3kg off brashy7 in building. Check my first trade.
You can meet there and trade as little as one oz if you want to, we're not moving kilos of gold. And please, for the love of all things holy, don't overestimate the professionalism of our "discussions", its like a bunch of drunk little kids mucking around at best.
I don't give a rats about receipts. In fact, I tend to avoid them because it links you to your ownership - and what they don't know, they don't ask about. I buy mostly from SS members, but when there is a specific or particular item I want, then I usually buy from a dealer. I have bought from local douchebags before, and they have been my best purchases by far. Here are two examples: http://forums.silverstackers.com/message-530258.html#p530258 http://forums.silverstackers.com/topic-36118-acceptable-weight-variation.html (see post #7 )
I used to buy from dealers - now i don't if I can help it When I'm in the market I circle like a vulture, have a sniff (Check when there last trade was...very important) exchange messages, then I pounce. Normally when I buy I buy of the same people, that have (through their conduct in other threads on the forum - for their conduct elsewhere will give you a pretty good idea of whether you want to trade with them or not. I equate it to street smartz, or in this case 'thread cred' hahaha E.G. even if someone has 400 trades, but hasnt had a trade for 4 years? then ask yourself why? It takes a lot for me to 'buzz' a sale immediately...but it all boils down to, regular presence on the forum, conduct, etc. - - - as time goes on you will know what I mean. If you want to buy, and are not sure, don't be affraid to ask the admins opinion on the sales thread, OR a member that you trust. Never hurts to run a second set of eyes over a post.
Word got around in my local community (quite small community) that I have been buying metals off the locals over the last few years. One acquaintance recently approached me explaining that his father has a gold mine lease in central QLD that he works for 3 months a year over winter. Last year he recovered 70oz in nuggets with the largest weighing 4oz. He then stated that he cashes in to a dealer who gives him cash at spot -10%.... and he stopped talking and looked at me like he was waiting for a better offer. I offered him spot -5%, cash, for nuggets not melt. He couldn't shake my hand fast enough.
Perth bullion mostly but I've also started buying on here. Used to buy a fair bit on eBay from the US when the AUD was up but not so much now.
Get to Brisbane quite often and with the lack of regular silverstackers meetings in QLD would be interested in your location for my next visit
To begin with I bought a lot from ABC Bullion and Bullion Money in Sydney, but now I buy almost exclusively off here. I bought one thing from Apmex because I was looking for a particular gold bar but I would never do it again. Expensive and damaged goods.
Buy from the forum for the best deals and the wide variety. But caution is needed when trading, especially with new members with few feedbacks
