Hello all. After some time researching gold & silver bullion investments (incl bull & bear runs, bullion history, and all manner of economic & currency fact and opinion) I've arrived at the sharp end of deciding where to source my gold & silver, what mix of bar weights to buy, and the related transactions. Given that I'll be in the market for the total equivalent value of 75 gold ounces over the next year, my supply source (and any negotiating strength) is important. In basic terms: - I'd like at least 80% of my outlay to be in physical form, and its access & location in my direct control; - Initially I'm only really interested in investment grade metal, and purely for wealth preservation/creation. Once I know what I'm doing I could venture into numismatics; - I'll need some flexibility in terms of international tradeability, in case I move overseas I have 2 questions: 1. when/if the time comes to sell, is a bullion's brand (PAMP, Valcambi, Perth Mint, etc etc) likely to affect its exchange value, even if purity amongst all of them is consistent at say 0.999, in all honesty? One dealer's site claims that a premium is definitely justified for some brands (an ounce on their site varies by 3% - 13% above spot, depending on producer). For collectable coins ok, fine, but for bars as well? My rational head tells me to opt for the cheaper option & stack high, rather than paying premiums now which may be irrelevant in a strong bull market but I'd be grateful for some guidance from the more experienced; 2. If I had to move overseas are there certain mints which are traditionally quite hard to trade? Many thanks.
I think your answer to (1) would depend on who you are selling to and by what method. I tend to think that if i was to need to offload these in a hurry then would they be able to sell readily? As an answer, I would definately stick with a brand name but remember it is still metal so don't subscribe to only getting the best premium brand. By all means get a range of bars for your interest and education but i think the bulk of your metal stacking should be a middle of the range well known brand of bar as opposed to coins or high end brands. Form the bedrock of your savings in bars then play with the coins once you have reached a designated oz target. I think that the premiums may well stay when you sell but this cannot be relied upon. I try not to play the subjective markets to much. I don't know the answer to (2) but i guess the lesser known brands may be subject to more scrutiny and suspicion.
I had asked a similar question a few weeks back - the answers on that thread might help? (It applies to gold and silver) http://forums.silverstackers.com/topic-18457-advice-for-newbie-re-silver-bar-differences-please.html I've been buying just PAMP (gold bars), Perth Mint (bars & coins) and the Silver Stacker bars (made by Academy) - all these would, be trade-able without an issue the world over I believe. Good advice given to me was "buy a few difference sorts, then you'll find yourself attracted to a couple of brands in particular". I wish they'd said "addicted", it would have been closer to the truth
Let's put it into perspective, You're talking about a little over 2 kilos of metal. Having said that, your negotiating strength is irrelevant to your purchase size. Bring your best hand to the table when negotiating for every fraction of an ounce. You can only do this by knowing what the product is worth....and that takes time and education, whether you're a horse trader or a cotton auctioneer. Word to the wise, the only thing more valuable than a rare coin, is a rare coin buyer! They're few and far between, tread carefully. - Gold is Gold, there's nothing more flexible and recognised than the yellow metal. If you're talking about divisibility, there are coins that come in fractions of ounce sizes, but you pay an increasingly higher premium the smaller you get. I have 2 questions: In my opinion, it doesn't matter and the premium is just another haggling point to give you grief. You won't get a premium for any extra 9's . Get as many ounces for as little $ as you can. Forget about certificates and premium bars.... ounces are ounces. Dunnoh, mints are few and far between... but there are heaps of bullion dealers. What continent were you thinking about? My advice is to go slow...read the threads here..purchase small and get a 'feel' of what works for you Happy Stacking
Here's a list of recognised gold bullion by the LBMA: http://www.lbma.org.uk/pages/index.cfm?page_id=29#currentau My advice is don't buy anything that's not on the list if you are concerned about international tradeability. In Australia, that means I'd only be buying Perth Mint products. Brand does matter. For example, woe to you if you try and trade any PM in Japan that is not .9999 They will slug you with a fee to assay the metal even if it's .999 Also, you will find that LBMA is the standard reference point when it comes to selling. What is on that list is recognisable and you won't be asked many questions. Perth Mint would be accepted as its on the LBMA list. If you walked into the bullion dealer with an ABC bar, you'll be charged an assay fee to ensure that non-LBMA bar really is the .9999 claimed.
On a slightly different point.. first mistake was telling the world you have up 75 oz of gold coming your way being in your direct control. Rule number one - loose lips sink ships. Everyone's opinion is going to differ on here. If anything, you will just have some entertaining reading as to all the different shapes, sizes and forms pms come in. If you are buying in bulk, you are going to be limited to a few sorts. If you buy from people on this forum, you will get a whole mix of different pieces - all of which will be recognised, more or less.. Personally, if gold sovereigns were on the market, I'd be grabbing some of those. Predecimal coins are the SHIZ!
