What metal stack ratios would you recommend to a new stacker?

I tend to think the same way as you Clear, and while I respect Long88's opinion I do not agree with it.

When you are starting your working life you tend to not be paid too well, it's usually minimum wage or only just above. Many people entering the workforce also have student loans or other debts that they need to service. Thus the available cash to put aside into metals is rather small. For those people on low/minimum wages it is easier to acquire silver due to the lower unit pricing and thus to minimise premium. A 1oz silver coin is far easier to purchase, and if you are buying 2-3 per week then you can reduce this further by holding your cash for a few weeks and buying into 10/20/25 coin price breaks OR looking at lower premium product like 10oz bars.

To me, this follows the biggest stacking rule which is to minimise premium as much as you can. It makes no sense trying to scrimp and save for 1/10oz gold coinage. On top of that you have limited your exposure of metal to fractions of an ounce versus multiple full ounces.

Once you start building up some silver, it then makes sense to get some gold too and possibly other metals too. Which goes to my original question and the whole point of this thread - at what point do you start getting some gold also, and how much? I especially appreciate Miloman's suggestion to watch prevailing GSRs which is a good point and should be a factor in the decision.

 

Are you talking silver or gold here? You have been completely non-specific on what you are talking in regards to however since you talk mostly in gold I am going to assume that is what you are referencing. And if you are finding it difficult to sell a single ounce of silver I would find it rather difficult to believe.

Fractional is well and good, and any good stack should have some. However the premiums are pretty high and especially so on 1/20 ounce which to me seems counter-intuitive to stacking even though these would be the easiest to accumulate. While it is probably good to have some around, I would only be getting fractional when the premiums were lowest and for me that seems to be around the 1/4oz area and up on normal pricing. Anything below that I would be looking for runout deals, specials and volume price breaks to bring the premiums down as low as possible. Also anything with possible numismatic value later is helpful....Pandas, Perth Lunars and the like.