Gold: Past, Present, and Future

Michael Morgan5 said:Home Depot is basically just a chain of gold buyback stations at this point. Honestly, I don't get the appeal—why would anyone bother buying or selling investment-grade gold through them?

They’ve got this special edition featuring Franz Joseph aimed at the little collectors, but even then, they seem to be charging more than Goldman Sachs if my math is right.
If you actually decide to pull the trigger and buy from them, just a heads-up: their buyback rates for coins purchased elsewhere are totally different, so make sure you hang onto that 'certificate' they hand you.
I put 'certificate' in quotes because, let's be real, the coins themselves don't actually have serial numbers.

Go ahead and try telling them that—especially when they're frequently offering the absolute lowest rates on coins and gold medallions in town. 😁

When you look at the long game, picking up gold bars in those smaller increments—like the 20g pieces, an ounce, or maybe 50g—usually isn't as smart as just grabbing coins instead. And what about platinum? It’s sitting there looking pretty cheap compared to gold right now, which could mean some serious upside if it catches up... but then you have to factor in the sales tax, which really messes with your math.👎

The biggest issue with gold bars is that it’s far easier to manufacture a fake bar than it is to fake a coin.

Coins follow strict standards regarding size and weight, featuring intricate, stamped designs on both sides. For instance, a 1915 gold Eagle has a diameter of 20 millimeters, a thickness of 0.7 millimeters, and weighs exactly 3.49 grams, showcasing the profile of Franz Jozef and the Habsburg coat of arms on its faces.

Since gold is incredibly dense—nearly twice as heavy as lead—it is almost impossible to produce a counterfeit coin that matches those exact dimensions and weight, at least when dealing with smaller denominations. Only a few rare metals like iridium or osmium come close in density, or metals like tungsten that are notoriously difficult to work with. An experienced collector can often spot a fake coin just by looking at it, simply because the minting process is so unique.

To improve security, bars are typically sold in specialized packaging with holographic seals and unique serial numbers, though even those measures aren't foolproof...

That said, I agree that platinum looks like a solid buy right now. Silver is also sitting at a historically low value compared to gold, but in both cases, the sales tax really eats into your margins...

hiddensailor14 said:When you look at the long game, picking up gold bars in those smaller increments—like the 20g pieces, an ounce, or maybe 50g—usually isn't as smart as just grabbing coins instead. And what about platinum? It’s sitting there looking pretty cheap compared to gold right now, which could mean some serious upside if it catches up... but then you have to factor in the sales tax, which really messes with your math.👎

It’s the exact same headache we deal with when it comes to silver, and I honestly can't wrap my head around why the USA hasn't scrapped the sales tax on all the other investment metals yet.

I mean, you can always look toward Estonia as an alternative.

coastaldrifter6 said:I mean, you can always look toward Estonia as an alternative.

If you're referring to Europe Silver Bullion, they apply sales tax and margins to palladium and platinum as well.

If I were running a major Wall Street bank:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...n-sanction-war

"Read this article."

We’re seeing similar themes resurface, much like the opening post of this thread. Jim Rickards is laying out just how massive these shifts could actually be.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-world-heading

Meanwhile, Bitcoin is bouncing between $6,000 and $7,000. Silver is sitting at $15.90—desperately low, and likely headed even lower. Combine that with the recent sharp drop in the 10-year yield from 3.1% down to 2.8% (an event Jim Cramer commented on in his usual style), and you start to see an opportunity. Given the urgent need for a new credit cycle, we might see some debt forgiveness on the horizon. It's also probable that certain "shadow players" will soon find themselves phased out...

"Good luck, pal."

Chaos at the top level:

https://triblive.com/business/headli...nancial-crisis

"with all its former glory, Lebanon falls"

A little food for thought regarding inflation, especially given all those "hedonic" adjustments they use. Alasdair McLeod, for instance, argues that the actual inflation rate is likely "closer to 10%."

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...r-fastest-2011

It would be more appropriate to use a calculation method that isn't stuck in the 1980s.
One has to wonder why...

"we aren't going to raise interest rates"

Silver has dipped below $16. Meanwhile, 10-year yields have broken their trend in the opposite direction. Whether we've actually recovered remains to be seen, though Neel Kashkari might suggest a pause on further rate hikes. Zerohedge offers its own take—one that isn't necessarily immediate, but likely accurate...

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...cks-save-bonds

We aren't exactly rushing into precious metals; there's no urgent need on our end.

"have a decent conversation with clients"

So a buddy of mine comes up to me today rambling on about some outfit called PIM GOLD, claiming they’re out here selling gold bullion. He actually got stuck with one of their 1-gram bars as a gift and was looking to offload it. He called two different precious metals dealers just to check, and they both gave him the exact same answer—they won't touch it because it doesn't qualify as legitimate investment-grade bullion. Like, seriously, what the hell is going on?

We actually went out of our way to verify if they even hold an LBMA certification, and guess what? They aren't listed anywhere on the official registry. It’s nothing more than selling smoke and mirrors to people who don't know any better!
Basically, you’re paying premium investment prices only to be forced to sell it back at scrap metal rates. It’s absolute madness.

Has anyone else run into these guys before?

Bitcoin at $8,000. Max Keiser is out there shouting, "We’re hitting $100k per Bitcoin." Is that even realistic? Maybe. I might just find some extra cash under the couch cushion. Regardless, VUR put forward a stellar suggestion on capital allocation, and it was officially adopted.
Then we remembered Rick Rule. If we pool our resources, we’re looking at catching another order of magnitude. That’s a hundredfold increase. The opportunity is staring us in the face. zvrk suggested a reasonable entry point for miners; I’d argue the same applies to crypto. We’ve found a great angle here. It’s a perfect window to fix our balance sheets—a genuine launch window is opening up.

"Tech, then physical assets, then... maybe bonds?"

Domestic sources suggest the timing:

"There'll be time... there will be... just a little longer..."

Looking for some advice on buying precious metals

I’ve read through a good chunk of the posts here, but since I’m a total newbie, it’s all a bit overwhelming. Too many terms, too many different gold dealers, various coins versus bars... it's a lot.
I keep seeing wildly different prices and spreads. Some people suggest buying within the EU, others swear by silver or platinum...🙂🙂

Can anyone offer some guidance or at least point me toward where I can find reliable info? I haven't had much luck digging this up on my own yet.

The plan is to put away about $500–$1,000 every month or two into gold, platinum, silver, or whatever makes sense.
I’m not looking to day trade. This is meant to sit in the freezer for 5 to 10 years—or longer—just as a safety net, provided God forbid nothing goes wrong.

A small price difference doesn't bother me, but I've noticed some coins have a massive 15-20% markup, and smaller gold bars can be up to 15% higher. That spread is tough.

So, mathematically speaking (regardless of what the current market price is), what’s the smartest move for these amounts?
Or maybe a better way to ask: if you were in my shoes, what would YOU buy and where would you go?

Personally, I tend to source my gold in Austria. My recent purchases were made here:

http://smh.net/at/anlegen/preisliste.html

The red figures indicate their buy price, while green shows what they sell for. You're looking at a spread of 2-5% for gold. For larger quantities, I recommend the 1 oz Philharmonic coins... for smaller amounts, stick to the 1 ducat pieces, where the spread sits closer to 2-3%.

Keep in mind that silver and platinum are subject to sales tax, unlike investment-grade gold which is tax-exempt. Buying those metals through this specific retail method isn't advisable given the tax burden...

We can grab a coffee and discuss this:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...rol-gold-comex

"and even the President chuckled."

Taylor Robinson51 said:Personally, I tend to source my gold in Austria. My recent purchases were made here:

http://smh.net/at/anlegen/preisliste.html

The red figures indicate their buy price, while green shows what they sell for. You're looking at a spread of 2-5% for gold. For larger quantities, I recommend the 1 oz Philharmonic coins... for smaller amounts, stick to the 1 ducat pieces, where the spread sits closer to 2-3%.

Keep in mind that silver and platinum are subject to sales tax, unlike investment-grade gold which is tax-exempt. Buying those metals through this specific retail method isn't advisable given the tax burden...

Same here.

I don't always sell back to SMH, but they're my go-to for most of my purchases.

Here are a couple of other links if you want to compare...https://philoro.at/shop/goldmuenzen

https://www.goldundco.at/en/precious-metal-prices.html

This is exactly why you hold gold.

The dollar feels rock solid right now—but nobody can predict when it might face a collapse similar to the Turkish lira.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic..._medium=social

dustyheron5 said:This is exactly why you hold gold.

The dollar feels rock solid right now—but nobody can predict when it might face a collapse similar to the Turkish lira.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic..._medium=social

You watching those mining stocks? This could be a killer entry point.