New to collecting bars - any guides or tips?
sniocsu
Posts: 1,289 ✭✭✭
Hello all,
Looking to collect some silver/gold bars. Are there any good guides out there as to what types of bars/series runs/etc that could point me in the right direction as to which bars are worth a premium over spot and which ones are not?
Thank you
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Comments
collecting or investing? two different things.
If collecting just buy one of everything. if investing, stick with one or two things.
"How many times can a man turn his head and pretend he just doesn’t see?” - Bob Dylan
Collecting is the buying side investing is the selling side
For Art Bars....the Archie Kidd books are hard to beat.
Allengelhard.com is a good place to research.
There are many counterfeit silver and gold bars in the marketplace. Know your seller or learn to authenticate what you are buying.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Perry; any good primer on authentication without damaging the bar?
A few years old but always a good reminder. Buyer be aware!
Counterfeit gold bars discovered in New York City
Can you share what type of bars you're interested in collecting? What type, what size? Are you talking about 1970s art bars or old pour bars? Modern foreign makers?
1-ounce, 10 ounce, more?
--Severian the Lame
best advice , don't pay over melt for any bars .
He's right you know. However, I would restate it as dont pay extra for neat bars. If you can pick up neat bars at the same premium as generics, I would go for it. It really adds a bit of excitement to bullion investing.
The hunt is 90% of the fun for me.
I saw a gold-plated tungsten bar that got past Dillon-Gage, so be careful. I would stick to gold bullion coins.
you can always resell them for way over melt , thats being clever and knowing your stock.
Paying over melt for something supposedly collectible then not being able to sell it for over melt and at the end having to sell for a tick under melt is just being a mark. Its a long standing tradition but resist the temptation to go down that road.
I mean if you just want to ultimately lose all your money just buy sports cards or comic books and set them on fire
The bars that fly off the shelf in shops are 10 oz bars. I don't reco gold bars at all. Don't take that to mean I like silver better than gold because it's just the opposite. I've witnessed far too many people get slaughtered in silver.
However......10 oz silver bars sell fast.
If you are ....collecting....them for appearance, bear in mind that anything over spot may become hard to "profit" from in most markets.
Major brands are the most liquid.
Gold bars run hot and cold as MOST gold speculators want coin form.
Find the bars that appeal to you. To me the engelhards are boring, but they seem to do pretty well. The royal mint has a beautiful Britannia 10 oz bar, and there is a new one with a samurai on it.
When it comes to PM bars, I just buy one's that I like, not considering them an investment. I try to stick to melt prices and then when there is a dip... no rush, so time is on my side. Cheers, RickO