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Silver cost in Costa Rica, what about elsewhere?

DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Precious Metals
So my company hired me some help and she lives in Costa Rica. She's here stateside for training for a couple weeks and one of her hobbies is silver jewelry making. We got to talking and apparently she's paying $1/gram and that's for rounds/shot/bars/everything.

I might take her to one of the shops here so she could bring some back cheaper. Old coins and such she said she'd make pendants vs melting those, but generic rounds would get melted.

Anybody else got actual in-hand prices for outside of the USA/NA to report? I was a little shocked to hear that price actually.

Comments

  • derrybderryb Posts: 36,837 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Is she paying 1 US$ per gram? Exchange rates may be the culprit.

    Natural forces of supply and demand are the best regulators on earth.

  • DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes US$ equivalent, buck/gram.
  • derrybderryb Posts: 36,837 ✭✭✭✭✭
    some generic bars .999 would do the trick but she might check on any customs or import fees. She may want to set up a system where she orders on line for delivery to her home or even have you purchase and mail to here periodically.

    Natural forces of supply and demand are the best regulators on earth.

  • DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭✭✭
    She could bring back coins no problem, old halfs/bucks or whatever, just in the purse w/o worries. I don't think there'd be any issue with some generic stuff if it was a handful.

    I don't know that the mail would be viable, she was talking about that and how the service absolutely sux down there. Folks official addresses down there are like this: Yellow house on the hill by the school, San Juan, 12345. Seriously.
  • RGJohnRGJohn Posts: 402


    << <i>So my company hired me some help and she lives in Costa Rica. She's here stateside for training for a couple weeks and one of her hobbies is silver jewelry making. We got to talking and apparently she's paying $1/gram and that's for rounds/shot/bars/everything.

    I might take her to one of the shops here so she could bring some back cheaper. Old coins and such she said she'd make pendants vs melting those, but generic rounds would get melted.

    Anybody else got actual in-hand prices for outside of the USA/NA to report? I was a little shocked to hear that price actually. >>



    Shocked? C'mon now.
    That's about 50% (plus or minus) above spot.
    For refined fabricated silver.
    In wires of specific diameter, tubes ( no cost involved in fabricating those, eh?), and other dimensional shapes.
    Do you think you can buy quality dimensional steel for the price of scrap iron? Has zero additional value been added to the double or triple refined certified 0.999 silver you speak of on the one hand versus the goodness-only-knows-what coinage ( 90% at BEST) "silver" of both Americas?
    I suspect we are talking about different things. We being you me and your underpaid slave laborer. You want to help her out? Pay her a living wage.
    Many, many perfect transactions with other members. Ask please.
  • DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,393 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>So my company hired me some help and she lives in Costa Rica. She's here stateside for training for a couple weeks and one of her hobbies is silver jewelry making. We got to talking and apparently she's paying $1/gram and that's for rounds/shot/bars/everything.

    I might take her to one of the shops here so she could bring some back cheaper. Old coins and such she said she'd make pendants vs melting those, but generic rounds would get melted.

    Anybody else got actual in-hand prices for outside of the USA/NA to report? I was a little shocked to hear that price actually. >>



    Shocked? C'mon now.
    That's about 50% (plus or minus) above spot.
    For refined fabricated silver.
    In wires of specific diameter, tubes ( no cost involved in fabricating those, eh?), and other dimensional shapes.
    Do you think you can buy quality dimensional steel for the price of scrap iron? Has zero additional value been added to the double or triple refined certified 0.999 silver you speak of on the one hand versus the goodness-only-knows-what coinage ( 90% at BEST) "silver" of both Americas?
    I suspect we are talking about different things. We being you me and your underpaid slave laborer. You want to help her out? Pay her a living wage. >>



    That's funny right there!

    The giant sugar water company I work for pays global at US market ranges, especially for IT, with extra allowances and benefits available depending on which country you're actually in. She's making good money, believe me. Both of our Costa Rica folks are actually.
  • AmigoAmigo Posts: 966 ✭

    I'm not feeling too sorry for many workers in Costa Rica on a relative basis in Latin America. They're doing very well off the World tourists. There was no bargains down their when I took the family a few yrs ago. I never checked the silver prices at that time.

    I did check out Peru a couple yrs ago, at least retail items made from Sterling. I'd had thought their prices would've been reasonable since they are a huge silver producer. Not the case though, truly outrageous prices. A jeweler was trying to explain it to me but I couldn't fully understand him.

    In all my travels, I have never found any better prices on PMs than here in the States.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>We being you me and your underpaid slave laborer. You want to help her out? Pay her a living wage.
    >>



    Wow...totally uncalled for and highly presumptuous....Cheers, RickO
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