Bullion investing Boring hobby?

I first got my start again last year with a small JM Bullion order the allure to spend more money is just mind numbing now. Sure I could keep buying but the metal will outlive me by far and thinking I actually have something of value is just like a online gambling problem I think for some people.

 

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Silver investing shouldn't be a hobby. Its investing. A hobby is something you do for fun, but you only spend money you can afford to lose. Two very different things. If you are truly investing in silver it should be boring. Its not terribly exciting to buy a bond, a lot of stocks, or bare farmland.

 

You could always start collecting coins.

 

There is arguably some overlap in coin collecting and bullion investing depending on what it is you are buying. If you are just stacking generic silver or only one type of bullion, then sure, it can get a bit boring. Diversify into other things. Start collections for type coins or series.

 

Maybe consider putting together of a set of silver dimes by picking them from the bin at the LCS. Get a folder or Dansco and fill it in. Don't go crazy just look for dates and mint marks and have fun. It's surprising how much fun this can be.

 

Buying bullion in generic rounds and bars is very boring but buying bullion from all of the different countries of the world can be very exciting and make for a beautiful collection. A bit more pricey this way but I have been attempting to buy one from each issuing country for the past two years. Very challenging to be sure but there are soooo many different and most are quite beautiful.

 

There are collectors who collect bullion. They usually want one of everything they can get their hands on or afford but the variations are endless as we coin collectors are well aware of.

 

I find bullion investing as a great and fun hobby! But thats because I buy vintage bars that hold a healthy premium over spot

 

Investing is not a hobby, I agree. I wish I was wealthy enough to be bored with owning bullion.

Vintage bars will only hold a premium with collectors, and only as long as bullion remains separated from currency.

If and when one needs to use silver as currency, only purity and weight will matter. A rancher isn't going to care about vintage or production numbers, just if it is real. Just like we only want healthy meat, we won't pay extra because of a cow's heritage.

 

Investing is almost never boring: when your investments go up, it's invigorating. When they go down...

 

Generally, I agree most bullion itself is boring -- especially generic bars.

So instead of just-bullion, I look for "collectible" silver rounds... interesting designs, interesting features, proof versions, limited mintage.

The selection is staggering... easy to find something you like. And sometimes the premiums aren't much more than ordinary bullion.

For instance, I like the American Landmarks Series -- especially the Statue of Liberty. 2 oz silver. Ultra high relief. Beautiful in-hand, nicer than my photo...


(Airtite capsule for safe storage.)

Available from many sources... I bought one for $39 a few weeks ago from Provident Metals. Apmex has 'em now for $43.

I've got lots more examples, but I expect you get the idea.

 

So blur the lines then. "Invest" in bullion, as a hobby, with money you can afford to lose.

 

If you're bored, I'll take all of it off your hands.

 

Bret, I'll assist you in the storage of said boredom goods.

 

Thanks for the generous offer, but NO!!!!!!

 

I would agree. If you enjoy collecting bullion, then its a great combination. The trouble I find, those, is many forget what they are doing. They start out "investing", then soon start paying way over spot for "rare" bullion. Well which is it? Nothing is wrong with either coin collecting or buying bullion, but you should know which you are doing.

 

I 'collect' junk silver. Who doesn't like a pile of interesting circulated dimes, quarters, halves and dollars?

 

Right, luckily over the past years I've been collecting vintage, they have done extremely well by not only holding their premiums, but increasing as well. And while I completely understand your SHTF scenario where silver is silver by weight and nothing out. I strongly believe that will not happen in my lifetime. If it were too, I believe the only currencies will be guns, ammo, food and water. As much as I LOVE silver and gold, I don't believe it will take over as the standard of trade. Thats just my 2 cents

 

You're right as everyone will be using their knowledge of watching the Walking Dead since 2010 as a post apocalyptic blueprint and realize that they never saw a hint of gold or silver being used as exchange in any episode

 

I suppose much would depend on the nature of the S that HTF. If it's simply an economic collapse similar to what we saw in Russia and Argentina fifteen years ago, then gold, silver, or alternative currencies from stronger economies would certainly still have value. This is because those countries didn't descend into lawless chaos.

If it's something like the Walking Dead, as Cascade noted, then no, gold and silver would likely have very little value, because with 95%+ of the population dead, people could loot more gold and silver than they can carry. Combine that with a lack of confidence that civil society would return, then they wouldn't have any value either.

Another thing to consider is how we are transitioning to a cashless society. I know a few people who literally do not carry cash because they use their debit card, or their iPhone to pay for virtually everything they need. If they "need" cash, they go to the ATM to get some cash for that particular transaction. What happens if, say ten years from now when nobody is carrying cash, we get hit with an EMP that disables all electronic communications for an extended period of time? How long do you suppose it would take for our government to redistribute enough cash to resume cash based commerce?