They already do that for gold and I don't think it made an impact there. Now...India's consumption of gold has doubled every 12-15 years since 1947 (independence/partition); I'm not sure about silver. But again, while this move doesn't HURT and might even help a BIT...I don't see it as materially impacting demand or price.
I am a stacker of U.S. Coinage only, two cigar boxes full of commemoratives, and silver bars several dimes and quarters, half dollar books full, and a few 5 ouncers collectors pucks. Most collected in 2015 to 2021 when silver was stuck in the 17-to-19-dollar range or there abouts. quit cost averaging when silver hit 44.00. I have slowed my purchasing down some.
India is growing and so is their silver consumption Doing their part to add to my wealth India's silver demand is high, driven by its use in jewelry, industrial applications like electronics and solar panels, and investment in coins and bars. While the country is the world's largest silver consumer, it relies on imports for over 80% of its supply, leading to a significant import volume to meet domestic needs. Jewelry fabrication is the largest share of demand, though demand for coins and bars has also surged due to strong investor sentiment, particularly during festive seasons. Key drivers of silver demand in India Jewelry: India is the leading market for silver jewelry, with demand increasing due to a positive economic backdrop and a preference for higher purity silver. Industrial use: Significant demand comes from the electronics and solar energy sectors. Investment: There is a strong investor preference for silver coins and bars, which saw a 21% surge in 2024. Cultural factors: Festivals like Diwali drive substantial demand for silver as a symbol of prosperity and a popular gift. Economic conditions: A strong rural economy and recovering employment and income levels have boosted overall consumption. Supply and import situation High consumption, low production: India's annual consumption is around 8,100 tonnes, while its domestic production is only about 700 tonnes, creating a large gap. Reliance on imports: To meet domestic needs, India imports a substantial amount of silver annually, with sources including the UAE, Britain, and China. Recent import trends: Despite some early-year import slowdowns, strong demand in recent months is expected to drive imports higher to restock depleted inventories. Recent market dynamics Price increases and premiums: The high demand has led to record-high prices and premiums over international prices. Investor behavior: In 2025, a shortage of physical silver was seen, and despite record prices, investors remained bullish, with little scrap silver coming onto the market, as noted by CNBC.
Of course you won't get full spot... Why should the dealer have to be left holding the bag when the price stabilizes? You have to be willing to not get full spot when you are soliciting an offer.
Just a little bit of difference buying/selling collectible items vs pitting your capital against the very volatile silver market. I’ve killed it with my SLV position. But if I were a younger me, I’d have bought silver on a margin months ago. Supply/Demand is all you need to know.
As of December 2025, silver has significantly outperformed many major asset classes as an investment this year Here is a list of things that silver has surpassed in investment performance in 2025: Gold: Silver has notably outpaced gold, with year-to-date (YTD) gains of approximately 95-100%, compared to gold's respectable 54-60% rise. S&P 500 (broader US stock market index): Silver's gains have crushed the returns of the broader stock market, which was up around 10-11% YTD as of late 2025. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ ETF): This tech-heavy ETF was up around 11.8% YTD in September 2025, significantly less than silver's performance. Bitcoin (BTC): Even Bitcoin, known for its volatility, trailed silver's performance with approximately 11% YTD gains as of September 2025. Most other major asset classes: News sources indicate that silver has topped nearly every major asset class in 2025.
Not really....random chance would have virtually ANY and EVERY asset class have its day in the Sun. That's why professional money managers using rolling time periods to eliminate starting and ending bias as well as a 1-time hot streak.
It’s fine over a dollar today. It’s all the profit taking peoples fault. It goes up and it goes down. Mainly up though.
Yep. I certainly don't think performance is random, but for any given timespan there's got to be one asset that comes out on top. I'll say this for silver: it smells better than light crude. Or pork bellies. Or politicians.
The pawn shop up by work has finally decided on a pricing strategy to cope with the volatility. (Edit to add: I think the bag at the top is 40 silver quarters. The last time I was there, they had it priced at $800.)