“...to make me convert all of my spare cash into gold and silver.”
Not much of an investment. Based on market conditions in January 2026, where the spot price of gold recently crossed $5,000 per ounce, selling $5,000 worth of gold (based on its raw, 24K melt value) will generally net you between $3,500 and $4,500 (70%–90%) from reputable dealers.
Silver is a little better. Based on recent 2026 market trends, you can generally expect to sell $5,000 worth of silver (spot value) for approximately $4,250 to $4,750, representing a 10%–15% spread below the spot price. Reputable dealers usually pay 85%–95% of the spot price, depending on the form (bars vs. coins) and market demand.
It changes it from an investment to an expense.
wy69
“It changes it from an investment to an expense.”
I bought the silver for $20 and the gold for $2400 per ounce. I currently have my sell bars set at $45 for silver and $4,600 for gold. I’ll keep moving the sell points up as the prices rise.
I’m not claiming that metals are always a good investment, but inflation has been much higher than reported and hanging onto cash seemed a bad choice. Most of my investments are pre-tax retirement accounts with Fidelity and TIAA-CREF and are managed professionally by people with way more accurate information and investment experience than mine. So, I took half of my available cash and bought gold in August of 2024. The silver was purchased after Christmas of 2022. It was a gift from my father-in-law. Thanks Jim.
I’m pleasantly surprised that I finally did the right thing at the right time. The gold is going to net me more than my annual income as long as I’m smart enough to sell it before any market corrections.