Another thought: go here www.coinshows.com and if any are reasonably near you, you might blow off a Sat-Sunday afternoon and $2-$3 admission to check out the waters, as it were.
Now this is coins, and if you want bullion, you do NOT want [rare] coins, you want JUNK coins. However, you’ll usually find a bullion dealer or two at a typical coin show. You do NOT want to pay for excellent condition. And above all, do not make the mistake of thinking that one coin can be both numismatic AND bullion: If you melt it down, it is no longer a fine coin. If you put in a display case, it isn’t bullion. One or the other, not both, do not add the values together!
Anyway...the exercise might give you an opening idea of what you’re dealing with, and you might make a contact or two. Coin show buys, you rarely pay sales tax and obviously no freight on small buys and you walk out with goods in your hand...but you DO need to know your values bec you’re not there with your computer.....unless you are mobile.
Worthwhile going to one or two, no question IMHO. Take note of how many gonzillions of silver dollars there are. That never fails to blow my mind.
You are right along with what I was saying. I think this is a pretty good course myself.