I'm afraid you missed my point quite completely.
Buying $500.00 is the S&P in 1965 would have been an investment. Buying $500.00 of gold in 1965 would have been buying a store of value.
They are two entirely different things.
L
Did gold beat inflation from 1965 - 2008? If not, then “value” was not stored but lost.
People buy gold anticipating the collapse of paper currency.
The current mega-inflation in Zimbabwe is their ultimate horror.
In 1923 one US dollar was worth a million German marks.
It shows a lack of faith in our economy, IMHO. Right up there with stocking up on bottled water and canned tuna.
(Stocking up on ammo, now that’s a different story)
;^)