Posts in "silver"

By Megan Duffield at 11:32AM

Dec 22, 2011

The Gift That Keeps on Giving!

This holiday season, I came up with a not-so-original idea to use silver as my trademark gift. Not only is it an educational tool that brings up questions about investing and the future of the dollar-based system, but it’s also worth a nice chunk of change. As we speak I’m packing for a family get together where I’ll be presenting my father with a nice 1 oz. bar of silver. It’s worth cash if he wants to cash it in, possibly even more cash if he wants to hold on to it for a while, and is a great collector’s item if he chooses to see it that way. I’m sure he will be thrilled!

The average spending habits of individuals, around Christmas, add up to about $650. If you take today’s silver prices and divide that up, you’ve got a gift for over 20 people on that list. Just think, people are getting gift cards, scarves, new socks, and toys (all wonderful and thoughtful, of course) but when they open your gift, even if they don’t appreciate it in the moment they’ll hopefully realize soon enough that you’ve given them something to learn from.

Let’s not forget though, with the economy at its worst in decades, there will surely be deals on silver out there that are so good you should avoid them. An article I recently read offers up the great idea of buying your silver or gold through a local coin shop. I wholeheartedly agree that having your precious metal physically in your possession after the transaction can be soothing and exciting! However let’s not discount the growing popularity and convenience of online shopping. Buying expensive items online can feel like risky business, however with the secure pay options and things like PayPal, your $650 in silver rounds should be a safe precious metals buying experience.

One thing to make note of: Be sure that your online bullion dealer delivers to your house. Do not purchase gold or silver for someone for Christmas if it’s going to be held in a vault or account somewhere. First, because it’s tacky to not have the gift present, and second, because one little round probably won’t be enough to have its own safety box. A company that offers to hold the PM’s while issuing a certificate should be checked out thoroughly to make sure the metal is actually in existence.

The good thing about online bullion buying is the lack of salespeople pulling you in different directions over the phone as you make your purchasing decisions. However, beware of websites with red flags like “confiscation proof” labels or hype over a government-issued collector’s coin. Before your start hunting for the best deals on your silver gifts, find the scams out there before they find you; dig into Peter Schiff’s Gold Scam Report that will make your gift buying holly-jolly like the rest of the season!

Believe me, your friends and family will love the gift that keeps on giving!

Originally posted at the Gold Scams Blog.

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Megan Duffield at 10:22AM

Nov 29, 2011

One Day Left to Submit Your Notepad Rant!

So SilverUnderground.com is offering 1 oz. of silver (currently valued at $31/oz.) to the best notepad rant. If you aren't familiar with this form of philosophical tirade, here's a look at the one 'notepad rant' featured on the blog that's hosting this fun contest (perhaps you recognize the ranter...):

So here are the contest rules if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet. There's one day left to get your rant sent in to blog@silvercirclemovie.com. Don't forget -- the winner will be the owner of a shiny new piece of silver!

Posted in:

1 comment

By Megan Duffield at 3:55PM

Sep 9, 2011

Don't Be an Uneducated Silver and Gold Buyer

I know being a student or recent grad doesn't allow for much investing, but as of late many opportunities have come up to get your physical silver and gold purchases started. I won't go into detail about my own personal investment practices, however I went into most of my investments trusting the person on the other end of the deal. Luckily, I wasn't dooped into spending far too much on far too little, but I know people who have had bad experiences with metal dealers.

I want to encourage all of you to start reading into your options when it comes to buying precious metals as a hedge against inflation, a temporary investment, or something you want to use for bartering. I recently read a great report, by Peter Schiff, that helped me understand and identify popular scams that are out there. Since precious metals are becoming more of a mainstream haven for investments, you have to watch out for the frauds.

So spread the news to friends and family who are interested in getting started or who maybe had a bad experience the first time around. There are honest places and investing in precious metals seems to be a great decision, thus far. Join the Gold Scams Facebook Page for more details on stories, fraudulent companies listed by name, and just go and post a question to be answered!

Posted in:

2 comments

By James Maier at 12:46PM

Jul 27, 2011

Buying Silver on eBay

In the recent weeks, many have rushed to buy silver as they have seen it trend upwards. Your first inclination may be to go to the place down the street to purchase your silver rounds or bars at a coin/metals retailer. Yet there is an alternative that some may not think of: eBay.

I decided to invest in silver a little over a month and a half ago when silver was $36 per oz., with some of the money I obtained as a result of my high school graduation. I drove down to the local retailer, The Coin Index, a coin/metals retailer located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis. I did not know it at the time, but I would find a much better deal, courtesy of sellers on eBay.

The spot price the day I bought the Engelhard American Prospector 1 oz. round was $36 per oz. Yet the final price was roughly $43.76. After Indiana's 7% sales tax ($2.52 on $36), the mark-up price was roughly $5.24. No more than two weeks later, I purchased another silver 1 oz. round, but this time, for $38.95, including the shipping, while the price per oz. was still around $36. After that purchase, I opted only to buy my silver rounds/bars through eBay, and currently have purchased 4 oz. from sellers on the site.

JFK and the Federal Reserve: Executive Order 11110

Given that the dollar is projected to fall off the cliff in the near future, it is no surprise that the push for sound money is gaining more and more followers, and the idea of owning gold or silver is becoming popular. Critics scoff at the idea of sound money as a dangerous fantasy that could severely damage our economy (as if our economy wasn't damaged enough already).

However, the push for sound money has a fairly recent history. On June 4th, 1963, President Kennedy signed Executive Order 11110. In short, it was an order for the Treasury to issue certificates backed by silver bullion, as well as to mint silver dollars that would be considered money. These silver certificates took the form of dollars for the most part, and the notes would say that whatever the denomination on the bill was, it would be repaid in silver "to the bearer on demand." Simply put: if you had $1, it was worth $1 in silver.

Unfortunately, the executive order didn't stand the test of time. That November, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, sparking conspiracy theories that the Federal Reserve had a hand in his death, though this hasn't been proven. In 1964, Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon halted the swap of silver certificates for silver dollars, and on June 24, 1968, barely five years since the executive order was announced, swapping dollars for silver coins ended, and America went right back to the exclusive Federal Reserve system. Originally published at www.silverunderground.com.

Posted in:

2 comments

By John McKenna at 3:12PM

Jul 20, 2011

Gold, Silver End 10-Day Rally, Longest in 21 Years

Gold prices have dropped today after a 10-day rally drove the price up to over $1600 an ounce. This was the longest rally for gold since January 1980, and it comes at a time when investors are becoming more and more wary of the European and American economies.

This rally represents the growing discontent over the ever-weakening dollar, and a euro in crisis mode as a result of the debt plague ravaging the continent. Silver also dropped below $40 today as well While the rally may have ended, and metals prices appear to be cooling off, there is still some good news for gold and silver junkies out there. Yes, the prices dropped a bit today, but as long as we have a Federal Reserve talking about quantitative easing, those prices will rebound soon enough. Granted, we are not rooting for our national currency to become worth less than the paper it is printed on, it's a real travesty that the dollar can be so easy devalued by a small handful of bureaucrats and bankers, but if you want something to believe in, the dollar clearly isn't it. Originally published at www.silverunderground.com.

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Stacy Litz at 3:33PM

Jul 11, 2011

Silver Gets a Spot on in a Popular Daily Deal Site

Silver Eagles Just when you thought liberty couldn't get any cooler, eBay has a daily deal today: three 2011 American Eagle 1 oz coins for only $129!

Worried about the devaluing dollar and excited about the rising value of silver? Don't miss this one!

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Megan Duffield at 10:21AM

Jul 6, 2011

23 Months in Max Security Prison for Selling Silver

The land of the free imprisoned this advocate for promoting voluntary exchange. Learn more about the experiences of Kevin Innes and his co-defendant Bernard Von Nothaus in our recent interview from the Porcupine Festival in Lancaster, NH:

Read this letter Kevin Innes wrote while in maximum security prison in North Carolina describing his conditions, his innocence, and the errors in the justice department.

Originally posted at SilverUnderground.com.

Posted in:

Add new comment

By Megan Duffield at 10:58AM

Feb 18, 2011

Keep Track of Your Affordable Junk Silver!

I the readers of this blog who have smart phones are constantly checking their Kitco App even if they don't even own silver -- you know deep down you'll buy some soon, right?! Well, a newer and slightly different app has been created for smart phones, but hasn't been released on the iPhone as of this writing. If you have a Palm Pre or a Palm Pixi you can sport this handy app called the Coin Silver Calculator.

On the basic Kitco App, you can check the latest spot prices on gold, silver, copper, and other precious metals. You also can retrieve all the stock market action as it happens. I'm not going to lie, I open my Kitco App at least once a day. Now you can learn more about your silver and how much that nickel you got back in your coffee change is really worth.

Keep reading about the smart phone app at SilverUnderground.com.

Posted in:

1 comment

By Megan Duffield at 6:10PM

Oct 26, 2010

Thinking of investing in silver?

David Morgan sat down for an interview with Silver Circle to talk about some initial questions on investing and where to start. Enjoy this free information from an expert:

Check out: Part 1 & Part 2

Posted in: