Deals on Silver

[NightShade]

Hey folks.
Been awhile- how ya been?
Anyhow-
So, I've never been the "buy silver/gold" type of guy before. I was always more interested in acquiring "MORE" and "BETTER" gear. One can only have so much "gear". Now and then I find a cool little feature on something I really like that's new- but at this point, I know what works for me and I look at the giant stockpile of different knives , packs, and assorted gear I've bought , tested, used and discarded over the years...... It's more than I could possibly use- at this point, it's more of a PITA with the space it takes up in my place.

It got me thinking a lot more about the long term. I'm not getting any younger.
Now, I've always had long term planning.. Just how my mom raised me. I've got a nice annuity and pension already set up.... Perhaps I've just been thinking about it more lately because I've been feeling old lately.. My son's behind the wheel now and my lil princess is growin up so quick too!

Anyhow, I have been researching silver and gold, thinking about investing long term in something I can just drop in a safe...
I thought I had a good handle on the market due to all my extensive internet research... WOW! I was WRONG!!!!

I drove around today hitting up local coin dealers and bullion dealers...
Most of the prices were in line with what I was seeing online.. I could pay cash in person and save on shipping, so that was a bonus... Some were a tad higher, but no shipping.. But the real bonus came when I visited a few small local coin dealers... I was buying silver mint sets for $20-$30 that were selling online for $100 more on the low side. Even other "bigger" dealers close by had prices that were $50-$60 more.

Maybe I just got lucky.... Maybe I should be hitting up ALOT more small hobby shops!!
Just wante to give all you guys and gals a heads up!-- check out your small local coin shops for great investment opportunities!

[hunter63]

What years are those mint sets?
I can't see where any one can make any money buying from dealers....big or small for short term....long term investment maybe.

[NightShade]

Hunter, this is ABSOLUTELY, long term. I got 2010 full set 2003 full sett 2010 quarters only. All silver mint sets.. I could turn around and try to make a quick $ on eBay... But, no. This goes in the safe.. I only add to the safe, never subtract. Some day, I may need that safe, or , god-willing, turn the safe over to my kids..
I recently quit smoking. Each time I really want to go buy a pack of smokes, I take the money out of my wallet and put it in a jar. Sometimes it's weekly I take a trip, sometimes it's a few months.. But I go buy gold , platinum, or mostly, silver.. And I make a deposit to the safe....
Yea- the jar fills quick - lol.. Best retirement plan ever.

[hunter63]

Gotcha......
I quit smoking ...(again) after surgery.....been bidding on H&R rifle barrels....LOL

Site for silver prices....
http://www.pmbull.com/silver-price/?...FRJp7AodwA0A0Q

[NightShade]

Oh I Know I paid over spot for them, but due to them being mint set coins, they have an added "collectible" value. It's part of the reason that I've gotten back into coin collecting after not doing it for 20+ years.... That and it's fun! The place I got these sets from was primarily a baseball card shop actually. They were cheaper than any local coin shops and much cheaper than I was seeing online coin sites.

[Rick]

You can purchase mint sets directly from the mint.

https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...dentifier=2000

[NightShade]

Hit up a few more local dealers today... Scored some more great deals! A bunch of 64 Kennedy 1/2's! The rest was bullion a shade over point.. I was happy!
Rick- great link! Past few years I've been buying the silver mint proof set through the mint. Craigslist,eBay, and ( more recently) local shops have been helping me acquire sets I don't have.

[LowKey]

I never understood the "collectible" premium. If you got em for cheap, that means they aren't worth much as a collectible, if no one else wants them.

My favorite place for silver used to be a couple dealers at local flea markets. The coins weren't pretty, but they were silver and they are sold by weight, not collectibility. Funny thing happened about 5 or 6 years back. All of a sudden you couldn't find the coins. The cans of ugly coins are pretty much gone.

[hunter63]

I never understood the "collectible" premium. If you got em for cheap, that means they aren't worth much as a collectible, if no one else wants them.

My favorite place for silver used to be a couple dealers at local flea markets. The coins weren't pretty, but they were silver and they are sold by weight, not collectibility. Funny thing happened about 5 or 6 years back. All of a sudden you couldn't find the coins. The cans of ugly coins are pretty much gone.

If I were to "invest" in silver it would be by weight........If I was to "collect" silver coins....it would be proof sets.
Collectors rarely make any money, and the coins are only worth what some one else will pay, but shouldn't lose any money.....but I have to agree collecting silver coins, beats race cars.....

[Rick]

Collecting coins for profit becomes collecting oddities. There is no doubt that specific coins (mint sets, precious metals) appreciate over time. However, the short term profit is in mint errors or some odd change the mint made such as steel pennies. There is money to be made in anything. It's just timing and salesmanship. Let's face it, when you can actually sell horse poop, well, that's pretty much proof you can sell anything.

"Pssst. You wanna buy some of this?"
"That's horse poop."
"You see horse poop. I see the best fertilizer money can buy."
"Yeah?"
"Oh yeah. How do you think Jack grew such a large bean stalk?"
"Horse poop?"
"You betcha. Now, I'm prepared to take a loss on this 'cause you look like a nice guy to me......"

[LowKey]

Around here, horse poop is dirt cheap. Cow poop on the other hand, that there is gold. Pure gold.

While I agree that mint set value does appreciate, at least according to the book values, cashing in never seems to happen.
Steel pennies still show up here every once in a while. I find maybe 3 or 4 a year in pocket change, mostly cuz I collect wheat pennies (still looking for the copper '43.)
I've yet to find anyone willing to buy them though, not even the clean ones I've had for quite some time.

[Rick]

Find that guy that will buy horse poop. He'll snap those pennies up in a heartbeat.

[shiftyer1]

Don't just limit yourself to coins, spoons and broken jewelry melt also.

[hunter63]

Friend used to collect silver ware at yard sales.....don't know what he did with it all, but had a bunch.
Don't know what the silver content would be....for melt down

[Rick]

You guys are those fellahs that are born with a silver spoon in your mouth aintcha? I been looking for you guys just to see what you look like.

[BENESSE]

Don't just limit yourself to coins, spoons and broken jewelry melt also.

[crashdive123]

One of yours?

[BENESSE]

I wish! It's just the kind of creative I aspire to.
My funny stuff ends up in file 13 because our clients don't have a sense of humor. But we sure enjoy coming up with it.