Amex offers free shipping for orders over 200.
Haven't bought any Walking Liberty halves yet. Just exploring alternatives to the over-priced Silver Eagle. May get into American 90% more since its recognizable to most people.

Excellent collection Athen! As times get hard people will dig in to their collections and spend silver, I had to use silver certificates to buy formula and diapers one time long ago.
APMEX is kind of expensive compared to other places but the service and quality is great, thats why I go there. Always look for the guy at a glass case in Flea Markets and Antique Shops.

Post it,we all love precious metals porn.

Some people are trying to peg Silver to Copper, a marked change to Silver being the cousin of Gold.
Makes sense, silver is primarily an Industrial metal, a key player for future alternative energy and communication devices.
Except the purity required for efficient electronics is much less than a 4 nines Maple Leaf.
These guys don't want silver to spike, at all. It has to be readily available at a cheap price.
Just like copper.
I don't want to say silver prices will become political. Instead I will say silver, and copper prices have become political.
Gold rises above the fray. It is a Standard by which all other alternative currencies or stores of wealth are compared.
So you pay 450 dollars for gold. Its damn small. Gold is expensive.
The average person isn't going to fill up an old tackle box with it.
So every dollar put in to PM is a dollar taken out of circulation and stored for a future fund.
A lot of people around the World are trying to obtain PM. Hell, anyone with any sense is trying to buy PM.
Joe Six pack in Germany buying so much gold coin recently perked my ears up.
I admire the German people.

I like coins that have that "Klink"
Coins you can handle and play with and look up close without a plastic covering.
Don't like coins stapled in cardboard holders with Misc wrote all over.
Don't really like Proof Sets hermetically sealed in plastic or thick Poly cases.
Do like Proof Coins, ultimate cool.
Basically my future purchases will be coins that I can handle. Don't mind wearing cotton gloves to keep them nice.
The "Mint Direct and First strike eligible" sealed coins are crying out to be freed from their bogus packaging.
Theres really nothing like having a pile of vintage coins to play with.
The tactile experience in many ways drives the current hysteria. Thats a good thing.

Really like, especially the George Washington. Thanks for sharing!

How to get deals in Precious Metals
This could turn in to 2 parts, bear with me.
Metal Detecting/Ground Sonar/ River digging and sifting.
Many excellent videos out there, I will just add for the best results think like Gold.
Its heavier than everything else and will settle in cracks.
Research! Contact Owners of obscure properties and search foundations of vanished dwellings.
Gold and Silver reclaim.
Nasty Business but lucrative if you know the Process. Again, several good videos out there on how to reclaim Gold and Silver from electronic components and it will involve chemicals and heat.
Lot Purchase from Estate Sales. Many people luck up.
I was dumping my garbage in a bin at the local County-run Collection Center.
Noticed a desk and then noticed a ceramic coin Bank that was broken.
Coins were spilling out of it. This observation took 2 seconds.
Retrieved 57 Susan B. Anthony dollar coins (shared them with the Girl working that day)
A wad of Paper money (most from Haiti and Northern South America, worthless)
Start accepting Silver and Gold coins as payment for your product.
You would be surprised how quickly your Collection will add up.
Purchase from others.
Let your friends know you are interested in buying their old coins. No need to try and rip them off, be honest.
It will pay dividends in the long term.
No telling what they may present for sale.

Anyone following please do me a favor;
Have a local store you regularly stop in? Maybe one operated by a friend or relative?
Asl them if they would ever take silver or gold as payment.
Just curious. I have identified several local Vendors that would take silver and gold for their services.
May just be a small Town thing, like to know how it is in your area.
Thanks!

Friday night meandering thoughts, didn't know a better place to say it.
A lot of talking heads are shouting Prepare!. Still unclear what to prepare for, already have some emergency supplies.
So been rebuilding my truck. Used to joke at work if they seen me driving this wheelbarrow with an engine I was making money. Hauling.
There is untold accumulated wealth sitting around in storage right now.
We have been blessed living during prosperous times most of our lives. The poorest among us still have it better in many ways to medieval Kings.
Old cars? Deals are out there if you can work on them (kinda like EM pinball)
Functional Antiques? The Market is down generally for Antique furniture.
But if its an old item thats still useful, made solid in America, it is valuable.
I'm starting a "I will clean out your shed/need something hauled away?/ -Type local Business.
Basically a sign at the road with a Number and word of mouth.
Need the exercise. Meet a few folks. Make a few contacts.
Lived here since 98 and know very few people.
You may say "Right" but the money is not the main goal.
I love junk. Salvage. It's in my blood.
Seeing true value in cast out items, gleaning (second harvest) another viable albeit shorter life from something deemed near-worthless.
Looking to sell something? Been thinking about it for awhile but it just gets put off?
There is no better time than now.
The "Old" pricing is still here. Inflated prices for trinkets.
When the "New" pricing takes effect it will be quick, and mind blowing.
People will not have as much disposable income (if any)
Until then I'm going to, Like my Pop always said, "Strike while the pans hot"

Researching these now, so far very interesting concept.

Something like that is worth repairing and using, unlike these plastic throw away mowers sold now.

Big fan of the Perth Mint offerings, quality 24k gold and 4nine silver. Would bet 100% percent mined in Country. Don't see many Aussie generic silver rounds but wouldn't hesitate to purchase.
Glad you are buying what you like and having fun, thats what its really all about.

Let's look at the Philharmonic Gold from Austria.IMG_2361 (resized).jpg
Usually the lowest cost 24Kt Gold coin that enjoys Country of origin backing offered by the major Dealers.
Why?
There are several great videos from the Mint in Austria. These guys offer old World skill coupled with the highest technology.

So why is it so cheap?
The Design, primarily. Boring unless you share the Music Heritage of Europe and appreciate its importance (I do, Handel and Bach are close friends).
The other detriment could be considered a plus in the near future.
The denomination is in Euros.
So this is a black sheep Gold coin under-appreciated Globally with strictly bullion value?
Right now, yes. The Philharmonik is the perfect high quality,recognizable Gold coin that will redeem spot price with no problems. In certain Regions where 24Kt is demanded a Premium is not out of the question.
Lower initial purchase price, lower premiums,consistent quality.
Wouldn't Euro denomination be desirable should the US currency highly inflate/deflate or fail?
No comment.
IMG_2362 (resized).jpg

I prefer American Gold. So do a lot of people. But the Standard is changing.
People want bullion weight, not collector value speculation.
Not when precious metals are used as a hedge to protect some wealth when all else fails.
The American Gold Eagle premiums are putting it in a Collector price category millions Globally are rebelling against.
The Group that prefers American Gold, both new and Pre-1933, is waning.
The Group that prefers pure Gold for its Gram weight is increasing.

No joke. Gold is at 1794 and APMEX has it at 1800+ all day.
Been watching some prices closely for a week and they actually go UP as the spot price goes down.
Thanks for reminding me, going to visit a few Local Coin guys for my next purchase.

Recommendations coming from a variety of Preppers, Financial Gurus etc telling us to put fiat currency in to viable commodities such as Generators, Solar, Guns, Precious Metals, long term storage food, water filters.
Evidently Pinball machines have been identified as a commodity that holds/increases its value.
One of the only reasons I can reach as to the astronomical prices from the recent Banning Auction.
People want to get out of the Dollar and put it into something viable.

You are right, Silver Maples have been affordable. The fractional 1/10 Gold Maples are still too high though.
Thats what I'm shopping for. Love the small Gold.

Be aware if the Online source for your PM purchases keeps a running record.
This is usually under "Account".
If a seizure were to take place they would have your records.
if you have a store of metals (wealth) anonymity is best.
How much? Location?
This is Proprietary information to only be shared among Family.
Eliminate the E-Trail

Thousands of new IRS Agents are being hired.
Every transaction over 600 dollars will be recorded.
Yes, you could have traded or sold your purchase, may need receipts.
The "Lost it in a boating accident" is already taken for 2nd A.
No need to be paranoid, just saying Federal snooping in our sales/purchases will increase dramatically.
Again, with a store of PM anonymity is best.

Price is down on PM? Not really.
Coins I was looking at yesterday and the day before dropped very little or not at all.
Still not a time to buy or sell.
Coins anyway.

Appreciate you Posting the Chart, simple and very informative.
Rookies or old timers need one of these printed out/laminated.
Even when it is out of date the difference can be easily figured.

I would like to see both Stock and PM Markets return to realistic levels.
Allows old money to re-enter Investments.
High Premiums will continue to a certain level. They are easier to fathom when the Spot price is down.

Not a good time to buy or sell. Prices could go much lower.