danieldorkins

Wishful thinking and dreaming! personally, I am happy with hopefully fending off a bit of the effects of inflation that apparently is going to disappear before the election!

Its an electric shuttle it had to return to earth to recharge 

Wishful thinking and dreaming! personally, I am happy with hopefully fending off a bit of the effects of inflation that apparently is going to disappear before the election!

Wishful thinking and dreaming! personally, I am happy with hopefully fending off a bit of the effects of inflation that apparently is going to disappear before the election!

I’ve got a few grand in gold, just need to trawl the internet for scenarios that will make my gold worth millions……….
The fact for most people with gold.
Most can’t hold enough in terms of percentage/value of gold  vs their exposure to inflation. 
Every Tom Richard and Harry can show off graphs showing percentage, fact, figure and projection. 
 
Take someone with a mortgage or rent that’s gone up only £250 per month, (for some it’s way higher) that’s £3,000 per year.
allowing for the rise and fall of gold in recent months we could have made let’s say £70 per oz in the real world. 
You would need to have 42oz in gold buy and sell at the right time just to cover what your mortgage has gone up,  factor in energy bills, food etc to cover a years worth inflation you would need to be buying and selling about 130oz+ of gold. 
 
so if you have normal family exposure to inflation then you need 200k+ of gold and be buying and selling at the right times just to cover the rise in cost of living also need to consider there’s no yield with physical gold. 
 
Not dancing on any dreams and hopes just cutting thought some of the utter BS that’s being posted on this thread. 
 
There’s a lot of advantages with gold, but just simply holding some doesn’t automatically make you rich. 
P.S I bet those cribbing over £5-£10 on the price of gold are wasting more than that on take away coffee and pre packed sandwiches per year….🤣
 
 
 
 

This is the reality of the curse of gold, most people will not be able to buy enough for the change in price to make any real world difference. 
 
Let’s say the “stackers dream” came true, there’s been that moon moment caused by economic collapse.  
 
Gold is now 5x more over night, is this really life changing?  Not to mention if there is some kind of economic collapse food and medicine will go up factors more than gold and silver.  

Question to all. 
How many X  does gold have to go by to change your life?  Pay the mortgage and all debt off,  or have enough to buy a hyper car and yacht you always dreamed of. 

And the million pound question, the day it goes to the moon…….who gonna buy it?  We will all be millionaires in gold with next to zero means to convert it into other goods and services 🤣
 
I will set my rate now 1 sovereign for one of my tins of beans. 
 
 

well said mate we are all richer than we think 

As I have a bit of time on my hands I have looked at this quite carefully and critically and I agree with pretty much all your comments. I started with no knowlege,  I made some inquiries and the dealers who replied were the ones pushing collectibles, graded coins etc and I had a lump of money burning a hole!, I haven't regretted the purchases and  yes, I paid high premiums but sincerely believe I was not ripped off.
the view then was to stash it away for the next generation, thoughts of "what if" did not enter my head, now I have had a couple of years and discovered TSF and given my situation a more considered approach, I have come to the conclusion that to concentrate on stacking bullion is now the best way forward, mainly because I can only add small amounts now so this rules out any expensive sets etc, however, I do enjoy the "pretty" and "collectible" ones (like a 69 graded 2021 gold completer that I have, just something about it!) the sets that I have I will just keep an eye on, I might be tempted to move on if the price is right and reinvest back into bullion, I like the sovs and there is plenty of scope within them to scratch the collecting itch! and I can buy them on the forum, I will keep some of the collectibles,  tho' not a gambling person its quite a buzz to have some coins that "could" do well, fingers crossed I shoudn't need to sell them in an emergency.

As someone else said previously, there's no right or wrong answer, it's down to personal preference and your goals.
I've always felt that gold bullion is the main thing for me. This is because the premiums are quite tight compared to everything else you've listed, and therefore I should be able to always get a reasonable return on it at any time. I will only pick up silver when I can get a good deal on second hand from a dealer. 
My issue with collectibles is that, as pretty and enticing as they are (and boy do they tempt me a lot!), I perceive them to be a very different type of investment as they are worth what the highest bidder is willing to offer when you want (or quite possibly need to sell them. I feel this is a point that isn't always considered. If you have a sudden mishap and need cash urgently, you might not make money on the bullion you sell but you should at least be guaranteed a fair price for it. But if you're forced to sell an obscure graded coin, you might not be able to sell it unless you discount it significantly. 
I'm also a little wary of you saying you bought from dealers and were "steered in the direction of collectibles". In my experience, any dealer that is steering you to collectibles is trying to rip you off. Your average dealer might make £30-£50 on a 1oz bullion coin, but is probably making £300 off a graded one so it's a good investment - for them! They often won't even buy them back and you're left in the situation I described above - forced to sell it at a discount unless you are fortunate enough to find a collector desperate for that particular coin. Some of them also charge obscene prices - I once saw 1 dealer selling a set for £20,000 that another had listed for £8,000! If I've interpreted your post correctly, you may want to double check the going rate for the graded coins you bought and compare that to your purchase price.
Having said all that, there probably is more potential profit in collectibles, so I wouldn't discount them entirely but my preferred portfolio would be mainly gold bullion.
 
Tl,dr: I like gold bullion because it has low premiums and has a universally agreed value whereas collectibles have a very subjective value and I perceive that value as being harder to recoup.

Anyone who thinks setting a cap to what people can own is a bright idea has no notion of what makes us humans tick. Organized 'wealth distribution' by politicians leads to dictatorship.
Chilling to even contemplate the absurdity of it. As others have noted, this is the sort of rhetoric that leads to the slippery slope of maoist, naxalite and French Revolution style head-chopping parties. 

Interesting topic.
I keep coins mostly for wealth retention so mostly bullion.
Would say 90% gold 10% silver by value at least.
Most of the gold is sovereigns and multiples thereof. A few proof sets ex RM but only from the secondary market and when premiums are not too high.
Silver mainly brits and buy MINTY's and 2nd hand to avoid the VAT.
DO have a few commemorative silver coins to satisfy the collector in me (Beast's etc.). While premiums are higher the values are relatively small so not a big issue in the grand scheme of things.
Only got one graded coin and only picked that up as a PF70 sov at an auction that wasn't much of a premium if at all.
Each to their own and depends on the goals of the collection / stack.
I find graded a bit of a mystery around pricing so stick to bullion 😅

I am sure you can swap on forum some regular sovereigns for regular bullion silver coins. 
The price of silver on forum now is acceptable in my opinion.🤗
 
 

I’d probably split your stack three ways 
gold 
silver 
plat (if any) 
then split proof from there. Trouble being in normal times some proof will be worth alot more than bullion, other proof will be worth just bullion. It’s very dependent on which proof coin. ATM all proof seems depressed, but it’s volatile. so for example 10oz of proof doesnt mean much, coin to coin varies hugely. So price individually. 
Remember in the uk you pay tax on silver and platinum so that’s a big margin to overcome. 
 
Age/risk appetite/time= your optimal balance 
 


 
 

Good thinking, I tend not to buy silver bullion atm, at first I bought Brits and Maples but now I cannot resist certain designs such as the Mythical forest set and its easier (on the wallet) to buy than gold.
Sorry, bit misleading, the 4% are random individual coins, the 45% refer to coins that have been graded but originated as sets (not graded by me, should probably classify them as individual coins) and sovereign sets as bought from RM 
I shouldn't need to liquidate but you never know and I like the security of having some just in case, allocated the sovs for this.
I bought the small amount of silver around 2015 so its been ok, silver now does not give me the confidence hence turning more to gold but it is easier to buy nice silver!, even as a kid it appealed, gold? just too expensive and a bit flash!
 

Im kind of done with silver. Bought loads and sold at a loss.
Do love a proof set though so will concentrate on that as far as silver goes. May get my money back as im not selling up for 10 to 15 years hopefully.
Will concentrate on gold from here on in.
So far 13 sovs and almost 2oz of the fine stuff.

Your age and amount you may need to liquidate will have a big impact and your appetite for volatility. Higher risks plays won’t be such a risk over 30 years as it would over 5 for example. Silver, platinum, proofs being the more volatile but higher upside. Low premium bullion being more stable. There is no one size fits all answer. 
not sure I understand your figures either. 4% graded but 45% graded sets? Is this 45% of 4%? Etc. 

I try to keep in my stack gold and silver at 50%-50% value. 
To be able to buy high premium silver, I compensate with silver flatware under spot, so my average price on silver look very healthy.

Your first paragraph has hit the nail on the head and is the bit I have been pondering, I am tempted, they were relatively expensive and tie up quite a bit of cash for not so much actual gold, I like the sets and the original thinking was even if there was no great increase in value to me they maybe to the next generation but that only really works if they have the interest and are prepared to collect or sell properly, at the moment I suspect they may up at Cash Converters because it would be easier!
If I cashed them in I could then go on another spending spree!

As I have too much time on my hands due to a broken leg, I thought I would call on the great and good of this forum for your opinions, having dabbled a bit in silver since 2015 and finding myself with a lump sum to invest in 2022 I decided to have a go with gold, the aim really is to preserve this lump sum and hopefully pass it on to the next generation but if needs arise, liquidate some of it.
Prior to discovering and learning from TSF I had a period of time in the wilderness buying from dealers and was steered in the direction of "collectibles" ie graded coins and sets, so the best decisions may have not been made, however, I am not particularly worried on that point, what I would appreciate is your thoughts on the percentages below, bearing in mind that I am unlikely to have much more than small change to buy in the future, so would it be better to shift around the percentages.
 
Percentage of my "stash"  at cost is:
(silver is 6.5%, I am not including the silver as it is buying what I like, some high premiums)
gold, individual coins, 93.5%
Bullion (mostly sovs) is 34%
BU and proof is 15%
graded is 4%
Graded sets 44.5%
Would you balance this differently given the stacking and collecting reasons above?
 

Bullion gold/silver - 10%
Random premium bits that were impulse purchases - 90%

Happy New Year to you all. This is our first update of 2024. What a way to start a year given gold ended 2023 with its first annual gain in three years, achieving around a 13% climb.
Depending on what you read and who you listen to there were three commonly cited reasons as to why gold really made 2023 shine. 
In no particular order:
Geopolitical instability  Central bank gold purchases FOMC Rate Decisions We’re only four days into the New Year and already two of those are making sure that they will also be key drivers for 2024 as well. We are of course talking about the release of the FOMC’s December minutes and the cinder kegs that keep appearing in the Middle East. 
Yesterday the minutes of the FOMC December meeting were released. Any expectations of a cut in rates starting in March were quickly dampened and realised to be unrealistic, with the minutes instead suggesting that rates will remain high ‘for some time’. 
With markets now having to amend their thinking to the likely chance that rate cuts won’t come until the second-half of the year many will be wondering how this will impact the price of gold. After all, traditional thinking tells us that gold should struggle under a period of rate hikes and tight monetary policy. If a 13% climb is gold ‘struggling’ then we’re looking forward to seeing how it does as interest rates come down. 
FOMC is losing its touch 
As ever, nothing happens in a vacuum. Gold does not only respond to the touch of the FOMC. If anything, it has been becoming desensitised to such announcements. Whilst we watch to see how it reacts to tomorrow’s non-farm payrolls data tomorrow, the reality is that in the medium to long-term gold takes its cue from a number of sources, and the weight of those sources on the gold price has been shifting in recent months. 
Chris Vermeulen on Gold: This Is A Super Cycle At Play
One of those sources is geopolitical tensions, which have already been impacting the price of gold this week. Whether it’s the bombing of a grave in Iran, Israel targeting Hamas members in Lebanon, or just the ongoing carpet bombing of Palestine, no-one is looking at the Middle East and waiting for it all to blow over. Gold has held strong this week, in part thanks to these very recent events.
The events ongoing today have had a long build up (well before October 7th) and gold has reacted accordingly. It has ultimately taken a steady climb, indicating markets’ increasing awareness that it really is a safe haven. Israel’s mission to obliterate Hamas is likely to engulf the Middle East, and draw in the rest of the world for some time to come. Stable times these are not. 
Central Banks Will Continue to Shop 
Luckily not all central banks are focusing on short-term issues such as monetary policy and funding wars. Instead, there are central banks who have been playing the long game as well, and have spent significant time adding gold to their reserves. This is the third factor that helped the gold price, in 2023. 
There is no indication that this will let up in 2024. Some central banks, such as Poland have made it very clear the quantities that they expect to buy up. Other banks, such as China, do not feel the need to make a song and dance about it. We fully expect to see further banks add to their gold reserves in the coming year as they begin to prepare for an increasingly fractious world. 
David Hunter
Later this week we will be speaking to David Hunter, of Contrarian Macroadvisors. We last spoke to him in 2022, when he made some punchy predictions about stock market performance. Send any questions you have for him to @GoldCore on the platform formerly known as Twitter. 

Robert Kiyosaki was chatting to some guy who said...
How long does it take to fill a stadium with drops of water?, if you start at 1 drop the first minute, then 2 drops the second minute, 4 drops the third, 8 the fifth etc.
The answer is 50 minutes, not really surprising. That exponential grain of rice on a chessboard thing. 
What I found interesting was how full the stadium would be after 45 minutes, and the answer was 7%. The guy went on to explain that global debt was exactly the same thing.
So I'm imagining this inevitable juggernaut coasting along, and it feels like something that could be controlled, contained, reversed, soft-landing. However you want to put it...until the 45minute mark then the hyperinflation curve hits, and it'll be tsunami-like.
And I wonder how many minutes are we into this scenario?

Merry Christmas, everyone!
I have for auction a lovely Argentia 10oz silver art bar in spotless as new condition (see pictures). I have bought it two months ago from @theman73, I love it, but I need now to release quick some fiat. I do hope to be able soon to replace it with another one from the same reputable forum business seller.
At the moment, "The Thinking Man" is sold out everywhere.
I will start the auction now and will end tomorrow night at 21.00pm sharp.
Let's start the auction from £1, with minimum increments of £1
Postage 1st class is included in the final price, an upgrade to SD is possible for an extra £4.
Happy bidding and thank you for looking!
Kindest regards, 
Stefan. 
 

This was my first Christmas draw and would like to thank @trp for all the time and effort put into this, it's been great fun, next @AndrewSL76 for his lovely and most welcome gift received this morning, since been pm'd, then we have @NGMD who is still patiently awaiting my gift to him, I broke my leg about 2 weeks ago and it's been a bit of a nightmare unfortunately I am on nil weight bearing and means I cannot get down to the marina to access my stash on my boat, you have been very understanding and I really appreciate that, it will get to you!, finally and by no means least, to all on TSF, in the 18 months (I think) that I have been a member I have thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt an awful lot, I genuinely believe without this information and advice I would not have the confidence I now have in shiny bits of metal!
So before I get emotional 😀 cheers to you all, wishing you and yours a really good Christmas and New Year.
PS.I haven't been drinking!