Stacking PMs around the world

[Dragonnumis]

I am really interested to know how different countries have different attitudes towards stacking / investing in physical precious metals, and how common or normal it is around the world.

In the UK I guess we are seen by most of the population as a bit “quirky” and a niche group. (Although I suppose most people don’t even know it is a “thing”). To my eyes in the USA it seems a bit more mainstream, but I might be wrong.

Fascinated to know peoples experiences internationally.

[silenceissilver]

There seems to be a correlation between experiencing a hyperinflation and stacking gold in the following generations. That's why Germany, with two hyperinflations in the 20th century, has many more PM shops than the UK, today.

If you look at Venezuela in 50 years, when they will hopefully have brought communism behind them for a long time, they will be the stacker kings of South America.

[Happypanda88]

Gold has a great significance in many cultures in the world.

In the Thai, Chinese and Indian culture for example, it is a tradition for close families to give gold jewellery as gifts to the bride at weddings. It is seem as a status symbol, an object of beauty and a store of wealth.

I know that before the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the demand for gold in China is very high and sales goes up significantly. Just like Christmas in the West, this is the time when many people buy gold for themselves, and as gifts for their loved ones.

In general, I think people in asia value gold more which is probably a reason why China and India are two of the largest importers.

[AppleZippoandMetronome]

This is a really interesting topic. I grew up in Canada quite close to the US border so my upbringing included as much US culture as Canadian. The attitudes to stacking in the two countries I would say used to be the same. I think its lessening in Canada but I've lived in the UK so long now its kind of hard to say for sure. I think the reason why it is so prevalant across the pond is because the societies in both countries have a much more prepare, look after yourself and your loved ones first mentality. When you combine that with the ease at which you can acquire PM's in both Canada and the US it makes it a much more viable way to prepare for unpleasant eventualities and protect your wealth. The UK is much more of a nanny state and I think that breeds complacency within the population. Combine that with the barrier to entry that exists in the UK by way of taxes as well as a lack of physical retail options and it just doesn't seem like a good idea to bother here.

One thing I'll also note that I think is true in both Canada and the UK is that the older population seemed to know to keep wealth whether as cash or physical assets like gold on hand. It seems so common in both countries for relatives clearing out a house after the death of an elderly relative to stumble upon wads of cash or a bundle of sovereigns or something similar. It makes sense given the older generations have a much closer relationship to some pretty terrible events that happened in the past.

[MrTT]

On 22/07/2020 at 13:09, Dragonnumis said:

I am really interested to know how different countries have different attitudes towards stacking / investing in physical precious metals, and how common or normal it is around the world.

In the UK I guess we are seen by most of the population as a bit “quirky” and a niche group. (Although I suppose most people don’t even know it is a “thing”). To my eyes in the USA it seems a bit more mainstream, but I might be wrong.

Fascinated to know peoples experiences internationally.

In sweden i dont know any stackers.

I think its a very rare thing to stack pms.

I only know a few people that has or had a gold bar or gold coin.

Never see or hear anyone stack silver or platinum, i think if people buy pms, its mostly gold.

[Aknot]

But do they call themselves "stackers" or would they call themselves an investor? Meaning if you ask someone if they stack silver they may look at you and go no, but I do have some silver I buy on occasion and keep in a safety deposit box.

Honestly I had never heard of the term before these last couple months but I knew my Grandfather collected silver coins for the silver. Never once did I hear him refer to himself as a "stacker".

[silenceissilver]

On 23/07/2020 at 19:11, Aknot said:

But do they call themselves "stackers" or would they call themselves an investor? Meaning if you ask someone if they stack silver they may look at you and go no, but I do have some silver I buy on occasion and keep in a safety deposit box.

Honestly I had never heard of the term before these last couple months but I knew my Grandfather collected silver coins for the silver. Never once did I hear him refer to himself as a "stacker".

I don't speak Swedish but probably the term stacker doesn't even exist in this language.

 

On 23/07/2020 at 18:02, MrTT said:

In sweden i dont know any stackers.

I think its a very rare thing to stack pms.

I only know a few people that has or had a gold bar or gold coin.

Never see or hear anyone stack silver or platinum, i think if people buy pms, its mostly gold.

What a surprise. The most cashless country on this planet, the country with probably the highest rate of people who chip themselves like dogs, the only country that beats Germany on ethnomasochism, is at the bottom when it comes to stacking PMs. On the plus side, Sweden didn't go crazy over nothing (Corona) like the rest of the world and Swedish women are generally beautiful.

[MrTT]

I think stacking, collecting or investing, is the same thing ( PMs ).

Different word, same meaning.

Most people buy stocks here.

[RacerCool]

4 hours ago, MrTT said:

I think stacking, collecting or investing, is the same thing ( PMs ).

Different word, same meaning.

Most people buy stocks here.

Stacking generally means that you gather PMs because you want to convert your paper and digital cash into PMs, for the purpose of trying to preserve your wealth.

Investing generally means you buy PMs to speculate whether their market value with go up and you can sell them for a profit.

So they actually have different meanings.

[MrTT]

6 hours ago, RacerCool said:

Stacking generally means that you gather PMs because you want to convert your paper and digital cash into PMs, for the purpose of trying to preserve your wealth.

Investing generally means you buy PMs to speculate whether their market value with go up and you can sell them for a profit.

So they actually have different meanings.

Well you still do the same thing.

Accumulate and store pms. 😀

[RacerCool]

1 hour ago, MrTT said:

Well you still do the same thing.

Accumulate and store pms. 😀

Nope, they're not the same. Just like a race car driver and a taxi driver both drive cars, but they're not the same.

[Aknot]

Wait what?

If stacking was only preserving your wealth that means you bought at 10$ an oz then it would remain 10$ and oz. Instead it is an investment as you invest in the PM in hopes it goes up. I dont know of anyone that says lets convert this 1$ bill into silver because it will stay at 1$.

Unless there is a definitive definition of stacking somewhere? OFF TO GOOGLE!

[cliveb13]

I am firmly in the ‘I am a collector ‘ camp. I have PMs across Au, Pt, Pd & Rh & a v little Ag 

to me it’s the idea of owning something so pure & rare. Ag is not rare. I never thought I would make ££ & I haven’t . I have just collected. 
 

But Rh & Pd never come up for sale in the Forum so there is no market here. Pt can be difficult to trade. Most on here are Au focussed & that’s fine. There are a lot of trades at the moment 

CB 

[Prophecy]

On 27/07/2020 at 16:21, Aknot said:

Wait what?

If stacking was only preserving your wealth that means you bought at 10$ an oz then it would remain 10$ and oz. Instead it is an investment as you invest in the PM in hopes it goes up. I dont know of anyone that says lets convert this 1$ bill into silver because it will stay at 1$.

Unless there is a definitive definition of stacking somewhere? OFF TO GOOGLE!

It's a matter of perspective. if you are mentally tied to the value of FIAT, then it's investing. If you are tied to the value of Gold then it's stacking. With stacking you are aiming to preserve the purchasing power of the fiat you worked for that you purchase it with. So $10 dollars VALUE spent on silver could be $20 dollars when inflation has halved the purchasing power of that initial $10 - 20 buys the same as 10 now. Over time this rings true with PMs. Stacking 101. Ad nauseam throughout the gold community. You have to understand this concept because it turns the fiat charts upside down. When PMs rise in price, its meaning that the value of the PMs are the same, just the value of the fiat is falling.