Is the manufacturer/brand name of a silver bar important?

[MJ5050]

I'm totally new to the world of investing in silver and was just wondering if the brand name of a silver bar would make any difference to its future value and desirability?

E.g. I've just been looking at Gold Bank London's website and I see that they have sold out of 1kg bars of 'Umicore' and 'Metalor' but they have still their own brand 'Gold Bank' silver bars - would these own brand bars be worth less than the other 2 brands in the future or is value just based on weight and would therefore brand not make any difference?

Many thanks in advance

[GBStacking]

On general run of the mill bullion bars it will make no difference, especially if you are selling back to a bullion dealer, they only care about how much it weights, how fine it is and what the spot price of the day is. Having said that, there are some bars that fall into the collectible category like PAMP and older Johnson Matthey which could command a premium due to the name. The only other thing i can think of is Umicore or Metalor might inspire a little more confidence in a buyer if you were selling directly to another person who was not perhaps overly familiar with other brands. So i would have a think about what your possible exit strategy is likely to be if you wanted to sell.

[MJ5050]

Many thanks GBStacking, much appreciated. As I say, I'm totally new to this but my instinct was to start with a recognised brand. I've just seen that Metalor is slightly cheaper than Umicore - is this because Umicore is considered superior or is there no difference in the desirability of these two brands?

[sixgun]

1 hour ago, MJ5050 said:

I'm totally new to the world of investing in silver and was just wondering if the brand name of a silver bar would make any difference to its future value and desirability?

E.g. I've just been looking at Gold Bank London's website and I see that they have sold out of 1kg bars of 'Umicore' and 'Metalor' but they have still their own brand 'Gold Bank' silver bars - would these own brand bars be worth less than the other 2 brands in the future or is value just based on weight and would therefore brand not make any difference?

Many thanks in advance

The brand matters if you are selling here and i would always sell here over cashing them in with a dealer or chancing it on ebay.

There are a number of variables which affect price and how quickly they sell; one of which is brand.

Geiger bars are very popular, along with PAMP.
As mentioned above, Metalor and Umicore are seen as good bars.
Vintage bars will tend to go for better prices and sell quicker - i will buy a vintage bar over a new one.

If you have your eye on specific cases, post pictures and ask an opinion.

Edited February 2, 2021 by sixgun

[Robda1986]

And if you happen to have a tombstone bar in the uk I call first  dibs 

[Pete]

Whether 999 or 999.9 silver it's all the same physical material so it doesn't matter whose name is on the bar although some mints have a long standing high quality reputation.
However some bars are poured ( looks like a brick ) and some are minted ( machined finish and usually high polish )
Many bars have an engraved pattern and look attractive.
It's all about the premium over the melt value.
Minted and nice looking bars will sell for a higher price because they cost more to produce but also set at a collectors price.
More often than not they will retain most of this premium but not necessarily in proportion to spot.
For example if a patterned bar costs £35 when spot is £20 the premium is say £15 which is 75% over spot.
If spot doubled to £40 then the bar would unlikely be valued at £70 and closer to £55.
Some bars are highly desirable and will fetch a higher premium because people are willing to pay extra to add to their collection or set.
Selling to bullion dealers makes no difference and you will be lucky to get melt / spot value.
Be aware that popular bars can easily be faked and unlike a coin with exact specifications, spotting a fake bar can be more involved so be careful selecting your sources until you become an expert.

 

[MJ5050]

Many thanks for all the detailed advice, very useful and much appreciated

The bar I was looking at was this one: https://www.gold-bank.co.uk/silver-bars/500-gram-gold-bank-investment-silver-bar-999/

but having heard your advice, I'm more likely to go for a Umicore or Metalor bar now.

Incidentally, (and apologies if this is on the wrong thread) has anyone had dealings with the Gold Bank in London before? As far as I can tell, they have excellent Trust Pilot reviews but I'd greatly appreciate it if anyone could recommend them or indeed any other UK supplier? I definitely wouldn't buy or sell through eBay.

 

[MJ5050]

Many thanks again for all the advice - I've just been wondering whether it is best to buy a cast or minted silver bar with a view to its future value and potential resaleability. If I was to buy a silver bar, I'd be looking to keep it for several years.

[onlyroadtoheaven]

My own advice would be to go for 10oz bars. They are easy to sell and easy to store. They also look impressive and are nice to stack. Britannia bars have done me well over the past 12 months and they are attractive. From what I have seen 10oz bars are more popular in the States but getting more of a following here now. 

I would also say don't rush your first purchase (I can't see prices going nuts in the next few weeks). Keep an eye on the listings here to gauge price and popularity. Remember at some point you will probably want to sell.

[MickB]

I've just spotted a billboard by the North circular leading to the M1 with a gold bank poster. They've got a shop in Southall which I might visit as long as it's not in the Ulez zone.