Keep the receipts: cost basis when you sell metal
The shop bid does not care what you paid. The IRS might. We are not your CPA. The envelope of…
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Mail-in vs walking into a shop with gold
Mail-in is convenient and full of shipping, insurance, and trust problems. A shop is slower on your calendar and faster…
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US Mint vs your local shop: two different stores
The Mint sells you new product at Mint premiums. A shop buys and sells the aftermarket. Neither one owes you…
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Costco gold, then a coin shop: what that resale looks like
Buying Eagles at a warehouse club is fine. Expect shop bid, not Costco nostalgia. Keep the receipt for you, not…
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Monster boxes and tubes: how bullion actually ships
Eagles travel in tubes and mint boxes. Sealed is nice. Opened is still metal. Count, then argue about the box.
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Silver Eagle milk spots: ugly, common, still an ounce
White cloudy spots on American Silver Eagles drive collectors nuts. Most shops still buy them as eagles. Do not polish…
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Proof vs uncirculated vs bullion: three words people mix up
Proof is a finish. Uncirculated is a condition. Bullion is a job. A proof Eagle is not automatically a better…
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Pre-1933 US gold vs modern Eagles: both gold, different animals
A Saint and a Gold Eagle are both gold. One can have a collector premium. One is a bullion product.…
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“Constitutional silver” and other internet money myths
Junk silver is real metal. It is not a secret legal-tender cheat code. Shops buy it as silver. They do…
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