Not all sources of silver bullion are created equal. There are wide variety of places that sell silver ranging from online bullion dealers,eBay listings, and your local coin shop, as well as different approaches for building your silver stack.
Where to Buy Physical Silver Bullion
Silver bullion is available both online and from some brick and mortar coin shops. Local coin shops can sometimes have higher premiums than websites because of the increased overhead and decreased market size, but some collectors prefer to see and feel silver before they purchase it.
Countless websites offer silver coins, but disreputable sites and counterfeiters can also be found. Be sure to check for online reviews or in social media collector groups to ensure that dealers are reputable before purchasing from them.
How to Buy Silver Coins Online
Be sure to find a reputable dealer when buying silver coins online. Especially when buying in larger amounts, stick to coin dealers, especially for large purchases. Premiums tend to be much higher on sites that have large numbers of products besides precious metals. When choosing a dealer, be sure to consider factors other than the prices listed for your preferred products. For example, ModernCoinMart offers free shipping on all domestic orders regardless of size.
How to Buy Silver Bars Online
As with coins, be sure to purchase from reputable dealers. Since silver bars from different companies tend to have more similarities than coins, collectors purchasing them typically shop around less for their favorites than those buying coins. Bars are typically available from the same dealers that sell coins.
How to Buy Silver Rounds Online
Silver bullion rounds are often struck or cast at private mints. They are available from dealers, but they are also often sold by the mint that produces them. Some rounds have historic or otherwise artistic designs, while others are bland. Whether the individual collector cares about the designs of bullion rounds influences how much they shop around for them.
How to Store Silver Safely
The value of silver bullion is based primarily on its weight, so security should be a collector’s top priority. Silver is best stored in a fireproof safe. Keep it hidden from view, and make sure that a trusted friend or relative knows how to access it in case anything happens to you.
Plastic flips are ideal for protecting coins and rounds from damage for collectors concerned about the appearance of bullion. Be sure to consider natural disasters, such as flooding, when deciding where to store you silver.
What are the best ways to buy silver in bulk?
Like most other things, silver tends to be cheaper when purchase in large amounts. There are two ways to get silver in bulk. One is with large bars. Silver bullion bars are widely available in 10 oz, 100 oz, and even 1000 oz sizes. These bars typically have the lowest premiums anywhere for silver bullion.
The other way is in monster boxes. Silver coins are typically available in monster boxes of 100, 250, or, more frequently 500 oz monster boxes. Premiums are typically higher for these boxes than they would be for equivalent amounts of silver in large bars, but the contents of the boxes are divisible. For smaller purchases, rolls of 20-25 coins are typically available, although premiums will more often than not be higher than those of larger purchases.