GETTING STARTED … Understanding the Markets and Products 

Just as with traditional investments, such as Stocks and Bonds, Mutual Funds, and Money Market and Savings accounts, the trading in Precious Metals is relatively easy and similar type of transaction. A trade can be placed in person at your local Precious Metals brokerage or by a phone call, faxed trade order, or via the Internet which currently lists a multitude of sites and web pages offering up to the minute pricing to the consumer. As with any transaction you make, whether stocks, bonds, real estate, or precious metals, your primary concerns should be:(1) knowing who you are dealing with; (2) what your total costs will be for the products you are buying (or selling); and (3) what the settlement terms for your trade will be. Every precious metals dealer operates under different procedures, just as do most stock brokerages, banks, and realtors, so understanding the terms and procedures of the precious metals broker you chose is of great importance to you as a customer. You’ll need to ask the why, what, when, where and how questions to familiarize yourself with the terms and policies of the dealer you contact, the actual products you are seeking to buy or sell, and the qualifications and knowledge of the broker with whom you are dealing. Let’s take a look at the process, whether this is your first venture into the world of Precious Metals or you’ve been buying or selling for years…

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WHY OWN PRECIOUS METALS?

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WHY do people buy Precious Metals?? WHY should you own Precious Metals?? The many reasons are as varied as people's preferences for certain types of cars, or clothes, or the choice of careers they pursue. Some people buy gold and silver or platinum or palladium simply for their intrinsic value, that is, their storehouse of value as a 'precious' metal. To them it's a convenient way to "save" in a form other than the traditional investments or bank savings accounts. They either expect the value of their coins or bars to remain relatively stable in good economies or to increase in value in declining or inflationary times or periods of currency instability. Likewise, others view the purchase of precious metals as a sort of 'insurance policy' against a possible economic collapse or decline in the value of their other more traditional investments such as stocks, bonds, or real estate. Still others buy because they like the liquidity and portability of their precious metals holdings; currently $100,000 worth of gold can be carried in a cigar box and held without formal titles or registry or any reporting to local, state, or national agencies. Privacy, liquidity, and portability are all attractive reasons for many buyers of precious metals.

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WHERE CAN ONE BUY PRECIOUS METALS?

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WHERE can one buy Precious Metals? Within the United States, most gold, silver, and platinum group metals trading is handled by Precious Metals brokerages and coin shops, such as Rare Coin Galleries. In Canada and Europe and many parts of Asia, nationalized and private banking institutions also provide regular buy / sell markets, though this is not the case here within our banking system. The United States Mint's products such as the Gold, Silver, and Platinum American Eagle coins are made available to a select group of larger brokerages as 'primary distributors' for the many smaller shops and brokerages in each area of the country. The same wholesalers also distribute most of the other available coin and bar products such as the gold Krugerrands, Maple Leafs, Credit Suisse Bars, etc. As a local 'market maker' for most precious metals products, Rare Coin Galleries offers a wide variety of various gold, silver, and platinum group coins and bars in sizes and quantities to fit anyone's budget. If we don't have what you're seeking immediately in our inventory, we can find it for you within a few days through our vast network of suppliers. While there are a number of other coin shops and dealers in our area, we constantly strive to maintain competitive prices and prompt service for our clients, and we will always try to 'meet or beat' any legitimate price quotation you may get from one of our competitors,whether you're buying or selling.

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WHAT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE?

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WHAT are your choices among Precious Metals? WHAT should you consider buying? There's no single answer for each individual's needs, wants, or choices when it comes to the Precious Metals markets! The variety of offerings is almost overwhelming to the first- time buyer, often adding to one's confusions of this market. Likewise, the choice of WHAT you should consider buying is as varied as your interests, expectations, and your budget. However, there is something for everyone when it comes to the Precious Metals, once you've established your needs or purposes in buying. Whether you're seeking a single small Silver or Gold coin or your interest lies in buying a large quantity of Gold or Platinum, we can make recommendations or supply the products you are seeking. 
New precious metals products and offerings are constantly being added to the marktetplace with each passing year, and we try to supply as many of these as are reasonably available for our customers' orders, including very low-mintage and limited-issue releases. However, our emphasis and regular inventory focuses on the more commonly-traded products as these are reasonably available and easily purchased or sold without risk of limited resale markets. Liquidity is a major factor to consider before buying or selling a particular Precious Metals products, so we advise our clients to choose those items that are: (1) in demand; (2) easily traded throughout the country and world; and (3) best suited for their purposes in owning and Precious Metals products. FOLLOWING is a listing of the most commonly traded precious metals products in which Rare Coin Galleries regularly trades:

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Gold Products

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• American Eagles: available in 1-oz. 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10th-oz. [Availability very limited for fractional Eagles!]

• Canadian Maple Leafs: Available in 1-oz. [some fractional sizes may be available at times]

• South African Krugerrands: Available in 1-oz sizes with fractional issues occassionally available at strong premiums

• Chinese Pandas: Available in 1-oz and most fractional sizes from 1/10th to 1/2-oz issues

• Australian Nuggets: Primarily available in 1-oz. sizes as 'nuggets' and/or Kangaroos

• Austrian Philharmonikers: Reasonably available in the 1-oz. size and occassionally fractional sizes as well

• Gold Bars: Name-brand bars from the major refiners/minters in Switzerland - Credit Suisse, PAMP, Valcambi - as well as Johnson-Mathey and Engelhard as available. 1-oz./10-oz./ and KILO sized bars are widely traded

• "Euro Gold": The smaller earlier-issued gold coins from Europe and Great Britain, including the various 20-Franc coins of Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the British Sovereigns. [By special order only!]

• Mexican Peso Gold: From the large-sized 50 Peso coins down to the tine 2 Peso coins, these have long been very popular and affordable as well as generally available in the bullion marketplaces.

Silver Products

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• American Silver Eagles, 1-oz. : Available singly, in tubes of 20 pcs., or "monster boxes" of 500 pieces.

• Siver "Rounds", 1-oz. : Available, as above, individually, tubes of 20 or any quantity you desire.

• Silver Bars, 10oz. : Most die-struck "name brand" bars such as Sunshine, Johnson-Matthey, etc.

• US 90% silver coins: No minimum amounts, whatever quantities your budget affords.

• US 40% Clad Silver Half Dollars : As above, available in small quantities or $1000 face value bags.

• US Silver Dollars: Average circulated dollars or better condition coins, available in any quantities.

• Canadian Silver Maple Leafs, 1-oz. : Canada's premier bullion silver coin, of .999 silver content.

• Australian Kookaburas, 1-oz. : By special order, as available in the marketplace.

• Mexican Libertads/Onzas 1-oz. : As above, when available in the marketplace.

• Engelhard Prospectors, 1-oz. : Available in minimum quantities of 300 pcs. per order.

Platinum Products

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• American Platinum Eagles* : Very difficult to find now as the U.S. Mint has suspended production!

• Name Brand Bars 1-oz., 10-oz.: Engelhard, Johnson-Matthey, Credit Suisse and Pamp bars available.

• Australian Platinum Koalas* : Available, by special order with a minimum of 25-oz.

• Isle of Man Platinum Nobles : As available, by special order only.

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[Fractional Platinum products are very difficult to locate as few mints produced many of these]

 

 

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE!

Contact Us: 

1-800-774-7557 Toll Free

1175 NW Gilman Blvd, B-16

Issaquah, WA 98027

(425) 392-0450 Local