Investing your money into something is a huge risk, and entering a new interest or market can be quite risky. Buying precious metals can be costly, especially if you are a beginner who doesn’t know anything about investing in metals. Many industries have been ruined by a bad reputation and scammers taking advantage of newbies. But don’t worry because there are a lot more legitimate dealers when you know what you are looking for.
Since we have to help each other up, here is an article with the important things to consider when investing your money and buying precious metals.
Always Check The Price
Before you buy anything, always check the current price of any precious metals you want to purchase. It doesn’t mean it’s fake when it is cheap, and it doesn’t mean it’s real when it’s too expensive. Compare the price if it is accurate and just. A legitimate dealer will give you a competitive price, and you should stick to buying metals around the ceiling price. Avoid seller who offers prices that is too good to be true.
There is no excuse for you not to know the market price since you can see it changing in real-time on the internet. Don’t be fooled and agree to buy right away, even when the offer is tempting.
Buy On The Right Market
Aside from the price, the market you are buying too is very important. You might find yourself wondering, “where should I buy silver online?” The secondary market is one of the best choices since there are many advantages, such as not paying for premiums. However, you have to be careful of fraudulent transactions. Buying on the secondary market can be risky, but once you find reputable dealers. You can search for testimonies or reviews to ensure that they are legitimate. Moreover, you can join groups of people who have the same interest in precious metals, this way, and you can vet on each other.
How To Spot A Fake
The crucial thing that you have to avoid is buying fake bullion. You can ask your local coin expert to have the metals tested for you. However, if you are buying by yourself, you should have a keen eye to spot a fake. To help you, here are the things you should look out for:
- Markings – when buying a metal bar, round, or coins, pay attention to their markings. Every company has its own marking, which includes serial numbers, years, and denomination. Check if what is in personal looks the same with genuine.
- Relief – relief pertains to the height of the image from the surface, like markings, it varies from one another. Counterfeits don’t have the same reliefs from the original, so it can be pretty distinguishable.
- Weight- bullion has weight inscribed on the surface, so check if the actual weight matches the writing. Even a small weight difference is a red flag since it is illegal to label the weight and their purity mistakenly.
- Ping – ping refers to the sound the metal produces when you strike it. Compare it to the other precious metal you have, and you will see the difference. An authentic one should have a long echoing ping, while a counterfeit would only have a clunk sound.
- Magnetism – check if your bullion will attach to the magnet. The real metal and magnet will be attracted to each other. However, some counterfeits are made for this testing so you have to rely on other testing methods aside from this.
There are other methods such as acid test, conductivity, and ultrasound. As mentioned, all you have to do is to have a keen eye and proper knowledge to spot a fake. You can read further and check some of the pictures of fraud collection.
Ask Precious Metal Experts
To ensure that your hard-earned money will not go to waste, it would be best to ask precious metal experts for help. There is plenty of inaccurate information given to the public, and it raises a lot of questions for someone who wants to invest in metals. You can ask experts for their help, so you can assure that all information you are getting is factual and accurate.
To sum it all up, it is crucial that you know the pricing, the right location to buy, and all of the knowledge you need to buy precious metals. If you have family members or friends who are interested, share this article. The more informed we are, the better.