How to Buy and Store Silver - is it still a good investment?

What quantities does silver come in?
Retail investors often buy the 100 oz bars which weigh 6.8 pounds.
You could also consider the 10oz bars or the 1oz coins. They range from US Silver Eagles, Canadian Silver Maples, NZ Silver Ferns depending on where you are in the world. If you are in the US take a look at www.coininfo.com and they will guide you through the process.

Beware of long shipping times. Long shipping times are a warning sign. Coin shops have been known to go bankrupt. Never buy more silver at one time than you can afford to lose. Therefore, if you buy silver from a dealer, break up your order over time, or use several different dealers at once. Diversify your investments at every stage.

Shop around. Prices vary. Everything is negotiable. But remember, the coin dealer also takes a risk just to sell silver, as silver prices can move up 5-10% in a single day, too! Take cash to a local dealer, negotiate heavily on price and show the dealer various price quotes from other dealers on the internet! If your local dealer cannot fill your order at a reasonable price (within 1% of the lowest prices), then go to another dealer, or break up your order, and order online. Make sure that you take delivery of your silver – don’t leave it in someone’s vault, or with an online company. You never know whether they are going to be around should the economy go belly up.

Don’t buy silver “certificates,” “futures contracts,” or ETF’s (Exchange Traded Funds) as you risk that there is no silver backing these bits of paper and you could end up with nothing. Make sure you take delivery of your silver and that you store it yourself.

Now onto whether silver could be considered a good investment. If you would be satisfied with an investment that increases in value of the medium and long-term, then silver is a good investment for you. The price is likely to rise substantially in the longer term. Global supply is limited and demand is growing, which should signify that it will increase in price in the future.

Short term, the situation is far less certain. Silver has fallen considerably over the last several months and I think that the upside potential is now larger than the downside risk, as long as you are not concerned about any short-term dips.