How to invest in gold - Part 1

Whenever you buy gold, the first rule of thumb is dollar cost averaging -- putting a fixed amount of money towards gold every month regardless of the price. For the average investor, this strategy spreads risk out over time and lessens the downside.

Most money managers advocate anywhere from 3%-10% in gold. More bullish managers recommend an allocation as high as 20%.


Gold is protection, insurance against inflation, currency debasement, and global uncertainty. Here are four ways you can invest.

1.Gold Bullion

Buy physical gold at various prices: coins, bars and jewelry. Some of the most popular gold coins are American Buffalo, American Eagle and St. Gauden's. You can store gold in bank safety deposit boxes or in your home. You can also buy and sell gold at your local jewelers. Other companies like Kitco.com allow you to store gold with them as well as trade the metal.

When you buy gold coins or bullion, avoid big premiums. You want to buy gold as close to the spot price as possible, or a 10% premium at most. The higher the premium, the higher the gold price will have to rise in order for you to profit.

Coins typically come from the national mint, where they are made and sold at a 4% mark up -- the retailer's margin is 1% to 3%.

To calculate the premium of a gold product, subtract the spot price from the price you are being quoted, divide that number by the spot price and multiply by 100.


Had you purchased a one ounce gold bar at Kitco.com for $1,225.90 -- using a spot price of $1,200 -- the bar has a 2.1% mark-up. This means that the gold price only has to rise 2.1% from spot price levels for you to break even on your investment.

There are other types of ETFs.

If you want the opportunity of redeeming your shares for gold, another option is Sprott Physical Gold Trust ETV (PHYS), which is a closed-end mutual fund that gives investors the option of trading in their shares for 400-ounce gold bars.

The fund can trade at a huge premium or discount to its net asset value at any time and has higher fees, making it more expensive to invest in. An investor can obtain physical gold on the 15th of every month, although the holder has to make transportation and storage arrangements.


There are also two other ETFs to consider. Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX), a basket of large-cap mining stocks. and Market Vectors Junior (GDXJ), a group of development-stage miners. They both have market caps of $150 million or more and have traded at least 250,000 shares per month for six months.

3.ETNs

If you want more risk, try exchange-traded notes, debt instruments that track an index. You give a bank money for an allotted amount of time and, upon maturity, the bank pays you a return based on the performance of what the ETN is based on, in this case the gold futures market. Some of the more popular ones are UBS Bloomberg CMCI Gold ETN (UBG), DB Gold Double Short ETN (DZZ), DB Gold Short ETN (DGZ) and DB Gold Double Long ETN (DGP).

ETNs are like playing the futures market without buying contracts on the Comex. ETNs are flexible, and an investor can trade them long or short, but there is no principal protection. You can lose all your money.

Why Not To Clean Silver Coins

Morgan Dollar

Let me start off by saying that most coin dealers and coin collectors do not recommend cleaning your silver coins at all. Appearance means a lot to some people because they want the coins to be exhibited with the best look possible. Although this is an admirable quality, it can have some consequences if you clean your silver coin collection. Before you decide to clean any of your silver coins, please be fully aware of the reasons of why you should not clean your coins by reading this article in its entirety.

There are many reason why cleaning your silver coins are not a good idea. Even the most careful cleaning has the potential to damage your coins. During the cleaning process the coins can lose some of their value. The loss of value can be attributed to scratching or damaging of the silver coin. In some cases the coin can become completely worthless because of a cleaning. So if you absolutely feel like your silver coins must be cleaned, take them to a professional with experience.

Peace Dollar

Some people might actually think the tarnish on their silver coins is unsightly, but the opposite is true. The tarnish on a silver coin is in fact referred to as toning. The toning on silver coins can be seen as brown or black spots, and sometimes even appear as a rainbow or iridescent hue.  Toning occurs over time as a result of environmental factors and natural oxidation from being exposed to the air. Many coin collectors consider silver coins with eye-catching toning to be quite attractive and consider them more valuable. As a result, one of these collectors will often pay more for one of these silver coins.

The toning on your silver coins helps establish the validity and authenticity of the coin. It shows that the coin has age and is genuine. If you clean a silver coin it will remove the toning, along with some of its value because it will lose its allure to another coin collector. Cleaning the toning from the silver coin also has the potential to harm the surface of the coin, which will lessen the worth of the coin overall.

Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Many times, chemicals are mistakenly used to clean coins. These chemicals are usually harsh, and can typically ruin the silver coin altogether because of the scuffs and abrasions the chemicals can produce. Chemicals will not only take away toning, but also remove the mint luster of the coin. Also try to stay away from metal polishes. Most times, these types of polishes are not meant for silver coins at all. Any or all these things can drastically lower the grade of your silver coin.

 Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery is located at 640 South Washington Blvd. Sarasota , FL 34236 just north of the 301 and 41 split. They can be contacted by telephone at 941-366-2191 or 800 447-8778 for questions or to place a coin order. With over 40 years of experience, Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery can assist you with any of your coin collecting needs!

Tips on Spotting Counterfeit Coins

Collecting coins, or numismatics, is more than a hobby these days, it is a huge industry involving several different businesses. Some of these include dealers, grading services, professional numismatic photography, auctions, collectors and more. As with any business, there are those who are unethical and try to make money by forging valuable historic coins or rare coins . The best way to prevent this from happening is to become aware of the techniques the forgers use to trick people.

Counterfeiters have developed more skills in forging historic coins. The methods of forging coins have become more advanced and can even sometimes fool dealers and collectors. One of the main problems is that once a type of counterfeit coin is detected and taken out of the market, another forgery is there to take its place. With forgeries constantly evolving it is extremely important to stay educated and continue learning about new methods of counterfeiting rare coins and other types of coins like gold coins and silver coins.

Coins That Have Been Cast

Fake coins that have been cast usually have a distinctive seam where the metal covering the coin meets up. Also look for pits on the exterior of the coins. These pits are from air bubbles getting trapped during the process of the metal solidifying. If the coin is a silver coin or gold coin, check the weight. The wrong weight is a solid indicator that the coin is a forgery. Check the details of the coin, if they appear extremely dull and have the absence of sharpness than it could be a counterfeit. In recent years, forgers have tried to eliminate the pitting and air bubbles with putting the coins through a centrifugal casting procedure. Fortunately even after this procedure the coin will most likely be the wrong weight and have that distinctive seam.

Coins That Have Been Altered

It has become common for counterfeiters to attempt to alter a legitimate, genuine coin. Most likely, the forger will alter or modify the coin so that it appears to be more rare than it actually is. Of course the end goal of this type of forgery is to misrepresent the coin and charge more money then it is truly worth. The best way to combat this type of counterfeiting is a close examination of the suspect coin. Under magnification is one of the most reliable ways to spot a forgery of this type.

Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery has over 40 years of experience as a full service coin dealer. Call (941) 366-2191 or (800) 447-8778 for any questions or assistance with any type of coin or paper money! They are also available by email at Sarararecoin@aol.com

How To Protect Yourself From Gold Scams Part 2

Scams and fraudulent activity are no stranger to the american people. It seems that the more upheaval there is in the economy, the more scams that pop up. While there are many commissions and groups readily hunting such scams, fraud still runs rampant. For every scam than gets shut down, it is suspected that twenty more take its place. With no moral or ethical bounds holding back these criminals they are free to prey on our friends and family. Priority targets for these lawbreakers are commonly the elderly, many of whom are on a fixed income and end up investing, and then losing their life savings.

The burden falls on the consumer to protect themselves. It is also recommended that you bring up and talk about concerns of scams, fraudulent activity, and questionable investments with parents, friends, and family; so that they can be made aware and be able to protect themselves against crooks looking to take their money. If you suspect that you, or someone you know, has been scammed, take action so that no one else will get taken in by the same scam. Visit StopFraud.gov, Fbi.gov, the United States Department of Justice, or the USDOJ recommend Fraud.org, which is the home of the National Consumers League's Fraud Center.

There are a few things that any consumer should look out for before they purchase gold, especially if you are planning a big or bulk purchase, or intending to buy gold online. Although this is a tip I have given before, it is definitely worth mentioning again because it has the potential of thwarting a would be scam artist. Research the dealer that you are potentially going to work with! Things you should be doing research on are how long the dealer has been in business, their BBB rating or if they have had any complaints, and do an online search of the dealer by using their company name and placing the word scam or fraud after. Also, only deal with local companies, instead of doing business with someone in another country. By dealing locally, you can ask around about your dealer in the community they are in, or go into the store and get a feel for the person yourself.

If you are working with someone for the first time, do not make a huge purchase or buy in bulk! First, make a small buy and see how that deal goes and check to make sure you received everything the dealer promised and if it is good quality gold. There is no harm in waiting, if the dealer claims you will miss out on special low rates or tries to bully you with any other sales tactic, than they are probably just trying to take your money and run away with it! Only buy gold that the dealer can deliver and you can actually hold in your hands. A wise and widely used expression for this is "If you can't hold it, you don't own it!" If you are unsure, or are a new investor in gold, than buy gold bullion coins. Mainly, these coins are bought for their gold content, which is the actual amount or weight of gold that the coin contains. Buying these kinds of gold coins make them easier to trade or sell, and also protects you from purchasing coins that are sold at inflated prices claiming to be collectible, when in reality they actually are not.

If you have any questions or concerns about gold or a gold coin purchase please contact us by phone at 941-366-2191 or 800 447-8778 or through email at Sarararecoin@aol.com. Not only are we not afraid to talk to you, but we love to talk!

How To Protect Yourself From Gold Scams

Gold fraud is everywhere across the globe. The scams can be relatively simple or astoundingly complex. For the most part the end result remains the same; hard working people scammed out of their money. These days it seems as though the scam artists have no shame. The scammers have even gone as far as to prey on the elderly, having them take out a reverse mortgage on their homes and then stealing all the money those people thought they were investing.

So how you protect yourself and avoid such pitfalls? The most important thing you can do is get educated about gold and the gold market before you make any purchases. A good thing to learn is what the current price of spot gold is when you plan on making a purchase. Typically, most dealers will charge about 5% over the gold spot price. If the dealer of gold wants you to pay more than that, it is time to find yourself another gold dealer. The best thing to do is find a dealer with years of experience. Not only will they be knowledgeable, but they will have a great passion for their work if they have devoted years of their life to it.

Before choosing a dealer or company you need to do some research about them! Most reputable dealers belong to the American Numismatic Association or the Professional Numismatists Guild. This adds an extra layer of protection because the dealer must be ethical and make a fair attempt to resolve any conflicts. Failure to comply with the rules of these associations can result in the dealer losing their membership. Also check out the Better Business Bureau. On their website you can find what their rating is and if they have had any complaints lodged against their company.

Gold Fraud - The Underbelly of the Gold Market

With the precious metal gold at all time highs, more unscrupulous people have been attracted to the gold market. Unfortunately for consumers, this means they can be swindled or taken in by people or companies that appear legitimate. Recently, a gold fraud case for a well-known gold dealer named Goldline, was dropped in lieu of a settlement. Goldline was popular and had several endorsements from media personalities, one of those being Glenn Beck. Instead of facing the 19 counts of criminal charges, Goldline agreed to pay customers who purchased gold coins from them over 5 million dollars in compensation.

Goldline was not just practicing bad business practices, but were instructing sales people to partake in a form of fraud. After several complaints, they were investigated which led to the charges that were brought against Goldline by Santa Monica's City Attorney. Goldline's practices were described as predatory and deceitful by the head of Santa Monica's City Attorney's consumer protection division. He also said that in pursuing criminal charges against Goldline was a stiff warning to any gold dealers involved in fraudulent practices would be punished.

The fraudulent practices committed by Goldline is know as a bait and switch. Clients were first approached with a certain kind of gold coins available for purchase. After engaging the client, the sales proposal would change and clients were presented with another choice of collectible gold coins. The collectible gold coins, coins that were minted in 1933 or before, were highly recommend during the sales proposal because under federal law they can not be seized or confiscated. The fraud in this situation is that those collectible gold coins had inflated and highly increased prices compared to the coins' actual gold bullion content. Customers everywhere paid the increased prices. The duped clients were overpaying for gold coins, coins that they would never be able to regain the money for if they were sold; and if sold, always taking a big loss.

Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery has over 40 years of experience and are located in the beautiful and sunny Sarasota, Florida. At their address of 640 South Washington Blvd. they have a wonderful and spacious showroom. They offer the special service of in-home and on-site appraisals! Call (941)366-2191 or come into the showroom for your own special and memorable experience!

Forecast for 2012

Buying and trading gold and silver is major business for investors. But lately, the forecasting of gold and silver rates has become quite important and a big business in its own right. Companies and citizens alike have begun to depend on these types of predictions for their investments. So what have the forecasters predicted for 2012? It should be of no surprise to anyone following the market that there have been expectations that gold will continue to rise. But what may surprise you is the sheer amount of the calculated increase.

Citigroup is a well-known and established company. A branch of Citigroup, called CitiFX, claims that in 2012 the precious metal gold will climb to an amazing $2,400 an ounce. If that doesn't impress you, than take a look at their outlook for gold in coming years. Their forecast is that gold will reach a staggering $3,400 an ounce! CitiFX also claims that gold will eventually beat equities, bonds, and some currencies.

In the last decade alone, gold has shown great gains for its investors. According to statistics, gold has gained approximately fifty percent in returns every single year for over a decade. Some claim that as it continues to climb that it is inevitable that the price of gold will soon plummet. But all major analysts claim that it will not only retain its value, but that gold will greatly increase in value through 2012.

Visiting the majestic Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery at 640 S. Washington Blvd, in Sarasota, Florida can be a portal to the past. With over 40 years of combined experience in the art of numismatics, they are a reputable complete and full service coin dealer. Call (941)366-2191 for help placing an order or for any questions!