Gold v Platinum

[barrytrot]

I'm going to pump my anti-inflationary store up this year and was contemplating a gold purchase from tulving. Then, I thought, hm as long as I can remember platinum was worth more than gold, but now it isn't, does that mean that platinum is a better buy?

For some reason I was still leaning toward gold as it is *the metal* in a sense.

Any thoughts on going with Platinum over gold or perhaps 50/50 gold to platinum purchase?

[Robarons]

As the old saying goes Platinum is used for industrial uses and affected by the economy. Platinum is not seen 'as money' and has never been 'money' in the history of Mankind like gold. Gold is a safe liquid bet but Platinum is a great deal, especially if your buying it from Tulving. The premiums against Platinum are horror level scary at any price (Even when it was $1800 to $2200) and at current $1400 levels.

If you buy from Tulving you will be getting some Platinum darn close to spot to a degree that you could probably flip them in markets where platinum cannot be found or bought such quantity to get those premiums.

I think gold and Platinum did this exact thing at $800, they were both priced the same.

Gold is attractive but has its limits and can be found quite easily anywhere in any form, you expect any gains in Gold ($5000 for Example) Platinum will likely follow that if not beat it. If you expect $1000 Gold or less in a deflationary environment Platinum my fall at the same or less of level, but will not be found without skyhigh premiums if at all. This is with Manufacturing permitting a drop in Platinum.

Manufacturing demand may insulate Platinum against deflation or make it much worse.

[Diggin4copper]

I would check into the liquidity of Platinum if for some reason you had to sell in a hurry.....

[rickygee]

I'd be leery of that 'catalytic converter metal' in a worse case senario situation. Gold is warm and shiny and makes everyone feel giddy. Platinum makes you want to go wash yer hands to get the exhaust fumes off after you go strip a few abandoned cars !!!

Just sayin', my humble opinion, go with the time proven winner. Gold.

[HPMBTT]

As the old saying goes Platinum is used for industrial uses and affected by the economy. Platinum is not seen 'as money' and has never been 'money' in the history of Mankind like gold. Gold is a safe liquid bet but Platinum is a great deal, especially if your buying it from Tulving. The premiums against Platinum are horror level scary at any price (Even when it was $1800 to $2200) and at current $1400 levels.

If you buy from Tulving you will be getting some Platinum darn close to spot to a degree that you could probably flip them in markets where platinum cannot be found or bought such quantity to get those premiums.

I think gold and Platinum did this exact thing at $800, they were both priced the same.

Gold is attractive but has its limits and can be found quite easily anywhere in any form, you expect any gains in Gold ($5000 for Example) Platinum will likely follow that if not beat it. If you expect $1000 Gold or less in a deflationary environment Platinum my fall at the same or less of level, but will not be found without skyhigh premiums if at all. This is with Manufacturing permitting a drop in Platinum.

Manufacturing demand may insulate Platinum against deflation or make it much worse.

Good point, Robarons. I was just thinking this the other day and that if I bought 10-20 ounces of Pt, could I possibly make a profit by selling them on Ebay, one at a time etc. The only thing I don't like about Tulving is that, what it comes to especially Platinum, the prices aren't clearly printed/stated on the website (for partial and full ounces) and there are not that many prices listed. Calling them is better, of course.

Anyway, getting back to my original idea....if you look at the completed Ebay sales for Platinum coins, the premiums aren't especially high (although they are better for the 1/10 ounces). Here's what's stopping me from even attempting to do this for a profit:
1. On Feebay, not many platinum coins are actually selling at all!
2. Half of the ones that are selling are because they are graded MS69/70 or Proofs (I stay away from both types)
3. Only partial ounces (1/4,1/10 etc) are selling (since nobody can afford the larger 1oz spot price)

In conclusion....sure, Tulving sells 1 oz Platinum coins at perhaps just $60 over spot, but nobody on Feebay is buying them!! And I can't seem to narrow down how much profit (if any) I would be able to make, even before all the fees etc. Feel free to comment, as I am far from an expert when it comes to PGM's.

On a separate note...I WILL say that I do LOVE Rhodium and have followed it for awhile. I'm a buyer if it falls below $1000 and I have any extra FRN's with other metals stacks already established. However, I will only buy Rhodium with the following caveats:

1. Make sure you take care of your beans/band-aids/bullets (ex: basics) first.
2. One should already have a nice stack of Ag/Au (with some Cu to protect it with).
3. One should try to get Rhodium at a lot less premium than it's going for. (I've also heard to stay away from the guys at Rhodiumcoin). I absolutely cannot believe what the prices are going for on Feebay...as much as 2x or 2.5x times the spot price for one gram of Rhodium!! WTF??

Does anyone know how to get Rhodium at a decent premium closer to spot?? And no, I'm not interested in (Kitco) Rhodium sponge.

Apologies to the OP for going slightly off topic and getting a little carried away. Still, I enjoy learning about the PGM's and have been studying for awhile now. What Robarons said was right. PGM's are primarily for catalyst/industrial purposes and are more beneficial during good economic times (ex: when there are lots of car buyers). So in the current recession, I would only buy when the spot price is way low AND if you have lots of extra money to burn.