Premium history lesson for the newbies (me)

[aaa30040]

What were the typical silver premiums when the silver price was low and stable (say $5-10 and not moving quickly) on ASE, Mapleleafs, 90%US and .9999?

[68Cougar]

Back then I didn't buy unless I could get it at or under spot which wasn't too hard to do. There just wasn't any real demand.

[scyther]

Back then I didn't buy unless I could get it at or under spot which wasn't too hard to do. There just wasn't any real demand.

That may be true for 90%, but I know ASEs always had a premium. I would assume .999 did too; why sell it under cost of production?

[natsb88]

Back then I didn't buy unless I could get it at or under spot which wasn't too hard to do. There just wasn't any real demand.

Buying second-hand from individuals or maybe a LCS. Not shiny new stuff from mints or bullion dealers. They don't stay in business long selling product under cost...

[68Cougar]

Yup second hand art bars and 90%.

[68Cougar]

In 01 my first purchase of silver if I remember correctly was 10 ase's at $4-5 spot price and I payed just under $100 shipped so a mint fresh ase would have been nearly double the spot price. Didn't take me long to figure out there were other alternatives.

No that was my second purchase I believe. I think the first was a ase from littleton coin. I should really keep records instead of relying on a failing memory.

[Bluegill]

Speaking just for S.E. MI., back when things were not so volatile.

Government bullion carried a modest premium, The ASE's usually getting the highest. For a brief while ASE's could be had with a $1.75 premium.

U.S. 90% and generics were readily available for spot.

U.S. 40% and Canadian were generally a skosh under spot.

Foreign non-numis were a little under spot.

ASE's buy usually was right around spot.

Buy sell spreads for the junk 90% was 2-2½ X spot. The last time I priced Ag, 8 weeks ago that buy sell spread was 7X.

The buy sell spread for 40% and Cdn was about the same as the 90%, just a little under spot versus at spot.

With foreign Ag, if you wanted to sell, the dealers bent you over the end of the couch...

Now this is at the coin shows that are quite prevalent here. With lots of dealers that operate out of their basement. The B & M were outrageous with their pricing even then.