Urban Anthropology Coins and Collectibles
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Tactics That Successful Silver Dealers Use
Silver is a commodity. That means that any single ounce of silver is worth the same as any other ounce of silver at the same purity level. It's been used as money in a variety of cultures and silver dealers use tactics to buy and sell silver and make a profit. Here is how they do it.
Wholesale Markup
Silver dealers are in business to make money and they often do it by buying silver coins or bullion at wholesale prices. Perhaps they were able to buy a silver coin for the rock bottom price of $15. When these coins become scarce in the market, the dealer may choose to offer them to a collector. Collectors pay a higher price and remove the coins from circulation. The dealer makes a profit on the markup over the wholesale price that he paid.
Replacement Cost Price
A dealer should never sell anything for less than the cost of what it would take to replace it. That's the philosophy of most successful dealers in metals. They take the long view and buy silver when it reaches a low. Let's use the same number we used above. Say they bought an ounce for $15.
That's a good buy because the price of silver typically goes for more than that. To gain a profit, the dealer will have to hold onto the bullion until the price rises. At that point, he must sell it at a price no lower than what it would cost him to replace it. If silver has risen to $30 an ounce, he's made a tidy profit when he sells.
The first tactic requires finding the right kind of buyer in order to make a profit. The second one requires patience while waiting for the market to change. Both can be very lucrative.