Need Your Help/Opinion

I've been selling off my nickel hoard which was sitting in jars since I started throwing change in them about 25 years ago I'm 36 now.I got out of collecting for alot of years started collecting again about 2 years ago and got my 2 boys into collecting to,although I think one isn't really that into it but the other definitely is.
Anyway I started partly to sell because I needed the money at the time and kept selling them in favor of silver,do you think silver or nickel would be better to hold on to long term,the nickel takes up alot more space that's for sure lol.
No I didn't check them for dates or varietys except years between 55-81 so to make sure they were pure nickel,I have the last two batches ready to go and packaged up never checked them either ya I know dummy lol.
I picked up a couple boxes think I'll start searching for varietys from now on because,i was really only doing pennys and quarters and nclt,never really got into nickels and dimes but now that the penny's gone guess I'll start making a set of nickels,anyway enough my ramblin which one would you keep and why txs.