Is Silver A Good Investment?

hunter20ga I could NOT disagree with you more. Stocks and the stock market is high risk and if it wasn't for the 401K farce in America the stock market probably would have crashed twice in the last 7 years. Stocks are set up for the rich, to benefit the rich, and only those who with tremendous connections on the inside will ever walk away from such a gamble with a smile on their face. Of course this is not to mention those who walk away every day with all the money that is reported lost, such as the millions lost in 401K's a few short years back, as in the end someone MUST have our money in their pocket. It just doesn't disappear.
I went through two years trying to find out how much our 401K plan administrator was charging the employees of the company I worked for at the time. I (we) never did get an answer and I see today that government is finally (again) looking into 401k corruption by plan adminisrators who, I might add, take their cut up front, before investing for plan members and then have NO legal requirements to report those fees on their quarterly reports to plan members. So, in the end, the average American worker could be screwed before his or her money is actually invested. Some plan administrators, we now find, are charging 5% to 8% or more which means your weekly deposits must turn that amount of profit for you to ever break even let alone make a profit. There is a book available called the 401K HOAX IN AMERICA if you can find it. Needless to say most financial planners DON'T want you to read it.
I will continue to take my chances with collectable coins from all over the world, gold and silver. Regardless of how things may turn out I do like the idea that win, lose or draw I did it all myself. And I would also repeat one of the most famous quotes I ever heard on TV a few years back when I heard a financial planner warning Americans about continued stock investments and he stated "I must ask the American investors just how long can you sell a worthless piece of paper for a profit, over a period of years before someone MUST lose?"
I don't see precious metals or collectable coins as worthless.

Longnine it is human nature for most folks to follow instead of leading. It is not that people are lazy it is just easier for most, who are concentrating on work, family and making ends meet to let someone else do their thinking for them. Science knows this, government knows this and religion knows this! We see it every day of our lives and I for one feel much better making my own rights and wrongs and in the end I can blame no one except my self. Putting money into a 401K was a huge mistake, which I halted after a few short years, and even if I have to work right up to the day I die I can at least say "I did it my way"! I take great pride in that.
Any industry that screams shortage and reports billions in profits each year is nothing more than a comon thief circumventing the laws with the help of the rich and Congress. And, if the truth was known, probably 80% or more of our elected members of Congress hold gas and oil futures and or stocks so there is NO way anything will ever be done anywhere in the world. The middle class is dying and just not here!
So with all of this in mind I still believe, for the little guy, precious metals (gold and silver) and collectable coins will always be a safe place to put those extra funds. They don't exist on paper now do they? There are other items that would also fare well should hard times ever befall this country but this is the wrong thread to go into that. Just keep in mind what coins have done in the last few years and be thankful of all those oldies you/we have stashed away. After all they are not minting them any longer!

hunter20ga there will be many other "collectables" we all will wish we had should a collapse occur. One of them would be part of your forum name! Guns, ammo, cigarettes, food and of course, booze! Quite honestly I don't want to ever see such a time come but should it another valuable asset would be the ability and knowledge to live off the land. That would be priceless.
I in no way intended to offend you but wanted to offer another side and another opinion voiced frequently here on this forum. That is what makes us (me/you) and all the others so valuable here. Very diverse yet much in common. For the most part we all seek the same things but take different roads getting there. I try to look at all sides of all issues but have experience in some that were neither pleasant nor rewarding. While I am well aware where you stand, and I do respect that, it is important, at least to me, that all new comers who may read our comments get to see another view so they too can make up their minds. Our whole life is a gamble, from the time we get up until we retire at night, and people who have the ability to discuss issues at length openly and honestly, especially on a public forum like this are doing much more than they may realize. If only one individual reads these posts and uses any knowledge gained to make a decision concerning his coin collection or investing his money in any way then my friend we have done well! We are a very diverse group with tons of opinions and having a place to share them makes us all better people. Thank you for your opinion and your professionalism as that is what we are all here for. Be a pretty darn boring world if we were all alike!
And for what it is worth, I too favor the 20 guage over the 12 ga. and was an outdoors writer for many years. Don't get out much as I did in my younger years but still make the effort to stay in touch with world of the outdoorsman. I have much yet to pass onto a little guy as no one told me to quit having children! Oldest is going on 34 and my youngest is 5! The little one needs to learn and needs to see the Rockies!!! (Based on my experiences that Dad wants to share)

As a bullion, I would say silver is probably not a good short term investment. Maybe over a decade or so it will prove to be a good investment, but silver has been at it's all time high for a couple of years now, I think. It's probably more likely to go down in the next few years, than up, barring any huge national or world crisis.
As far as silver coins are concerned, I think it depends entirely upon the series. Common low grade silver coins are probably not a good investment.

Interesting subject!! Here are my thoughts. First if you work for a company that offers a 401K with a match either 50 cents on the dollar or dollar for dollar you should invest the max. Even if you cash it all out as soon as you are vested and pay the taxes and penalties you will be way ahead. If you leave a company you have the choice of rolling it over into a new 401K or an IRA. Roll it over to an IRA and you now have control of your money. You can invest it in stocks, gold, land, rental properties, CD's.
Someone stated that silver is at an all time high? It would need to go up over 300% to reach a none inflation high and over 1000% to reach an inflation adjusted all time high. Silver is a consumable, we are using over 100,000,000 ounces more each year than is being mined and there is a limited supply. The run up in silver price aver the last 2 years could very well be just the tip of the iceberg . If things collapse there are 3 things you will always be able to trade for a loaf of bread, gold, silver and 22 rifle shells.
Best investment, Raw land (if you can get it where the taxes are low).

The ability to live off the land would be a huge commodity along with the ability to disappear, so to speak! Guess we all will have to get together, bury our gold and silver, and ride it out. All we need to do now is come up with a central location, even though I prefer the mountains out west, but feel the woods nearby may be more appropriate under the circumstances. So to avoid traveling with all your coin collection just go ahead and forward it now to my address. It will be well taken care of until you get here!!! After all, what are friends for?

I ahve some silver coins and I seee that their value incre ASE

Others have plenty of resources others dont,they can have medicine even their is pest like west nile or SARS or bird flu that will go to their haven much better off than others.