Silver Storage Options

3 Common Ways to Store Silver

✅ Home Storage

Storing silver and other precious metals at home offers you the greatest degree of control and accessibility. To keep the shine on those brilliant coins for years, consider buying coin capsules, tubes, and albums. If you have a lot of valuable metals that need to be stored securely, you might want to invest in a private home safe.

When storing your precious metals at home, you must consider the risk of theft and natural disaster. If you don’t have a fire-proof safe, for example, you might want to include it on your list of requirements. It’s a good idea to fire-proof and waterproof your secure storage. It is feasible to obtain insurance for these sorts of losses, but it may be expensive and time-consuming to do so.

Aside from house safes, you may also conceal your assets on your property or hide them in a secret location. While these are by far the cheapest methods to store gold or silver, they aren’t necessarily the most secure.

This approach, however, restricts access to your assets somewhat. Furthermore, there’s always the possibility that you’ll forget where you put your valuables.

The main disadvantage of keeping your valuables at home is the safety risk to you and your family posed by theft, robbery, or burglary. You don’t want to invite thieves into your house by advertising that you have valuable stuff. On the other hand, some people are uneasy about storing precious metals in their homes for fear of theft.

Finally, liquidity is something to consider when keeping gold and silver bullion at home. If you want to sell your investment in the future, you’ll need to send your coins and bars back to a legitimate dealer for sale, which is time-consuming. Before the dealer takes them, you’ll have to have your valuable metals assessed for validity, which costs money and takes time.

✅ Bank Vault or Safety Deposit Box

Another option for keeping your metals is a safety depository box at your local bank or in a private vault. Safety deposit boxes are available in a number of sizes and are reasonably priced (typically ranging from $50 to $200 each year depending on size). The safety deposit boxes in banks are also secure, with the loss of a safety deposit box being an exceedingly uncommon occurrence. Storing your possessions in a bank vault is even more secure.

Of course, keeping your metals in a bank vault or safety deposit box has drawbacks. The major drawback is access. Bank hours are restricted, so if the bank is closed (for holidays or after hours), you won’t be able to get your valuables until it reopens.

Another disadvantage of bank storage that some precious metal dealers try to exploit is the risk of seizure. This, however, is a misconception. In fact, the government is no more likely to take your gold or silver assets than your house or bank account. The U.S. dollar isn’t any longer backed by gold, so that’s why it’s no less probable that your assets will be seized.

✅ Third-Party Storage Firm or Depository

A third option for keeping your precious metals is a depository or a third-party storage firm. For a low price, firms like Brinks, Delaware Depository, or IDDS of Delaware will store your bullion in a safe place.

This is the most secure storage strategy available, and it’s especially helpful if your assets are substantial. Another benefit is the opportunity to deposit your precious metals in a different country, which might aid in reducing taxes.

Segregated and allocated storage are two types of preservation offered by precious metals depositories. With segregated storage, customers may store their valuables in a private storage area separate from other customers’ metals. In contrast, allocated storage enables clients to keep their metals in a common storage location alongside other people’s valuables.

Choosing the Best Storage Method for Your Silver

⦿ Size Matters

Investors seeking to store their bullion or other forms of metals must consider the size and bulk of precious metals.

Metals are not all made equally. For example, silver differs in composition from gold and thus takes up more space for the same weight of metal. Because gold is heavier than silver, an ounce of silver takes up more room than an ounce of gold.

⦿ Accessibility vs. Security

One of the reasons why precious metals are so popular among investors is that they provide financial protection in the case of a financial crisis or other emergencies. As a result, it’s critical to be able to access the metals at any time.

Because of this, some people choose to store their metals at home for convenience. While this may appear to be a good idea, there are several hazards associated with storing your metals at home. As a result, it’s important to consider both security and accessibility while selecting a storage method.

⦿ Safety of storage

There are many choices available for storing your precious metals, and it’s important to consider the safety of each option before making a decision.

Some storage methods, such as a safe deposit box at a bank, are very secure. However, these options can be difficult to access in an emergency.

Tips For Storing Silver With Minimal Tarnishing

✔ Know The Enemy: Silver Sulfide

When someone claims to have silver sulfide on their silverware or other silver objects, it’s just a fancy way of saying “tarnish.” The black film forms on your silver over time and makes it unsightly rather than attractive.

Because tarnish is actually caused by a chemical reaction between silver and sulfur, or sulfur-containing things like air, water, wool, felt, and rubber, for example, you can’t wash it away with soap and water.

The only way to get rid of tarnish is to polish it off.

However, you may not polish silver very often for a variety of reasons, including that it isn’t entertaining and because when you polish silver, a little of the silver is lost, so only do it when necessary at most once or twice per year.

✔ Know The Special Rules For Storing Silver

There are several strategies for keeping silver from tarnishing and preserving it from damage. Make sure your silver belongings are kept safely so that when you want to access them, all you have to do is polish them lightly, rather than having to make significant repairs. Here are some things to bear in mind:

⦿ Because silver is soft, it scratches easily.
⦿ Keep Your Silver in a Place That Is Not High Humidity or Extreme Heat
⦿ To help prevent tarnishing, use silver in flannel-treated bags and cloth.
⦿ Avoid Storing Silver In Bad Ways To Keep It From Being Damaged Or Tarnished
⦿ Do not wax silver that is not for open display and not for food use.

✔ Make Time To Use Your Silver Items Frequently

You should be able to enjoy your silver items periodically, such as using them on special occasions with fine china and crystal. There is no point in having these nice pieces if you never use them!

Consider decluttering your silver if you don’t use it often.

Another reason to utilize them frequently is that frequent usage is the greatest defense against tarnish.

To prevent rusting, wash all equipment immediately after use since the salt and acidic foods can cause damage and pitting, and dry them fully before replacing them in their storage containers.

✔ High silver demand leads to higher premiums.

When investors attempt to buy bullion products, such as an American silver coin known as a silver eagle, they will rapidly discover that the actual silver price is higher than the spot price owing to premiums imposed by sellers. Furthermore, if demand is strong, premiums may rise rapidly, making physical silver bullion more costly and less appealing.

The Dos and Don’ts of Silver Storage

Physical precious metals owners and investors have many concerns when it comes to storing silver securely. Your objectives if you’ve decided to keep your silver at home are simple:

1. You want your valuable metals to be accessible and transferable to you or to your heirs and
2. You want your silver to be as safe as possible from theft, loss, and destruction.

While it may appear tough to accomplish both goals at the same time, conflicting aims can frequently be reconciled with a well-planned home storage plan. Here are some home storage ideas to consider.

DO’s of Silver Storage

⦿  Do consider purchasing a high-security safe with excellent fire protection.
⦿ Do think carefully about where you’ll keep yourself safe. It’s best to store it in an inconspicuous or out-of-the-way location.
⦿  Do ponder informing someone about your possessions and where you have stored them in the event that something goes wrong. Make sure this individual is trustworthy and knowledgeable on the subject of confidentiality when it comes to such a crucial topic.
⦿  Do consider creating a “decoy” safe in a more apparent location with only a few items of lower worth. A would-be robber may be fooled into believing he or she has discovered your stash and then move on, thanks to costume jewelry and a tiny quantity of cash.
⦿  Do keep an eye on your metals inventory using a spreadsheet, especially if you’ve diversified your metal purchases over time. It’s important to note that you should not rely on memory alone when recording the purchase date, quantity count, and price. You’ll have a solid document for you or your loved ones to look back on in the event something goes wrong.

DON’Ts of Silver Storage

 ⦿  Don’t make it obvious that you have gold or silver in your house. These details should be kept private to the absolute minimum necessary. However, in certain circumstances, it is useful to have an individual who knows you so that you are not away. Alternatively, include this information in your will and estate documents if you wish.
⦿  DON’T feel compelled to keep all of your silver in one location. In other words, you don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. If your house doesn’t allow for numerous safes, a safety deposit box may be an alternative for you.
⦿  DON’T be scared away from investing in metals or keeping them on hand in case you need them due to the dangers of home storage. After all, everything comes with some sort of risk.

 Summary

Silver is a valuable resource, and it’s important to have a storage plan in place that will keep your silver safe and accessible when you need it. No matter which storage option you choose, it’s important to do your research and find a solution that best meets your needs. By taking the time to explore all of your options, you can feel confident that your precious metals are safe and secure.