Compare like with like
Fix the basket before the price.
A coin and a bar with similar metal content may have different premiums and resale markets. Even two listings with the same product name can differ in condition, year, mint, packaging or quantity requirements.
- Specify the item. Record mint or refiner, metal, fine-metal weight, purity, year where relevant, condition and packaging. Separate ordinary bullion from proof or collectible products.
- Specify the quantity. Compare your actual order size, not an “as low as” tier you do not intend to buy.
- Specify payment. Capture the price for the same payment method and note any settlement delay, processing cost or payment deadline.
- Specify availability. Record in-stock, presale or backorder status and the expected dispatch terms. Do not silently substitute a different product.
- Capture together. Save quotes within a narrow time window, with the same spot reference and timestamp. A changing market can invalidate a price comparison.
Spot, premium and delivered cost.
- Spot reference
- A market reference for metal, not a promise that a retail coin is available at that price. Record the source, time, currency and quoted unit.
- Product premium
- The amount by which the product price exceeds the reference value of its fine-metal content. Confirm weight units and purity before comparing; gross product weight is not necessarily fine-metal weight.
- Delivered cost
- The product price plus applicable payment charges, shipping, insurance and taxes. Keep these separate so a promotional shipping term does not conceal a higher product price.
- Round-trip cost
- Compare the all-in purchase quote with an actual contemporaneous buyback bid, then include sale-related deductions. The gap is a cost of entering and exiting, not a forecast of future returns.
Your quote-capture worksheet.
Use one record per dealer and product. Save the page or written quote rather than relying on memory.
- Identity: dealer legal name, official domain, product URL and capture date/time.
- Product: exact specification, fine-metal content, condition, quantity and stock status.
- Purchase: quoted amount, currency, payment method, quote validity and any quantity tier.
- Delivery: shipping, insurance, taxes, dispatch estimate, signature requirement and loss-claim process.
- Reference: spot source and capture time; document whether your comparison uses an ask, bid or another reference.
- Exit: current dealer bid for that item, minimum sale requirements, testing deductions, shipping responsibility and payment timing.
- Evidence: archived quote, policy documents and unresolved questions. Missing information stays marked unverified.
Before the parcel leaves.
Read cancellation and return terms before locking a price. Ask whether market-loss charges apply, when an order becomes binding, and whether bullion purchases have different return rights from other products.
Confirm who bears risk during delivery and how to report a missing or damaged shipment. For storage, ask whose insurance applies, what is excluded, how ownership is documented and what happens if the operator fails.
Plan an authenticity check appropriate to the item and seller. Packaging or a certificate alone should not replace independent due diligence.
Make the exit as clear as the entry.
Ask more than one potential buyer how they would value the exact item. An advertised buyback policy is not a fixed future bid. Condition, demand, authentication, delivery and dealer policy may affect the offer.
If the seller will not explain premiums, pushes a different product under pressure, or offers a guaranteed investment outcome, pause. Verify the business and payment instructions independently before transferring funds.
Why there is no “cheapest dealer” list.
The earlier Goldrush dealer research correctly focused on same-product pricing, payment differences, delivery terms and buyback policies. Those are preserved here. Its dated or incomplete captures cannot establish today’s cheapest dealer—or a current endorsement.
Dealer referrals remain on hold pending fresh source capture, regulatory vetting and referral verification. There are no provider enrollment links on this page.
Buying within a retirement account? Read the IRA guide →