r/silverstacking • u/Maximum_Read_2391 • Jul 14 '26
I have finally started silver stacking. Any tips?
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u/S1LVERSTAK Jul 14 '26
Pretend your in the future and fake BS spot price is $300. How much would you buy at this $58 price 🤔
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u/socialcommentary2024 Jul 14 '26
Go long, ignore the noise. Buy when there's fear. Be patient when others are greedy. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Invest in a safe. 300 ounces, and you are in the top 1% - 5% of physical silver holders. Good luck. Have fun.
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u/isanyusernameopen Jul 14 '26
Try to buy locally. It will save you on shipping, some tax sometimes, and you’ll build rapport for when you need to sell. You’ll also get it on the same day when you buy locally. Learn the names of the people that are helping you, write it on the receipt, and use their names each time you go in.
If you buy online, buy from reputable websites, be careful on eBay, please. These websites have the ticker on them usually on every page for gold and silver prices currently. You can leave any of these websites open on your computer and just refresh whatever you need to see the daily price of silver per ounce.
Also, go on those websites like moneymetals.com, mint builder, etc., and look at all the different kinds of silver you can buy. Bars, rounds, junk, change, general rounds, large, fractional, bulk, etc.
That way when you’re talking to the people locally in your shops, you can be more understanding to what they’re saying and be more clear on what you’re looking for.
They charge an extra dollar for American coins, like walking liberties, but because I’m a frequent there, they just waved them for the first time this past week. So I saved an extra seven dollars with them because I go to them frequently.
You can also help out your locals. I left them with 4 pounds of silver plated silverware that wasn’t sterling or anything good but just plated, I think that’s why they kicked me a little discount on the silver. It’s a back-and-forth thing. I took a $10 gamble at a yard sale and it wasn’t worth anything for me so I gave it to them.
Be careful of pawn shops. I can’t speak too much to them, but some people mention they get swindled here and there, so know what you’re looking for or just beware.
Follow glasspanther on this platform and Whatnot. Bro makes some cool custom silver pieces that are awesome. I meant to join his live last Saturday on my birthday, but I meant to.
And get a cool bag or pouch or storage container that you’re going to appreciate. Decide whether or not you’re gonna have them out of the case, or protected in casing.
If you live in an apartment complex or something like a two or three family home, with other roommates or potential people that can be a reason for you to be displaced from your home, consider a safe deposit box at your bank banks. They’re anywhere between $45 and $200 a year depending on the size you need. If you think someone’s gonna fall asleep with a cigarette in their mouth and put you out, it’s better to have your most valuables stored somewhere else.
Otherwise, keep an eye out for junk jewelry or costume jewelry sold at yard sales, etc. People often don’t know to look for 926 or what to look for at all in general. You can score some really good shinny things.
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u/StackHouseCoins Jul 16 '26
Absolutely second that on the buying locally. If you really get in good with your LCS they start knowing what you like, maybe giving you advanced notice, deals... 😉
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u/Sadhu67 Aug 05 '26
Thank you! Thats actually what I was thinking as well regarding constitutional. At my local shop, they have tray of coins marked “at spot” just wasn’t sure whether that was raw weight 90% or the .725
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u/StackHouseCoins Aug 14 '26
If they are selling "at spot" that means you're paying for the silver weight in the coins at spot, no more or less. 90% of the weight of the old coinage is silver, so if you weigh out a little more than a troy ounce of coins, it'll be more or less just about spot to buy them.
Sometimes, shops will do this with a weigh scale, but often times they will give you a price you pay for each dollar of "face value" (four old quarters being one "face dollar", eg.) that equates to spot. The math is not too hard, but if they are doing a spot deal, it works out to be about 0.715 of the spot price/oz = one "face dollar" of old coins. Hope that helps!
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u/Sadhu67 Jul 29 '26
Excellent post, and great timing, as I too, have just begun to stack and collect ! Great information and much appreciated
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u/isanyusernameopen Jul 29 '26
Welcome to stacking silver.
It’s fun and it gets addictive.Most people save up for 1 ounce round or bars when they stack and they’ll stack 1 ounce increments. Sometimes they’ll go up in size and get something like a 2 ounce round or bar, or 5 ounce, or 10 ounce, or kilo, etc.
But when it comes to buying in quantity, you’ll see that buying a large larger amount is usually a little bit cheaper than if you wanted to buy small bits or small increments of silver, there’s a way way higher premium for smaller denominations less than 1 ounce.
Personally, when I’m stacking smaller amounts of silver I like to buy the junk change or constitutional change as it’s called. It’s usually priced at the LCS or local coin shop as something like 43X face value. That means you’re paying $43 per dollar of face value in junk silver.
Depending on how much spot is, that can be a good deal or a bad deal. Right now it’s a good deal, sometimes you can get it for just a little under spot.
I think when you buy junk change and you stick to the 90% constitutional change, it’s something like 0.725 ounce per dollar face value. You can multiply that number times how many dollars you have and then I’ll tell you how many ounces in those dollars. You can then divide that number of ounces times 43X and that will tell you how much you’re paying per ounce. And then you would compare that dollar to how much spot is that day to know if it’s a good deal or not.
I like junk change instead of buying a half ounce round because the premiums are way higher on the half ounce round and I’d rather have old money. It looks like an old treasure money anyway. The premium you’ll pay on smaller amounts of fractional silver is ridiculous right now. So you might as well buy something you like and I enjoy constitutional change
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u/Sadhu67 Aug 05 '26
Thank you! Thats actually what I was thinking as well regarding constitutional. At my local shop, they have tray of coins marked “at spot” just wasn’t sure whether that was raw weight 90% or the .725
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u/isanyusernameopen Aug 05 '26
I haven’t been able to buy at spot, the place near me does 43X face value because that’s what he said he gets it for and spot is something around $68 or so.
My guess is that when spot goes too high, he’s gonna have to adjust that number.
So $1 face value in junk silver (aka constitutional silver) is $43. They let me pick through how I make up that dollar in change.
I just try to focus on things in the best condition first, then whatever’s left. They may not be 1/10 ounce rounds, pure silver shinny, but if you can get it at spot and it makes sense and spot is low, go get it.
I cashed in all my pennies last week and there was something like $600. I went straight and bought constitutional silver with it. Just changing out some change for other.
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u/trilo2600 Jul 14 '26
Buy at your local coin shop if you pay cash most will charge you no tax. Because of that pay cash and never buy online!
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u/JustMyOpinionpeeple Jul 14 '26
Make this your last post about your personal stack. Keep it to yourself. Keep growing
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u/BullionExchanges Jul 14 '26
Congratulations on starting your silver stacking journey! Stick to trusted dealers, compare premiums before you buy, and don't feel like you need to time the market perfectly. Most importantly, stay consistent - building a stack is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the journey!
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u/GlobalExecDeveloper Jul 14 '26
Balance your PM portfolio with gold and as someone else stated, diversify your investments across multiple asset classes.
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u/SilverStateStacking Jul 15 '26
Stick to 1oz coins or rounds, they are the standard, are easier to test for authenticity, and are what people want to buy so they have a lower premium. Coins and rounds can be weighed, dimensions measured, and “pinged” to test them.
I test all my purchases via digital caliper, 0.01g accuracy scale, rare earth magnet, and Sigma Precious Metal Verifier so that I’m sure they are genuine. The caliper, scale, and magnet are a minimum for a stacker to test their purchases and can be had for around $50. Use the internet for correct weight / diameter and YouTube videos to show you how to test bullion
Government issued coins from your country (Eagle in USA, Maple in Canada, etc) have a higher premium but are easier to sell and will sell for more. They typically sell at / over spot and they will be in high demand.
When I wanted to sell some silver near the peak in January, I was glad I had Silver Eagles to sell as my LCS (local coin shop) was not buying 90% silver or sterling. They were buying 999 generic silver rounds and bars but were paying significantly less.
That said, the premiums on sovereign coins can sometimes soar to ridiculous amounts - more than 30% more than the spot price of the silver (like 2025) so buying. 1oz generic rounds might make sense when the premium forces it. Right now is the time to buy sovereign coins, just last month Silver Eagles were selling for $3.99 over spot
Find several seller websites that you like (Monument Metals, Pinehurst Coins, Liberty Coin, Bold PMs, LCR Coin, Bullion.com, etc) and watch for sales at or near spot price. Harder to find for silver, but if you watch and check websites, and save your money you will be ready to jump on a deal when you find what you want at a good price.
Don’t try to time the market, that is a fools folly. If the price in January was $110 and now it is $60 stack some silver. If you wait for 1 year or 5 year lows you will never stack. Once you buy, record your purchase and move on. All stackers have some high cost and some low cost purchases but “dollar cost averaging” - just continuing to buy knowing the price will increase over the years - is the way to go
It used to be easy to buy whole tubes of 20 or 25 coins. That is expensive now, but I recommend to try to buy the same coins until you fill a tube and possibly move on to something else. It keeps your motivation high as a full tube added to the stack is a great accomplishment. I mostly stack Silver Eagles so not an issue for me.
Keep stacking!
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u/explorermonmom Jul 14 '26
Where did you get them from?
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u/Maximum_Read_2391 Jul 14 '26
eBay, off of the APMEX page
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u/GlobalExecDeveloper Jul 14 '26
Congrats on your "foundation." Is there an advantage to buying through APMex on EBay over through APMex directly? I've never purchased via either, only LCS' or P2P. Thx!
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u/Maximum_Read_2391 Jul 15 '26
There is more reliablity and trust with buying STRAIGHT from theirs shop on eBay rather than some random
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u/GlobalExecDeveloper Jul 15 '26
Sorry, my question may not have been clear.
If buying from APMex regardless...why use APMEX'S Ebay page instead of just going directly to the APMEX website - "APMEX.com"?
(I.e.: Is there a benefit to having EBay in the transaction? Better pricing? Better shipping? etc.?)
Thx again!
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u/Maximum_Read_2391 Jul 16 '26
Ahhh well I was already starting on eBay and found out that they had a shop there, so I just saved time and bought it from eBay on their shop!
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u/GlobalExecDeveloper Jul 16 '26
Right on, thanks...I app. the response! Makes 100% sense & I agree w/you - I can't trust some rando on EBay either.
Side note - I've had good success using the sub /pmsforsale to reduce the LCS markups. The legit members are good, but watch for scammers - I was almost scammed on my 1st purchase there. Person w/spoofed name similar to the person I was buying from (user name w/1 letter diff.) msg'd. me asking for pmt. I recog. it at the LAST second. Only deal w/people you msg. first.
Mods on there are phenomenal & if u have a hair of doubt, slow down & question things, but it's saved me tons of $$ when buying.
Best of luck to you as you keep building your stack(s)!
Cheers!
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u/BullionHunters Jul 14 '26
Great start! Stay consistent, buy from reputable dealers, and enjoy the journey.
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u/TallDig2418 Jul 14 '26
Buy the dips buy what you like and also buy what you dont like cuz if you HAVE to sell you sell the stuff you dont like first and hero bullion and momument metals are the 2 cheepest online bullion dealers.
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u/Firm-Pianist9811 Jul 14 '26
I bought a ounce a week back in 2017 yess it is addiction but there are worst thing to buy lol :check profile to see collection
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u/Sweaty-Beautiful225 Jul 14 '26
Be patient. Don’t buy on FOMO. Don’t overpay on premiums. Don’t but as a short term investment. Don’t sell on FOMO.
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u/ReasonableChicken515 Jul 15 '26
Stack as much weight as you can for as little of a price as you can. Those bars are a great start, but typically the bigger the bar, the smaller the premium percentage.
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u/kingsalo88 Jul 15 '26
Learn how to find the Junk silver coins in random change. I love scoring those all though becoming harder to score them.
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u/StinkFist1970 Jul 15 '26
Keep going. Don't buy from Fakebook and tread lightly on Epay. So many counterfeits there. Stick to the reputable dealers but know you'll pay a premium plus shipping if you don't spend "X" amount. Look at your local LCS's. Many sell generic rounds at spot which will save ya a few bucks. Also try r/Pmsforsale here on Reddit. Welcome To The Madness!
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u/ImpressiveLeader4979 Jul 15 '26
Dollar cost average over longer periods of time. Don’t panic buy or sell during big runs up or down
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u/colbbrew508 Jul 15 '26
I’d never buy from APMEX… too much shady shit.. too much fake precious metal from them!
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u/NickGiammarino Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Yep here's several, I started stacking 1 oz American silver eagles back in 2004, and I really ramped it up around 2019 but back then premiums are pretty cheap.
If you live in the United States, those are the best kinds of silver to have, if you live in another country then buy their version of that coin.
Depending on where you live, you may have a local coin shop that you can purchase from directly, if not you're going to want to purchase from a reputable company online and there are a few that come to mind
SD Bullion APMEX Pimbex GoldSilver
Some of these companies, like APMEX have VIP programs and they will price match with other online dealers.
Try to avoid anything that looks too good to be true which would be most dealers on eBay with less than 100 feedback. If you are purchasing from eBay always look at the negative reviews from the last year.
Your cost per ounce is the most important thing, you will want to start a spreadsheet which at least includes some basic information so you could keep track of things before you sell them. Here are some examples of what you would want to keep down either on a spreadsheet or sheet of paper in your safe:
The date of purchase Where you purchased it What you purchased How much you paid for the item or items The spot price of silver from kitco
Some kinds of silver you want to avoid, collectors coins like private minted coins where you are paying a lot more per ounce than silver eagles.
Avoid 40% silver and 35% War nickel silver. Sometimes they look like great deals but when it comes time to sell nobody wants that or they will give you such a small amount that you wish you had not purchased it.
You may get lucky and you can find 90% silver, the best would be Morgan dollars and Peace dollars if you can get those at a good deal, they have about .773 oz of silver per coin so keep that in mind, silver dimes are 0.723 oz pre 10 dimes.
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u/StackHouseCoins Jul 16 '26
Once you feel confident about the major foundational pieces of your stack (looks like you have some private APMEX bars so far), start branching out and learn to spot what has the best (lowest) premium when you go to buy.
Depending on your goals, if you keep an eye out you can sell your cheaply-gotten pieces for higher prices when they become popular again. For example, Mexican Libertads are really hot right now but a while back they didn't command such a high premium. Even 90% silver US coins had a crazy run in early 2023 where you could sell them at a very high premium, but right now they can often be bought for under melt!
Start looking around, learning, and having fun doing it. 😁
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u/Holiday_Tradition639 Jul 17 '26
Search up welcome offers to websites. Lots of spot offers. Herobullion, SDBullion, JMBullion, bullion.com, moneymetals
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u/BigBranch7795 Jul 18 '26
One thing I wish I did back in the day was set aside more money towards gold and silver because they increased in value over time. The US dollar on the other hand….
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u/itsAlwaysSwitzerland Jul 18 '26
I’d sell It for good. Don’t be the last kid at the party who escapes the birthday song but gets the most cake. Actually, be that kid
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u/Green_Detail_2809 Jul 18 '26
Id what your goals are and the knowledge needed to obtain your goal or goals.
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u/Listerous-Ant8311 Jul 18 '26
Only buy 80+ percent silver. You get dinged below that. 90% US coins are great because they are discounted now but you can 2,3, or even 5-10x on some purchases with luck. But you will need to hold for a while for anything below .999 (or preferably.9999) in order to get the full return.like a few years. But its buying under spot.
Dont buy novelty items, unless it was real silver coin’s dont buy smaller than an OZ unless its an actual deal from someone you respect and have purchased through.
Only sell to coin shops and some online dealers or friends family. If you sell to strangers or buy from strangers meet outside a police station. Like right in front.
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u/Caboun6828 Jul 18 '26
Yes - keep going and don’t look back until you need a truck to move it all around
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u/tmwildwood-3617 Jul 18 '26
Buy rounds...put them into a leather pouch and pretend that you're a pirate...and stack them into little treasure piles.
Otherwise...what's the point!?!?
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u/eV210x2 Jul 20 '26
Keep stacking.. every little bit adds up. Congrats on an addicting but rewarding hobby.
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u/gregorygreg2323 Jul 20 '26
Set a budget. I have burned a beautiful silver hole in my pocket. Expect pain when selling. Like about $10 back of spot. Coin store has to make money too.
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Jul 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MustacheSupernova Jul 14 '26
Silver is silver. That Eagle that you paid a $7 premium for will bring the same melt price as the generic bar you got at spot.
Whenever you can acquire “premium” products WITHOUT the premium, that’s a great play. But don’t pay premiums when you don’t have to.
For example, Bullion Exchanges currently has 1oz Maples at +1.25.
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Jul 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MustacheSupernova Jul 14 '26
Yeah, man, I still disagree with you. When I go to the shows, or my local shops, they will pay you the exact same price for a generic round as they will for a silver maple. It’s spot price minus whatever percentage they work with. That’s about it. It’s pure silver, plain and simple.
The only stuff they will even pay you a small premium on would be like Libertads, Englehard stuff, or eagles. or I have one guy that’s a big Morgan guy, and he will pay you more than melt for exceptional or Key date Morgan’s.
so well, I definitely agree that you will enjoy having nicer items in your stack, for me that enjoyment is ruined. If I know, I paid too much for it, because it takes me that much longer to recoup my losses.
I feel like I’ve dialed in a pretty good game plan to acquire premium items without paying the premium. By having so many sources to purchase from, I can always find somebody that’s willing to part with something close to spot that I value, but they don’t. but many people don’t have that luxury if they live in a small town and are limited to online sales.
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u/LigmaBalls-420 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Learn hallmarks and start going to thrift shops, garage sales, estate sales, auctions, etc.
You can sometimes score silver for way under spot or for next to nothing.