Tips On Making Money From A Rising Gold Price
Gold is a physical asset that is a store of value which cannot be eroded in the same way currencies can, such as printing of paper currency. As such, gold is a hedge against inflation. The spot price is ultimately driven by supply and demand, including hoarding and dis-hoarding. Of late, gold has been enjoying a 'bull run' and as such, traders are more actively looking to leverage or 'gear' their positions by buying gold equities and trading with other financial instruments.
Here are 5 top tips to make money out of the gold price as it rises over time: -
1) Covered Warrants - Short term you can leverage the profit you can make as the gold price rises by buying covered warrants. This is a risky strategy but you can only lose your initial stake. Remember, the price can also go down ( incidentally you can also buy PUTS which banks on the price going down ). You can also buy 'long dated' covered warrants which gives you until the end of the year to profit from your position.
2) Paper Assets (Producers): Rather than buy physical gold, buy gold stocks already producing ( paper assets ). This will give you leverage as the companies employ gearing. The more gold goes up, the more they make bottom line ( and as such the share price rises too ).
3) Physical Gold: Purists may wish to purchase gold coins such as Kruggerands. There is a large selection available. The first decision is often whether to buy older coins or new bullion coins.
4) Paper Assets (Non-Producers): Some gold companies may not yet be producing but are sitting on potential world class gold resources with a certain amount of proven resource already. One example of this is Centamin Egypt ( CEY ).
5) Gold Futures: This is a professional market, more for a speculator than an investor. If you wish to play this market in gold, you will need to use a commodity broker.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Why Invest Money in Stocks?
Are you considering investing in stocks? Many people have chosen stocks as their primary wealth building vehicle.
There are a ton of reasons for investing in stocks but Ill leave you with the most beneficial reasons.
When you buy a stock you are actually a partial owner of the company and if you do your research you can own a very successful company that will reward you for years to come.
Stocks on average grow over 10% a year and thats a lot more than a certificate of deposit (CD) at your local bank.
Your risk is minimal as long as you dont put all your money in one stock or in companies that are similar. Youll want to diversify some of your money into other companies.
You will be taking part in an American pastime and will be learning more and more about your finances.
You will be helping the economy when a company first sells their stock to the public they have what is called an Initial Public Offering (IPO) which brings money in for the company and helps them grow.
So you see investing your money in stocks is really a good thing and if you have some money you can afford to lose (yes stocks can go down) then you should seriously consider learning more about the stock market and investing some of your money in it.
Are you considering investing in stocks? Many people have chosen stocks as their primary wealth building vehicle.
There are a ton of reasons for investing in stocks but Ill leave you with the most beneficial reasons.
When you buy a stock you are actually a partial owner of the company and if you do your research you can own a very successful company that will reward you for years to come.
Stocks on average grow over 10% a year and thats a lot more than a certificate of deposit (CD) at your local bank.
Your risk is minimal as long as you dont put all your money in one stock or in companies that are similar. Youll want to diversify some of your money into other companies.
You will be taking part in an American pastime and will be learning more and more about your finances.
You will be helping the economy when a company first sells their stock to the public they have what is called an Initial Public Offering (IPO) which brings money in for the company and helps them grow.
So you see investing your money in stocks is really a good thing and if you have some money you can afford to lose (yes stocks can go down) then you should seriously consider learning more about the stock market and investing some of your money in it.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Coin Collecting - A Fun Hobby
Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet sites devoted to coins. Over the next several weeks, I will give you a little background about coin collecting to help those who want to pursue this as a hobby and maybe even make some money in the process.
People have been collecting coins for centuries, because of their beauty, their value, and their history. When you hold an old coin in your hand, it allows you to take a step back in history to the time of the coinage. For over 2,500 years, mans history has been reflected in coins. From the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the British Empire, the California Gold Rush, and US coins, mans achievements have been depicted in coins.
Coin collecting, called numismatics, has become one of the most rewarding and popular hobbies in the world today. Over a period of time as you begin to add more coins to your collection, you will be pleasantly surprised at the hours of enjoyment your collection will bring. If you have taken time and care with your collection, not only will it be of value to you and those you pass it on to, but could also be an investment for the future.
Please check back for future articles where we will be discussing early coins, 19th and 20th century coins, commemorative coins, gold coins, determining the value of coins, and buying coins.
Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet sites devoted to coins. Over the next several weeks, I will give you a little background about coin collecting to help those who want to pursue this as a hobby and maybe even make some money in the process.
People have been collecting coins for centuries, because of their beauty, their value, and their history. When you hold an old coin in your hand, it allows you to take a step back in history to the time of the coinage. For over 2,500 years, mans history has been reflected in coins. From the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the British Empire, the California Gold Rush, and US coins, mans achievements have been depicted in coins.
Coin collecting, called numismatics, has become one of the most rewarding and popular hobbies in the world today. Over a period of time as you begin to add more coins to your collection, you will be pleasantly surprised at the hours of enjoyment your collection will bring. If you have taken time and care with your collection, not only will it be of value to you and those you pass it on to, but could also be an investment for the future.
Please check back for future articles where we will be discussing early coins, 19th and 20th century coins, commemorative coins, gold coins, determining the value of coins, and buying coins.
Magnificent Kinkakuji
Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as magnificent. He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.
It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.
First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.
Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000.
But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase golds share of its reserves from 5% to 10%.
Jewelry demand for gold is also picking up especially in China and India. Global investors are also using gold as a hedge for a global recession and potential decline in value of the U.S. dollar or the Euro.
On the supply side, production of gold has been relatively flat for the last 5-7 years and does not appear to be turning around due to maturing mines and higher extraction costs.
The third reason to have some gold exposure in your portfolio is that it serves as disaster insurance from unforeseen but potentially devastating events such as widespread terrorism or severe economic or political upheaval.
Many gold bugs insist that the only true gold exposure is through gold coins. An easier way to gain instant gold exposure is through the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF ( IAU) that is up 15.3% so far this year. Another option is investing through the iShares South Africa ETF (EZA) which has considerable exposure to the gold and mining industry and is up 15.9% this year.
Dont come down with gold fever. A 5-10% allocation to your core conservative portfolio should get the job done. Expect some lusterless years as well as some magnificent returns and restful nights knowing you have some gold under the pillow.
Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as magnificent. He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.
It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.
First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.
Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000.
But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase golds share of its reserves from 5% to 10%.
Jewelry demand for gold is also picking up especially in China and India. Global investors are also using gold as a hedge for a global recession and potential decline in value of the U.S. dollar or the Euro.
On the supply side, production of gold has been relatively flat for the last 5-7 years and does not appear to be turning around due to maturing mines and higher extraction costs.
The third reason to have some gold exposure in your portfolio is that it serves as disaster insurance from unforeseen but potentially devastating events such as widespread terrorism or severe economic or political upheaval.
Many gold bugs insist that the only true gold exposure is through gold coins. An easier way to gain instant gold exposure is through the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF ( IAU) that is up 15.3% so far this year. Another option is investing through the iShares South Africa ETF (EZA) which has considerable exposure to the gold and mining industry and is up 15.9% this year.
Dont come down with gold fever. A 5-10% allocation to your core conservative portfolio should get the job done. Expect some lusterless years as well as some magnificent returns and restful nights knowing you have some gold under the pillow.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
white gold wedding bands
Many people see the wedding ring as a status symbol. Instead of a simple token of affection and commitment, they get a diamond wedding ring packed within as many shimmering, sparkling, overpriced crystals as possible. In my mind, this is not only a tacky gesture, but also a counterproductive one. I have always favored simple white gold wedding bands. The purpose of the wedding ring, after all, is not to show off how much money you have, or to catch the eye of everyone that you see. The purpose of a white gold wedding band is to show that you intend to spend the rest of your life with someone.
Of course, a little adornment can be quite beautiful. I had a friend who exchanged white gold Celtic wedding bands instead of the plain ones that I prefer. They loved them. The designs were simple and elegant, so the meaning of the wedding band was not lost. But the important thing to remember is that the white gold wedding ring is not a place for self-expression. If you like fancy jewelery, that is fine. You can get all kinds of fancy jewelry to adorn your hands, your neck, your wrists, or any other part of your body. But the purpose of a wedding band is mostly symbolic. As such, it can serve this purpose better if it is of a simple and elegant design. This is why I feel that simple white gold wedding bands are superior to any other style.
This doesn't mean that quality doesn't matter. Far from it! Not all white gold wedding bands are the same. Even if you are looking at rings that have no carvings or adornments, they still are of different designs. Some white gold wedding bands are of higher caliber than others. Some of them are thicker, thinner, or of a slightly different shape. I have always thought that white gold wedding bands with a slightly rectangular shape to the band looked particularly sharp, but many people disagree with me on this.
Fortunately, white gold wedding bands have maintains tremendous popularity over the years. If you go to your local jewelry store, you should be able to try on several different styles and see which one works best for you. In addition to white gold wedding bands, there are other tints as well. You may find red gold to be much more striking.
Many people see the wedding ring as a status symbol. Instead of a simple token of affection and commitment, they get a diamond wedding ring packed within as many shimmering, sparkling, overpriced crystals as possible. In my mind, this is not only a tacky gesture, but also a counterproductive one. I have always favored simple white gold wedding bands. The purpose of the wedding ring, after all, is not to show off how much money you have, or to catch the eye of everyone that you see. The purpose of a white gold wedding band is to show that you intend to spend the rest of your life with someone.
Of course, a little adornment can be quite beautiful. I had a friend who exchanged white gold Celtic wedding bands instead of the plain ones that I prefer. They loved them. The designs were simple and elegant, so the meaning of the wedding band was not lost. But the important thing to remember is that the white gold wedding ring is not a place for self-expression. If you like fancy jewelery, that is fine. You can get all kinds of fancy jewelry to adorn your hands, your neck, your wrists, or any other part of your body. But the purpose of a wedding band is mostly symbolic. As such, it can serve this purpose better if it is of a simple and elegant design. This is why I feel that simple white gold wedding bands are superior to any other style.
This doesn't mean that quality doesn't matter. Far from it! Not all white gold wedding bands are the same. Even if you are looking at rings that have no carvings or adornments, they still are of different designs. Some white gold wedding bands are of higher caliber than others. Some of them are thicker, thinner, or of a slightly different shape. I have always thought that white gold wedding bands with a slightly rectangular shape to the band looked particularly sharp, but many people disagree with me on this.
Fortunately, white gold wedding bands have maintains tremendous popularity over the years. If you go to your local jewelry store, you should be able to try on several different styles and see which one works best for you. In addition to white gold wedding bands, there are other tints as well. You may find red gold to be much more striking.
In Extremis to Extemes
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:27); "Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went" (Ezekiel 12:1).
Apparently extremes aren't good for spiritual health. If we lean too much on the side of severity, we can become harsh and intolerant; if we lean too much to the other side, we may wind up accommodating wrongdoing without realizing it. Mercy and justice are the two sides of God's coin and that coin becomes both a just and merciful standard for our lives. God asks that we merge good nature with fixed spiritual principles, and that will be the stamp, the seal, the coin, for our life.
Dwight D. Eisenhower noted: "People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." The gutters are fanaticism and indifference. It is in the middle where we find the steady people.
Benjamin Franklin said about the gray areas of life: "When confronted with two courses of action, I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one. Then, by weighing the arguments pro and con and canceling them out one against the other, I take the course indicated by what remains." There are legitimate gray areas of life when it is a good idea to do this. It's choosing the better of two goods when two options are equally honorable.
Cartwright observed that "Some flee the cross; others make one." The middle course is at the foot of the cross!
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:27); "Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went" (Ezekiel 12:1).
Apparently extremes aren't good for spiritual health. If we lean too much on the side of severity, we can become harsh and intolerant; if we lean too much to the other side, we may wind up accommodating wrongdoing without realizing it. Mercy and justice are the two sides of God's coin and that coin becomes both a just and merciful standard for our lives. God asks that we merge good nature with fixed spiritual principles, and that will be the stamp, the seal, the coin, for our life.
Dwight D. Eisenhower noted: "People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." The gutters are fanaticism and indifference. It is in the middle where we find the steady people.
Benjamin Franklin said about the gray areas of life: "When confronted with two courses of action, I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one. Then, by weighing the arguments pro and con and canceling them out one against the other, I take the course indicated by what remains." There are legitimate gray areas of life when it is a good idea to do this. It's choosing the better of two goods when two options are equally honorable.
Cartwright observed that "Some flee the cross; others make one." The middle course is at the foot of the cross!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Christmas Glamour: Gold or Silver - Which is Right for You?
Christmas is round the corner. With that, the coming parties and glamorous occasions give you plenty of reasons to glam up your wardrobe.
The best way to do that is with metallics. Gold or Silver. Depending on your coloring, one would make you look your most beautiful while the other might make you look sickly or garish.
Gold or Silver. What would flatter you more? The sunny brilliance of precious gold or the moon lit gleam of silver? Or both?
To answer that question, you have to take a very close look at your coloring. The undertones in your skin would tell you what are the colors that would make you look your very best. First determine whether you have cool skin tones or warm skin tones. Here is where you can find your best colors.
If you have warm skin tones, (yellow or golden undertones in your skin) gold make you look your best. If you have cool skin tones (blue undertones in your skin), silver would really bring out your beauty. Some people look great in both gold and silver. Usually, if you have a pinkish undertone in your skin, you would look great in both. You might want to wear two toned jewelry featuring both gold and silver.
Once you know whether you should go for gold or silver, start wearing the color.
If you are a gold person, then collect gold jewelry. Build an entire wardrobe of gold jewelry and accessories. From earrings to shoes to belts to bags. Switch around your gold accessories and change the look of a simple dress. That way, a simple outfit can be worn to different parties, and yet look different each time you wear it. For one party, you could wear a plain dress with gold earrings, carry a gold bag and wear gold shoes. For another party, you could wear that dress with layers of gold necklaces and an armful of gold bangles, with a pair of boots. Switch the accessories to change to look.
If you are a silver person, then vamp up your wardrobe with silver clothes and accessories. Silver is such an elegant metal, you can easily get away with plenty of silver accessories. Wear them with your jeans and t-shirts or evening dresses for a more glamorous look. You could dress up your outfit with a silver belt and silver earrings and silver necklace on one occasion. On another occasion, you could show up with silver bangles and silver shoes.
Besides wearing silver or gold, surround yourself with your color. Look fabulous at home with silver or gold home accessories scattered around your room. Drive a silver or gold car. in short, play up your strengths by surrounding yourself with the color that flatters you best. That way, you would look effortlessly, naturally good. All the time.
Christmas is round the corner. With that, the coming parties and glamorous occasions give you plenty of reasons to glam up your wardrobe.
The best way to do that is with metallics. Gold or Silver. Depending on your coloring, one would make you look your most beautiful while the other might make you look sickly or garish.
Gold or Silver. What would flatter you more? The sunny brilliance of precious gold or the moon lit gleam of silver? Or both?
To answer that question, you have to take a very close look at your coloring. The undertones in your skin would tell you what are the colors that would make you look your very best. First determine whether you have cool skin tones or warm skin tones. Here is where you can find your best colors.
If you have warm skin tones, (yellow or golden undertones in your skin) gold make you look your best. If you have cool skin tones (blue undertones in your skin), silver would really bring out your beauty. Some people look great in both gold and silver. Usually, if you have a pinkish undertone in your skin, you would look great in both. You might want to wear two toned jewelry featuring both gold and silver.
Once you know whether you should go for gold or silver, start wearing the color.
If you are a gold person, then collect gold jewelry. Build an entire wardrobe of gold jewelry and accessories. From earrings to shoes to belts to bags. Switch around your gold accessories and change the look of a simple dress. That way, a simple outfit can be worn to different parties, and yet look different each time you wear it. For one party, you could wear a plain dress with gold earrings, carry a gold bag and wear gold shoes. For another party, you could wear that dress with layers of gold necklaces and an armful of gold bangles, with a pair of boots. Switch the accessories to change to look.
If you are a silver person, then vamp up your wardrobe with silver clothes and accessories. Silver is such an elegant metal, you can easily get away with plenty of silver accessories. Wear them with your jeans and t-shirts or evening dresses for a more glamorous look. You could dress up your outfit with a silver belt and silver earrings and silver necklace on one occasion. On another occasion, you could show up with silver bangles and silver shoes.
Besides wearing silver or gold, surround yourself with your color. Look fabulous at home with silver or gold home accessories scattered around your room. Drive a silver or gold car. in short, play up your strengths by surrounding yourself with the color that flatters you best. That way, you would look effortlessly, naturally good. All the time.
Where to Invest Your Money
If you are new to investing, or even if you've been playing the market for a while, investment options can be overwhelming. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds. How do you pick the best place to invest your money? That's quite a decision!
Here are some tips that can help you get started:
If you are planning for a long-term investment, it may be wisest to go with stocks. History shows that stocks outperform other investing options over the long term. For example, from 1926 to 2004, the stock market had an average annual gain of 10.4%, compared with only 5.4% for bonds and even less for other forms of investing.
That said, stocks may not be such a good option for short-term investing. They tend to be more risky and can undergo severe losses. Unless you're planning to keep your money there for a long time, you might not want to weather the stress of the stock market's ups and downs. Overall, a company's earnings are going to be the biggest player in a stock's fluctuation.
If you're willing to take a little bit of risk with your investing-or a lot-you probably will notice a bigger payoff. Stocks, for example, are a riskier investment than bonds. But again, stocks tend to bring in a much higher return. On the other hand, there is also the chance that your stock will dip and you may suffer a great loss. That's all part of the game.
If you're looking for a low-risk, surefire investment strategy, U.S. Treasury bonds may be the way to go. The government has a lot of power over these bonds. Because of this, investing in these bonds is generally considered risk-free. Keep in mind, however, that bonds don't do so well when interest rates rise. Conversely, when interest rates go down, bond prices rise. This is particularly true with long-term bonds.
To be safe, the best advice is to diversify your portfolio. If you practice investing in a number of different areas, you are least likely to lose it all. (Remember the Enron scandal? Don't make that mistake!) Some investments will go up, others will go down. But at least you can be pretty sure you won't lose it all. Chances are, with a little research, some self-education, and careful investing, you'll build your savings substantially. Happy investing!
If you are new to investing, or even if you've been playing the market for a while, investment options can be overwhelming. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds. How do you pick the best place to invest your money? That's quite a decision!
Here are some tips that can help you get started:
If you are planning for a long-term investment, it may be wisest to go with stocks. History shows that stocks outperform other investing options over the long term. For example, from 1926 to 2004, the stock market had an average annual gain of 10.4%, compared with only 5.4% for bonds and even less for other forms of investing.
That said, stocks may not be such a good option for short-term investing. They tend to be more risky and can undergo severe losses. Unless you're planning to keep your money there for a long time, you might not want to weather the stress of the stock market's ups and downs. Overall, a company's earnings are going to be the biggest player in a stock's fluctuation.
If you're willing to take a little bit of risk with your investing-or a lot-you probably will notice a bigger payoff. Stocks, for example, are a riskier investment than bonds. But again, stocks tend to bring in a much higher return. On the other hand, there is also the chance that your stock will dip and you may suffer a great loss. That's all part of the game.
If you're looking for a low-risk, surefire investment strategy, U.S. Treasury bonds may be the way to go. The government has a lot of power over these bonds. Because of this, investing in these bonds is generally considered risk-free. Keep in mind, however, that bonds don't do so well when interest rates rise. Conversely, when interest rates go down, bond prices rise. This is particularly true with long-term bonds.
To be safe, the best advice is to diversify your portfolio. If you practice investing in a number of different areas, you are least likely to lose it all. (Remember the Enron scandal? Don't make that mistake!) Some investments will go up, others will go down. But at least you can be pretty sure you won't lose it all. Chances are, with a little research, some self-education, and careful investing, you'll build your savings substantially. Happy investing!
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Glimmering World of Gold Jewelry - Great For Gifts
Undoubtedly, gold remains as the ultimate medium of
jewelry expression. For thousands of years, gold has
beguiled man with its beauty, its warm luster and glow
and its amazing attributes. Artisans and jewelers have
crafted gold into stunning pieces of jewelry that are
priceless and eternal. Gold is one of the most precious
of earth's metals. It can be found almost anywhere but
it is very difficult to extract pure gold. Although
platinum is more expensive, gold remains unsurpassed as
the most popular jewelry metal. As it does not corrode
or rust, gold jewelry is exceptionally durable. It is
also very malleable and pliable: a single ounce of gold
can be drawn into a thin wire stretching almost 5
miles. In fact it is the most malleable and ductile
metal known to man.
Pure gold or 24-karat gold is soft and pliable. That is
why it is mixed with other metals to increase its
durability. Karat quality determines the purity of
gold. For instance, 14-karat gold is 14 parts pure gold
mixed with 10 parts of a base metal. The higher the
karat rating is, the higher the proportion of pure
gold. Most gold jewelry pieces are marked with its
karat quality. This helps you verify that the product
you are viewing are truly made of gold. Gold is crafted
into an endless myriad of jewelry pieces such as rings,
chains, bracelets, charms, pendants, brooches, earrings
and others. Moreover, because of the many amazing
qualities of gold have many other uses. It is used in
dentistry, coinage and for industrial purposes. The
value of gold forms the base of monetary standard by
many nations.
Buying gold jewelry is an excellent investment. Any
jewelry collection would not be complete without any
gold jewelry. Its radiant, sensual and warm quality
make it the preferred metal used in wedding rings and
other jewelry meant to be given to a loved one. When
buying gold jewelry there are some important things to
consider. One of these is the karat quality, as
mentioned above. The different karat qualities include
10-karat gold, 14-karat gold and 18-karat gold.
However, some gold jewelry is not necessarily purely
made of gold. Jewelry can also be plated with gold.
This means that a base metal is coated with a layer of
gold. In time, the layer of gold will wear away
depending on how often the piece is worn. Other terms
you should know about gold jewelry include gold-filled,
gold overlay, and rolled gold plate.
When choosing gold jewelry, it is important to know its
qualities and characteristics. Gold jewelry has many
finishes such as matte gold, which is achieved by using
an abrasive, resulting in a dull and non-reflective
surface. Another kind of finish is the high-polish
finish, where the jewelry is polished to an almost
mirror-like shine. Gemstones and other metals that can
be inlaid with the gold itself add another dimension of
beauty and value, although gold is simply stunning by
itself. Choose a piece of gold jewelry that matches
your personality. Whether it is a simple gold chain, a
ring engraved with your names or a chunky gold
bracelet, you will find the gold jewelry piece that
exudes your personality. Moreover, wearing it also
enhances the way you look, giving you class and style.
Without a doubt, gold continues to enamor men and
women, and continues to be the ultimate jewelry metal.
Undoubtedly, gold remains as the ultimate medium of
jewelry expression. For thousands of years, gold has
beguiled man with its beauty, its warm luster and glow
and its amazing attributes. Artisans and jewelers have
crafted gold into stunning pieces of jewelry that are
priceless and eternal. Gold is one of the most precious
of earth's metals. It can be found almost anywhere but
it is very difficult to extract pure gold. Although
platinum is more expensive, gold remains unsurpassed as
the most popular jewelry metal. As it does not corrode
or rust, gold jewelry is exceptionally durable. It is
also very malleable and pliable: a single ounce of gold
can be drawn into a thin wire stretching almost 5
miles. In fact it is the most malleable and ductile
metal known to man.
Pure gold or 24-karat gold is soft and pliable. That is
why it is mixed with other metals to increase its
durability. Karat quality determines the purity of
gold. For instance, 14-karat gold is 14 parts pure gold
mixed with 10 parts of a base metal. The higher the
karat rating is, the higher the proportion of pure
gold. Most gold jewelry pieces are marked with its
karat quality. This helps you verify that the product
you are viewing are truly made of gold. Gold is crafted
into an endless myriad of jewelry pieces such as rings,
chains, bracelets, charms, pendants, brooches, earrings
and others. Moreover, because of the many amazing
qualities of gold have many other uses. It is used in
dentistry, coinage and for industrial purposes. The
value of gold forms the base of monetary standard by
many nations.
Buying gold jewelry is an excellent investment. Any
jewelry collection would not be complete without any
gold jewelry. Its radiant, sensual and warm quality
make it the preferred metal used in wedding rings and
other jewelry meant to be given to a loved one. When
buying gold jewelry there are some important things to
consider. One of these is the karat quality, as
mentioned above. The different karat qualities include
10-karat gold, 14-karat gold and 18-karat gold.
However, some gold jewelry is not necessarily purely
made of gold. Jewelry can also be plated with gold.
This means that a base metal is coated with a layer of
gold. In time, the layer of gold will wear away
depending on how often the piece is worn. Other terms
you should know about gold jewelry include gold-filled,
gold overlay, and rolled gold plate.
When choosing gold jewelry, it is important to know its
qualities and characteristics. Gold jewelry has many
finishes such as matte gold, which is achieved by using
an abrasive, resulting in a dull and non-reflective
surface. Another kind of finish is the high-polish
finish, where the jewelry is polished to an almost
mirror-like shine. Gemstones and other metals that can
be inlaid with the gold itself add another dimension of
beauty and value, although gold is simply stunning by
itself. Choose a piece of gold jewelry that matches
your personality. Whether it is a simple gold chain, a
ring engraved with your names or a chunky gold
bracelet, you will find the gold jewelry piece that
exudes your personality. Moreover, wearing it also
enhances the way you look, giving you class and style.
Without a doubt, gold continues to enamor men and
women, and continues to be the ultimate jewelry metal.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Collecting Greek, Roman, and Other Old Coins
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
The Real Gold Mine
Financial security is something we all strive for, well most of us anyway. Some people are perfectly content living paycheck to paycheck and claiming their house is their savings. Part of me wishes I could be that relaxed to have such a laid back view of things.
For those of us that do want to have some level of financial security we try to save and invest our money at any opportunity. Some people do this on their own, while the majority of people have some sort of financial professional offering them advice. I personally have an account set up with a financial advisor. Most financial advisors will tell you to diversify your money and investments. But, do they really mean it? Yes, they mean it as long as it makes them money.
I feel in order to truly be diversified in your investments you need to have your stocks, bonds, and savings. But, the real gold mine is in precious metals. Very few people invest in precious metals, in comparison to the amount of people in the stock market. The most well-known precious metals are gold and silver, in addition to platinum and palladium (a by-product of platinum).
Precious metals retain their value very well. A major difference between precious metals and stocks or bonds is that gold and silver have actual value, meaning I could take it and give it to someone as a form of currency in some countries. The United States used to back its currency with gold and silver but they sold it all off in the past three decades or so. Now the dollar is backed by Congress.
Precious metals have many uses other than the obvious use in jewelry. Silver is used in X-ray film, gold is used in some electronics as a conductor of electricity, and there are many more for each of the metals. Because of how widely these metals are used and the importance of some of the applications in which they are used, the value will eventually continue to go higher and higher. For example, I have read some projections on the value of silver in the next ten years or so. Some experts predict silver will hit anywhere from $100 to $400 and ounce. The cheapest I have bought some of my silver for was $7.37 an ounce. Whether it hits those highs remains to be seen. But, because of the uses for these metals and the fact the supplies are limited it is a safe assumption that the value will raise as the supply on Earth lessens.
Investing in the stock market is different because you need to evaluate the company, its competition, the future potential, and many more factors. You have to concern yourself with the management of the company and the direction they are taking the company. With precious metals you do not have the same concerns. Gold is gold and silver is silver regardless of what else happens in the world. Its prices can fluctuate but it will not go out of business or be involved in billion dollar lawsuits that threaten the stability of the company. For these reasons I feel precious metals really are the true gold mine.
Financial security is something we all strive for, well most of us anyway. Some people are perfectly content living paycheck to paycheck and claiming their house is their savings. Part of me wishes I could be that relaxed to have such a laid back view of things.
For those of us that do want to have some level of financial security we try to save and invest our money at any opportunity. Some people do this on their own, while the majority of people have some sort of financial professional offering them advice. I personally have an account set up with a financial advisor. Most financial advisors will tell you to diversify your money and investments. But, do they really mean it? Yes, they mean it as long as it makes them money.
I feel in order to truly be diversified in your investments you need to have your stocks, bonds, and savings. But, the real gold mine is in precious metals. Very few people invest in precious metals, in comparison to the amount of people in the stock market. The most well-known precious metals are gold and silver, in addition to platinum and palladium (a by-product of platinum).
Precious metals retain their value very well. A major difference between precious metals and stocks or bonds is that gold and silver have actual value, meaning I could take it and give it to someone as a form of currency in some countries. The United States used to back its currency with gold and silver but they sold it all off in the past three decades or so. Now the dollar is backed by Congress.
Precious metals have many uses other than the obvious use in jewelry. Silver is used in X-ray film, gold is used in some electronics as a conductor of electricity, and there are many more for each of the metals. Because of how widely these metals are used and the importance of some of the applications in which they are used, the value will eventually continue to go higher and higher. For example, I have read some projections on the value of silver in the next ten years or so. Some experts predict silver will hit anywhere from $100 to $400 and ounce. The cheapest I have bought some of my silver for was $7.37 an ounce. Whether it hits those highs remains to be seen. But, because of the uses for these metals and the fact the supplies are limited it is a safe assumption that the value will raise as the supply on Earth lessens.
Investing in the stock market is different because you need to evaluate the company, its competition, the future potential, and many more factors. You have to concern yourself with the management of the company and the direction they are taking the company. With precious metals you do not have the same concerns. Gold is gold and silver is silver regardless of what else happens in the world. Its prices can fluctuate but it will not go out of business or be involved in billion dollar lawsuits that threaten the stability of the company. For these reasons I feel precious metals really are the true gold mine.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
E-Gold
E-gold is a digital currency, used extensively on the Internet for making payments in exchange for goods and services.
It is one of the first digital e-currency providers, having started in 1996. E-gold accounts are backed by actual physical gold, dollar for dollar. You can take delivery of the physical gold if you wish, although there is an additional handling charge.
The E-gold e-currency is tied directly to the value of gold, so it's not possible to use outside influences to affect the value of it... unless one has the ability to affect the spot price of gold. Being tied to the price of gold, e-gold accounts fluctuate up and down with the value of national currencies as they move with the spot price of gold.
While gold is the most popular precious metal digital currency in use, E-gold also offers the platinum, palladium and silver precious metals as digital currency.
Funding an e-currency account is the job of a third party called a Market Maker. A market maker is a merchant who exchanges national currencies for e-currencies, and places them in your online currency account. Similarly, they will buy your ecurrency and pay you in your national currency when you wish to exchange your egold for currency.
You can fund an e-gold with paypal, or buy e-gold with a credit card if you wish, though the market maker will charge up to 15% to do so. This is largely because of the cost to him of fraudulent charge backs.
E-currencies are now accepted fairly extensively by online merchants in exchange their products and services, mainly catering to people, who for whatever reason, don't have or can't get, a credit card.
E-gold is a digital currency, used extensively on the Internet for making payments in exchange for goods and services.
It is one of the first digital e-currency providers, having started in 1996. E-gold accounts are backed by actual physical gold, dollar for dollar. You can take delivery of the physical gold if you wish, although there is an additional handling charge.
The E-gold e-currency is tied directly to the value of gold, so it's not possible to use outside influences to affect the value of it... unless one has the ability to affect the spot price of gold. Being tied to the price of gold, e-gold accounts fluctuate up and down with the value of national currencies as they move with the spot price of gold.
While gold is the most popular precious metal digital currency in use, E-gold also offers the platinum, palladium and silver precious metals as digital currency.
Funding an e-currency account is the job of a third party called a Market Maker. A market maker is a merchant who exchanges national currencies for e-currencies, and places them in your online currency account. Similarly, they will buy your ecurrency and pay you in your national currency when you wish to exchange your egold for currency.
You can fund an e-gold with paypal, or buy e-gold with a credit card if you wish, though the market maker will charge up to 15% to do so. This is largely because of the cost to him of fraudulent charge backs.
E-currencies are now accepted fairly extensively by online merchants in exchange their products and services, mainly catering to people, who for whatever reason, don't have or can't get, a credit card.
Wonderful White Gold Wedding Rings
The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. Theres nothing quite like it.
Some people never grow tired of the look of pure gold jewelry. Gold, being our most precious metal, is often a first choice among couples looking for that perfect gold wedding ring.
While yellow gold remains very popular with the wedding crowd. Many people prefer the brilliant hue of a white gold wedding ring.
White gold will look beautiful on you whether youre a man or a woman. You can find online a great selection of white gold diamond wedding rings and white gold wedding ring sets. Also, if youre looking for something a little fancier that can also become a piece of wonderful keepsake jewelry, white gold makes a very elegant engraved wedding ring that can be passed on to future generations.
The one thing you need to be aware of when buying a white gold wedding ring is that it will need periodic maintenance in order to keep its luster.
To obtain its much desired glittering white color, white gold is coated with another alloy called Rhodium (the natural color of white gold is really light gray). Rhodium will wear down after a while, so to maintain your rings luster, youll need to visit your local jeweler about every 12-18 months and have it re-plated with a new coating of Rhodium. The cost for this should be very reasonable.
Whether youre looking for a plain gold wedding band, or a wedding ring with sparkling diamonds, white gold is an excellent choice for those looking for something a little extra special.
The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. Theres nothing quite like it.
Some people never grow tired of the look of pure gold jewelry. Gold, being our most precious metal, is often a first choice among couples looking for that perfect gold wedding ring.
While yellow gold remains very popular with the wedding crowd. Many people prefer the brilliant hue of a white gold wedding ring.
White gold will look beautiful on you whether youre a man or a woman. You can find online a great selection of white gold diamond wedding rings and white gold wedding ring sets. Also, if youre looking for something a little fancier that can also become a piece of wonderful keepsake jewelry, white gold makes a very elegant engraved wedding ring that can be passed on to future generations.
The one thing you need to be aware of when buying a white gold wedding ring is that it will need periodic maintenance in order to keep its luster.
To obtain its much desired glittering white color, white gold is coated with another alloy called Rhodium (the natural color of white gold is really light gray). Rhodium will wear down after a while, so to maintain your rings luster, youll need to visit your local jeweler about every 12-18 months and have it re-plated with a new coating of Rhodium. The cost for this should be very reasonable.
Whether youre looking for a plain gold wedding band, or a wedding ring with sparkling diamonds, white gold is an excellent choice for those looking for something a little extra special.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 2)
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
investing in land
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Collecting Greek, Roman, and Other Old Coins
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 2)
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Men's White Gold Wedding Bands
White metals such as silver and palladium mixed with gold produces an alloy known as white gold. As with gold, white gold can be found in any carat measurement up to 21 carats. Basically, the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. White gold was originally developed as a substitute for platinum.
Traditionally nickel was used in white gold. However, nickel is no longer used as the studies found that nickel can cause reactions with some people. Initially, white gold rings are electro-plated with another white metal called Rhodium, a metal very much similar to platinum, when they are new. This makes the white gold look whiter since the original color of white metal is slightly gray. This process is called rhodium plating. To keep a white gold ring looking new, it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months.
White gold mens wedding bands are increasingly popular as they are often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones. However, it is suggested to check with the retailer that the alloy is nickel-free.
Since the white metal is an alloy, it is very hard and durable. Hence it is preferred in the wedding bands by a number of men presently. However, there is an equal demand for cheaper alternatives to white gold than the palladium whites which are nickel-free. Many new alloys in the current market rely on manganese additions as the main whitener. Some of these are palladium-free while others are low palladium alloys. Chromium and iron can also be used as whiteners. However, they tend to be hard and so this makes it more difficult to process. However, most of these alloys are not a good white color and so require rhodium plating, and many suffer cracking problems and tarnishing.
White metals such as silver and palladium mixed with gold produces an alloy known as white gold. As with gold, white gold can be found in any carat measurement up to 21 carats. Basically, the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. White gold was originally developed as a substitute for platinum.
Traditionally nickel was used in white gold. However, nickel is no longer used as the studies found that nickel can cause reactions with some people. Initially, white gold rings are electro-plated with another white metal called Rhodium, a metal very much similar to platinum, when they are new. This makes the white gold look whiter since the original color of white metal is slightly gray. This process is called rhodium plating. To keep a white gold ring looking new, it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months.
White gold mens wedding bands are increasingly popular as they are often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones. However, it is suggested to check with the retailer that the alloy is nickel-free.
Since the white metal is an alloy, it is very hard and durable. Hence it is preferred in the wedding bands by a number of men presently. However, there is an equal demand for cheaper alternatives to white gold than the palladium whites which are nickel-free. Many new alloys in the current market rely on manganese additions as the main whitener. Some of these are palladium-free while others are low palladium alloys. Chromium and iron can also be used as whiteners. However, they tend to be hard and so this makes it more difficult to process. However, most of these alloys are not a good white color and so require rhodium plating, and many suffer cracking problems and tarnishing.
Gold Panning For Fun & Profit
How Much Gold Can I Expect To Find?
The definitive answer is -- it depends. There are many variables. The amount of gold recovered varies tremendously. You may find a few small nuggets every few pans, while your friend 10 feet away will find nothing but gold dust.
The most difficult lesson to learn is where gold hides. The path of water, amount of gold moving, types of rocks and speed of the water over the life of the stream, all affect gold and where it settles. This means that you may find decent flakes at a specific spot, but never find anything else there again.
There is no reliable way to tell how much gold will be found. If you go to the same area each time, you will be able to get a feel for the amount that you typically recover.
Personally, on a 4-hour hike along a stream mostly visiting with friends, I will typically find 1/8th of a gram of gold. Not much, but enough to make it fun and be visible. If I am not being lazy and decide to work specific spots, a lot more can consistently be found and occasionally a nugget too.
What Is It Worth?
That is another variable question. The biggest variable affecting the value of gold is the purity. In some places, gold can be 24 karat and other places it will be very coarse and only be 14 karat or less. 24 karat gold is worth about $10 a gram and may often be worth more as an art piece.
To put the size into perspective, a piece of gold the size of a grain of rice can weight a gram. It doesnt take a lot of flakes in the bottom of a vial to add up to a gram or 2
Even if you do not have much gold, and even it isnt pure, it has another value -- sentimental. There is something almost magical about having a vial of gold that YOU found. Inside that vial is the story of the look on your face the first time you found a decent sized flake or nugget, perhaps the memory of a visit with a old friend or how the stresses of the week melted away after finding some color. Perhaps your vial will become a legacy that you pass to your children as a reminder of the many fond memories from taking them panning and hoping they do the same with their children.
This potentially life long hobby is fun, great exercise and is applicable to anywhere in the world. Once you start finding gold you may find yourself counting the seconds until you can go back and turn over the rock just to the left of where you had been digging.
How Much Gold Can I Expect To Find?
The definitive answer is -- it depends. There are many variables. The amount of gold recovered varies tremendously. You may find a few small nuggets every few pans, while your friend 10 feet away will find nothing but gold dust.
The most difficult lesson to learn is where gold hides. The path of water, amount of gold moving, types of rocks and speed of the water over the life of the stream, all affect gold and where it settles. This means that you may find decent flakes at a specific spot, but never find anything else there again.
There is no reliable way to tell how much gold will be found. If you go to the same area each time, you will be able to get a feel for the amount that you typically recover.
Personally, on a 4-hour hike along a stream mostly visiting with friends, I will typically find 1/8th of a gram of gold. Not much, but enough to make it fun and be visible. If I am not being lazy and decide to work specific spots, a lot more can consistently be found and occasionally a nugget too.
What Is It Worth?
That is another variable question. The biggest variable affecting the value of gold is the purity. In some places, gold can be 24 karat and other places it will be very coarse and only be 14 karat or less. 24 karat gold is worth about $10 a gram and may often be worth more as an art piece.
To put the size into perspective, a piece of gold the size of a grain of rice can weight a gram. It doesnt take a lot of flakes in the bottom of a vial to add up to a gram or 2
Even if you do not have much gold, and even it isnt pure, it has another value -- sentimental. There is something almost magical about having a vial of gold that YOU found. Inside that vial is the story of the look on your face the first time you found a decent sized flake or nugget, perhaps the memory of a visit with a old friend or how the stresses of the week melted away after finding some color. Perhaps your vial will become a legacy that you pass to your children as a reminder of the many fond memories from taking them panning and hoping they do the same with their children.
This potentially life long hobby is fun, great exercise and is applicable to anywhere in the world. Once you start finding gold you may find yourself counting the seconds until you can go back and turn over the rock just to the left of where you had been digging.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Why Go Gold Panning?
Gold panning is a great outdoor activity that can be fun for people of all ages and health. If you can walk slightly off the beaten path, you can pan for gold. Despite the metal detectors, sluice boxes, and other large equipment often associated with this activity, the equipment actually needed to successfully pan for gold is limited, affordable and light weight.
The Quest
The quest for gold is hardly a new thing. We all know of the gold rush and have heard stories about the vast amounts of gold that were found. While the large deposits of gold are not as easy to find now, the total amount of gold available has not decreased significantly. There is still plenty waiting -- for you.
It is estimated that only about 15% of the gold available was found during the gold rush. There are approximately 1 billion ounces of gold flowing through the streams in North America right now.
What You Need To Know To Start
One nice thing about gold panning is that there really isnt much that you need to know in order to regularly find gold. The necessary information to get started is fairly basic and any good prospecting shop will have the answers for you.
Find out about the local laws on gold panning and claim staking. Typically, it is legal for a person to pan gold anywhere that they like, as long as they are only using a gold pan. Some exceptions include native reserves and wild life reserves. Landowners usually do not own streams that pass through their land, but it is wise to seek permission in case of dogs or other dangers. As a hobbyist you can even gold pan on a staked claim, but the owner of the claim may become agitated and possibly ruin your day -- or worse.
Research the geology and history of the area where you are going by talking to a prospecting store. If there is no gold in that area, then there is no point in trying. However there may be other valuables there, such as silver, platinum, or precious stones that can be recovered.
Learn how gold flows along a stream. For example, gold often stops moving when it hits slow moving water. Because of its density, gold will quickly sink to the bottom of any dirt and rock. This means that gold is usually found behind a rock in a stream as the water eddies.
Get some basic training on how to gold pan. Gold panning isnt hard, but proper technique can mean the difference between finding lots or just a little.
Learn to identify gold in your pan. Once youve seen it, there is no mistaking it. Most prospecting stores have placer gold flakes on hand and if you ask nicely enough, they may allow you to put a flake in your pan along with some water and fine gravel.
So what are you waiting for?
Gold panning is a great outdoor activity that can be fun for people of all ages and health. If you can walk slightly off the beaten path, you can pan for gold. Despite the metal detectors, sluice boxes, and other large equipment often associated with this activity, the equipment actually needed to successfully pan for gold is limited, affordable and light weight.
The Quest
The quest for gold is hardly a new thing. We all know of the gold rush and have heard stories about the vast amounts of gold that were found. While the large deposits of gold are not as easy to find now, the total amount of gold available has not decreased significantly. There is still plenty waiting -- for you.
It is estimated that only about 15% of the gold available was found during the gold rush. There are approximately 1 billion ounces of gold flowing through the streams in North America right now.
What You Need To Know To Start
One nice thing about gold panning is that there really isnt much that you need to know in order to regularly find gold. The necessary information to get started is fairly basic and any good prospecting shop will have the answers for you.
Find out about the local laws on gold panning and claim staking. Typically, it is legal for a person to pan gold anywhere that they like, as long as they are only using a gold pan. Some exceptions include native reserves and wild life reserves. Landowners usually do not own streams that pass through their land, but it is wise to seek permission in case of dogs or other dangers. As a hobbyist you can even gold pan on a staked claim, but the owner of the claim may become agitated and possibly ruin your day -- or worse.
Research the geology and history of the area where you are going by talking to a prospecting store. If there is no gold in that area, then there is no point in trying. However there may be other valuables there, such as silver, platinum, or precious stones that can be recovered.
Learn how gold flows along a stream. For example, gold often stops moving when it hits slow moving water. Because of its density, gold will quickly sink to the bottom of any dirt and rock. This means that gold is usually found behind a rock in a stream as the water eddies.
Get some basic training on how to gold pan. Gold panning isnt hard, but proper technique can mean the difference between finding lots or just a little.
Learn to identify gold in your pan. Once youve seen it, there is no mistaking it. Most prospecting stores have placer gold flakes on hand and if you ask nicely enough, they may allow you to put a flake in your pan along with some water and fine gravel.
So what are you waiting for?
Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 2)
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
Time has proven that collectors tend to make the most money in rare coins because they search out "undervalued coins" and buy during market lulls. Buying in today's market climate offers you superb upside profit potential.
PUT IN PERSPECTIVE – Rare coins have an extremely limited, fixed supply which has historically increased in value when demand overwhelms availability. This fact is documented in the enclosed "Dow-to-Gold Report." It clearly shows how rare coins go up as well as down in price with varying market cycles. We believe the most successful Rare Coin portfolios were built in down markets by systematically assembling a variety of choice, rare, and desirable coins, with a three to five year, or longer, holding period in mind.
HAVE A PRECISE FOCUS – Thousands of coins have been issued over the past 200 years. Very few collectors are experts on more than a few types of coins. For that reason alone, it's important to build a relationship with a firm that employs a team of knowledgeable Rare Coin Specialists and Numismatic Experts that are recognized as pillars of authority throughout the industry. Together, we can help you define your areas of interest, your investment goals, and our team of specialists can then guide you to a specific area of U.S. Coins designed to be both profitable and extremely enjoyable.
THE FOUR FACTORS FOR SUCCESS – To profitably build a balanced and diversified Hard Asset Portfolio, you need to know the driving forces behind the U.S. Rare Coin Market:
* STRONG DEMAND – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins that have a broad base of both active investors and collectors. The more wealthy, sophisticated, and avid the base of buyers in an area, the more successful your portfolio should be in the long run.
* SMALL SUPPLY – We recommend U.S. Rare Coins of the highest quality for the date that you can afford. These are always the hardest to find, most desirable collector coins and have historically been top market performers. In our opinion, these coins are always in demand by collectors and will be the easiest coins to liquidate later, and turn the best profits.
* STRONG PERFORMANCE HISTORY – Take the time to review the price history of any rare coin you purchase. Rare coins that have a good history of 200% to 300% price increases during recent bull markets, usually offer your an excellent profit potential in the next hot market. While past performance is no guarantee of future value, undesirable coins are losers in any market. It is of utmost importantance to remember that each rare coin must stand on the value of its own individual merit related to grade, price, eye appeal, and rarity.
* GENUINELY RARE – Finally, we recommend you acquire a selection of Genuinely Rare United States coins. There are fundamentally two ways to determine a coin's rarity. That is "Condition Rarity" and "Absolute Rarity." Condition Rarity is a coin that is rare in higher grades. Some coins are common in worn, circulated grades, yet there could be only five coins known to exist in higher mint-state grades of MS-63 to MS-65. Absolute Rarity is a coin that is rare in any grade. These are truly desirable gold coins that are hard to locate and acquire in all grades. These few coins that are Absolutely Rare in any grade are the "Blue Chip Recommendations" of the U.S. Rare Coin Market.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wear Your Best Gold To Go Shoot
If you are looking for a gold necklace, there are so many different styles and fashions to choose from it can be confusing. A gold chain necklace is very versatile and goes with nearly any fashion you want to wear. If you prefer a smooth and delicate look or even a bolder look, you can achieve this by choosing the right texture chain. The 18-carat Venetian link gold necklace is elegant with its yellow box-chain necklace. It is about 18 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide, and it fastens with a lobster clasp. You may also want to consider an 18-carat yellow gold two-tone twisted rope necklace. It is very attractive with the yellow gold sitting next to white. The rope enhances both colors, making the white strand virtually sparkle. These are as well 18 inches long and fastened with a lobster clasp.
If you like gold necklaces, you may want to look at the 17-inch long 14-carat gold graduated bead necklace with its 14-carat polished, yellow gold beads that are 4 mm at the back of your neck and 8 mm at the front. Or how about the 14-carat yellow gold hollow Palma chain with its elongated graduated loops and 14 carat yellow gold on an 18-inch long necklace. It is simply gorgeous! If you are doing a photo shoot, this is the one to wear!
Another wonderful gold necklace that combines texture and polished elegance is the 18-carat gold Byzantine necklace. Woven from 18-carat yellow gold links, the texture that is produced with this mix is simply stunning and worth a look! You may also want a look at a 10-carat gold reversible, two-tone necklace. It has a great sleek, neck-hugging appearance. Either way you look at it, gold necklaces are beautiful including the 14-carat gold meshed necklace with a 17-inch long chain. It offers you lots of texture. Combine this with a lot of design and you have a very fine looking piece of jewelry.
If you are looking for a gold necklace, there are so many different styles and fashions to choose from it can be confusing. A gold chain necklace is very versatile and goes with nearly any fashion you want to wear. If you prefer a smooth and delicate look or even a bolder look, you can achieve this by choosing the right texture chain. The 18-carat Venetian link gold necklace is elegant with its yellow box-chain necklace. It is about 18 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide, and it fastens with a lobster clasp. You may also want to consider an 18-carat yellow gold two-tone twisted rope necklace. It is very attractive with the yellow gold sitting next to white. The rope enhances both colors, making the white strand virtually sparkle. These are as well 18 inches long and fastened with a lobster clasp.
If you like gold necklaces, you may want to look at the 17-inch long 14-carat gold graduated bead necklace with its 14-carat polished, yellow gold beads that are 4 mm at the back of your neck and 8 mm at the front. Or how about the 14-carat yellow gold hollow Palma chain with its elongated graduated loops and 14 carat yellow gold on an 18-inch long necklace. It is simply gorgeous! If you are doing a photo shoot, this is the one to wear!
Another wonderful gold necklace that combines texture and polished elegance is the 18-carat gold Byzantine necklace. Woven from 18-carat yellow gold links, the texture that is produced with this mix is simply stunning and worth a look! You may also want a look at a 10-carat gold reversible, two-tone necklace. It has a great sleek, neck-hugging appearance. Either way you look at it, gold necklaces are beautiful including the 14-carat gold meshed necklace with a 17-inch long chain. It offers you lots of texture. Combine this with a lot of design and you have a very fine looking piece of jewelry.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
In Extremis to Extemes
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:27); "Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went" (Ezekiel 12:1).
Apparently extremes aren't good for spiritual health. If we lean too much on the side of severity, we can become harsh and intolerant; if we lean too much to the other side, we may wind up accommodating wrongdoing without realizing it. Mercy and justice are the two sides of God's coin and that coin becomes both a just and merciful standard for our lives. God asks that we merge good nature with fixed spiritual principles, and that will be the stamp, the seal, the coin, for our life.
Dwight D. Eisenhower noted: "People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." The gutters are fanaticism and indifference. It is in the middle where we find the steady people.
Benjamin Franklin said about the gray areas of life: "When confronted with two courses of action, I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one. Then, by weighing the arguments pro and con and canceling them out one against the other, I take the course indicated by what remains." There are legitimate gray areas of life when it is a good idea to do this. It's choosing the better of two goods when two options are equally honorable.
Cartwright observed that "Some flee the cross; others make one." The middle course is at the foot of the cross!
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:27); "Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went" (Ezekiel 12:1).
Apparently extremes aren't good for spiritual health. If we lean too much on the side of severity, we can become harsh and intolerant; if we lean too much to the other side, we may wind up accommodating wrongdoing without realizing it. Mercy and justice are the two sides of God's coin and that coin becomes both a just and merciful standard for our lives. God asks that we merge good nature with fixed spiritual principles, and that will be the stamp, the seal, the coin, for our life.
Dwight D. Eisenhower noted: "People talk about the middle of the road as though it were unacceptable. Actually, all human problems, excepting morals, come into the gray areas. Things are not all black and white. There have to be compromises. The middle of the road is all the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." The gutters are fanaticism and indifference. It is in the middle where we find the steady people.
Benjamin Franklin said about the gray areas of life: "When confronted with two courses of action, I jot down on a piece of paper all the arguments in favor of each one. Then, by weighing the arguments pro and con and canceling them out one against the other, I take the course indicated by what remains." There are legitimate gray areas of life when it is a good idea to do this. It's choosing the better of two goods when two options are equally honorable.
Cartwright observed that "Some flee the cross; others make one." The middle course is at the foot of the cross!
Using E-gold as Gold Investment
E-gold may be a good way to give you an easy way to be involved in the gold investment market.
The reason we can use e-gold as the way is because the price of e-gold currency is the same as the real gold price.
So buying e-gold is 100% the same as buying real gold but they give e-gold holder an easy way to move th value of the gold your own in the internet even much easier than your real money.
You can either use e-gold to invest another investing program you can easily find from the internet or just hold the e-gold in your e-gold account as the gold investment only.
In the future ,e-gold may become the worldwide money you can spend anywhere in the internet .Just like the Europe they use their own currency in most of the country there. E-gold may have that potential to act the same role in the coming future.
At this moment ,e-gold is used in the internet investment such as the HYIP,but we beleve in the ocming future ,we will have more way to use e-gold to invest in the formal investing program such as REits funds. Even we can use e-gold to buy the stock world wide.
E-gold may be a good way to give you an easy way to be involved in the gold investment market.
The reason we can use e-gold as the way is because the price of e-gold currency is the same as the real gold price.
So buying e-gold is 100% the same as buying real gold but they give e-gold holder an easy way to move th value of the gold your own in the internet even much easier than your real money.
You can either use e-gold to invest another investing program you can easily find from the internet or just hold the e-gold in your e-gold account as the gold investment only.
In the future ,e-gold may become the worldwide money you can spend anywhere in the internet .Just like the Europe they use their own currency in most of the country there. E-gold may have that potential to act the same role in the coming future.
At this moment ,e-gold is used in the internet investment such as the HYIP,but we beleve in the ocming future ,we will have more way to use e-gold to invest in the formal investing program such as REits funds. Even we can use e-gold to buy the stock world wide.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin
This is an very interesting and inspirational story, This story changed the millions of peoples in the era of the great Gandhi and still has the same effect, This is an story of a The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin"
Mahatma Gandhi went from every city and village for uniting peoples and collecting funds.
During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa( Part of India). After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was gray and her clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where "Gandhi" was sitting. "I must meet him," she insisted and going up to Gandhi then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet.
Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it beside carefully. Fund Manager said "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees and what to do with a copper coin." in reply Gandhi said, "We have to keep this coin because this copper coin is worth much more than those thousands, If a man has several millions and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much.
But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a millions of rupees. she has not scarified the copper coin for me but for the freedom and welfare of this nation and along with the coin she gave us a lesson of genuine generosity & commitment to the nation"
Gandhi said," She remind me and all of us the 3 deeds these are
1. in crucial things, unity
2. in important things, diversity
3 . in all things, generosity
Gandhi is a person who changed the peoples, but he never hesitated to change and learn form other peoples too.
This real historic story taught me one thing,
"In life you will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE where you will have opportunity to learn lessons, you may like it or think them irrelevant and stupid."
The lesson of generosity, That's why this story changes the people; What about you?
Thanks for your time consideration
Nilesh Gore
This is an very interesting and inspirational story, This story changed the millions of peoples in the era of the great Gandhi and still has the same effect, This is an story of a The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin"
Mahatma Gandhi went from every city and village for uniting peoples and collecting funds.
During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa( Part of India). After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was gray and her clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where "Gandhi" was sitting. "I must meet him," she insisted and going up to Gandhi then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet.
Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it beside carefully. Fund Manager said "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees and what to do with a copper coin." in reply Gandhi said, "We have to keep this coin because this copper coin is worth much more than those thousands, If a man has several millions and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much.
But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a millions of rupees. she has not scarified the copper coin for me but for the freedom and welfare of this nation and along with the coin she gave us a lesson of genuine generosity & commitment to the nation"
Gandhi said," She remind me and all of us the 3 deeds these are
1. in crucial things, unity
2. in important things, diversity
3 . in all things, generosity
Gandhi is a person who changed the peoples, but he never hesitated to change and learn form other peoples too.
This real historic story taught me one thing,
"In life you will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE where you will have opportunity to learn lessons, you may like it or think them irrelevant and stupid."
The lesson of generosity, That's why this story changes the people; What about you?
Thanks for your time consideration
Nilesh Gore
Coin Collecting: How To Grade And Price Coins
(NC)-As with most collectibles, rarity and condition usually determine the price of coins. An acknowledged, standardized system of determining the state of preservation, or grade, of a coin is therefore pretty important.
Early on in the game there was a time when coins were described with any old biased adjectives the seller could come up with. Eventually standard definitions and a numbering system, ranging from one to seventy were adopted.
Ever since collectors began to show a preference for well preserved, versus worn, coins, grading has been controversial. Getting the two sides in a transaction to agree on condition has always been a problem. Here is a basic breakdown of how coins are graded by the collector:
Good - 4: A worn coin with designs visible but usually no remaining detail.
Very Good - 8: Worn with few fine details remaining.
Fine - 12: Design and lettering clearly visible but showing signs of wear.
Very Fine - 20: Uniform light wear, but lettering and major elements are sharp.
Extremely Fine - 40: Very slight wear with all details sharp, some lustre may remain.
About Uncirculated - 50: Traces of wear on all surfaces, at least 50 per cent of the original lustre remains.
Mint state coins are free from any signs of wear. Their grading is based on the quality of the strike, condition of the coin, and lustre.
MS-60: Showing some bag marks and edge nicks.
MS-63: Few surface marks and most lustre remaining.
MS-65: A quality coin, appearing almost perfect, minor flaws only appearing on later examination.
Numismatists put coins into two groups. Coins in your pocket are known as "Business Strike" or circulation coins, "Numismatic" coins are minted in precious metals (silver, gold, platinum) and are not mass produced.
For more information on this exciting hobby, and ideas on what to collect, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
(NC)-As with most collectibles, rarity and condition usually determine the price of coins. An acknowledged, standardized system of determining the state of preservation, or grade, of a coin is therefore pretty important.
Early on in the game there was a time when coins were described with any old biased adjectives the seller could come up with. Eventually standard definitions and a numbering system, ranging from one to seventy were adopted.
Ever since collectors began to show a preference for well preserved, versus worn, coins, grading has been controversial. Getting the two sides in a transaction to agree on condition has always been a problem. Here is a basic breakdown of how coins are graded by the collector:
Good - 4: A worn coin with designs visible but usually no remaining detail.
Very Good - 8: Worn with few fine details remaining.
Fine - 12: Design and lettering clearly visible but showing signs of wear.
Very Fine - 20: Uniform light wear, but lettering and major elements are sharp.
Extremely Fine - 40: Very slight wear with all details sharp, some lustre may remain.
About Uncirculated - 50: Traces of wear on all surfaces, at least 50 per cent of the original lustre remains.
Mint state coins are free from any signs of wear. Their grading is based on the quality of the strike, condition of the coin, and lustre.
MS-60: Showing some bag marks and edge nicks.
MS-63: Few surface marks and most lustre remaining.
MS-65: A quality coin, appearing almost perfect, minor flaws only appearing on later examination.
Numismatists put coins into two groups. Coins in your pocket are known as "Business Strike" or circulation coins, "Numismatic" coins are minted in precious metals (silver, gold, platinum) and are not mass produced.
For more information on this exciting hobby, and ideas on what to collect, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Gold Investments: A Few Helpful Tips
Throughout history, gold has been a highly valued substance. It's unique properties and relative scarcity caused almost every world culture to use it as a form of money, as well as a way to "store" value. Although it has lost much of its importance as a form of currency, gold investments still provide a great way to protect your money and diversify a portfolio.
Over the past few years, gold prices have been steadily rising. There is a very good chance this trend will continue over the long-term, making it a good idea to put some money into gold investments now. Also, buying gold is a great way to hedge against other investments. Due to uncertainty in the stock market and the value of the US dollar, it's a good idea to put 10-20% of your money into a hedge fund in order to protect yourself. Gold and silver have always been considered to be among the best forms of hedge investments because they have relatively stable values (due to very small changes in supply).
How to Invest in Gold
Before you buy gold, it's a good idea to get the help of an investment consultant. This is especially true if you've never invested in gold before. He or she can help you determine the best moves to make based on your own personal financial goals and risk tolerance. If you already have a personal financial adviser, tell him or her that you'd like to use gold to hedge your portfolio. If he or she doesn't have much experience dealing in gold investments you may want to find someone who does.
If you're interested in profiting from the price movements of gold, buying gold bullion coins are an excellent option. The best choices are the American Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Britannia, and the Australian Nugget coins. You can buy gold bullion coins from precious metal and coin dealers, both offline and online.
Before making a gold bullion purchase, always shop around for the best prices, as the markup on coins will vary from dealer to dealer. Also, do everything possible to make sure the dealer you're buying from has been in business for awhile and has a good reputation. If possible preserve your gold coins in the original mint packaging and protect them from scratches to maximize resale value.
Gold bars are another gold investment option you may want to look into. Smaller bars are usually more expensive (per ounce) than large bars but are often easier to sell. In general, bars carry a higher price premium than coins. As with gold bullion coins, only buy and trade with reputable dealers.
Throughout history, gold has been a highly valued substance. It's unique properties and relative scarcity caused almost every world culture to use it as a form of money, as well as a way to "store" value. Although it has lost much of its importance as a form of currency, gold investments still provide a great way to protect your money and diversify a portfolio.
Over the past few years, gold prices have been steadily rising. There is a very good chance this trend will continue over the long-term, making it a good idea to put some money into gold investments now. Also, buying gold is a great way to hedge against other investments. Due to uncertainty in the stock market and the value of the US dollar, it's a good idea to put 10-20% of your money into a hedge fund in order to protect yourself. Gold and silver have always been considered to be among the best forms of hedge investments because they have relatively stable values (due to very small changes in supply).
How to Invest in Gold
Before you buy gold, it's a good idea to get the help of an investment consultant. This is especially true if you've never invested in gold before. He or she can help you determine the best moves to make based on your own personal financial goals and risk tolerance. If you already have a personal financial adviser, tell him or her that you'd like to use gold to hedge your portfolio. If he or she doesn't have much experience dealing in gold investments you may want to find someone who does.
If you're interested in profiting from the price movements of gold, buying gold bullion coins are an excellent option. The best choices are the American Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Britannia, and the Australian Nugget coins. You can buy gold bullion coins from precious metal and coin dealers, both offline and online.
Before making a gold bullion purchase, always shop around for the best prices, as the markup on coins will vary from dealer to dealer. Also, do everything possible to make sure the dealer you're buying from has been in business for awhile and has a good reputation. If possible preserve your gold coins in the original mint packaging and protect them from scratches to maximize resale value.
Gold bars are another gold investment option you may want to look into. Smaller bars are usually more expensive (per ounce) than large bars but are often easier to sell. In general, bars carry a higher price premium than coins. As with gold bullion coins, only buy and trade with reputable dealers.
Better Investing Made Easy
If there were one piece of advice that an investor could ask for, the question would probably be something like What do I need to do to invest better? Better investing choices are sought by investors every day. Some find them and succeed, others do not. The difference clearly lies in better investing, so investors are on the right track. They are, however, asking the wrong questions.
Instead of asking How can I make better investments, they should be asking How can I discern better investment choices? While everyone is looking for that one hot investment tip that will turn them on to the next Microsoft or Wal Mart type of investment, they should be looking into how they can discern those choices for themselves and thus make better investing decisions. All those people who did jump on Microsoft back in the eighties werent just lucky. Some of them were, but some had done their research and were able to realize that they were looking at an opportunity to invest in a company that would revolutionize the fledgling software industry.
Discerning choices for better investing starts with research. The savvy investor wont just read the features in The Wall Street Journal or the articles appearing at The Motley Fool web site, shell read them and then do a bit of research on the company being discussed. The more an investor knows about a potential investment, the easier it is to make the decision whether to invest.
No one can see the future, of course, and there are plenty of companies that look like good investment ideas that wind up falling flat on their proverbial faces. Better investing is not about scrying into a crystal ball; however, it is about using your own powers of discernment to determine which investment is the better choice.
A little luck helps too, of course.
If there were one piece of advice that an investor could ask for, the question would probably be something like What do I need to do to invest better? Better investing choices are sought by investors every day. Some find them and succeed, others do not. The difference clearly lies in better investing, so investors are on the right track. They are, however, asking the wrong questions.
Instead of asking How can I make better investments, they should be asking How can I discern better investment choices? While everyone is looking for that one hot investment tip that will turn them on to the next Microsoft or Wal Mart type of investment, they should be looking into how they can discern those choices for themselves and thus make better investing decisions. All those people who did jump on Microsoft back in the eighties werent just lucky. Some of them were, but some had done their research and were able to realize that they were looking at an opportunity to invest in a company that would revolutionize the fledgling software industry.
Discerning choices for better investing starts with research. The savvy investor wont just read the features in The Wall Street Journal or the articles appearing at The Motley Fool web site, shell read them and then do a bit of research on the company being discussed. The more an investor knows about a potential investment, the easier it is to make the decision whether to invest.
No one can see the future, of course, and there are plenty of companies that look like good investment ideas that wind up falling flat on their proverbial faces. Better investing is not about scrying into a crystal ball; however, it is about using your own powers of discernment to determine which investment is the better choice.
A little luck helps too, of course.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Gold as International Currency of E-Commerce
With the wide use of the Internet the world is becoming a fast paced, international market place. The age of months of travel on the Silk Road has become obsolete and along with it perhaps the 100s of countries currency.
The Euro was invented in the spirit of more efficient trade and has succeeded in making it easier for merchants within Europe to negotiate and sell to one another. What is to stop the gradual progression to a single world currency? Well the Euro and the Dollar are all examples of top down currencies that are controlled tightly by the issuing government. There is another currency that has been around longer then all the current governments and is just beginning to awaken from a 40-year nap.
Various places such as; GoldMoney and E-Gold issue digital gold. These are examples of a bottom up currency. What is interesting about basing money out of gold is the fact that it isnt new. It is, in fact, the oldest form of money and up until fairly recently (1972) most of the worlds currencies could be exchanged directly into gold.
It is still early in its development, but I think that for more and more people, a day will come when they will order a product like our voice changing software MorphVOX, from anywhere in the world and pay for it in grams of gold. No longer will they have to worrying about the number dollars that convert into their local money on that given day.
Perhaps it is peoples growing distrust that the government has not been a good custodian of a citizens national money, or it is the convenience of the internationally recognize value of gold, but whatever it is the use of digital gold on the internet seems to be growing.
With the wide use of the Internet the world is becoming a fast paced, international market place. The age of months of travel on the Silk Road has become obsolete and along with it perhaps the 100s of countries currency.
The Euro was invented in the spirit of more efficient trade and has succeeded in making it easier for merchants within Europe to negotiate and sell to one another. What is to stop the gradual progression to a single world currency? Well the Euro and the Dollar are all examples of top down currencies that are controlled tightly by the issuing government. There is another currency that has been around longer then all the current governments and is just beginning to awaken from a 40-year nap.
Various places such as; GoldMoney and E-Gold issue digital gold. These are examples of a bottom up currency. What is interesting about basing money out of gold is the fact that it isnt new. It is, in fact, the oldest form of money and up until fairly recently (1972) most of the worlds currencies could be exchanged directly into gold.
It is still early in its development, but I think that for more and more people, a day will come when they will order a product like our voice changing software MorphVOX, from anywhere in the world and pay for it in grams of gold. No longer will they have to worrying about the number dollars that convert into their local money on that given day.
Perhaps it is peoples growing distrust that the government has not been a good custodian of a citizens national money, or it is the convenience of the internationally recognize value of gold, but whatever it is the use of digital gold on the internet seems to be growing.
Casino Games - Slots
Nothing conjures the mental image of a casino quite like the slot machine. The one-armed bandit is the first love for experienced gamblers and newcomers alike. What many experienced gambling fans already know, newcomers often learn the hard way; all slot machines are not created equal.
Nickel slots are by far the most inexpensive way for a newcomer to learn the ropes of casino slot machine gambling. Many of the features are the same, and there are tricks and techniques the seasoned gambling aficionado uses to increase fun and, yes, payoffs. Nickel slots may offer lower payouts, but there is still nothing like the thrill of hitting the jackpot, no matter what machines your casino offers.
Casinos feature just about everything; single coin machines, dollar, and progressive slots. The single coin machines are just what their name implies; you are gambling one nickel, quarter, or dollar coin. The dollar slots have a feature where you can play either one coin or more until you reach the maximum bet. (Some dollar slots take up to six quarters, sometimes even more to reach the max). These slots usually have higher payouts depending on how many coins you play. Those used to gambling that maximum amount usually get the best jackpots.
Progressive slots are another type altogether. This is a machine that increases its big jackpot depending on how much gambling money has been inserted into the machine up to that point. Some progressive slots are tied to other machines, while others are standalone. Smart players check the readouts on progressive slots until they find the machine with the highest payout. Be sure to double-check the casino guidelines on each machine, as the big money usually doesnt come unless you bet the maximum.
No matter which machines you prefer; take your time, read the instructions and stick with your spending limits. If you maintain financial control, you will have quite a bit of fun. In fact, youll have a blast!
Nothing conjures the mental image of a casino quite like the slot machine. The one-armed bandit is the first love for experienced gamblers and newcomers alike. What many experienced gambling fans already know, newcomers often learn the hard way; all slot machines are not created equal.
Nickel slots are by far the most inexpensive way for a newcomer to learn the ropes of casino slot machine gambling. Many of the features are the same, and there are tricks and techniques the seasoned gambling aficionado uses to increase fun and, yes, payoffs. Nickel slots may offer lower payouts, but there is still nothing like the thrill of hitting the jackpot, no matter what machines your casino offers.
Casinos feature just about everything; single coin machines, dollar, and progressive slots. The single coin machines are just what their name implies; you are gambling one nickel, quarter, or dollar coin. The dollar slots have a feature where you can play either one coin or more until you reach the maximum bet. (Some dollar slots take up to six quarters, sometimes even more to reach the max). These slots usually have higher payouts depending on how many coins you play. Those used to gambling that maximum amount usually get the best jackpots.
Progressive slots are another type altogether. This is a machine that increases its big jackpot depending on how much gambling money has been inserted into the machine up to that point. Some progressive slots are tied to other machines, while others are standalone. Smart players check the readouts on progressive slots until they find the machine with the highest payout. Be sure to double-check the casino guidelines on each machine, as the big money usually doesnt come unless you bet the maximum.
No matter which machines you prefer; take your time, read the instructions and stick with your spending limits. If you maintain financial control, you will have quite a bit of fun. In fact, youll have a blast!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Live Like You Were Made for Gold
I heard someone make the comment: you are settling for brass when you are made for gold. What an analogy! I began thinking of my life when do I settle for things? It may look good and be almost like the real thing, but it is not the best.
Brass is defined in the dictionary as: an alloy of copper and zinc. An alloy is a mixture or a combining of two substances where something has been added to lower the purity. Although brass can be shiny and durable, it is not gold.
On the other hand, gold is an element that is corrosion-resistant and the most malleable and ductile metal. Gold is a good thermal and electrical conductor and it is used as an international monetary standard. We use phrases like gold standard and they have a heart of gold to denote great value and purity.
In the course of living your life are you corrosion resistant? What little things have crept into your life and eaten away at your uniqueness, attitude, values, and perspective?
Oftentimes, I find that brass can be very enticing in my life. It seems good, but not great. Better but not best. Sometimes brass is quick and easy, when gold would mean waiting and struggling. When I make gold the standard, I find that I dont settle or accept the crumbs. For me, when I have gold in my life, there is a rightness that exists.
What about you, is gold your standard? In what ways do you settle in your life? Career? Relationships? How would your life be different if you lived everyday believing you were created for gold?
I heard someone make the comment: you are settling for brass when you are made for gold. What an analogy! I began thinking of my life when do I settle for things? It may look good and be almost like the real thing, but it is not the best.
Brass is defined in the dictionary as: an alloy of copper and zinc. An alloy is a mixture or a combining of two substances where something has been added to lower the purity. Although brass can be shiny and durable, it is not gold.
On the other hand, gold is an element that is corrosion-resistant and the most malleable and ductile metal. Gold is a good thermal and electrical conductor and it is used as an international monetary standard. We use phrases like gold standard and they have a heart of gold to denote great value and purity.
In the course of living your life are you corrosion resistant? What little things have crept into your life and eaten away at your uniqueness, attitude, values, and perspective?
Oftentimes, I find that brass can be very enticing in my life. It seems good, but not great. Better but not best. Sometimes brass is quick and easy, when gold would mean waiting and struggling. When I make gold the standard, I find that I dont settle or accept the crumbs. For me, when I have gold in my life, there is a rightness that exists.
What about you, is gold your standard? In what ways do you settle in your life? Career? Relationships? How would your life be different if you lived everyday believing you were created for gold?
The Role Of Gold Bullion Coins In Your Portfolio
Are Gold Bullion Coins Worth It?
Today's world offers investors plenty of avenues for their money. Which ones are worth it and which ones just bring unnecessary risks with very low chances of profit?
Many people have turned to buying gold bullion in order to improve their financial situations. We know gold has been around ever since man first started living in a society. Gold has grown together with mankind, or vice-versa, depending on how you want to look at it. Lets have a look at the process of investing in gold bullion coins and at some of the factors related to such a financial placement.
What Are Gold Bullion Coins?
A gold bullion coin contains one ounce of pure gold. The quality or origin of the gold may differ, however, so make sure to only acquire gold bullions from respected companies that have dozens of years of tradition and trust. Here are some of the most popular and trustworthy gold bullion coins: the American Gold Eagle, the Australian Nugget, and the South African Krugerrand.
Buy Gold Bullions! Here Is The First Reason Why
Listed gold bullion coins are internationally renown and recognized. When compared to gold bars, coins are much more versatile. You can travel to any part of the world and find a gold dealer who will exchange your bullion coins. Bars take longer to sell, as they need to be cleared and checked for accuracy and authenticity. Also gold coins are a lot easier to carry and store in a safe place. This feature becomes especially useful if you are storing gold inside your own home.
Gold Bullion Coins Are Easily Divisible
This option may not seem important at first, but it becomes really useful in some situations. If you just want to sell a small part of your gold reserve you can always just select a few coins, as compared to gold bars, which can only be sold whole. This increases the versatility of your gold reserve, as you will never have to worry about selling it all at once. You can also benefit from market forces. If the price of gold suddenly skyrockets you can sell a quarter or half of your bullion coins and still keep a safe quantity of the precious metal.
Gold Bullions Are Safe
I have saved the best for last. There is no more persuasive factor than the security offered by an investment. You can try to go with mutual funds, real estate investments, or overseas placement, but gold bullion remains one of the safest alternatives for your cash.
If you are looking for spectacular investments and immediate profits, maybe gold bullion coins are not the answer for you. On the other hand, if you are trying to establish an investment that offers equilibrium and security, gold coins should be right on top of your list! They are probably the best method you can choose in order to protect your wealth in the unfortunate case of an international economic collapse.
International financial problems are often brutally reflected in our everyday economy. Gold coins are almost immune to such incidents, as they have been for centuries. Even if many people associate gold bullion with pirate stories or fairytales, the fact is that investing in gold coins can make the difference between a smart and a risky financial position.
Are Gold Bullion Coins Worth It?
Today's world offers investors plenty of avenues for their money. Which ones are worth it and which ones just bring unnecessary risks with very low chances of profit?
Many people have turned to buying gold bullion in order to improve their financial situations. We know gold has been around ever since man first started living in a society. Gold has grown together with mankind, or vice-versa, depending on how you want to look at it. Lets have a look at the process of investing in gold bullion coins and at some of the factors related to such a financial placement.
What Are Gold Bullion Coins?
A gold bullion coin contains one ounce of pure gold. The quality or origin of the gold may differ, however, so make sure to only acquire gold bullions from respected companies that have dozens of years of tradition and trust. Here are some of the most popular and trustworthy gold bullion coins: the American Gold Eagle, the Australian Nugget, and the South African Krugerrand.
Buy Gold Bullions! Here Is The First Reason Why
Listed gold bullion coins are internationally renown and recognized. When compared to gold bars, coins are much more versatile. You can travel to any part of the world and find a gold dealer who will exchange your bullion coins. Bars take longer to sell, as they need to be cleared and checked for accuracy and authenticity. Also gold coins are a lot easier to carry and store in a safe place. This feature becomes especially useful if you are storing gold inside your own home.
Gold Bullion Coins Are Easily Divisible
This option may not seem important at first, but it becomes really useful in some situations. If you just want to sell a small part of your gold reserve you can always just select a few coins, as compared to gold bars, which can only be sold whole. This increases the versatility of your gold reserve, as you will never have to worry about selling it all at once. You can also benefit from market forces. If the price of gold suddenly skyrockets you can sell a quarter or half of your bullion coins and still keep a safe quantity of the precious metal.
Gold Bullions Are Safe
I have saved the best for last. There is no more persuasive factor than the security offered by an investment. You can try to go with mutual funds, real estate investments, or overseas placement, but gold bullion remains one of the safest alternatives for your cash.
If you are looking for spectacular investments and immediate profits, maybe gold bullion coins are not the answer for you. On the other hand, if you are trying to establish an investment that offers equilibrium and security, gold coins should be right on top of your list! They are probably the best method you can choose in order to protect your wealth in the unfortunate case of an international economic collapse.
International financial problems are often brutally reflected in our everyday economy. Gold coins are almost immune to such incidents, as they have been for centuries. Even if many people associate gold bullion with pirate stories or fairytales, the fact is that investing in gold coins can make the difference between a smart and a risky financial position.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 6)
Pre-1933 Gold Outperforms Today's Gold Bullion...
Since 1970, an investment strategy that included Pre-1933 gold has been proven to outperform modern gold bullion, gold bars, Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs, or American Eagles.
In fact, $1,000 invested in common date, Pre-1933 Gold coins has a market value of $19,595. But, gold bullion would be worth only $7,429.* Clearly, investing in common date gold coins has paid off handsomely.
Truly Rare Coins Bigger Winners- But, Collectors Universe reports that you would have done even better by acquiring investment quality, U.S. Rare Coins back in 1970. The CU3000 would be worth $54,158 and Mint State, Rare Gold would be worth $74,299 today, far outperforming gold or the Dow over the last 30 years.
Pre-1933 Gold Offers the Best Leverage - As you might expect, classic Pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are directly affected by the rising price of gold. When gold goes up, the generic gold coins follow. However, many people don't realize that Pre-1933 gold coins offer substantial leverage to the gold market and advantages over modern gold bullion coins like American Eagles.
Pre-1933 Gold Soared When Gold Was Flat - However, sectors of the U.S. Rare Coin Market and the gold markets dont move in tandem. Generic gold coins soared in value in the early 1970s, in the 1976-1980 Bull Market for coins, and again in the mid-1980s despite the fact that gold prices were relatively flat.
In today's marketplace, gold trades near 20-year lows and generic Pre-1933 gold is also highly undervalued. Both offer investors a good soure of value during a time when high-tech stocks are crashing, the economy is headed for a recession and inflation is rising quickly.
All of these factors have historically put investors in a position of a flight to safety from paper assets into hard assets. When investors suddenly enter the U.S. Rare Coin Market, the demand can quickly overwhelm the limited supply.
Pre-1933 Gold Outperforms Today's Gold Bullion...
Since 1970, an investment strategy that included Pre-1933 gold has been proven to outperform modern gold bullion, gold bars, Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs, or American Eagles.
In fact, $1,000 invested in common date, Pre-1933 Gold coins has a market value of $19,595. But, gold bullion would be worth only $7,429.* Clearly, investing in common date gold coins has paid off handsomely.
Truly Rare Coins Bigger Winners- But, Collectors Universe reports that you would have done even better by acquiring investment quality, U.S. Rare Coins back in 1970. The CU3000 would be worth $54,158 and Mint State, Rare Gold would be worth $74,299 today, far outperforming gold or the Dow over the last 30 years.
Pre-1933 Gold Offers the Best Leverage - As you might expect, classic Pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are directly affected by the rising price of gold. When gold goes up, the generic gold coins follow. However, many people don't realize that Pre-1933 gold coins offer substantial leverage to the gold market and advantages over modern gold bullion coins like American Eagles.
Pre-1933 Gold Soared When Gold Was Flat - However, sectors of the U.S. Rare Coin Market and the gold markets dont move in tandem. Generic gold coins soared in value in the early 1970s, in the 1976-1980 Bull Market for coins, and again in the mid-1980s despite the fact that gold prices were relatively flat.
In today's marketplace, gold trades near 20-year lows and generic Pre-1933 gold is also highly undervalued. Both offer investors a good soure of value during a time when high-tech stocks are crashing, the economy is headed for a recession and inflation is rising quickly.
All of these factors have historically put investors in a position of a flight to safety from paper assets into hard assets. When investors suddenly enter the U.S. Rare Coin Market, the demand can quickly overwhelm the limited supply.
Coin Collecting Throughout the Ages
Coin collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is surprising since the use of coins has been around for pretty much that same amount of time too. Man has always had a fixation for small, round, shiny things. And throughout the ages, coin collectors have always been on the prowl for the oldest, rarest, most attractive coins around.
Numismatics comes from the Greek word nomisma, meaning currency, or coin. It is also related to the study of banknotes, tokens, and other early forms of money.
Coins and other forms of money are issued by governments and other monetary agencies. Billions of these flood the market yearly. But as time goes by, the number of these coins go down. Some get lost and some are damaged beyond recognition.
This goes to show that the older the coin, the rarer it must be. And for coin collectors, this is prime stuff.
Coin collectors and hobbyists number millions around the world. This hobby is taken so seriously that there are even professional dealers and investors who ply their trade in this fashion.
The lure of coins lies in its power to draw people into the era it belonged to. These coins show many aspects of everyday life during those times. By examining a coin, one comes to know the geography, philosophy, sociology, artistry and other aspects of the culture they existed in.
Ancient kings (and even todays leaders) had a telling habit of having their faces imprinted on their currency. Some historians have been able to put together clues regarding the ancient civilizations using these coins. Sometimes, coins would tell of a leader or prominent figure that would have been forgotten by time if it were not for these coins.
Hobbyists usually start collecting coins from their own locality. This makes sense because they are the easiest to collect. These hobbyists then expand their collection to coins from increasingly farther and earlier origins.
Coin collectors regard every single coin as a unique specimen. They take note of the date, the mint marks, and even the abnormalities in its design. Ironically, some of the most expensive coins are those with the strangest abnormalities. This is because this type of coin is hard to come by.
For example, there could be a coin in existence that differs from other coins in its batch. For some unknown reason, it lacks some of the required markings. Such coins are deemed more valuable than the normal coins of its type.
A good number of coin collectors collect coins according to themes. The coins they collect all have a common topic. Some collect coins related to kings and queens. Some collect those related to plants and animals.
The price for a coin is determined by the demand for this coin. Many factors affect this demand. If a coin is rare, chances are, it is in great demand. However, there are some coins that are rare, or exotic, yet the demand for them remains low. If this is the case, then its market value will remain in the low end.
Before purchasing coins, one must do much research about that coin. He must assess its current market value and make sure that the coin is genuine. He should also consider how much he could earn if he resells the coin.
The American Numismatic Association is the largest numismatic organization in the world. It was founded in 1891 and was chartered by the Congress of the United States 21 years later. This group has the largest library of coins available. Collectors would love to visit their headquarters, the World Money Museum, which is one of the largest coin museums in the world.
Another organization, the American Numismatic Society, is the most active and respected nonprofit numismatic publisher in the world. They maintain a museum that contains more than a million objects. They also have a library that has one of the most comprehensive in coin collecting knowledge.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a serious collector, coin collecting will always bring a sense of fulfillment and history to your life. It is never too late to start collecting today. You cant lose! Your collection can only grow in value as the time passes by!
Coin collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is surprising since the use of coins has been around for pretty much that same amount of time too. Man has always had a fixation for small, round, shiny things. And throughout the ages, coin collectors have always been on the prowl for the oldest, rarest, most attractive coins around.
Numismatics comes from the Greek word nomisma, meaning currency, or coin. It is also related to the study of banknotes, tokens, and other early forms of money.
Coins and other forms of money are issued by governments and other monetary agencies. Billions of these flood the market yearly. But as time goes by, the number of these coins go down. Some get lost and some are damaged beyond recognition.
This goes to show that the older the coin, the rarer it must be. And for coin collectors, this is prime stuff.
Coin collectors and hobbyists number millions around the world. This hobby is taken so seriously that there are even professional dealers and investors who ply their trade in this fashion.
The lure of coins lies in its power to draw people into the era it belonged to. These coins show many aspects of everyday life during those times. By examining a coin, one comes to know the geography, philosophy, sociology, artistry and other aspects of the culture they existed in.
Ancient kings (and even todays leaders) had a telling habit of having their faces imprinted on their currency. Some historians have been able to put together clues regarding the ancient civilizations using these coins. Sometimes, coins would tell of a leader or prominent figure that would have been forgotten by time if it were not for these coins.
Hobbyists usually start collecting coins from their own locality. This makes sense because they are the easiest to collect. These hobbyists then expand their collection to coins from increasingly farther and earlier origins.
Coin collectors regard every single coin as a unique specimen. They take note of the date, the mint marks, and even the abnormalities in its design. Ironically, some of the most expensive coins are those with the strangest abnormalities. This is because this type of coin is hard to come by.
For example, there could be a coin in existence that differs from other coins in its batch. For some unknown reason, it lacks some of the required markings. Such coins are deemed more valuable than the normal coins of its type.
A good number of coin collectors collect coins according to themes. The coins they collect all have a common topic. Some collect coins related to kings and queens. Some collect those related to plants and animals.
The price for a coin is determined by the demand for this coin. Many factors affect this demand. If a coin is rare, chances are, it is in great demand. However, there are some coins that are rare, or exotic, yet the demand for them remains low. If this is the case, then its market value will remain in the low end.
Before purchasing coins, one must do much research about that coin. He must assess its current market value and make sure that the coin is genuine. He should also consider how much he could earn if he resells the coin.
The American Numismatic Association is the largest numismatic organization in the world. It was founded in 1891 and was chartered by the Congress of the United States 21 years later. This group has the largest library of coins available. Collectors would love to visit their headquarters, the World Money Museum, which is one of the largest coin museums in the world.
Another organization, the American Numismatic Society, is the most active and respected nonprofit numismatic publisher in the world. They maintain a museum that contains more than a million objects. They also have a library that has one of the most comprehensive in coin collecting knowledge.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a serious collector, coin collecting will always bring a sense of fulfillment and history to your life. It is never too late to start collecting today. You cant lose! Your collection can only grow in value as the time passes by!
Friday, July 13, 2007
May is Gold Month: Important Tips for Capitalizing on Gold Month Promotions
Jewelry retailers across the country are gearing up for May 1, the official start of gold month 2006. Since 2004, jewelers have used May as a platform to reach customers considering purchases for Mothers Day, graduation, first communion, confirmation and the bridal season. In addition to the gift-giving opportunities, the campaign is also designed to inspire self-purchase, encouraging customers to update their spring and summer wardrobe with new styles of gold jewelry.
Retailers should think beyond products when they are considering ways to attract new business during gold month 2006. Because the May is Gold Month event is really still in its infancy, it is important to establish an in-store theme to inform customers of the occasion, and any promotions the store is running in conjunction.
Here are a few tips to consider when preparing to attract new business during gold month this year:
Tell the World: Use retail signs in and outside the jewelry store to advertise gold month to people passing by. If customers are out shopping for a unique gift, they will be more likely to visit your jewelry store if theres a retail sign telling them about your promotion.
Show them What Youve Got: Consider a specialty jewelry display case that showcases a wide array of items featured for gold month. A special display case will be beneficial well beyond a gold month promotion. It will allow your store to highlight hand picked products for special events throughout the year.
Send the Message Home: Reinforce the gold month theme by using all gold colored jewelry packaging in the month of May. Consider custom printed jewelry boxes, shopping bags and gift bags, as well as the packaging extras like ribbons and bows to keep your store and gold month fresh in the customers mind.
May is Gold Month is your opportunity to set your company aside and capitalize on a customer base that is ready to buy. Be at your best by creating an environment that brings them in and keeps them coming back throughout the year. For additional inspiring ideas and products for your jewelry store, visit
www.nu-era.com.
Jewelry retailers across the country are gearing up for May 1, the official start of gold month 2006. Since 2004, jewelers have used May as a platform to reach customers considering purchases for Mothers Day, graduation, first communion, confirmation and the bridal season. In addition to the gift-giving opportunities, the campaign is also designed to inspire self-purchase, encouraging customers to update their spring and summer wardrobe with new styles of gold jewelry.
Retailers should think beyond products when they are considering ways to attract new business during gold month 2006. Because the May is Gold Month event is really still in its infancy, it is important to establish an in-store theme to inform customers of the occasion, and any promotions the store is running in conjunction.
Here are a few tips to consider when preparing to attract new business during gold month this year:
Tell the World: Use retail signs in and outside the jewelry store to advertise gold month to people passing by. If customers are out shopping for a unique gift, they will be more likely to visit your jewelry store if theres a retail sign telling them about your promotion.
Show them What Youve Got: Consider a specialty jewelry display case that showcases a wide array of items featured for gold month. A special display case will be beneficial well beyond a gold month promotion. It will allow your store to highlight hand picked products for special events throughout the year.
Send the Message Home: Reinforce the gold month theme by using all gold colored jewelry packaging in the month of May. Consider custom printed jewelry boxes, shopping bags and gift bags, as well as the packaging extras like ribbons and bows to keep your store and gold month fresh in the customers mind.
May is Gold Month is your opportunity to set your company aside and capitalize on a customer base that is ready to buy. Be at your best by creating an environment that brings them in and keeps them coming back throughout the year. For additional inspiring ideas and products for your jewelry store, visit
www.nu-era.com.
Gold Jewelry: The Ultimate Adornment For Style, Beauty And Class
Gold jewelry can never go out of style. It can look good on almost everyone. It is the ultimate amalgamation of classic beauty, wealth and style.
The value of gold jewelry depends not only upon the style or the designer who has designed it, but most importantly it is dependent upon the quality of gold used to make the gold jewelry. The quality of gold in the gold jewelry is determined by its percentage or by the karat. The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewelry. The various karat numbers are 24K, 18K, 14K, 12K and 10K - 24K is pure gold.
Gold jewelry is also available in various forms. In some cases it is plated with gold, in some it is filled with gold and in some others the gold jewelry is made of pure gold. Gold by itself is very soft and isn't practical for daily wear which is why it has to be mixed with other additional metals to give it tensile strength such that it can be molded into various designs. Other metals are mixed with it to make it more durable (and to lower its cost).
Adding other metals to the mix also allows metallurgists to change the color of gold. Palladium or nickel can be added to create white gold. Adding copper produces a rose or pink tint, while silver gives gold a greenish cast. If you want jewelry which can be worn regularly then it is wise to get it made out of solid gold (Solid gold is a term that can be used to describe an item that's at least 10K (in the US) gold all the way through. Even though it's a gold alloy--18K, 14K, or anything down to 10K--it can be called solid gold.).
Gold has in a way always stood as a symbol for wealth, prestige and power. Through times immemorial gold jewelry has been the ultimate ornamentation for kings, queens and noblemen. At one point of time, gold jewelry was also seen as a status symbol and was not meant for the common man. It still is looked upon as a status symbol since not every one can afford gold jewelry. However because of the numerous forms in which gold jewelry is available to day (such as plated gold, gold filled, gold coated jewelry or gold jewelry of a lower karat), it can now be easily bought by anyone.
Gold jewelry does not entail very big or intricate designs, it can even be quite small simple and delicate. How so ever a piece of jewelry maybe, it immediately stands out. There is a timeless classic appeal surrounding it which can never go out of fashion. Gold jewelry is not only something which you can buy for yourself or as a gift to someone you love; you can also buy gold jewelry to keep as an asset. The value of gold jewelry does not depreciate, it only appreciates with time. It can prove to be a very valuable investment.
Gold jewelry is the timeless classic statement of personal style, beauty and sophisticated elegance.
Gold jewelry can never go out of style. It can look good on almost everyone. It is the ultimate amalgamation of classic beauty, wealth and style.
The value of gold jewelry depends not only upon the style or the designer who has designed it, but most importantly it is dependent upon the quality of gold used to make the gold jewelry. The quality of gold in the gold jewelry is determined by its percentage or by the karat. The higher the karat number, the higher the percentage of gold in your gold jewelry. The various karat numbers are 24K, 18K, 14K, 12K and 10K - 24K is pure gold.
Gold jewelry is also available in various forms. In some cases it is plated with gold, in some it is filled with gold and in some others the gold jewelry is made of pure gold. Gold by itself is very soft and isn't practical for daily wear which is why it has to be mixed with other additional metals to give it tensile strength such that it can be molded into various designs. Other metals are mixed with it to make it more durable (and to lower its cost).
Adding other metals to the mix also allows metallurgists to change the color of gold. Palladium or nickel can be added to create white gold. Adding copper produces a rose or pink tint, while silver gives gold a greenish cast. If you want jewelry which can be worn regularly then it is wise to get it made out of solid gold (Solid gold is a term that can be used to describe an item that's at least 10K (in the US) gold all the way through. Even though it's a gold alloy--18K, 14K, or anything down to 10K--it can be called solid gold.).
Gold has in a way always stood as a symbol for wealth, prestige and power. Through times immemorial gold jewelry has been the ultimate ornamentation for kings, queens and noblemen. At one point of time, gold jewelry was also seen as a status symbol and was not meant for the common man. It still is looked upon as a status symbol since not every one can afford gold jewelry. However because of the numerous forms in which gold jewelry is available to day (such as plated gold, gold filled, gold coated jewelry or gold jewelry of a lower karat), it can now be easily bought by anyone.
Gold jewelry does not entail very big or intricate designs, it can even be quite small simple and delicate. How so ever a piece of jewelry maybe, it immediately stands out. There is a timeless classic appeal surrounding it which can never go out of fashion. Gold jewelry is not only something which you can buy for yourself or as a gift to someone you love; you can also buy gold jewelry to keep as an asset. The value of gold jewelry does not depreciate, it only appreciates with time. It can prove to be a very valuable investment.
Gold jewelry is the timeless classic statement of personal style, beauty and sophisticated elegance.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
E-gold Invest: Make Money With Currency Trading
Many people are already starting to pay attention to the newest online trend: E-gold investing.
E-gold investing is a all about a system that allows you to profit from the money that is being traded everyday on the internet. What you're doing when you are trading e-gold (or e-currencies) is that you are providing the backup for internet money. Let me go back a bit. What exactly do I mean by "backup for internet money"?
There is a cashflow of all of the money that is being moved throughout the internet every day. However, this money has to have, for every dollar that is being backed up, a physical backup of that dollar must exist.
This is a very superficial explanation about how the dxgold system works, but to be honest, to profit from it, you don't have to understand exactly how it works to profit from it. If I were to put the e-gold training courses into a metaphor I would say it's very much like driving a car. You don't need to know how it works in order to use it properly.
What you do need to know is the egold exchange process and every step of the way. This may sound complex, but once you get to know it, it becomes a daily routine that takes about five minutes just to check up on.
Investing in e-gold is something that I could describe as a great investing strategy, if you are investing in the long run.
It isn't as fast as a rising stock in wall street, it isn't something that will double your profits in a couple of days, but it is something you can expect to generate a good income from. And the important keyword in that past sentence would be to Expect, because this is a safe long term strategy that is guaranteed to make a profit for you.
This is why I personally think it is plain silly not to learn this currency trading system. You even know how much money you will make each day in advance.
For some it may be tough, but saving a couple of hundred dollars and investing in e-gold can be a very wise decision. As many people have experienced already, it can even turn into a "hands off" second income without the 8 to 5 job.
E-gold is all about discipline. Is about the discipline of having your money work for you and letting it grow, without getting an urge of a shopping spree and taking your money out of your account.
If you think you can wait for a few months and are interested in getting a second income, then the e-gold system could be a good fit for you.
Many people are already starting to pay attention to the newest online trend: E-gold investing.
E-gold investing is a all about a system that allows you to profit from the money that is being traded everyday on the internet. What you're doing when you are trading e-gold (or e-currencies) is that you are providing the backup for internet money. Let me go back a bit. What exactly do I mean by "backup for internet money"?
There is a cashflow of all of the money that is being moved throughout the internet every day. However, this money has to have, for every dollar that is being backed up, a physical backup of that dollar must exist.
This is a very superficial explanation about how the dxgold system works, but to be honest, to profit from it, you don't have to understand exactly how it works to profit from it. If I were to put the e-gold training courses into a metaphor I would say it's very much like driving a car. You don't need to know how it works in order to use it properly.
What you do need to know is the egold exchange process and every step of the way. This may sound complex, but once you get to know it, it becomes a daily routine that takes about five minutes just to check up on.
Investing in e-gold is something that I could describe as a great investing strategy, if you are investing in the long run.
It isn't as fast as a rising stock in wall street, it isn't something that will double your profits in a couple of days, but it is something you can expect to generate a good income from. And the important keyword in that past sentence would be to Expect, because this is a safe long term strategy that is guaranteed to make a profit for you.
This is why I personally think it is plain silly not to learn this currency trading system. You even know how much money you will make each day in advance.
For some it may be tough, but saving a couple of hundred dollars and investing in e-gold can be a very wise decision. As many people have experienced already, it can even turn into a "hands off" second income without the 8 to 5 job.
E-gold is all about discipline. Is about the discipline of having your money work for you and letting it grow, without getting an urge of a shopping spree and taking your money out of your account.
If you think you can wait for a few months and are interested in getting a second income, then the e-gold system could be a good fit for you.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
All Coin Dealers are Not Created Equal
How to Select a Coin Dealer for Your Coin Collection
Why do I Need a Coin Dealer?
It is very difficult to build a collection of rare coins without a connection to a good coin dealer. If you are an investor hoping to make a profit with your collection of rare coins, building relationships with good coin dealers is vital to your success. If you are interested in making the highest profits possible with your coin collection, you will need to find a merchant partner who is experienced in the specific rare coins that interest you, and who will sell them to you at a good price. Most coin dealers will charge a lower premium on the sale of coins to their best customers. After all, it makes good business sense to get the most profit possible from a person who will do business with you only once. If you have a long-term relationship, however, the margin does not need to be as high for the coin dealer to make a good profit.
Because coin dealers are experts in their chosen fields, they will also have better connections than individuals who buy coins on their own will. Finding the right vendor or wholesaler can be a long and difficult task for someone new to the coin collecting trade. Coin dealers will also be more likely to recognize a counterfeit coin, have a higher chance of hearing about the sale of the specific rare coins that interest you, and will recognize an asking price that is over- or undervalued. As an investor, these are all critically important points for your success.
Building a long-term relationship with a knowledgeable coin dealer is the best way to protect the money that you invest into rare coins. All too often, new coin collectors who try to go it on their own without professional help end up being scammed out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
What Do I Look For in a Coin Dealer?
All coin dealers are not created equal, and it is nearly impossible to specialize in every area when it comes to collecting rare coins. Therefore, it's important to know what to look for before you select a professional for your coin collecting needs.
The first vital piece of information that you'll need when considering coin dealers is his or her professional qualifications. Some important questions to ask include, does the coin dealer belong to any professional groups? How long has he or she been in business? Can the coin merchant provide references from other satisfied customers? One of the best indications that a vendor has a high level of professionalism is a membership in the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). This group includes the most reputable coin dealers in the business thanks to an emphasis on ethics.
The second most important question to put to a prospective coin dealer is the area in which he or she specializes. There are so many different kinds of rare coins to collect, ranging from gold bullion coins to ancient Roman coins, that it is impossible to be a true expert in all of them. You'll want to find a merchant that specializes in the particular area that is of interest to you. A trader might be able to recognize every rare American coin at a glance, but that won't do you a lot of good if you really want to collect legal tender from medieval times.
Finally, you should consider the motivation of the coin dealers you are considering. A highly motivated coin merchant will go to shows and retailer auctions, keep abreast of current prices and trends, and will generally keep up-to-date with the current coin market. Any investor will recognize the impact of current information on profit levels. A coin trader who is highly motivated will also be more likely to provide you with excellent service and the best rare coins.
Once you have selected a coin dealer, it is important to reward him or her with your loyalty. You are likely to get the best prices and service from coin dealers who know that you are working exclusively with them.
How to Select a Coin Dealer for Your Coin Collection
Why do I Need a Coin Dealer?
It is very difficult to build a collection of rare coins without a connection to a good coin dealer. If you are an investor hoping to make a profit with your collection of rare coins, building relationships with good coin dealers is vital to your success. If you are interested in making the highest profits possible with your coin collection, you will need to find a merchant partner who is experienced in the specific rare coins that interest you, and who will sell them to you at a good price. Most coin dealers will charge a lower premium on the sale of coins to their best customers. After all, it makes good business sense to get the most profit possible from a person who will do business with you only once. If you have a long-term relationship, however, the margin does not need to be as high for the coin dealer to make a good profit.
Because coin dealers are experts in their chosen fields, they will also have better connections than individuals who buy coins on their own will. Finding the right vendor or wholesaler can be a long and difficult task for someone new to the coin collecting trade. Coin dealers will also be more likely to recognize a counterfeit coin, have a higher chance of hearing about the sale of the specific rare coins that interest you, and will recognize an asking price that is over- or undervalued. As an investor, these are all critically important points for your success.
Building a long-term relationship with a knowledgeable coin dealer is the best way to protect the money that you invest into rare coins. All too often, new coin collectors who try to go it on their own without professional help end up being scammed out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
What Do I Look For in a Coin Dealer?
All coin dealers are not created equal, and it is nearly impossible to specialize in every area when it comes to collecting rare coins. Therefore, it's important to know what to look for before you select a professional for your coin collecting needs.
The first vital piece of information that you'll need when considering coin dealers is his or her professional qualifications. Some important questions to ask include, does the coin dealer belong to any professional groups? How long has he or she been in business? Can the coin merchant provide references from other satisfied customers? One of the best indications that a vendor has a high level of professionalism is a membership in the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). This group includes the most reputable coin dealers in the business thanks to an emphasis on ethics.
The second most important question to put to a prospective coin dealer is the area in which he or she specializes. There are so many different kinds of rare coins to collect, ranging from gold bullion coins to ancient Roman coins, that it is impossible to be a true expert in all of them. You'll want to find a merchant that specializes in the particular area that is of interest to you. A trader might be able to recognize every rare American coin at a glance, but that won't do you a lot of good if you really want to collect legal tender from medieval times.
Finally, you should consider the motivation of the coin dealers you are considering. A highly motivated coin merchant will go to shows and retailer auctions, keep abreast of current prices and trends, and will generally keep up-to-date with the current coin market. Any investor will recognize the impact of current information on profit levels. A coin trader who is highly motivated will also be more likely to provide you with excellent service and the best rare coins.
Once you have selected a coin dealer, it is important to reward him or her with your loyalty. You are likely to get the best prices and service from coin dealers who know that you are working exclusively with them.
Jewelry Buying Guide
The next time you go out shopping for a nice piece of jewelry you may wish to consult a jewelry guide. This article will list some quick and simple things to keep in mind when purchasing jewelry but its best to thoroughly do your research on a specific kind of jewelry you intend to purchase.
Precious metals are commonly sold in jewelry. You've got gold, silver, platinum, copper and even titanium. When purchasing gold or silver be sure to ask what carat it is. Gold is a soft metal and mixed with other types of metals like copper and silver to make it harder. The usual carat amounts for gold are, 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20kt. Ten carat gold is cheaper than twenty carat, but the higher carats will be softer and your jewelry can be easily damaged. Some gold chains are only gold plated and you'll want to clarify what you are getting before you buy.
When out buying precious or semi precious stones take your time to find out if you are getting the right thing for the right price. Diamonds are priced based on a system of grades involving, color, cut, clarity, and carat. You may be getting a really large carat diamond for a good price, but it may not have good clarity. Clarity is determined based on how many flaws can be seen in the diamond. A diamond with more flaws is less valuable and can even break easily.
There are other important guidelines you should look up for each type of jewelry and the materials it is made of before you buy. For example, it can be very important to make sure your ring can be altered in sized down the road because you may gain or lose weight.
The next time you go out shopping for a nice piece of jewelry you may wish to consult a jewelry guide. This article will list some quick and simple things to keep in mind when purchasing jewelry but its best to thoroughly do your research on a specific kind of jewelry you intend to purchase.
Precious metals are commonly sold in jewelry. You've got gold, silver, platinum, copper and even titanium. When purchasing gold or silver be sure to ask what carat it is. Gold is a soft metal and mixed with other types of metals like copper and silver to make it harder. The usual carat amounts for gold are, 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20kt. Ten carat gold is cheaper than twenty carat, but the higher carats will be softer and your jewelry can be easily damaged. Some gold chains are only gold plated and you'll want to clarify what you are getting before you buy.
When out buying precious or semi precious stones take your time to find out if you are getting the right thing for the right price. Diamonds are priced based on a system of grades involving, color, cut, clarity, and carat. You may be getting a really large carat diamond for a good price, but it may not have good clarity. Clarity is determined based on how many flaws can be seen in the diamond. A diamond with more flaws is less valuable and can even break easily.
There are other important guidelines you should look up for each type of jewelry and the materials it is made of before you buy. For example, it can be very important to make sure your ring can be altered in sized down the road because you may gain or lose weight.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
World Coin Collecting
While some collectors look for only coins of value, misprints, and oddities, the resulting collections tend to become an investment hidden away in a safe or an attic.
The world coin collector is more a person who is interesting in building an intriguing collection based more on geography, gathering coins from every country, or from each mint. The focus is more on creating a structured set and can be geared toward many different interests, ie. Animal coins of Europe, Silver coins of the world, North American coins sorted by year, ect The point is to create a show piece collection rather then just for monitary value.
Collecting world coins is a great starting point for children due to many inexpensive currencies. They can be found in penny jars, at banks, coin/jewelry shops, or just walking down the street.
If you do any world traveling, visit a local bank and get a set of local coins at face value. When friends and reletive travel, let them know you are collecting, and that you will buy any coins they bring back, or that they make a great inexpensive souvinier.
Many hobby shops carry display cases to pretect and show off your collection, and specific collector cases such as for the new US quarters, and yearly pennies, nickles and dimes can sometime be found at your local Target or Walmart.
A good way to find more information and meet other collectors is simply searching the net for collecting forums and blogs, try the world coin collecting blog, or stop by Ebay and see whats up for auction--ebay.
While some collectors look for only coins of value, misprints, and oddities, the resulting collections tend to become an investment hidden away in a safe or an attic.
The world coin collector is more a person who is interesting in building an intriguing collection based more on geography, gathering coins from every country, or from each mint. The focus is more on creating a structured set and can be geared toward many different interests, ie. Animal coins of Europe, Silver coins of the world, North American coins sorted by year, ect The point is to create a show piece collection rather then just for monitary value.
Collecting world coins is a great starting point for children due to many inexpensive currencies. They can be found in penny jars, at banks, coin/jewelry shops, or just walking down the street.
If you do any world traveling, visit a local bank and get a set of local coins at face value. When friends and reletive travel, let them know you are collecting, and that you will buy any coins they bring back, or that they make a great inexpensive souvinier.
Many hobby shops carry display cases to pretect and show off your collection, and specific collector cases such as for the new US quarters, and yearly pennies, nickles and dimes can sometime be found at your local Target or Walmart.
A good way to find more information and meet other collectors is simply searching the net for collecting forums and blogs, try the world coin collecting blog, or stop by Ebay and see whats up for auction--ebay.
investing advice
Some of the soundest investing advice ever given to me came from my father. One day, when I had just gotten my very first salary, he took me aside, looked deep into my eyes and told me in gravelly tones, “Son, never spend more than you earn.” At that time I was flush with the joy of having earned my first salary and his statement never made any sense to me. But later on, when life had run its course with me, I realized that it was the best investing advice I ever had.
Those simple words with all their seeming simplicity couched within them the essence of what man has been trying so hard to figure out. Investing advice it seems is not all that difficult as it is made out to be. Nor is it rocket science, understandable by some of the finest and most erudite brains of our era. Effective investing advice is really as simple as don’t ever spend more than you can earn!
This point was driven home once again when I went to my son’s parents teachers meeting. I reached there a little early and happened to witness a class on investing advice for kids. I stopped by to watch, fascinated that kids nowadays had such concepts explained to them at such an early age. And I stood wonderstruck as the instructor delivered her final punch. That’s right! It was the same phrase dad had told me all those years ago. Professing her bit of investing advice the instructor told the little wonders never to spend more than they earned.
You might not think this is great investing advice. But think again. How many of us make the mistake of spending more than we earn? Before you get all self righteous and answer me, tell me if you have a credit card. There you go. Now, can you confidently say that you have never overspent? That you have always paid your credit card bills the very next month? That you never buy anything on credit? Come on now. If that is really you, you need to be the one doling out investing advice!
All of us know a great deal about sound investing advice, but most of us just refuse to follow it in our daily lives. But that needs to change. There is no point in knowing the theory without applying it in practice. After all, sound investing advice is not meant to be something that you can merely pass on like a family heirloom. In order for it to be effective, your heirs would much rather appreciate the money that accrued from the investing advice!
Some of the soundest investing advice ever given to me came from my father. One day, when I had just gotten my very first salary, he took me aside, looked deep into my eyes and told me in gravelly tones, “Son, never spend more than you earn.” At that time I was flush with the joy of having earned my first salary and his statement never made any sense to me. But later on, when life had run its course with me, I realized that it was the best investing advice I ever had.
Those simple words with all their seeming simplicity couched within them the essence of what man has been trying so hard to figure out. Investing advice it seems is not all that difficult as it is made out to be. Nor is it rocket science, understandable by some of the finest and most erudite brains of our era. Effective investing advice is really as simple as don’t ever spend more than you can earn!
This point was driven home once again when I went to my son’s parents teachers meeting. I reached there a little early and happened to witness a class on investing advice for kids. I stopped by to watch, fascinated that kids nowadays had such concepts explained to them at such an early age. And I stood wonderstruck as the instructor delivered her final punch. That’s right! It was the same phrase dad had told me all those years ago. Professing her bit of investing advice the instructor told the little wonders never to spend more than they earned.
You might not think this is great investing advice. But think again. How many of us make the mistake of spending more than we earn? Before you get all self righteous and answer me, tell me if you have a credit card. There you go. Now, can you confidently say that you have never overspent? That you have always paid your credit card bills the very next month? That you never buy anything on credit? Come on now. If that is really you, you need to be the one doling out investing advice!
All of us know a great deal about sound investing advice, but most of us just refuse to follow it in our daily lives. But that needs to change. There is no point in knowing the theory without applying it in practice. After all, sound investing advice is not meant to be something that you can merely pass on like a family heirloom. In order for it to be effective, your heirs would much rather appreciate the money that accrued from the investing advice!
Monday, July 9, 2007
E-Gold and E-Currency Exchangers
All HYIPs use e-gold for their transactions and inorder to invest in any HYIP investment program, you'll need to have an e-gold account. If you don't have one already then get one now by clicking here.
After registering for an e-gold account, you'll need to fund that your account. e-gold cannot be funded directly, it has to be through an e-currency exchanger. There are lots of e-currency exchange companines on the Internet but the one I use is FriendlyPay. Once you open that account, you'll also open an EMO account if you wish to use your credit card to fund your e-gold account. EMO can also be useful if you intend to send Electronic Money Orders (EMO). Once you've opened these accounts, you'll be able to start funding your e-gold account and start investing immediately. However, you'll need to be verified by EMO before you can begin any transaction. Its easy and simple and will only take about 10 minutes to open all accounts successfully.
If there are any questions you have about either e-gold, FriendlyPay or EMO, you'll need to first of all read the FAQs for these programs and also, most importantly, read their terms before contacting support.
As a word of advice, always endeavour to read through the FAQs and terms of any program you intend to join so as to enable you understand the workings of such a program. This is one of the reasons why a lot of people call investment risky because they never bother to read through these vital and important information.
Go ahead and open your e-gold, FriendlyPay and EMO accounts NOW then read all you can about each of them from their FAQs and terms. If you don't find an answer to any question, then you can use the contact us link to contact support and you'll definitely get a timely response.
Remember HYIP investment programs are full of scam and hype. You would loose money if you don't bother to find out how HYIPs operate. Finding out how HYIPs operate will make you an enlightened, literate and confident investor. Follow these instructions and you'll sure attain financial freedom soon enough.
Now get ready to start opening investment accounts from tomorrow.
All HYIPs use e-gold for their transactions and inorder to invest in any HYIP investment program, you'll need to have an e-gold account. If you don't have one already then get one now by clicking here.
After registering for an e-gold account, you'll need to fund that your account. e-gold cannot be funded directly, it has to be through an e-currency exchanger. There are lots of e-currency exchange companines on the Internet but the one I use is FriendlyPay. Once you open that account, you'll also open an EMO account if you wish to use your credit card to fund your e-gold account. EMO can also be useful if you intend to send Electronic Money Orders (EMO). Once you've opened these accounts, you'll be able to start funding your e-gold account and start investing immediately. However, you'll need to be verified by EMO before you can begin any transaction. Its easy and simple and will only take about 10 minutes to open all accounts successfully.
If there are any questions you have about either e-gold, FriendlyPay or EMO, you'll need to first of all read the FAQs for these programs and also, most importantly, read their terms before contacting support.
As a word of advice, always endeavour to read through the FAQs and terms of any program you intend to join so as to enable you understand the workings of such a program. This is one of the reasons why a lot of people call investment risky because they never bother to read through these vital and important information.
Go ahead and open your e-gold, FriendlyPay and EMO accounts NOW then read all you can about each of them from their FAQs and terms. If you don't find an answer to any question, then you can use the contact us link to contact support and you'll definitely get a timely response.
Remember HYIP investment programs are full of scam and hype. You would loose money if you don't bother to find out how HYIPs operate. Finding out how HYIPs operate will make you an enlightened, literate and confident investor. Follow these instructions and you'll sure attain financial freedom soon enough.
Now get ready to start opening investment accounts from tomorrow.
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