As gold has continued its rise in value, more investors are choosing to diversify by buying gold bars. Buying one ounce gold bars is a great way for investors to get their feet wet in trading gold without making a major commitment.
As economic worries persist and the U.S. government engages in policies that are likely to drive up inflation, an increasing number of people are buying gold bars as a hedge against inflation. Gold bars are a great way to own gold, as they are easy to store and transport, have a lower premium than other types of physical gold and are easily converted into currency or goods.
Many starting gold investors begin with one ounce bars because they are relatively inexpensive and can easily be stored in a household safe or lockbox.
The vast majority of one ounce gold bars are made of 24 carat gold. Because manufacturing gold bars is less complicated than other forms of physical gold, such as bullion coins, the premium for gold bars, that is the price over the actual value of the metal, is lower.
If you’re interested in buying one ounce gold bars, there’s a number of ways you can do so. Here’s a few of the best:
Bullion Direct’s Nucleo Exchange can put buyers in direct contact with several dealers, making it a very competitive way of getting a good price on gold bars and other products.
eBay has a vibrant community of online gold dealers. When you participate in online auctions on eBay, there’s a good chance that you may be able to obtain gold bars for discount prices if the dealer is in a hurry to liquidate his or her gold.
While the U.S. Mint does not sell gold bars to individuals, various mints in Switzerland and other foreign countries do, and will sell one ounce bars
Many banks in Europe sell gold bars over the counter. This is not the case in the U.S. If you are on vacation in Europe, you can buy gold in countries like Switzerland and Liechenstein.
The major drawback to buying one ounce gold bars is that their premium will be higher than other gold bars because they’re smaller and require more effort to manufacture. As investors become more acclimated with buying gold, they’ll probably want to buy heavier bars. However, one ounce gold bars are good for small investors, or folks just getting into the market.
When buying one ounce gold bars, make sure you’re doing business with a reputable dealer, insist on proof of authenticity and don’t be afraid to shop around for the best available price. Gold investment in one ounce bars can be a great way for savvy investors to diversify their portfolios with an investment that’s safe and growing in value.
