What Do Gold, Toilet Paper, and Baby Formula Have in Common?

If someone told you that gold, toilet paper, and baby formula have one thing in common, would you be able to figure out what it is? Or would you scratch your head and have a tough time coming up with the answer?

Let’s make it easy for you. Gold, toilet paper, and baby formula are all popular items that can be subject to periodic shortages due to increased demand and/or decreased supply.

We’re all familiar with the shortages of toilet paper that started occurring in 2020 as people flocked to stores to stock up on consumer goods. Even today, you’ll find occasional bare shelves in some large stores.

Baby formula has been in the news today too, as a manufacturing shutdown has resulted in significantly less formula making it to market. Parents around the country are struggling to try to find formula wherever they can.

Less well known is the gold (and silver) shortage that is facing the market for investment coins. But it’s one that could affect you if you’re in the market to buy gold and silver.

The Shortage Defined

Now, you may be asking yourself, how can it be that there are shortages of gold and silver? After all, nearly the entire amount of gold ever produced is still in existence above ground. And thousands of tonnes of both gold and silver are produced every year.

But just because gold and silver are produced and exist doesn’t mean that they’re in a form that’s ready to be purchased by investors, and that’s where the shortages are starting to materialize.

The difficulty is particularly acute among investors who want to open a gold IRA or a silver IRA. These precious metals IRAs are only allowed to invest in certain gold and silver coins that meet minimum fineness standards set by the government.

There were billions of gold and silver coins produced by governments around the world over the past two centuries, many of which are still in existence and prized by both investors and collectors. But most of those coins don’t meet the fineness standards required for a gold IRA or silver IRA.

So if you hoped to open a gold IRA and buy Krugerrands or $20 St. Gaudens gold eagle coins, or open a silver IRA and buy Morgan silver dollars or 90% junk silver, you’re out of luck. Attempting to buy those coins with the assets of a gold IRA or silver IRA would be classified as a distribution, and would subject you to potential taxes and fines.

Most coins minted today by mints are eligible for investment in a gold IRA or silver IRA. They meet the fineness requirements established for precious metals IRA investment, and many are produced specifically for investment purposes. But due to surging investor demand, many of these coins are in short supply today.

Think about the process it takes to produce a coin. Ore has to be mined, gold has to be extracted, then it has to be refined, then melted down and formed into a coin blank, from where it can finally be minted into a coin.

This is a time-consuming and resource intensive process, and it isn’t set up to handle major surges in demand. In many cases, refining and minting capacity is contracted out weeks or months in advance, and changes just can’t be made. And if any single stage in this process experiences bottlenecks of any sort, the downstream effects on investors can be severe.

Right now the precious metals industry is booming. With high inflation, a weakening economy, and stock markets that are showing indications that recession may be on the way, gold and silver are more popular than ever. And companies that sell gold and silver are facing unprecedented supply crunches.

No company in the industry is immune from these supply crunches, either, as demand is just so incredibly strong. And with limited capacity, mints are running full steam ahead to try to satisfy that demand.

Work With Trusted Precious Metals Partners

With over a decade of experience helping our customers buy gold and silver, Goldco has become one of the biggest and most trusted companies in the precious metals IRA industry. And because of our position, we have developed relationships with numerous mints around the world to provide our customers with high quality gold and silver coins and bars.

While we too have been impacted by the surge in demand and the supply constraints that exist within the industry, we’re in a good position to weather this difficulty and continue providing our customers with the quality gold and silver products that they have come to expect from us.

But just because we’re working hard to ensure a steady supply of gold and silver coins to our customers doesn’t mean that you should take it for granted that you’ll be able to get coins when you want them. With what’s been going on in the economy recently, and with the potential for the economy to fall into recession this year, we can’t rule out an even greater increase in demand this summer as more and more investors rush to protect their assets with gold and silver.

As the old saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Updated for the 21st century, that might be something like: a gold coin in your IRA is worth two in your online shopping cart. Don’t wait until it’s too late to try to buy gold.

Whether you’re looking to diversify your existing portfolio, buy a few gold coins to have on hand for when times get tough, or trying to protect your retirement savings with a gold IRA, now is the time to ensure that you can get your hands on gold if you’re interested in it. Call the experts at Goldco today to learn more about how gold can protect your hard-earned wealth.