APMEX = highly regarded, I’ve heard nothing but good reports.
Tulving = excellent, though they have larger minimums.
Be aware that purchases < $1000 (depending on which state you’re in) are typically subject to sales tax.
You may also wish to check out www.coinshows.com
For a $2-$3 entry fee, you can see some local and semi-local dealers, maybe score a cash deal. Cheap entertainment. Most exhibitors will be sellers of numismatics, but many of them sell junk silver = their rejects. Junk silver is a popular and practical form.
Here’s a few things to be aware of:
There are loads and loads of countefeit Chinese silver dollars showing up, esp at these coin shows. All I’ve seen have been Morgans. If you are buying strictly for bullion content, you’d avoid SDs anyway, because they carry a significant premium.
One of the important concepts regarding US junk silver coins is that they are (what I call) self-assaying. Theoretically, you could go to sell a nice 100 oz Englehard bar, and be asked to assy (or pay to have assayed such a bar. So not only do such bars sell at a slight premium to junk coins, they also carry the potential for an assay demand. OTOH, you’ll NEVER be asked to assay a 1963 quarter. In fact, junk silver typically has the very lowest premium-over-spot of any form.
Take note of the relative premium of “generic rounds” = 1oz “coins” (they cannot be legally called “coins”, hence they are called “rounds” vs US Eagles.
Eagles are selling at a small premium right now. I am not especially an advocate of Eagles over generics, but when you go to sell, the premiums in Eagles typically comes back.
A life-changing amount of silver weighs a lot!
Do NOT tell anyone you are gathering physical.
Excellent advice.
Good info also on the counterfeit Morgans from China. Are there any ways you tell them—dates, marks, etc?
You are correct.I have the 1000 oz. silver bars.They are heavy.
Real good advice folks.Heads up!