APMEX
If you have dealt with precious metals in the past, then it is possible you have already heard of APMEX (the American Precious Metals Exchange). APMEX offers the largest range of precious metals on the internet and has prices that you cannot find anywhere else. They also have a customer service that is among the best in the industry and is backed by a team of highly effective personnel who are on standby to assist customers at any level and at whatever time they require the help. Other than the fact that their site offers a perfect place for buying silver or gold, it is also packed with lots of resources concerning precious metals such as market forecasting, market trend graphs as well as daily wrap-ups on the performance of precious metals.
Products
If we were to list all the products offered by APMEX, we would need days to do so. However, one thing is clear: nowhere else can you get a selection that is half as expansive as what is offered here. Their products go well beyond just the gold and the silver metals to include palladium and platinum.
Whether it is gold or silver that you want to buy, you can rest assured that APMEX has it. APMEX offers more than 25 different varieties of silver and gold coins. Each of these varieties comes in several different sizes. Although there are also palladium and platinum coins, their selection is nowhere near gold and silver offerings.
Given that silver and gold bars are organized by their manufacturer and size, it is fairly easy to locate them. APMEX not only carries all the major silver and gold bar manufacturers but also have just about any size known to exist. You can find platinum bars in as small a size as 1 gram and as big a size as 50 ounces. Generally, bars over 10 ounces tend to sell out the moment they are stocked. For palladium, the story is nearly the same.
Pricing
Pricing wise, APMEX may not be as good as some newer bullion sites found on the web. That notwithstanding, it still manages to command a strong following of loyal customers, and this is down to its outstanding record of safe transaction and unlimited product selection. But this does not necessarily mean that APMEX is the most expensive bullion site out there.
Payment Options
If your orders are below $1500, there are several means of paying for the orders. You can use checks, money orders and credit or debit card. As your orders surpass the $1500-mark but still below $5,001, you have one other means of payment other than the ones mentioned in the payment bracket of $1500 and below. This is bank wire. However, the moment your orders exceed $5000, you are no longer free to pay for the orders using your credit/debit card. Thus, there are only three options that are left available for you and they are bank wire, money order or check. The story is the same as long as your orders do not exceed $25,000. If they do, there will only one payment option at your disposal, and this is bank wire.
Shipping Options
When you make precious metal purchases on APMEX, they will be shipped to you by one of the top courier services: FedEx, UPS or USPS. Normally, the shipping cost is directly related to the amount of order you have purchased. For orders not exceeding $250, the shipping cost is roughly $13 while those orders that are above $250 but less than $1000 attract a shipping cost of $20. On the other hand, orders in excess of $1,000 but under $25,000 cost $25. Any order that exceeds $25,000 is shipped absolutely for free.
Conclusion
If you are interested in buying an item which you cannot find in the smaller sites, or if you want a great selection of precious metal coins or bars, APMEX is the place you need to go to. While their prices are not the best, they make up for it through outstanding customer service and vast selections. Both of these are better than what any bullion site offers. Although their site is a little bit hard to navigate, they offer so much information that you cannot possibly blame them. The company has set high standards for dealers of precious metals, a fact that has made them earn the trust of industry players.
