It’s still too soon to tell if the “Buy Silver!” May 1st event will really go “viral.” This grassroots' effort still has hours to go parabolic, an eternity on the Internet.
However, I’m already getting excited about the next phase of this market (and marketing) “experiment” - recruiting new people, those who have never bought silver - into the game.
THIS is where “real change” can occur. At present, probably less than one percent of the population actually buys silver coins, rounds or bars on a fairly regular basis.
Ninety-nine percent of Americans are oblivious to the fact that silver can either be a great investment for their family or, at worst, a wise insurance policy if you-know-what really does ever hit the macro-economic fan.
The above statistics constitute what those in the marketing world might call an “opportunity.”
“We’ve got 297 million potential customers who might buy our product if we can give them good reasons to do just this?”
“Okay, time to create a marketing plan!”
I’ve already come up with a campaign that I’m going to share with my Facebook friends.
The idea is to try and persuade a few more people that maybe they need to seriously consider buying some silver.
My “hook?”
Your grandfather did!
And if it was a smart thing for your wise and beloved grandfather to do, maybe the same applies to you. You know, “pass it forward” and all.
This is how I got interested in buying silver.
Both of my grandfathers acquired silver coins, not for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.
My mother’s father routinely bought “collectors sets” of uncirculated and proof coins. We got them as gifts every year.
My dad’s father - like probably yours - simply saved all of the coins that were made pre-1965, when the silver content was 90 percent.
As a pup, I remember getting this little box out and playing with them. I was amazed that this silver dollar was made in 1888!
“Wow, that’s old!” I thought at the time.
Today, now that it is in my possession, I think, “Wow, that’s valuable.”
Those collector sets I used to get for birthdays?
At the time they might have made me roll my eyes: They’re in plastic. I can’t even spend them, I thought.
“Son, hold on to these. They might be valuable one day,” I was told.
Both of my grandfathers have been gone for decades. But I still think of them often and thank them for giving me gifts that have appreciated in value by factors of seven to 30!
Today, I’m collecting for my baby daughter, Maggie. One thought is that my collection will end up being significant enough in size to pay for her college education. This is kind of “Bill’s Pre-Paid College Fund” I’m working on here.
And so when I see people who might very well be trying to push the “paper” value of silver down, I squint my eyes, growl ... and write columns!
These too-big-to-jail guys are making profits on futures contract trades I’ll probably never understand.
I’m just trying to help my daughter not have to take out the equivalent of a home mortgage when she turns 18.
Anyway, if you are interested in getting more people to consider buying silver, you might want to share a similar story on your Facebook page.
You also might add: Might not be a bad idea to buy now (like on May 1st!). Silver supplies could run low and the Fed isn’t going to quit printing paper money any time soon.
In other words, what this means to you and me is “buy silver!”
Like your grandfather did.
Note: Bill Rice, Jr. is managing editor of The Montgomery (AL) Independent. He can be reached at: bill@montgomeryindependent.com
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