I just came into the market through the backdoor & I find myself in control of a stash of the real thing - gold & silver. Coins, bars etc.
My initial research tells me that physical gold & certs are being bought & hoarded by big & smaller investors. It is in a demand slump in the manufacturing sector & the jewelery sector. The mines are digging due to demand. Advances are assumed with some downward spikes in the short-term but a steady march up.
Silver is more dependent on industrial usage. It has been in decline. They jabber about the gold to silver ratio & how silver is undervalued & therefore theories say it should rise.
I am still learning. Pay careful attention to the actual in-store buy/sell difference. Keep your bills with the product & keep the product sealed. This helps with resale.
Palladium & platinum? Just shiny metals.
Some research:
Kitco
Kitco Silver
Their forums show that there are some really strange people that collect gold . . .
Ian