“I wish I would have bought metal when it was lower.”
“I wish I would have bought it last year.”
My wife Shannon, who serves as President here at CMI, is absolutely guilty of saying these exact words. And when I say “we” really like to play this game, I mean her! Just last week she was lamenting, “I should have bought those tickets yesterday when they were cheaper,” conveniently forgetting that she says the same thing every time we need tickets for anything. Concert tickets, airline tickets, event tickets – there’s always a “better” price she missed the day before.
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever caught yourself saying these words, you’re in good company. We humans love to play what I call the “would have, should have game” – that mental exercise where we torture ourselves with missed opportunities and perfect hindsight.
Here’s the reality check: this type of statement will never be false. There will always be a time in the past when prices were lower than they are today. But here’s what’s equally true – there’s no doubt in my mind that in the future, pick any time frame, we’ll be saying the exact same thing about today’s prices.
There’s an old saying I use a lot (though I honestly can’t remember where I first heard it): In investing, when is the best time to buy? The answer is always now. When is the best time to sell? The answer is always never! While that might sound overly simplistic, there’s real wisdom in those words when it comes to precious metals.
A Desert Story Worth Its Weight in Gold
My mom tells me a story about her dad, my grandfather, Marion Houston Smith, that perfectly illustrates this principle. Back in the 1950s, he had the chance to buy some land north of the valley – around what we now call Dreamy Draw. At that time, this land was going for just $1 per acre.
When my mom asked him as a little girl why he didn’t buy it, his response was something like, “That’s just useless desert. No one will ever want to live there.”
Today? That “useless desert” is some of the most desirable and expensive real estate in the Phoenix area. Million-dollar homes dot the landscape where my grandfather saw nothing but worthless sand and sagebrush that was once available for a dollar an acre.
The Principle Remains the Same
While land and precious metals are different investments, the principle is identical. What seems expensive today often becomes tomorrow’s bargain. What appears to be “too high” right now frequently looks like a steal in the rearview mirror.
The challenge isn’t predicting the perfect entry point – it’s recognizing that there rarely is one. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today.
Breaking Free from the Game
Every day at CMI, I talk to investors who are waiting for the “right” time to buy precious metals. They’re waiting for a dip, a correction, or some magical moment when the stars align perfectly. Meanwhile, they’re playing the “would have, should have game” about prices from six months ago, a year ago, or five years ago.
Now, don’t get me wrong – for customers with larger sums of money to invest, we absolutely encourage strategic timing. If you’re looking to make substantial purchases, buying on dips and selling on highs makes perfect sense. That’s smart investing.
But for most investors, especially those building their precious metals portfolio over time, waiting for the perfect moment can be a trap. You’ll likely be waiting forever. And while you’re waiting, you’ll keep playing that same mental game, watching opportunities pass by like my grandfather watched that desert land slip through his fingers.
Today’s “Expensive” is Tomorrow’s “Cheap”
I can say with confidence that ten years from now, today’s gold and silver prices will look like the bargains of 2025. Just like my grandfather’s “expensive” desert land in the 1950s looks like the deal of the century today.
The question isn’t whether precious metals will be worth more in the future – history suggests they will be. The question is whether you’ll be part of that future success story or still playing the “would have, should have game” from the sidelines.
The Time is Now
At CMI Gold & Silver, we’ve been helping investors break free from this cycle since 1973. We’ve seen countless market cycles, corrections, and rallies. Through it all, one thing remains constant: the investors who take action, who stop playing the waiting game, are the ones who build real wealth over time.
Don’t let today become another “would have, should have” story. That useless desert my grandfather passed on? Someone else saw its potential and took action. The same opportunity exists today in precious metals.
The choice is yours. Will you be telling your grandchildren about the metals you bought when they were “expensive” in 2025, or will you be playing the same old game, wishing you had acted when you had the chance?
Ready to stop playing the “would have, should have game”? Give us a call at CMI Gold & Silver. Let’s turn today’s decision into tomorrow’s success story.