patrick.net

Patrick says

Can someone explain this graph?

The key here is "real rates"; i.e., inflation-adjusted. If inflation is high, bond rates net inflation plummet, since bonds lag inflation. Gold prices in general follow asset prices, which are the first to rise before general consumer price inflation; i.e. asset price inflation is a leading indicator of general inflation (often by multiple years in advance).

Look at the late 1970's - gold shot up as well has housing prices. Then the Fed put interest rates close to 20% (which was much greater than the inflation rate, so "real" rates skyrocketed) and crashed the banking system, the housing market, gold, and the industrial economy.

"Austin cookie delivery firm Tiff's Treats is branching out from chocolate chips to gold bullion. Riding a wave of global interest in the precious metal, the new initiative is a way for the cookie delivery company to expand its appeal in this Amazon-fueled age of immediate gratification. Instead of paying about $21 for a box of a dozen chocolate chip cookies to be delivered to your friend, coworker or loved one, you can now pay roughly $2,500 for what the company deems its "bullion bundle" — a box of cookies plus a one-ounce, 24-karat bar of gold. The price of the package fluctuates with the daily gyrations of gold.

In South Korea: Aside from ramen and sausages, South Korea’s convenience stores have a new popular item on the menu — gold bars. The country’s largest convenience store chain, CU, has been collaborating with the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) to offer customers mini gold bars — and they’re selling like hot cakes.

A variety of finger-nail sized gold bars weighing between 0.1 gram and 1.87 gram have been up for sale at CU outlets since April. A 1.87-gram bar sells for 225,000 won ($165.76) and a 0.5-gram bar sells for 77,000 won.

Priced at 113,000 won each, 1 gram bars were sold out within two days, according to local news reports. The bars come with congratulatory messages, birthday wishes and even designs for personality types.

People in their 30s were most active in purchasing these gold bars, accounting for over 41% of the total sales since their launch, according to CU’s commerce phone app Pocket CU. Those in their 40s make up 35.2% of the sales, followed by people in their 50s at 15.6%. People in their 20s accounted for 6.8% of all sales."

- Franklin Sanders

The only problem with the "consumer gold" is when you try to sell it for anywhere near the price at which you bought it - try a 50% haircut at least. The big question for "consumer gold" (as opposed to "collectible" coins or good delivery bars) is provenance. For all anyone knows, it's gold-plated tungsten (which is virtually identical in density to gold). Plus, there is the BSA/AML aspect, "Why do you have so much gold, are you a terrorist or money launderer?" You have to clear 30% just to net out on the collectibles tax, to which gold is subject.

No, gold for most people is an insurance policy against the resolution of the Triffin Dilemma; namely, the dissolution of Bretton Woods / Petrodollar.