A silver flip is not “buy below spot and hope.” Write down three numbers: the buy price, the metal floor at a dated spot price, and the realistic net after the sale.
The three-number chain
- Buy price: the cash actually committed.
- Melt: face value or weight converted at the spot price recorded that day. The Weekend Coin Dealer chapter 3 calls melt the objective number.
- True net: sale minus marketplace fee, per-order charge, shipping, supplies, extras, and the original buy.
The manuscript worksheet
Sale − 13.25% − $0.40 − shipping − supplies − extras. Check current marketplace rates before using that line. The fee-math shortcut for a maximum buy is (sale × 0.85) − shipping − desired profit; it is a field estimate, not a permanent rate.
The manuscript’s operating standard targets a 15–20% net margin. That target is a business rule, not a promise that any coin will sell or return that margin.
Hypothetical walkthrough onlyAny worked example must show the spot date and label every assumption. Do not reuse an old spot price or fee rate as if it were current.