VHF, many thanks for your reply. I also concur in everything you outlined on ECU.

My biggest loser lies in this company, however, and where I least expected it. I have one other stock down about 20% since I purchased. All others are up about 40 to 50%, some more and some less. All are PMs. One exception is GCU, which is about even.

Your expectations sound much like mine, that's why I addressed my initial post to you. I have been reading soon, soon, soon, and it will reverse fast any day, the charts look good, the stars are aligned, the tea leaves positive, the palm readers point up, etc. It's time for some reality talk. What is holding us back.

My thoughts are centered around the advent of the ETFs, and the ability of IRAs to enter gold/silver via these vehicles. Using the ETFs also affords relief from all mining risks. Investing in major producers has fewer risks than the juniors, but ETFs offer even fewer risks. I know I stand to hear the argument inherent to the credibility of the ETFs, but people like Richard Russell highly advise the silver/gold ETFs.

I am not a nervous ECU investor, nor a whiner. However, I do think we need to consider this other "competitor" to the juniors and what it might mean to the method the juniors use to develop in the not so distant future. Wait and see might work, if money does flow back to juniors, but what if the new preferred vehicle is the ETF route and money doesn't flow to the juniors. Do we take the winners private and fund them?

My only purpose in this post is to open the good minds here for possibilities and bring about a "what if" discussion.

Thanks for listening.