re silver inconsistencies:

i agree that there are physical coin-shop type shortages coupled with falling global prices in silver.

however, i am not sure you can draw the conclusion that manipulation is the cause.

The u.s. silver etf, SLV on the Amex, is only two years old, but it already has a market cap of at least $2.5 billion and has quickly gained acceptance as a method for institutional buyers to get in and out of silver. Also, in the U.S., where hard asset investment is subtly discouraged inside the tax deferred or tax free savings accounts known as IRAs, I thnk the silver etf has found a home.

http://us.ishares.com/product_info/f...

so try this out: you could have institutional and trader-biased selling pressure on a paper instrument (SLV), accompanied by growing interest on the part of us little guys all over the world, in owning phsyical metal in coin and bar form.

if that scenario is correct, i would bet on the little guys to prevail, especially since they are likely to include hoards of east Indians, indonesians and chinese who know nothing of ETFs and know only what they can bury in their field.

what you will have is an upward whipsawing action in the etfs (gold and silver, in my view) that is going to leave many of us humming softly on our way to work.

background on SLV from Zeal:

http://www.zealllc.com/2008/slvetf.htm