If you try to buy used hydrogen fuel cells today, you are apt to be disappointed.

“If fuel cells are the hottest new technology on the landscape,” you start to ask, “why can’t I find any to buy . . . and why can’t I get my hands on all the platinum they are supposed to contain?”

Lots of people today are asking questions just like those. But the fact is that smart, forward-thinking precious metal investors are starting to realize that in the future, hydrogen fuel cells will become probably the hottest trend in precious metals.

“Platinum, platinum alloys with transition metals, platinum-ruthenium alloy, palladium and other similar catalytic materials have been the most commonly utilized catalyst materials for various electrochemical devices such as fuel cell, electrolyzers, electrochemical pumps (also known as electrochemical compressors), electrochemical inerters, electrochemical dehumidification, etc.” - Source: FuelCellStore.com

If you do a search online for “fuel cell cars” or “hydrogen-powered cars,” you will be surprised to learn that strictly speaking, fuel cell cars are not a brand new idea. They have been around for longer than you might expect and have been manufactured for about 20 years. Incidentally, fuel cells that generate electrical current have been around for nearly 200 years. It’s not exactly a new technology.

Some people believe they need metal detectors to find precious metals. Other people use drones. And still others think they need precious metal testing kits.

Those people are right. But today, we would like to remind you of another very basic fact that can help you find more precious metals . . .

With platinum trading at nearly $1,200, it stands to reason that you can make money by buying platinum items and platinum scrap and sending it to us to be recycled.

You can also profit handsomely by buying up and recycling platinum jewelry. But what kinds of platinum jewelry should you be on the lookout for, and how much platinum do they contain? Let’s explore further.

We are optimistic that the prices of our preferred precious metals – silver, gold, platinum, palladium and even rhodium – are not only stable, but poised to rise in the months and years ahead.

We have a number of reasons for being optimistic. Some are political, some tied to factors like international trade. In no particular order, here are some of the reasons we feel upbeat that precious metals, and precious metal scrap, will remain a great investment in the future.

We have written many posts about recycling and getting paid for platinum. Today, we would like to explore a related topic - platinum group metals. What are they? And what do you need to know to make money by collecting and recycling them?

We have written many posts in the past about how to sell your gold scrap, silver scrap and platinum scrap for the highest prices.

Today, we would like to explore a related question . . .

Platinum, platinum family metals and even ultra-precious rhodium are now used in a growing number of medical devices. Plus, gold and silver are finding their way into medicines that are used to treat a growing number of diseases – though not yet Covid-19, apparently. (Do note, however, that some claims have been made that colloidal silver medicines can be useful against Covid-19; we are not qualified to judge those claims, but literature we have found online indicates be that such medicines are probably not effective.)

As we write today’s post, platinum is trading on the London Fix for $1,244.00. That’s a nice high price. And what about Rhodium? It’s trading for $24,500.00.

No, that is not a typo . . . rhodium really is trading for the sky-high price of $24,500.00 per Troy Ounce.

The period of Covid-19 has been a year of doom and gloom – and with good reason. But now that the end is in sight, opportunities are increasing for precious metal investors.

So let’s throw off the gloom and feel optimistic. We are certain that the coming years will offer great opportunities because the following trends are at work. All of them lead to the conclusion that increasing demand for gold, silver and platinum will drive prices upward in the coming years. And as prices rise, your investments in precious metals will pay you a bigger return.

No matter what you invest in, you are probably worried about something. If you have money in stocks, how are the companies faring that you have invested in? If you invest in art, have the kind of items you have invested in been increasing in value, or going down? And if you invest in collectible cars and own a 1957 Thunderbird (just one possible investment), how much did a similar car sell for at auction last month?

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic is on the way out! Like you, we are extremely grateful to hear that wonderful news.

But the pandemic has left so much sadness behind. The saddest part of it all is that so many of us have lost loved ones who can never be replaced. And there are other sad results too. One is that many of us have lost jobs. Still others of us have seen our businesses suffer or even close.

Hunting for precious metals often involves looking for small items. You get lucky when you find a gold tuxedo shirt stud in a jewelry box. Or you find a sterling silver spoon at an antique store, mixed in alongside less valuable items of tableware, and buy it for just a dollar or two.

We have written before about burning materials or exposing them to very high heat, as a way to extract the gold, silver, platinum, and other metals they contain. Today, let’s review and also tell you about some additional materials that can be processed in this way by a qualified precious metals refinery like ours.

If you look in your fridge at this time of year, chances are you will find some leftovers. Maybe there is a little wad of stuffing in a plastic storage box that’s left over from Thanksgiving, or a few slices of a roast from a big meal you served at Chanukah or Christmas. Well, it’s time to toss them.

But what about leftovers from the precious metal scrap you have collected and recycled over the last year? Don’t toss them! If you have been collecting and investing in precious metals, you just might have enough leftover materials to profit from.

We hope you made a lot of money in 2020 by having us test and recycle your silver, gold and even platinum scrap. But as you have noticed, a new year is dawning, so we would like to remind you that there is money to be made – sometimes a great deal of money – by investing in these additional forms of precious metal scrap.

There are many reasons why this is a good time to make money in precious metals. Manufacturing businesses are downsizing or closing, and that gives you an opportunity to buy gold scrap, silver scrap and even platinum scrap from them. Jewelry stores are closing too. General businesses are downsizing too and selling off computers and other electronic devices. And then there is the fact that in the current economic climate, which is harsh, some people are eager to sell jewelry, household items, and other personal possessions that contain precious metals.

Investing in precious gold scrap, silver scrap and platinum scrap is not gambling, for a very simple reason:

When you invest in precious metals, you are relying on experience and knowledge to reduce or even eliminate risk. When you are gambling, you can’t eliminate risk completely.

When one investor was examining a batch of thermocouple wire, for example, he was able to know what it was because he had seen the same kind of wire before. He knew how much silver was contained in the thermocouples he was looking at, and he knew what it would sell for. So he applied his experience and knowledge and made a profitable buy of silver scrap.

We are not done with the coronavirus yet. And make no mistake about it. Frightening as it is to say, the coronavirus is not yet done with us either.

But there are hopeful signs, despite the numbers that show that the virus is bouncing back again now that the colder weather has returned to many parts of our country. One hopeful sign is that every day brings us closer to a time when an effective vaccine will be widely available. (How we all long for that day.) Another hopeful sign is that more people have accepted social distancing, wearing masks, and practicing other safe protocols at work and at home.