Major D.,
The counterintuitive moves just never seem to stop over this past several years do they? Makes one just a little jaded and crazy when investing on rational, logical, fundamental analysis, and looking for real value results in not only MASSIVE losses but also the missing out on gains of assets that just kept going up despite the Massive debt - Massive QE - Massive "interventions" - Massive bank scandals/fraud, currency devaluations, market rigging, naked shorting, etc... Got tired of spelling out massive but the list could go on. The sheer magnitude, persistence, and suspect timing does give me some solace that it will indeed end eventually and return at least some of the invested capital to weathered retail investors who foolishly followed the table pounding of the pumpers even as they looked out for their own interests and sold. Of course this only applies to the shares of companies who have not gone bankrupt or maneuvered to be taken private at fractions of a penny on the dollar leaving common holders in the cold..

Hoping against all hope that Golden Minerals pulls through but it still looks pretty bleak to me.

Dfin

Don'tcryforme,

I don't have any in depth knowledge of the mining industry or equity markets but have tried to read as much as I can over the last several years to try to get smarter and reverse some of my devastating "paper" losses (well over 100K in AUMN). I haven't been posting because I haven't felt I am in a position to offer anything helpful but I do want to let you know I very much appreciate you and the few others who are sharing your knowledge and posting substantive material pertinent to AUMN and the precious metals sector. Someone excitedly shared the ECU story with me in 2006 and I began following the board, talking to investor relations, etc... The most outrageous part of this journey was when I had to pay a significant tax gain from the merger of equals. Current events seem to indicate we may actually see a turnaround sooner than later but after hearing the "cry wolf" for so long I'm starting to question if there really is a wolf or if the wolf will die of old age before anyone ever sees it. Take care and thanks again.

Dfin

OK, I'll share my pain with ECU/AUMN and precious metals investing. I am in for about 125,000 between three accounts with near 95% loss on paper. Unfortunately, I am holding additional mega losses in my GDXJ, SLW, PAAS, MUX, SVLC, AG, EXK, and USAA precious metals fund holdings to the tune of half mil. Yes, I really swallowed the pundits pandering goods hook, line, and sinker..

What really rubs it in my face is that I have lost out on double digit gains for several years on that hard earned money if I had just stuck with my balanced portfolio. Even worse I have sacrificed untold hours trying to get smart and understand what the hell is really going on and waiting for things to turn based on real fundamentals. This has been a never ending nightmare.

Luker,

Likewise, I appreciate your posting of this constructive article. I also own some AG along with a few others that seemed to be such screaming buys over the last few years. Now they are screaming nightmares that just don't end..

Dan

Gwr1,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to this article and my concerns with contrasting perspective and your additional thoughts on the future supply/demand fundamentals for Silver. What is so frustrating for me is to be reading such polorized arguments (and increasingly convincing on both sides) on the precious metals when just a few months ago (and preceeding 2 years) all my reading suggested you couldn't go wrong with Gold/Silver and the miners.

Good luck all.. seems like we need a crystal ball more than fundamental analysis or rational thought.

Dan

Folks, here is some more insult to injury for AUM investors.. What are the real facts? The information presented below seems quite plausible if not downright more likely than the pundits we have been following talking about extremely tight supply and assertions that Silver has been in "deficit" supply for years and industry growth is somehow getting by on scrap/recycle. The smell test is really making me uncomfortable with my "both feet in" and "Higher Silver Prices are Inevitable" convictions. Would greatly appreciate any constructive feedback.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1469511-why-invest-in-silver-miners?source=yahoo