Is It Too Late to Buy Silver? Setting the Record Straight

Silver just broke into all-time highs — and if you’ve been watching from the sidelines, you’re probably asking the same question everyone else is: “Did I miss it?” 

Mike Maloney and Alan Hibbard’s answer: Absolutely not. 

In their latest video, Mike and Alan break down why this rally might just be the warm-up — and why the supply-demand fundamentals, technical breakouts, and historical patterns all point to significantly higher prices ahead. 

Here’s what they’re seeing. 

The 7-Year Deficit That Won’t End Until the 2030s 

Let’s start with the most important chart in the video: the supply deficit. 

Over the last seven years, the world has burned through 1.1 billion ounces of available silver stockpile. That’s not a projection — that’s what’s already happened. 

And it’s not ending anytime soon. 

As Mike explains, new silver mines take 5–10 years to bring online. Even with today’s elevated prices, there simply isn’t enough supply coming to market to meet demand. The deficit could persist well into the 2030s. 

Alan breaks it down with a waterfall chart showing how silver stockpiles have been shrinking year after year since 2019. When you factor in investment demand from ETFs and exchange-traded products, the cumulative deficit grows even larger. 

The takeaway: The “cure for high prices” — more supply — isn’t coming fast enough. And that means super high prices are likely ahead. 

The 45-Year Cup-and-Handle Breakout 

Now let’s talk technicals. 

Silver just broke through a 45-year cup-and-handle pattern dating back to 1980 — one of the most powerful bullish formations in technical analysis. 

Mike points out there are actually three cup-and-handle patterns stacked on top of each other: 

1. A small one from recent months 

2. A larger one dating back to 2011 

3. The massive 45-year pattern from 1980 

All three have now broken out. 

Analyst Rashad Hajiev projects silver could hit $85 in 3–4 weeks. Some commenters think that’s conservative — calling for $100, then $200. 

Mike’s take? When you adjust for inflation (even using the “CPI lie,” as he calls it), silver is still dirt cheap compared to its 1980 peak. Once silver exceeds the 2011 high on an inflation-adjusted basis, “we’ve got some real fireworks.” 

His line: “The fireworks haven’t even started yet. We’ve only lit the fuse.”

The Gold-to-Silver Ratio Is Collapsing — And There’s a Lot More Room to Run 

Here’s where things get really interesting. 

The gold-to-silver ratio currently sits around 73:1. That means it takes 73 ounces of silver to buy one ounce of gold. 

But historically, that ratio has been much, much lower: 

• 30:1 in 2011 

• 14:1 in 1980 

Alan created an inverted chart for the video to show how silver has been outperforming gold lately — and how undervalued it still is compared to historical norms. 

Mike’s math: If the ratio drops to 14:1 again (and he thinks it could go even lower), silver could outperform gold by 5.2 times. And if gold doubles from here — which Mike considers a minimum — you’re looking at 10.4x returns on silver. 

At 73:1, silver is still “an extreme bargain.” 

The Five Stages of Silver (Plus a Sixth) 

Alan walks through what he calls the five stages of silver: 

1. Undermined — Supply issues building beneath the surface 

2. Undervalued — Price doesn’t reflect reality yet 

3. Unchained — Breakout begins 

4. Unstoppable — Momentum builds 

5. Unobtainium — You can’t get it anymore 

Mike adds a sixth stage: Unaffordium — when the paper contracts diverge from the physical market and physical silver “absolutely explodes and goes through the roof.” 

They’re not saying we’re at stage 5 yet. But the trend is clear: supply is shrinking, demand is rising, and the physical market is starting to crack away from the paper pricing game. 

As Alistair Macleod (a veteran precious metals analyst Mike deeply respects) puts it: “We’re witnessing the destruction of a rigged market in real time.” 

So, Should You Sell? 

Alan’s answer is emphatic: “I personally cannot even imagine selling right now.” 

Mike agrees. He points out that at local coin shops, a lot of people are selling — and they’re going to regret it. Because once the selling is done, “it will explode.” 

The question isn’t “Should I sell?” — it’s “What would you even go into?” 

With a 7-year deficit, a 45-year breakout, and a collapsing gold-to-silver ratio, Mike and Alan believe silver is the best investment on the table right now. 

Watch the full breakdown — including all the charts, data, and Mike’s analysis of what’s coming next: 

People Also Ask 

Is it too late to buy silver in 2025? 

No — according to precious metals expert Mike Maloney, the silver rally is just getting started. Silver recently broke through a 45-year cup-and-handle pattern, and a 7-year supply deficit could persist into the 2030s, creating conditions for significantly higher prices. Watch Mike Maloney’s full analysis on the GoldSilver YouTube channel. 

Why is there a silver supply deficit? 

The silver market has been running a cumulative deficit of 1.1 billion ounces over the last seven years, meaning demand has outstripped new supply. New silver mines take 5–10 years to bring online, so this supply crunch is expected to last until at least the end of the decade, which typically drives prices higher. 

What is the gold-to-silver ratio and why does it matter? 

The gold-to-silver ratio measures how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold. Currently around 73:1, the ratio has historically dropped as low as 14:1 during major silver bull markets (like 1980), suggesting silver could significantly outperform gold in the months ahead. 

How high could silver prices go? 

Mike Maloney believes silver could reach triple-digit prices based on technical breakouts, supply deficits, and historical patterns from the 1970s bull market. Analysts featured in his latest video project targets of $85+ in the near term, with some calling for $100–$200 as the paper pricing market breaks down. Watch the full price analysis here. 

Should I sell my silver now that it hit all-time highs? 

Mike Maloney and Alan Hibbard advise against selling silver at current levels, stating “the fireworks haven’t even started yet.” With a persistent supply deficit, a 45-year technical breakout, and a collapsing gold-to-silver ratio still far from historical lows, they believe silver has substantial room to run before reaching peak valuations. 

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