For many investors in gold, the current thinking is that the gold market is better during inflationary cycles. Certainly many have done well purchasing gold bullion over the last ten years as the value of dollar has slid and the value of gold quadrupled. Still, there is more to gold investing than just investing in the market during inflationary cycles.

There is a famous old saying attributed to Baron Rothschild. “The time to buy is when there is blood in the streets.” During a period of severe social unrest in France, the wealthy investor went on picking up bargains in companies whose stock prices were depressed. When the situation stabilized, the Baron became substantially wealthier as stock prices back went up. Likewise with the gold market, timing can be important.

For gold investors the important thing to remember is that when there is “blood in the streets” is the best time to have gold. It not the best time to buy gold because the price has skyrocketed; the smart gold investor buys gold throughout all inflationary and deflationary cycles, understanding that perfect market timing is not possible. A savvy investor already has gold in his or her portfolio when social and political unrest, decline in the value of the dollar, or war threatens.

Investors buy gold to protect against economic collapse, to hedge against inflation, and to make short term profits in the fluctuations in the spot price of gold. Depending upon the investor’s needs, investment strategy, and time available to track the gold market, there may be a number of excellent times to buy and sell gold, not just buying in the gold market during inflationary cycles.