Disclaimer: We are reader supported. We may be compensated from the links in this post, if you use products or services based on our expert recommendations. Please read our Advertising Disclosure.
Scottsdale Bullion & Coin (also marketed as SBC Gold) is a precious metals dealer based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that sells gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars, and helps investors set up self-directed precious metals IRAs.
The company has been registered as an LLC since February 2005 and has held Better Business Bureau accreditation since March 2012, currently holding an A+ rating.
This review looks at what SBC actually sells, how its pricing and IRA process work, what customers say about the company across review platforms, and where current gold and silver prices sit relative to recent history so you can judge whether now is a reasonable time to buy.
Key Takeaways
- Scottsdale Bullion & Coin holds an A+ BBB rating and has operated as a licensed Arizona dealer since 2005, with accreditation since 2012.
- The company sells physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium coins and bars, and requires phone consultations for most purchases rather than direct online checkout.
- Gold traded above $4,100 per ounce and silver above $62 per ounce as of early July 2026, both near record territory, which changes the math on timing a purchase.
Before we get started with this review:
We understand how difficult it is to pick a company that you can trust with your hard earned savings. That's why we create informative and useful information to give you as much knowledge as possible to make the right decision.
We created a list of our highest recommended investment companies, to make comparing and choosing the company best suited to your needs as easy as possible.
Look to see if the Scottsdale Bullion & Coin was selected to our "highest recommendation" list this year!
Or...
Get a FREE Gold Investing Packet from our #1 recommendation:
Protect Your Wealth & Get Huge Tax Savings!
Company Background
SBC operates out of a single office at 14500 N. Northsight Blvd, Suite 204, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and serves clients nationwide by phone and online rather than through a network of branches.
The firm's pitch centers on advisor-led buying: instead of a shopping cart checkout, most transactions go through a phone consultation with a precious metals specialist who walks the client through product options, pricing, and (if relevant) IRA paperwork.
That model has upsides and downsides. It means a live person answers questions about purity, premiums, and storage before money changes hands.
It also means the company doesn't publish a fully transparent, click-to-buy price list the way some competitors do, so getting an exact quote requires a call or a chat session.
Ryan Paulson is commonly credited as a founding figure in third-party coverage of the company, while BBB filings list Eric Brian Sepanek as the registered member of record.
Combined staff experience across the precious metals industry is cited at more than 65 years in company materials.
Products and Services
SBC's catalog splits into a few core categories, all centered on physical metal rather than paper assets like ETFs or mining stocks.
The site also runs a free education arm: a downloadable investment guide, live spot price charts for all four metals, annual price forecast articles, and a blog covering topics like inflation hedging and portfolio allocation.
None of this costs money, and it's a reasonable way to get oriented before calling in.
Gold IRA Process
Setting up a precious metals IRA through SBC follows a fairly standard sequence across the industry, and SBC doesn't deviate much from it.
A client opens a self-directed IRA with a custodian, funds it through a rollover from an existing 401(k) or IRA or through a new contribution, selects IRS-eligible metals with the help of an SBC advisor, and the metals get shipped to an approved depository rather than the client's home.
Third-party sources report this process typically takes two to four weeks from start to funded account, which lines up with what's normal for the sector.
Fees generally include a one-time setup charge, an annual custodian fee, and annual storage costs, though exact numbers require a direct quote since SBC doesn't post a fixed fee schedule on its site.
If you're comparing IRA providers, ask for the full fee breakdown in writing before you roll over anything, and compare it against at least two other custodians.
Protect Your Wealth & Get Huge Tax Savings!
Reputation and Customer Reviews
SBC's reputation is generally strong, with a few caveats worth flagging honestly rather than glossing over.
| Platform | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Better Business Bureau | A+ | Accredited since March 2012, business registered since 2005 |
| Google | Roughly 4.7-4.8 out of 5 | Based on customer reviews citing service and product quality |
| Yelp | Mixed, around 3.5 out of 5 | Some complaints about shipping timelines |
| Trustpilot | Limited review volume | Fewer reviews than some larger national competitors |
Positive reviews consistently mention advisor knowledge, patience with first-time buyers, and clear explanations of pricing before a sale closes.
Complaints, where they exist, tend to cluster around shipping delays and premiums that run higher than the absolute cheapest online-only dealers.
That tradeoff is common across the advisor-model segment of the industry: you're generally paying for guidance and a live relationship, not rock-bottom spot-plus pricing.
One data point worth noting for due diligence purposes: Swiss America Trading Corporation filed a lawsuit against Scottsdale Bullion and Coin, according to court filing coverage from industry review sites.
That's a business dispute between companies, not a customer complaint, and it shouldn't be read as evidence of fraud on its own, but it's the kind of thing a careful buyer should know exists before committing significant retirement funds.
Current Precious Metals Market Data
Timing matters when you're buying physical metal, so here's where the market actually sits. As of early July 2026, spot prices published on SBC's own site show:
Gold has been on a multi-year climb, and prices above $4,100 an ounce put the metal well past the levels seen even two or three years ago, when spot gold traded in the $1,900 to $2,100 range.
Silver above $62 is similarly elevated compared to its more typical historical range of $20 to $30 an ounce through most of the 2010s and early 2020s.
Forbes has advised that precious metals should generally make up five to fifteen percent of a diversified portfolio, not the entire thing, and that guidance holds regardless of where spot prices sit on a given day.
Buying at record highs isn't automatically a mistake, since gold and silver are often purchased as a hedge rather than a short-term trade, but it does mean the premium you pay per ounce is working off a much higher base than it would have a few years ago.
Anyone considering a purchase right now should factor that into position sizing rather than assuming today's price behaves like the historical average.
Pros and Cons
What works in SBC's favor:
What to weigh before committing:
Conclusion
Scottsdale Bullion & Coin is a legitimate, BBB-accredited dealer with a real track record and a service model built around phone-based advisor support rather than self-service checkout.
It's a reasonable option for investors who want guidance through their first gold or silver purchase, though price-sensitive buyers should still get a direct quote and compare it against at least one or two other dealers before committing, especially with gold and silver both trading near record highs.