Custodian Fees for Silver, Anyone Else Shocked?

• •Been looking at diversifying my IRA with more physical silver, specifically some of these beautiful Buffalo rounds.
• •I'm looking at maybe another $50k-$100k in silver through my Gold IRA, but the yearly charges are making me pause.
• •Is anyone else seeing this?

Been looking at diversifying my IRA with more physical silver, specifically some of these beautiful Buffalo rounds. I've got a decent chunk with Augusta Precious Metals (just under $800k in gold, been with them for years after separating from the service), but their custodian fees for additional silver storage feel... high. I'm looking at maybe another $50k-$100k in silver through my Gold IRA, but the yearly charges are making me pause. Is anyone else seeing this? It feels like nickel-and-diming when you're talking about assets that are supposed to hedge against inflation.

I know it's not a huge percentage, but when you zoom out and look at the lifetime cost, especially for something you're planning to hold for the really long haul – like another 10-15 years or more for me – it adds up. I’m out here in Honolulu, watching the global economy with a critical eye, especially with what’s happening in the Pacific Rim. The stability of physical assets feels more crucial than ever, but these fees gnaw at me.

I'm primarily trying to compare apples to apples here. My current custodian (Equity Trust) charges around $250 annually for segregated storage, which is fine for the gold. But for silver, especially when you're talking about multiple monster boxes (and the space that entails), some of the other companies I’ve looked at seem to have these escalating fee structures. Am I overthinking this, or would you expect a certain threshold where the fees should flatten out?

Anyone using different custodians for their silver IRAs? Or did you just bite the bullet with your gold custodian? I'm curious what others in a similar financial position are doing. Are there any hidden gems out there with more reasonable flat-rate fees for larger silver holdings? I want to ensure my long-term strategy isn't being eroded by avoidable costs.