metal traders are stuck in the wild west let the buyer beware. Stick with the large exchanges as you know what you are getting(purity/weight) and for what price(spot price at time of purchse).
As for a hedge against inflation, meh it’s a speculative play – too many people are buying for all the wrong reasons, creating metal bubbles.
I’m long on gold, bought a bunch of equity in mining companies back in January, not because I think gold going to go higher (although I’m hedged against that as well), but becasue I believe all the speculation has shot up the price of the commodity that’s used in industrial applications (such as electronic equipment) and jewellery.
The gold bugs are going to continue to hoard their gold, and we are going to sell the floor out from under them. The same type of strategy applies to any other metal..so be careful.