I've been preaching the merits of owning physical silver at current depressed prices for the past few years. My reasoning has been based on the coming shortage of real silver. But the shortage is here, no matter what the price. Then OPEC adjusted production, creating a shortage. Prices of crude oil tripled, but they did it in an orderly fashion.
Silver is quite different than crude oil.
There was no enormous short position, or leasing in crude oil, like there is in silver, so crude oil prices could react orderly. Silver will not react to the current shortage with an orderly price rise. Supplies are far too tight compared to current and coming demand. That's why you can't wait for a price signal to confirm the shortage. The initial silver price surge will likely be so severe it will be impossible to accumulate inventory at reasonable prices.