Hi Solidgold,
Great post - I too set aside some into Gold and Silver whenever I can.
My experiences is that it is as "liquid" as you are going to get, but it can be hard to sell quickly unless you are willing to sell at or below the spot price..
I think it is good to look at both the Gold, Silver, of course Platinum @bullionstackers haha and now the crypto-currency markets
:)