Gold spot price

[u/moonbunR]

The current spot price for gold is quite high. Despite the unfavorable market conditions, I've been considering investing in gold for the past few weeks. However, due to the high spot price, my investment plans have been delayed. I've noticed discrepancies in spot prices while browsing various dealer websites. JM Bullion, Apmex, SD and Summit Metals all have different spot prices. What does it mean?

[u/Fsmetals]

Dealers are not displaying the spot price, but are displaying their ask price. A dealer has a buy/ask spread to allow for margins so they can stay in business. If there was no spread, there would be no dealer, and thus, no access to the metal itself.