Laws? Shipping? If a person wants to police themselves and collect revenue for the government then I guess that's their choice but it's not mine. Buying gold is best done in person, for cash, as with the selling of it. I only buy secondhand gold coin and there are no taxes payable on second hand goods here. I sold some once years back and had no dramas. Coin shops have a far amount of cash in their safes but for a big sale it's best to arrange it a day in advance with them to ensure they have the money on hand.

Having said all that this is not 2008, there isn't a lot of physical gold around anymore compared to back then and you may need to go to a big bullion house if you require a lot. But after you have paid for it you can always claim it was lost, then sell it later at the inflated price. It's no get rich quick investment though, it basically just tracks inflation over time. As the banks create more credit and the currency becomes worth less, gold goes up to reflect it's true value. The value of extraction, refining and distribution basically.