The coveted metal hit $1,350 an ounce in October in the futures market- that’s a record high, although adjusted for inflation it is still about 50% below the early 1980s peak. Only the Duke brothers of Trading Places fame could handle the kind of margin calls and outright stress such moves bring. Often times, the funds offer a more easily tradable instrument that mirrors the price commodities fetch in the futures pits or in the physical markets.