Is the “bar” closed?

Costco’s Gilded Age may be coming to an end. The Big Box retailer is restricting purchases of its iconic gold bars after savvy buyers clamored to cash in on the precious metal amid market turmoil.

Now, customers will be limited to buying only just one of the store’s 1 ounce bars — which are available in PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan and the Rand Refinery’s South African bullion — per transaction, compared to two before, Business Insider reported.

Gold hoarders could still earn a pretty penny even with a one-bar limit, however.

3 Costco is restricting purchases of its iconic gold bars. Mike Lang / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Gold and silver bars on display at a Costco store in Bayonne, New Jersey. Bloomberg via Getty Images

The store’s 1 ounce Gold Bar PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan sells for an eye-popping $3,389.99 on the website including shipping and handling, meaning those who purchased the item last year would’ve raked in a healthy profit given its then price tag of $2,779.99, Quartz reported.

Since the items’ launch in 2023, the chain has seen a veritable gold rush as Costco prospectors flocked from far and wide to gobble up their gilded treasure trove.

According to a Bloomberg survey from October of last year, approximately 77% of Costco branches across 46 states had sold out of gold bars within a week, even after receiving fresh stock, the Daily Hodl reported.

3 The store’s 1 ounce Gold Bar PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan. Costco

In April 2024, Wells Fargo estimated that the commerce giant was earning $200 million per month in gold bar revenue, Quarts reported.

“Our work suggests there has been significant interest given COST’s aggressive pricing and high level of customer trust,” Wells Fargo equity analyst Edward Kelly said in a note to clients. “The accelerating frequency of Reddit posts, quick online sell-outs of product, and COST’s robust monthly eComm sales suggest a sharp uptick in momentum since the launch.”

The gold fever quickly spread via social media as well.

Finance influencer Humphrey Yang went viral earlier this month after purchasing the PAMP Suisse gold bar for $2,359 in April 2024, and then selling it to a gold dealer for just under $3,000, netting himself around $600 in profit.

Since Yang sold his bar, the price of gold has skyrocketed to a staggering $3,300 per ounce with Goldman Sachs upping its year-end forecast for gold from $3,300 to $3,700, Yahoo Finance reported.

The precious metal’s skyrocketing valuation comes as spooked investors stockpiled gold to safeguard themselves against economic uncertainty spurred by President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive.

In February, the president’s tariff plans even prompted some of the largest banks in the US and Great Britain to fly gold bars from London to New York City on commercial flights as a hedge against inflation.

Erin Walsh wants to reframe the way we think about investment pieces in 2025.

The 42-year old celebrity stylist, known for dressing A-list stars like Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez, does not define “high-low dressing” as a mix of expensive designer items with fast-fashion trends with a short shelf life. Instead, Walsh believes every purchase should be made with equal intention and care, whether you’re eyeing The Row’s Margaux bag or a cozy knit set from Old Navy.

That’s why she’s partnering with the Gap-owned company to discuss upcoming winter trends and holiday wish lists as consumers shape their New Year’s style resolutions. “When I was a little girl, my grandmother would always say to pay very close attention to what accessories you would invest in,” she tells me over Zoom. “But it does excite me when I see brands that are at a lower price point make things in a more quality way, because quality, inconsequential of price point, is what you should invest in.”

Walsh describes her personal style DNA as “elevated accessibility” and “effortless elegance,” two phrases that instantly recall one of this year’s most iconic fashion moments: Anne Hathaway dressed in a white Gap shirt dress with a sheer corset and Bulgari jewels—a look that was, of course, crafted by Walsh.

But how does Walsh apply that same approach to fashion to clients with varied tastes? Or say, the sister-in-law you still need to cross off your Christmas list? In a recent conversation with Glamour, Erin Walsh shared some of her favorite gifts, holiday party dress codes, and the controversial It sneaker making a comeback in 2025. Hey, the “high” in “high-low” dressing has to come in somewhere—and with this particular shoe, I mean that in more ways than one.

Do you have any helpful tips for plus ones this holiday season, especially if the dress code is unclear?

I’m gonna sound like my grandmother…make an effort. It’s the holidays. I was watching that show with Kristen Bell that’s so good, Nobody Wants This. She rolls in in that fur jacket. [Laughs.] It’s like a mink or something…I think you want to walk the line of not being too ostentatious, but also being elegant and accessible. It’s always going to go back to those two words for me.

If [the party’s with] people I don’t know, I probably wouldn’t wear jeans. I probably would wear some kind of black knit minidress and boots or maybe an oversized, faux-furry cousin of Kristen Bell’s coat. Or a sparkly skirt with an oversized sweater. I would want it to feel elegant and accessible. That’s a note that you usually can’t strike out on.