ESCAMBIA COUNTY - The crisis on Wall Street has been tough on financial and real estate brokers across the country

But one broker we talked to today.... is doing better business than ever before.... because what he sells has intrinsic value.

Our economic coverage continues with a look at how the precious metals market.... is booming.

If you're heavily invested in stocks.... you've lost money this year.

If you're heavily invested in real estate.... you've lost money this year.

And the people selling stocks and real estate.... are really hurting.

But for Tim Frye.... business is through the roof.

Already, this year, we've done five times as much business as we did last year, and last year was double the amount of business of the prior year.

Frye owns Roberts And Roberts Brokerage.... a firm specializing in commodities.

We recommend clients stay with precious metals, natural resources, and energy.

And Frye says its the precious metals market that's really been booming.

He says it's so hot, it's hard to even get his hands on enough gold, silver or platinum to keep up with his clients demand.

The reason?

Frye says it's all about stability in an uncertain time.

Gold will come out of it with some value. It will never go to zero, it has never gone to zero in five thousand years. It's always had some stored value.

Using gold as an example... It was at priced at 300 dollars an ounce in 2003, and currently sits at over 800 dollars an ounce.

Frye says, just like stock brokers, he has no crystal ball, but thinks the nation's financial crisis won't end with today's bail out.... and that metals will still be a safe bet.

This has become not a market problem, not a wall street problem, this is a federal reserve, this is a currency problem.

Tim Frye says another attractive benefit to precious metals.... is that nearly all transactions are exempt from sales tax. Moving Money Commodities Trading