All precious metals have been doing well lately for a variety of reasons; gold has gone from $350/oz to $850/oz in the last 5 years. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
> I was told by someone who is trying to get me to buy gold bricks ...
I have seen that movie, and you won't like the end :-)
Buying actual gold, like buying cash currencies, is tricky business for a small investor. I'd urge anyone to do a lot of homework before investing in something unconventional like physical gold.
/jordan