Buying nickel can refer to acquiring physical metal for industrial use, purchasing coins for a collection, or investing in the market through financial instruments.

For collectors, "buying nickel" refers to United States five-cent pieces or other world coinage: Indonesia's Export Ban of Nickel - USITC

: High-purity products (99.8% nickel or above). These include electrolytic cathodes , pellets , briquettes , and powders . It is the preferred form for specialized alloys and high-end battery production.