Bitcoin Forum

I have been searching for a way to get into bitcoin. The recent volatility is a bit scary, but I still think it looks like a good bet. After looking through many of the exchanges, I'm not sure who to trust. MTGOX seems reputable, but the verification (not sure if its needed for smaller purchases) as well as the international exchange are a turnoff. If I go through an exchange I'd like prefer to deal with one in the us.
Any experience, recent, with the above mentioned would be great.
Also, any info on reputable sellers here?
thanx!

There's no real easy way to do it.  The hand behind fiat makes it ridiculously troublesome; you'd figure numbers in a bank account would be a little easier to move around.

For privacy, seek localbitcoins.com, where you can find someone in your area selling them.

MtGox requires a lot of info, but it's popular.  It takes forever to get verified, and it's a pain in the ass trying to put money into it.

Coinbase uses your bank account.  It's anti-privacy, and they have stated they will turn all your information over to anyone wearing a shiny badge.  But it's about as simple as it gets.

There's also Virwox, if you don't mind trading your USD into Lindens and then into BTC.

Mt. Gox is my exchange of choice.  If you just want a few coins, you might consider finding someone who's selling in the Trading area and has a good rating at bitcoin-otc (recent trades are better).  As long as you send the funds first, you're good.  Some will accept paypal for a fee (or a higher price per BTC) if that's convenient.  Otherwise, CampBX is a US-based exchange with lots of volume - I'd go with that honestly if this is more than a one-time purchase to hold forever.  It also has a lengthy verification process though.

Thanx both! I have looked into most of your suggestions. Hoping for a few responses from localbitcoins. I was also looking at campbx. Hopefully, I can find someone through these boards. Thanx for the suggestion on OTC as well. Missed that one. Sounds like a useful tool.
The hand behind the fiat, no kidding. Maybe one day we can pry it from his cold dead hands!

The factors that matter in order to give you the best answer include:

 - Where are you located (country)?  [You said U.S.]
 - How much are you looking to buy?
 - What payment methods do you have available?
 - How soon do you need access to the proceeds?
 - Is privacy important?

A fairly comprehensive list of options is compiled here:
 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Buying_bitcoins


For your first purchase this won't help much but if you go get started using Dwolla (create an account, link your bank account) you can get the clock started on your 30-day probationary period in which you are prohibited from sending any funds to a Bitcoin exchange.    Once that probationary period has ended you can use Dwolla to send funds to Mt. Gox (if you've verified your account with them) or Camp BX.  There are also individual traders who accept Dwolla USDs for trade on #bitcoin-otc marketplace.
 - http://www.Dwolla.com
 - http://www.Bitcoin-OTC.com

Coinbase is the quickest way (and among the cheapests) to buy using a bank account.  You don't get the coins right away but you do get the price locked in today.   The downsides are that they too have a 30-day probationary period in which you can buy a max of $100 worth of bitcoins per day.   If for whatever reason Coinbase flags your account, they'll cancel the transaction(s) days after you've initiated the transfer so don't assume you have the coins until you have the coins.

Cash works.  You can deposit cash for credit to your BitMe.com exchange account at Chase bank branches.  With BitFloor, you can deposit cash at any Bank of America branch. You can also add funds using your Capital One 360/ING account.   With Ziggap you can deposit cash as Western Union and Moneygram.   With BitInstant you can deposit cash at 7-11, Walmart, CVS, Moneygram. 

Of course LocalBitcoins works fantastically for matching up buyers and sellers.
 - http://www.LocalBitcoins.com

There may be other methods that work for you as well.

I can understand the frustration, I've complained about it myself, in the end, I'm just giving up and adopting Bitcoin because it's just so much more convenient and easier to use than the conventional paper money.

@ OP, for the US.

http://coinlab.com/

Wish they had a UK version...

MTGOX hasn't made me verify yet luckily.  BTC-OTC or localbitcoins seem the safest.

Coinbase you mean?   CoinLab hasn't yet "transitioned" the Mt. Gox customers from U.S. and Canada yet.