Yes, I'm stoked! Although as Kerris pointed out, this option has actually been possible (for some people in some regions) for a while. But that's great because it confirms it works! Next step is to pull together some funds so I can conduct and document the whole process, showing others how they might be able to do it too, and determining approximately how much of the funds are eaten up by fees/conversions.
Thank you for the 1.98 HBD, @J85063! I've converted it to 8.55 HIVE. Next Thursday, I'll summarize my progress, likely having moved it into BTC in preparation for a bullion purchase. I'm researching potential online dealers now.
Most welcome as we all have a vested interest in the outcome of this.