do you think silver and or other precious metals are a good idea for barter?

[LUGERMAN25]

What do you think about silver and other precious metals for barter for survival.personally i think it's good to have some silver for barter.

 

[Treo]

I have posted this before but here it is again

I used to have a supervisor who was a big Coast to Coast AM fan and he’d take every opportunity he had to warn us all that we had better be stocking up on gold because the economy was going to collapse and only gold would be worth anything.

He used to get so pissed off when I’d ask him (in front of everyone else) “What are you going to do when the economy does collapse and the very first thing the government does is outlaw all gold transactions?” His response invariably was “There will always be a black market and people will always accept gold.” To which I’d ask “so, you’re willing to trust criminals to give you fair value for your gold?’

Long story short it pissed him off every time he opened his mouth.

IMO our money has been worthless for a long time and I’d rather save things that have some intrinsic value (commodities, medical supplies, toilet paper) than waste time investing in an economic system that is headed off a cliff

 

[1funvet]

Invest in ammo.

 

[gunnerbob]

If you're going to buy precious metels, I'd go for "junk silver"... Pre-1965 Dimes, Quarters & War Nickles. Silver is much cheaper to buy now, and if some sort of economy was created again after a collapse the 'smaller' value of junk silver would be more useful than gold bars or coins. "I'll trade you a gold bar for a loaf of bread"... isn't a fair deal. "I'll give you 14 silver dimes for some bread" is much better.

I'd buy food, water, medical supplies, guns, ammo and learn how to garden first though. But, .22lr would be just about the best currency during a collapse... IMO.

 

[BigSlick]

Most EOTWAWKI situations deal with the world has gone to hell for whatever reason and nothing is being made, shipped or sold in stores anymore. Pick which ever disaster your want but in the end result is the same. A savvy person would have all of their supplies ahead of time and a way to replenish. Bartering would replace the normal means of trade. Trading something they want or need for something you want or need. Would silver or gold have any value? Maybe, maybe not. I would not trade any of my commodities for it if the SHTF. If the disaster was temporary and limited to a certain region maybe I would but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. During the Sandy hurricane aftermath gasoline was at the top of the list of needed items along with food. If I had extra supplies and knowing that the rest of the country was still producing it I might be tempted to trade some for silver or gold knowing soon that conditions would recover and I could profit from such an exchange. I'm not against helping thy neighbor especially if someone is starving to death and I have food to spare but my family will always come first.

 

[Rhino]

I've never really understood this sentiment. If the SHTF and everything really does collapse, people are going to be trying to survive, not trying to make profits in trades. You can't eat gold and silver, and you can't shoot it (unless you're an idiot), so I don't see what good it'll do you. You come across somebody with lots of guns or ammo and you'd like some. They're trying to stay alive and you offer them gold. They don't want gold. They want food. They don't want to be the local Donald Trump. They're trying not to die. You want to trade something? Have something that keeps people alive. That's what'll have value.

 

[apvbguy]

What do you think about silver and other precious metals for barter for survival.personally i think it's good to have some silver for barter.

For survival barter I would stockpile .223 ammo, aspirins/painkilling drugs, aa batteries and small food items for barter.
like currency, metals will more than likely be useless for barter on the streets because the metals are actually have too much value, at $1700 an ounce there aren't too many smaller value coins in gold. the essentials I mentioned will always have value in a SHTF world.

 

[dcselby1]

Just thinking that gold and silver have had value to humans throughout our history. I think Rhino may be off as far as thinking people will not be concerned about making a "profit" after the SHTF because there have always been and always will be, people who will want to profit. Whether it's silver or gold or necessities, people will always be trading. Also, IMO, I would not trade any ammo that could possibly be used against me or mine.

 

[golocx4]

Right now gold is worth 1700 dollars per oz.
After the crash and dollars are worthless gold could be worth 100K per oz. One hundred thousand worthless dollars!
Now you come across a guy with a load of spam and your family is hungry. He will sell you a case of spam for one of your ounces of gold or will he trade me for a couple of magazines of .223
I guess the point is value is relative.

People once traded tobacco leaves as currency or tulip bulbs.

 

[fstroupe]

Gold and silver (and other precious metals) are investments to "diversify your portfolio", as they usually increase in value as other typical investments decrease. The down side is that it can decrease in value too, usually as an economy gets better.

Everyone gets the wrong idea, thinking that they will be valuable during a SHTF situation. For the reasons already given, they will be relatively worthless.....except to someone who has an overabundance of items necessary for survival. THAT PERSON would be bartering FOR precious metals. (and IMO, undeveloped land)

I just don't think that you'd want to be of a mind of "bartering away" precious metals. Just the opposite, you'd want to be the guy with the overabundance. Personally, I think being in a position to barter valuable services (medical, mechanical, agricultural, etc) is even more powerful than bartering "stuff", you eventually could run out of the "stuff", but not the skills.

Anyway, on the other end you'd have a pile of precious metals that would be worth something. Maybe not the $100K/oz that golocx4 mentioned, but definitely worth more than greenbacks, which will be worthless for a while afterward.

Many, many people made money on the other end of the great depression. Of course not those who were invested in stocks and bonds....mostly those with "stuff" and loads of cash that outlasted the recessions.

There are people who are always thinking about making money.

 

[Caribou]

Gold, silver, and even copper have been used as currency for thousands of years. We just came off the gold standard ourselves in the last century. Gold and silver are accepted because historically metals have never gone to zero. All trade is really barter. You barter your time for a paycheck. You barter the cash for food and all the other desires of life.

If I am down to my last can of spam I will not trade it off. At that point the only thing more important than the spam will be a gun because somebody will have to threaten me with great bodily harm to force me to eat spam. Today people grow crops, raise beef, and fish. The food producers will want compensation for their product just as they do today. If you have something they want then a direct barter works. If you don't have something that the person with food wants you better have something that he knows he can trade later. Silver and gold work for this. Have you got more tomatoes than you can use? Silver doesn't rot. Gold doesn't freeze and become valueless. The welder will take your silver because he knows the guy with the steel and the farmer will take it. The farmer will take your silver because he knows the welder won't take seventeen cases of lettuce. You may have an inventory of car parts, or heating system parts, or rope but if your only customers are farmers or ranchers you might go awhile between meals.

I suggest that your prepping be well rounded. If you have a couple tons each of rice, beans, and wheat, and nothing else you have a problem. I suggest serious amounts of all the things in your diet. Also the many everyday things you use like TP. When the time comes you will want many things. Books, games and other entertainment will be important. Nails, lumber, and other building materials will be needed. If I have those items I'm going to be real hungry before I take that spam off your hands, or more lettuce than I can eat in a few days. It is always good to have options. If you decide gold or silver is not an option you want then great. If it is an option that you can't afford today, well then that is the way it is.

 

[Rhino]

Just thinking that gold and silver have had value to humans throughout our history. I think Rhino may be off as far as thinking people will not be concerned about making a "profit" after the SHTF because there have always been and always will be, people who will want to profit. Whether it's silver or gold or necessities, people will always be trading. Also, IMO, I would not trade any ammo that could possibly be used against me or mine.

You may be right too but it depends on the type of collapse. I envision SHTF as a total collapse of all societal systems where everyone is simply trying to survive. There won't be any markets or reasons for a profit motive in such a scenario, so precious metals would be pretty much useless. But if you envision a collapse that's less severe, one where markets exist at local levels and trading is a common practice, then that would be a different story. But I don't consider that a total collapse, and it wasn't what I was referring to. It brings up an interesting point though. Different people can have different views on what SHTF means.

 

[gunnerbob]

Gold and silver would of course only play a role if there is some sort of economy still available, be it local or national. If we are in the middle of a complete collapse, than no, precious metals will play almost no role in barter or survival. Naturally, if people are starving they aren't going to care about shinny metal. Before precious metals became the currency again during a collapse it'd more than likely come after water, food, medicine, guns and ammo. No doubt. Fuel would probably be more important than precious metals until some sort of society rose from the ashes, and that's questionable.

If the gov't declares precious metals contriband, than you'd better go bury it somewhere before they come for it. In that case, the value of it would rise accordingly. Supply and demand at work, the less of something people like, the more is costs. I don't know why we humans like gold & silver so much... but we do. Always have & probably always will... so it has it's place as currency.

I'd stock other things first... as has been said in this thread before. Skills will have a place as well. Are you a mechanic? Blacksmith? Carpenter? Doctor? Gunsmith? Cook/baker? Farmer? Mason? What skill do you have to get you through the rough times? What skill could you offer others in exchange for food, water or work? If all you know how to do is flip burgers and dip fries in grease... you may have a hard time surviving.

I encourage everbody to go to Wal-Mart weekly and stock up on their $0.88 isle of medicine. Tylenol, Tums, Midol, Pepto, Exlax, fiber pills, Asprin, Neosporin, Band-Aids, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, anti-itch cream, Vasoline and so on...