Money

[pkveazey]

I wasn't sure where to post this but it certainly needs to be considered. I don't plan to buy any gold. I do plan to buy some Silver. How do you buy something worth $10 using gold? I loaded up on the most common ammunition and plan to use it for money. Every knucklehead out there has a 22. Also 9mm and 380 is very popular. I got a ton of that stuff for trading. Even 357 and 38 special. NOPE!!! I ain't got no 223, 225, 227, or AK ammo. If you've got one of those, you better get real friend!y with someone who has some.

[JohnyMac]

Money or what I like to call barter items.

Yes as you wrote pkveazey it's tough to buy a loaf of bread with 1 oz. of gold and expect to get change. 

IMO, gold is for a large purchase, e.g. horse, cow, bull, lath, etc. so it does have its purpose.

Me, and only me, do not like using ammo for barter. You may barter ammo to the wrong person and end up dead.

This is a good time to bring up a SHTF skill which you can barter. Here are some idea's that i am working on:

> Sugar maple,
> Bee keeping,
> Welding,
> Town Cryer or local paper. I gotz the ham radio's so I would put out a weekly news paper. Communication/news
    might be worth its weight in silver. 

Lets keep this list of potential jobs/skills you could have that you could barter...

[Well-Prepared Witch]

I've always thought precious metals would be useless in a TEOTWAWKI or even depression.  I wouldn't trade for it.  I like JM's list - useful things are tangible like food, tools, clothing, etc. or skills like auto repair, tinkering (the old use of the word - repairing pots and other things), sewing, etc.  Those I would trade my food and supplies for.

[Nemo]

I have moved from the 3 Bs, beans, bullets, band aids, on to a 5 Bs prep theory.  The initial 3 adding Barter and Bullion.

 As a person, family or group there is only so much of the first 3 that are reasonably storable.  I think if you kick in a case or several of the other 2 Bs  it can add greatly to your comfort and safety post-whateverthing.

Nemo

[Kbop]

good point about high speed lead poisoning JM. 

also good point about the viability of gold as a dietary supplement WPW. 

I think skills and the tools to practice them are best.
you don't use up your stock in a short period of time - it can be renewed.

-
the rub is what skill(s)

[JoJo]

 My opinion is most people won't understand what happened especially an EMP. That's why cash will be king for the first couple of weeks then gold for a week or two and silver for only a week because people will be catching on. Fresh meat/fish will be king until they run out followed by canned goods etc. etc..
 There will be shortages of fire starting tools IE matches, lighters and flints. The POSTMAN (JohnyMac) will be the most sought after person for news.

Just my thought out opinion  

[Kbop]

@JoJo
EMP = TEOTWAWKI
in a situation like that there is too much chaos to expect a slow decline.
I think silver would be used before the gold (pay as little as possible for as much as possible).  Then the gold.  other than that, i think you are spot on.
-in common disasters people will strip everything of use - including fire fuel - in a path a couple of miles wide along evacuation routes.
 
But #POSTMAN, information is survival - I agree, anyone with outside connections will a sought after person.

[JoJo]

 @KBOP the reason I put gold ahead of silver is because most people are in love with gold, especially women. That's not a knock on women just a 75 year observation.

All that glitters is usually made of gold.

[pkveazey]

JohnyMac's comment about getting shot by your own ammunition after trading is valid, but I've already thought about how to handle that, and I'm keeping that info to myself.

[EJR914]

I wasn't sure where to post this but it certainly needs to be considered. I don't plan to buy any gold. I do plan to buy some Silver. How do you buy something worth $10 using gold? I loaded up on the most common ammunition and plan to use it for money. Every knucklehead out there has a 22. Also 9mm and 380 is very popular. I got a ton of that stuff for trading. Even 357 and 38 special. NOPE!!! I ain't got no 223, 225, 227, or AK ammo. If you've got one of those, you better get real friend!y with someone who has some.

Whatever the market will bear.  You can always take a chisel and chip off gold, silver, weight it or already have it in certain section on an agreed upon weight with the guy you're trading with.

Silver is better for small items, obviously.  Gold for bigger things like large piece of property or something that has a lot of value. 

[Kbop]

I wasn't sure where to post this but it certainly needs to be considered. I don't plan to buy any gold. I do plan to buy some Silver. How do you buy something worth $10 using gold? I loaded up on the most common ammunition and plan to use it for money. Every knucklehead out there has a 22. Also 9mm and 380 is very popular. I got a ton of that stuff for trading. Even 357 and 38 special. NOPE!!! I ain't got no 223, 225, 227, or AK ammo. If you've got one of those, you better get real friend!y with someone who has some.

Whatever the market will bear.  You can always take a chisel and chip off gold, silver, weight it or already have it in certain section on an agreed upon weight with the guy you're trading with.

Silver is better for small items, obviously.  Gold for bigger things like large piece of property or something that has a lot of value.

Gold and Silver coins were often marked to make splitting them easy.  Like the Spanish Doubloons.  bracelets and chains of precious metals were often broken up by removing links or beads and weighing them.