Other than that I have lots of fractional, mostly us junk silver. Not for preps but because I love it!
How high do you go for fractional?
- Thread starter Cind3r
- Start date
I forgot to mention that the place was also full of brain dead zombies. They had no idea what hit them.
A fantastic book on this is "Surviving The Economic Collapse" by Fernando Aguirre. Based on the 2001 Argentina collapse he lived through. He dispels many myths and has really practical info on how to avoid dangerous situations and how to survive comfortably during chaos.
Now that sounds like an interesting read. Thanks
SlyGuy
Active Member
Hurricanes around 2006 knocked out power to most of Miami FL for about 10 days (I think the Miami one was Wilma... Katrina had also hit New Orleans LA very badly right before that). Gas stations in Miami were out of batteries and gasoline and supermarkets were out of batteries and bottled water either before the storm even hit or within a day after. Cops were trying to control the traffic lines for gas, and the stations would run out with dozens of people still in line. Not good.
I took out some cash beforehand but didn't really end up using it since everything was closed (some with police or shop owners standing guard). I had plenty of food and water since I knew I couldn't leave town (no car at the time) and always keep a bit... and bought more right when the storm was announced. Once the storm came and went, I just walked around in my swim trunks and sandals and t-shirt to survey the wreckage (trees down, roads flooded, roofs ripped off, houseboats smashed to pieces in the bay)... added my handgun and little metal flashlight tucked after seeing how crazy it was making people. I didn't go out after dark much and stayed away from people as best I could (it was hard to stay inside with 95deg humid and no air condition, though).
I used a flashlight a few times in the evening to read, but that just seemed to attract neighbors who wanted to chat (mostly students in my apartment building)... I'd imagine anyone who had a generator had the same problem. I didn't want to ride my bike to the beach just in case that might make me a target for theft or worse. Everyone had that mix of exhaustion and unkept grooming yet wide-eyed adreneline look to them. It was creepy; I didn't sleep too well but luckly had a balcony to sit outside pretty safely.
There was a fire station a couple blocks down from me, so they were priority and got power back at the station a few days after the storm, but my building still had nothing. I'm sure the station lights and streetlights near it still helped deter crime a bit, though. Most of the violence and conflicts and looting occurred was at food marts and at night (you hear gunshots and sirens a lot better with minimal traffic and basically no TV or radios); I'm sure it would have gotten much worse if blackout had lasted awhile... as New Orleans' did.
As usual with SHTF, the smart people were the ones who left Miami and moved north to stay with family or hotel a couple days before the hurricane (freeways were jammed by the day of landfall).
Surprisingly, silver and gold never made any appearances. Lol
when the lava covered the roads and ash feet deep everywhere
buildings falling left right centre
food and water first
not to worry, the alarm could be turned off by feet
buildings falling left right centre
food and water first
not to worry, the alarm could be turned off by feet
Thanks Slyguy. These real world examples start to paint a picture.
I wonder if there has ever been a SHTF event in the last hundred years where people have resorted to PM’s for financial exchange ie buying things?
Our money was PMS less than 100 years ago. Not in the last 48 years in America that I've heard of since weve been trading zinc.
I do remember in 08/09 a local hamburger joint was doing a special. A burger fries and drink for only $2 in silver change or somewhere in that range.
I do remember in 08/09 a local hamburger joint was doing a special. A burger fries and drink for only $2 in silver change or somewhere in that range.
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That’s my feeling too. Even though PMs have held intrinsic value over the millennia it would seem that currently people don’t value them in the same way - at least in a wide spread way.
In fact you could say that PM coinage has been backed by governments for a long long time. So unless a government in a SHTF scenario backed PMs it seems like they would have little to no general value.
If there was a very extend global problem then maybe after some months they might become more useful. Like if we had a repeat of the solar storm of 1859.
Silver is certainly not going to allow you to maintain (or improve) your current lifestyle if civilisation is falling apart.
Some people might trade for metals but other things would be more valuable I'd guess.
I personally stack for a savings so I dont consider it much of a prep besides that and the majority of our population is ignorant of real money like everyone says.
I personally stack for a savings so I dont consider it much of a prep besides that and the majority of our population is ignorant of real money like everyone says.
Number 47
Well-Known Member
I almost lost my life when my first girlfriends father found us on the couch, her perched on my lap and, my pants around my ankles and her dress up over her breasts.... dose that count as SHTF ?
Fractional potatoes would be better than fractional silver.
In a very short space of time, the last generation that used gold and silver and currency will be gone ( if you were 10 years old in 1966 you would now be 63 ).
Introducing a new currency system that is acceptable to all would require significant stability and confidence.
In a very short space of time, the last generation that used gold and silver and currency will be gone ( if you were 10 years old in 1966 you would now be 63 ).
Introducing a new currency system that is acceptable to all would require significant stability and confidence.
Alloy
Active Member
Cind3r, those prices on the 5 and 10 gram bars seem pretty good to me. Premiums are usually astronomical on fractional pure silver bullion (not "junk" silver / old circulating silver coins). I wouldn't pay more than 25% for fractional, and not more than 12% for most other silver (except ASE).
From a spreadsheet of premiums I created a few months back, the premiums on 1/10 oz. silver rounds were: 66%, 96%, 99%, 70%, etc. depending on the dealer. This was US dealers, privately minted rounds. I see premiums of more than 100% for things like PAMP 5 gram bars.
I looks like they don't mint enough volume of fractional silver to bring its prices to more reasonable levels. The premiums you saw are much better – was it a sale?
From a spreadsheet of premiums I created a few months back, the premiums on 1/10 oz. silver rounds were: 66%, 96%, 99%, 70%, etc. depending on the dealer. This was US dealers, privately minted rounds. I see premiums of more than 100% for things like PAMP 5 gram bars.
I looks like they don't mint enough volume of fractional silver to bring its prices to more reasonable levels. The premiums you saw are much better – was it a sale?
Not on sale, just their normal product line. I have bought from them a few years ago but these items were not available back then.
http://sbabullion.com.au/fine-silve...er-bullion-fractionals-and-pendants-coin-like
SlyGuy
Active Member
PMs will never go away, man.
As currency? Yes, they are dead as dead can be. Any currency that fails will just get re-invented with another. But gold will always be a thing for central banks and silver will always be stacked for industry and collectors, so it will always have value. Gold is the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champ all time versus any man-made currency. Central banks know this and don't trust one another to not print and borrow man-made currencies into oblivion. Gold can't be made in a lab or found on asteroids or anything... it will always be a valuable thing for mostly monetary and slight luxury and industrial reasons.
For our personal utility and concern, PMs are just a compact and stable wealth storage and transport, though. You will never be trading them for reasons in my first post on pg 1 of this thread, so I feel fractional is overpriced unless you enjoy it. Nobody is ever going to be swapping it for food or clothes or tools. Getting out of a SHTF situ or currency collapse with a roll or five of gold coins will have you infinitely better off than without having that when you go to start over in your new location, though. Anyone left with a basically worthless bank account in Greece or Argentina or countless Middle East nations knows this well.