WHY I Dont Invest in Gold/Silver

Depends upon what type of collapse occurs.

If it's a total collapse...PM will have no value in the immediate future. The only thing that will matter is what someone else stated, how strong and how fit you are, and how well you can manipulate others to join your team.

I stockpile nothing but a few guns and ammo which I will use to victimize all the Preppers who will have plenty of nice things to eat and drink.

I will pillage the country taking what I want while waiting for civilization to return...of which I will have a nice stash of gold and silver to begin anew.

reply to post by DZAG Wright

I stockpile nothing but a few guns and ammo which I will use to victimize all the Preppers who will have plenty of nice things to eat and drink.

I will pillage the country taking what I want while waiting for civilization to return...of which I will have a nice stash of gold and silver to begin anew.

Nice!

Until you get taken out by a sentry using nightvision that you never even knew was there, as you try and sneak onto a prepper's property....but hey, at least you've just given them some additional weapons and ammo!

Seriously, if this is your aim, you're better off being in an urban environment and joining (or organizing) an armed gang and picking on much softer targets. Without modern medicine, even a limited firefight or flesh wound could be deadly. Softer targets in the city are much better risk to reward ratio. If you do encounter a prepper stronghold, your better bet is to come to an arrangement (like food for leaving them alone, on a regular basis). That way, you have sustainable supplies, without the risk of a firefight...just don't be too greedy, lest they unload on you.


From the OP....

Lack of debt is the best hedge against collapse.

If a real, global SHTF scenario hits, all debt becomes history....

reply to post by Gazrok

Sounds like you are describing Woodbury...Gazrok, are you finally letting us know that you are the Governor?

reply to post by superman2012


LOL...no, but if a SHTF scenario happens, I guess I would be the defacto Governor of my group. We've got about 12 people that plan on coming to the ranch if something bad really goes down. We have a good skill set in that group, with ex-military, current law enforcement, former EMT, etc. My main thing, other than owning the property and preps, etc., is planning and management (I'm a project manager by trade). So yeah, I guess I would "govern" our little group, but we're all friends and get along well too... I'm also more of a jack of all trades, master of none... I'm decent with a gun, decent in a melee fight, can drive just about anything (or ride a horse), basic mechanic, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc. On a ranch, you learn how to fix a LOT of things yourself...especially if you are frugal like me, hehe...

I've always been a "reluctant" leader for the most part, all my life, only recently have I just kind of accepted it, and gone with it. I think it's because I truly do enjoy doing things for the greater good, and especially for the good of my friends and loved ones. At the same time, I hope we never have to actually put these preps to the test.... There are a LOT of things we take for granted, that we'll miss after a SHTF event...

reply to post by CSBowie

I have always said that you can't eat gold. I would rather have food and water, plus the gubment can and has confiscated gold and silver before and would do it again. There are people out there who will say it is good for bartering with but I say the people we have running around durring a crisses would kill you instead.

Originally posted by Knives4eyes
There is a massive fee for selling gold, I think just this fee alone is 28%. This complicates making a profit on gold unless your gold goes up more than 50% which is just enough to start breaking even.


"the IRS treats gold, silver, and other precious metals as "collectibles," which don't qualify for the 15% maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains. Instead, gains on precious-metal ETFs that you've held for more than one year are taxed at your ordinary income rate, up to a maximum of 28%. If you hold the ETF for less than a year, gains will be taxed at income rates up to 35%."

So people really do "buy gold" that way? I just assumed ETFs were for really, really extreme hardcore suckers, and thebother 99.5% of us dealt in metal and cash.

I pretty much leave gold/silver for what they are for the reasons in the op, though they may indeed help with getting, for example, medicine.

However, I don't want gold because I wonder how most figure trading gold would work in the first place? I dont really see myself telling a potential trading partner that I have lots of gold to trade, it might as well make them think "thanks or the info", malicious people could easily follow you home after the trade, kidnap you knowing they can now trade YOU for your own gold, etc etc

Also, buying gold in bulk is cheaper right? But how would trading a bar of gold work exactly? I can understand getting/using coins, but theyre more expensive...

Im not that good at bartering anyway, I'm learning to survive without depending on others, I can grow food, work with wood, build stuff,... If I ever have too much money, I'll buy land or tools etc

(I live in Europe, btw, so protecting myself while trading gold is not as easy as it would be in the US, for those who might think Im missing the obvious here. Getting a gun is near impossible where I live)

Originally posted by Gazrok
reply to post by DZAG Wright

 

I stockpile nothing but a few guns and ammo which I will use to victimize all the Preppers who will have plenty of nice things to eat and drink.

I will pillage the country taking what I want while waiting for civilization to return...of which I will have a nice stash of gold and silver to begin anew.

Nice!

Until you get taken out by a sentry using nightvision that you never even knew was there, as you try and sneak onto a prepper's property....but hey, at least you've just given them some additional weapons and ammo!

Seriously, if this is your aim, you're better off being in an urban environment and joining (or organizing) an armed gang and picking on much softer targets. Without modern medicine, even a limited firefight or flesh wound could be deadly. Softer targets in the city are much better risk to reward ratio. If you do encounter a prepper stronghold, your better bet is to come to an arrangement (like food for leaving them alone, on a regular basis). That way, you have sustainable supplies, without the risk of a firefight...just don't be too greedy, lest they unload on you.

edit on 26-3-2013 by Gazrok because: (no reason given)

Yeah I'd have to be very careful and evaluate the possibilities of potential targets. Though I'm not too unfamiliar with the capabilities of NVG's as I used them often while on patrol myself.

Which leads into another point: A lot of preppers think that all the thugs and animals will have the IQ of mere animals when there are many who have also served in the military...usually in combat MOS' due to low test scores. There's very little defense one can muster when badly outnumbered, no matter how deep that hole is.

I would use my influence and resourcefulness to band together as many as I can and we will sweep the cities like one huge Zulu tribe.

reply to post by Gazrok


I'll be heading down to the ranch if this ever happens. Water tech class 2 and bringing a nurse as well.

reply to post by superman2012


I'd be game

reply to post by DZAG Wright



Not me, I even said in another thread, that after everything goes to crap, I think we'll see groups made up of former military try and consolidate power. That's simple history and logic. Even if such militias do form, and rule, my goal is to simply remain first as a hidden autonomous entity, and then, once found, as a place beholden to one such group, but providing continuous resources in exchange for being left somewhat alone and its protection as well. I have no illusions that eventually, as larger militias form, small independent homesteads will be absorbed. So, my goal is to have something to bring to the table in exchange for being still left alone.

reply to post by Bisman


Gold is just one worse case scenario, there is is no good going exchange rate in such a world as given in example. Even silver in some situations could be overkill...do people hoard copper?! Now my multiple bottles of spirits, antibiotics, canned food...I'm putting my eggs in that basket.

Originally posted by Aliensun
My own view is this:

"Bullets are a poor man's gold."

Someone gets it....

Investment in silver and gold in the right form and given to the right person can result in a moment of ecstasy for both participating

Live for today; doom porn has infected and addicted far to many ATS members; but if it gets you off....

reply to post by olaru12


BUT I LIKE DOOM PORN, it takes me away from the pain of teaching. Have you ever tried to explain to a 20 year old that everything they learned was wrong? Please leave me with my DOOM.

By the way can anyone tell me why Kids can't spell anymore (not typos...I do that a lot LOL...but spell)?

Why would I want to spend $1600 per ounce of gold, only to have the bottom fall out and it not be worth anything at all? Doesn't seem like a very good return.

Thought I would post this here because I remember the thread..maybe Bowie had a point!

I'll be going to walmart tommorrow wish I could find some Ammo.

He posted a survival trainer or school does anybody know what thread that was?

This is very SCARY



www.wnd.com...

Originally posted by superman2012
reply to post by intrptr

 

Enjoy eating your shiny metal.

Wow. You actually think people would want to eat their gold?

Here's a hint, but don't let everyone know as it's a kind of a secret: Pssst - it's food you eat, not gold, not bricks, not iron ore, nor guns, nor ammo, nor land, nor houses.

As international and domestic trade thrives at all times, especially during wars and collapses, you fail to realize that there will always be others with surplus specializing in one or two goods only.

Who do you think the entity with a surplus of say, 10,000 tins of sardines sailed over from Iceland is going to trade with? The guy with a colt, a few chickens and 100 bottles of moonshine? Or the guy with 100 ounces of gold, wherein that gold can be traded with someone or something else of worth in an international market?

The guy who stumps up 5 ounces of gold for to the entity looking to offload the shipment in one hit will then be able to deal out the tinned sardines as he sees fit. You might be able to trade your chickens for a couple of tins, if you are lucky, but chances are those with real money (namely gold or silver) will already have things such as basic survival food sussed. An international trader is NOT going to want to transport 10 chickens, a potato, a gun, and a few bottles of dodgy liquor back home for his container of food. That's not how trade works in the real world - a universal means of currency has always existed and always will. The most recognized, versatile, and honest form for the past 5000-6000 years has been gold.

That will not change.

I am not advocating piling into gold at the expense of preps and food, what I am advocating is blindingly obvious. Sure, be prepared with your survival stocks, but those who also have gold and silver will be miles ahead.

The shorts are covering and the gold bug media is putting out a blitz to buy gold in the mid 1550s and silver under 27 but it will just be a short lived respite to the washout that is coming below multi year support. Panic selling is coming then the bottom.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


Awesome. So you're saying there is going to be a worldwide debt jubilee, banks globally will suddenly turn snow-white honest with no prospect of depositor haircuts, people will rejoice in paper money evoked out of thin air, interest rates are going to skyrocket, all signs of looming war, conflict and geopolitical hazard will vanish overnight, and we are about to enter into a multi-decade term of booming production, jobs for all and flying unicorns defecating free skittles?

Cool. I'm selling all my metals Monday a.m.

If there is an 'end of the world' scenario where we revert back to the middle ages, then yeah, you can't eat gold or silver, and it is not a good investment.

However, if the world doesn't end in a bang, and industry marches on to the inevitable destruction of the planet, we will see silver becoming more and more rare. The purity of silver discoveries in dwindling and it is getting more and more expensive to mine. The demand for silver is constantly rising, and production is getting more and more expensive. On top of this, the price of silver is being artificially suppressed by JP Morgan Chase, so in the meantime you can purchase silver at a discount.

If you are prepping for an 'end of the world' type of scenario where chaos and anarchy are everywhere, then stock up on guns, food, ammo, etc. But if you think the world will end with a whimper instead of a bang, then do yourself a favor and buy at least a hundred ounces of silver while you still can.