Gold vs. Cash for cache

[Bushman]

Cash has the issue of deflating, and is also vulnerable to rodents. Gold will likely keep up with inflation and is impervious to rodents.

I can't help but notice that John Wick, although a fictional movie, used gold, but perhaps with good reason?

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[Stomper]

Cash has the issue of deflating, and is also vulnerable to rodents. Gold will likely keep up with inflation and is impervious to rodents.

I can't help but notice that John Wick, although a fictional movie, used gold, but perhaps with good reason?

The reason? It's shiny!

 

[Kruel J]

Buy as much as you can. The prices are really high right now. Not a great market TBH.

 

[woody06]

Could be difficult to use or spend gold to purchase needed items, especially any form other than coins.

 

[SHPD_Retired]

I think silver is a better deal. It will be much easier to barter with due to it being lower in value.

 

[Bushman]

I think a mix of silver and gold might be better. It does sound like we all agree (so far) that precious metals are better than just cash alone in a cache. I think some cash would still be warranted, have all three, but don't put all your eggs in one basket, no?

 

[3MTA3]

Why are you caching? If TEOTWAWKI then gold & silver will only be useful during the late initial stages (right after cash becomes worthless) and months or years later when hopefully some sort of normalcy returns. In between the two you won't be able to use either for trade and you won't be able to eat them. Coffee, cigarettes, lighters, booze, salt, 22LR, toilet paper, tampons, etc. IMO will be better trade items.

Now, about those early stages where gold and silver might be useful and where cash is still useful but rapidly becoming useless due to inflation, you will be better off buying what those will get you now while it's much cheaper and far more readily available.

 

[308]

Why are those with gold always so willing to trade it for cash

 

[teflon6string]

Not inclined to invest in tiny gold coins worth $1325 each today, I'd prefer to trade a few $20 silver rounds for a gallon of gas or water in a sudden SHTF situation. Then, of course, there's always lead.

 

[woody06]

Why are you caching? If TEOTWAWKI then gold & silver will only be useful during the late initial stages (right after cash becomes worthless) and months or years later when hopefully some sort of normalcy returns. In between the two you won't be able to use either for trade and you won't be able to eat them. Coffee, cigarettes, lighters, booze, salt, 22LR, toilet paper, tampons, etc. IMO will be better trade items.

I hadn't thought about it this way but I think you are right on target. Some time ago I read an article written by a guy who survived Kosovo (IIRC) and he pretty much verified this. He mentioned one individual who had a tank full of propane and an adapter to fill cigarette lighters from it. He bartered this for many of the things he needed.

 

[Alexx1401]

I can't help but wonder how much something as simple as ammo would be in these barter times? Notice the last panic? How a huge percentage of the shooing public was soon all but out of ammo? If people who shoot regularly were that bad off there had to be a lot of others too. seems like ammo would make a great barter tool for lots of little stuff needed. Not to mention the ability to protect what you have from the grasshoppers who just want to steal what the ant's stored.

 

[Mark W.]

A five gallon bucket of good weed and a few cases of Everclear along with the above mentioned Tobacco Tampons TP Coffee Salt Matches/lighters SOAP etc will make better trade goods. Various Medicines especially High Blood Pressure and Type II Diabetes and simple pain killers.

 

[3MTA3]

I can't help but wonder how much something as simple as ammo would be in these barter times? Notice the last panic? How a huge percentage of the shooing public was soon all but out of ammo? If people who shoot regularly were that bad off there had to be a lot of others too. seems like ammo would make a great barter tool for lots of little stuff needed. Not to mention the ability to protect what you have from the grasshoppers who just want to steal what the ant's stored.

Think about all the people who don't or won't own a firearm who suddenly find out why they need them. Also, there are those who may have that old 22 and maybe a small box of ammo. Maybe wasted 25 rounds to get that first squirrel. Maybe had more, but had to use most of it up protecting themselves or their food. It the TEOTWAWKI scenario it can be more valuable than gold until some sort of normalcy takes place where we are safer and ammo is in production again.

 

[3MTA3]

Another issue with precious metals is knowing that they are genuine. Gold coins, ingots, etc. frequently have tungsten hidden inside. Tungsten is used because it's the exact same density as gold and the only way you can tell it's inside is to cut it open. Even trusted and established gold dealers have been stung by counterfeiters. "Junk" silver is likely much safer since there isn't a lot of money in making a fake 1963 dime.

 

[HB of CJ]

Personal economic point of view. May be wrong.

Some folks never pay "retail" for gold or silver coins. Not bars. Lots of people need to cash out of PM right now to pay urgent bills. A deep $cash$ discount buy out is arranged. Take it or leave it. Very hard ball $negotiations$ but there you have it. Our economy is not yet ready for gold and silver coinage as currency. Lots of bad things must occur before valuable metals become ... valuable.

Gold and silver only work under some non desirable conditions. Hyper inflation comes to mind driven by a crashed AND failed US Dollar. Until then things may not work right. Bubble Collapses. MORE Quantitative Easing by the Federal Reserve. Inflation. High interest rates. More Bubble collapses. First more Real Estate Collapses. Then the Stock Market. Then Bonds. Then the US Dollar.

At that point the wheels have come off the trolley. Then Gold and Silver will command and control? Until then no. Not time yet. But do not wait too long. Remember 2008? How about 2001? Or 1979? Or historical events of collapse and hyper inflation? Many examples. The critical and tricky thing is the timing to get out of the markets and into Gold and Silver. No crystal ball here folks.

If one can afford to so do and are willing to remove some wealth from any interest bearing situations, then consider one ounce gold coins, one tenth ounce gold coins, old pre 1961-1963 US silver dollars and pre 1961-63 US silver dimes. You will want some but not a lot. Barter may consist of other stuff. Think Maslow's Hierarchy of human needs. Fun to undergo mental thought exercises

Unrelated. Our Grandmother told us young kids stories of living out the Great Depression in the hills of Virginia. Nobody had any money. A deflationary economy. Barter ruled. She lived on a nice larger truck farm on the James River. Nobody had any money so they traded FOOD around. It was not until WW2 that things got better. They used some gold and silver but not a lot. Food ruled.

The enemy was the County Sheriff and the Banks repossessing property for non payment of notes. Or notes were arbitrarily CALLED. Those with the least or zero debt did the best. My Granddad was a stoker on the Northfork, (sp?) and Southern Railroad. Had the only job in the family. Sixteen, (16) family lived in a 3 bedroom small house. They thought themselves lucky. No fat on their bones.

Respectfully. My opinion only.

 

[MasterChief]

Personal economic point of view. May be wrong.

Some folks never pay "retail" for gold or silver coins. Not bars. Lots of people need to cash out of PM right now to pay urgent bills. A deep $cash$ discount buy out is arranged. Take it or leave it. Very hard ball $negotiations$ but there you have it. Our economy is not yet ready for gold and silver coinage as currency. Lots of bad things must occur before valuable metals become ... valuable.

Gold and silver only work under some non desirable conditions. Hyper inflation comes to mind driven by a crashed AND failed US Dollar. Until then things may not work right. Bubble Collapses. MORE Quantitative Easing by the Federal Reserve. Inflation. High interest rates. More Bubble collapses. First more Real Estate Collapses. Then the Stock Market. Then Bonds. Then the US Dollar.

At that point the wheels have come off the trolley. Then Gold and Silver will command and control? Until then no. Not time yet. But do not wait too long. Remember 2008? How about 2001? Or 1979? Or historical events of collapse and hyper inflation? Many examples. The critical and tricky thing is the timing to get out of the markets and into Gold and Silver. No crystal ball here folks.

If one can afford to so do and are willing to remove some wealth from any interest bearing situations, then consider one ounce gold coins, one tenth ounce gold coins, old pre 1961-1963 US silver dollars and pre 1961-63 US silver dimes. You will want some but not a lot. Barter may consist of other stuff. Think Maslow's Hierarchy of human needs. Fun to undergo mental thought exercises

Unrelated. Our Grandmother told us young kids stories of living out the Great Depression in the hills of Virginia. Nobody had any money. A deflationary economy. Barter ruled. She lived on a nice larger truck farm on the James River. Nobody had any money so they traded FOOD around. It was not until WW2 that things got better. They used some gold and silver but not a lot. Food ruled.

The enemy was the County Sheriff and the Banks repossessing property for non payment of notes. Or notes were arbitrarily CALLED. Those with the least or zero debt did the best.

Respectfully. My opinion only.

VERY much agree!...I would also be very wary about bartering ammo....even .22.....never know what\when can be used against you....ymmv

 

[ikemay]

IMHO, spend your money on items you can actually use and/or eat/drink. You will not be able to eat, shoot, or drink precious metals. Personally, if bad happens, I want to be self sufficient for as long as possible. I do not want to have to venture out or make contact with anyone. Barter? With who? People you don't know? People you do know? Things can get ugly even with people you know.

Cash is for the immediate problems, when businesses/people will still be accepting cash and "ugly" hasn't quite caught on. Get in, get out with your items. The first 24 hours you'll probably still be ok (depending on where you are), after that ....... stay home, stay quiet, stay alert.

Anyhow, people can stock up on precious metals. Me? Not so much.

 

[HB of CJ]

Interesting subject and thank you all. Again think Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Look it up. Fun. Pretty much defines what people need. May not be exactly what folks think ... or expect. Have fun sitting down and thinking a bit. Cold iced tea.

Water and food are the keys. You gotta have both. We will assume you have some place to stay dry, warm, cool and safe. We assume air. We assume a good environment. All fun and easy to think through. But ... you gotta have water and food. And the reality ...

... You gotta have some way to protect or secure it. Our problem down here in SW OR USA is we still have too many stupid people who own deer rifles. That and a very limited food supply in our Mountain Valley. A bad combination. Hungry folks. Many guns.

Like already said better, perhaps the best plan is to just up and hunker down and disappear for a couple MONTHS. Let the horrible potential of desperate human interactions run their course. Then pop your head out and look around. Out of sight.

Horrible thinking, but might be effective. Might not be effective either. Oh boy. This is an extension and outgrowth of our ongoing Solar Eclipse thinking and planning. Fortunately we live kinda away from the main potential problem areas. We hope.

Again, only when the wheels come completely off will gold and silver work. A can of pork and beans might work better most of the time. A can of chile and beans costs too much. Corn beef hash way too much. Also a bottle of water? Respectfully.

 

[Pops1911]

THAT'S why my skills in home zymurgy will be worth more than gold. LOL. Aw come on. You can look it up!

 

[11Charlie]

Vodka! lots and lots of vodka the liquid gold. you can use it for first aid, numbing things and getting drunk. Everyone will want it. If you have that a little bit of silver, gold a ton of ammo and food you will be good to go. And only trade with people you know and trust.

Oh and shoot first and ask questions later if someone you don't know is willing to trade they are willing to steal your sh!t if the deal doesn't go there way.

my .02