What Trade Goods?

[pokerace]

I don't know if it's legal to grow it.

Who cares....



Good thought on the seeds.

 

[coop44]

As sissy as ebay is/was about gun stuff, you would think it can't be too illegal. water it and it grows, always thought a paper shredder would work nicely for cutting it up. nothing a nicotine fiend won't give for a smoke.

 

[Gunner3456]

It takes a lot of garden space and when you see the size of the plants and leaves, and realize you have to have a place to hang and age them, know how, and then process them with some kind of shredder, I'd rather grow vegetables and stock up on tobacco. In bulk it's pretty cheap. Sealed in an oxygen free environment it would keep a very long time. It can be bought that way.

The plants are huge, but by the time you age and process them you don't get as much tobacco as you might think.

To each his own.

 

[cyborg]

I have often thought that cigarettes or bulk tabacco would be an outstanding investment for barter in TEOTWAWKI or even an extended natural disaster as we all know nicotine addiction is compelling to those struggling with it....BUT..... not being a smoker it violates my first rule of prepping to ONLY stock things that I would use myself eventually anyway. Once cigs get old, even though they have been stored vacuum packed in mylar and or cans, they wont be readily sellable in a "normal" grid up environment. People will only accept stale cigs when there are no other options.

I like to keep my preps focussed on items that can be resold eventually if need be due to a merely personal income downturn. Many people suggest drinkable alcohol as a prep item. I agree with it but I am stocking exclusively alcohol that will be harder to come by in a grid down scenario.... like Whiskey for example. Many people will be making homebrewed wines etc and even grain alcohol but drinkers will be yearning for that bottle of JD or Crown Royal or such that is not as easily duplicated at home. I am considering branching out to store up some nice Scotch and Tequila too.

 

[Gunner3456]

I have often thought that cigarettes or bulk tabacco would be an outstanding investment for barter in TEOTWAWKI or even an extended natural disaster as we all know nicotine addiction is compelling to those struggling with it....BUT..... not being a smoker it violates my first rule of prepping to ONLY stock things that I would use myself eventually anyway. Once cigs get old, even though they have been stored vacuum packed in mylar and or cans, they wont be readily sellable in a "normal" grid up environment. People will only accept stale cigs when there are no other options.

I like to keep my preps focussed on items that can be resold eventually if need be due to a merely personal income downturn. Many people suggest drinkable alcohol as a prep item. I agree with it but I am stocking exclusively alcohol that will be harder to come by in a grid down scenario.... like Whiskey for example. Many people will be making homebrewed wines etc and even grain alcohol but drinkers will be yearning for that bottle of JD or Crown Royal or such that is not as easily duplicated at home. I am considering branching out to store up some nice Scotch and Tequila too.

I would stock up on more moderate brands, such as "house" bourbons. If a drinker really wanted a pint, I don't think he'd pay much more for the very premium scotch than he would for a decent bottle of bourbon.

I would set up to make it, but it takes a LOT of grain to make much alcohol over time.

As for cigarettes, they don't go stale quickly. They and tobacco might keep indefinitely in Mylar and O2 absorbers.

$.02

 

[cyborg]

Gunner,
My thinking is that if someone is simply looking for a Buzz then I would agree any ol' booze will do and cheapo bourbon would be the same as nice Scotch etc to this person. I would be "catering" to an individual with tastes that would be harder to emulate in a home distilling situation. No reason to stock up on booze that is no better than the stuff people around me are making themselves.

 

[Gunner3456]

Yeah, I wasn't trying to compare to what people can make. That would probably be more like moonshine. In order to make decent bourbon you have to age it in charred oak casks. I was thinking more of J&B as opposed to Chivas 18 year. I think if someone really "needs" a drink, he'd be happy with J&B, and I don't think I'd get the full premium for the prized Chivas as barter.

From my limited experience, I've seen most heavy drinkers in bars just order the bar drink. Most bars don't choose a really lousy booze for the bar booze. In fact, since I'm not a drinker, I'd cruise a few bars to find out what they serve. They know more than I do about price vs quality, and they are there to make a profit.

 

[cyborg]

Gunner,

I like your idea of checking "Bang for the buck" brands..... but again I am looking to cater to someone who is not simply "Needing" a drink but rather someone missing a favored perceived quality brand. .... and again whiskeys which require oak casks, aging etc... NOT readily available.

 

[Gunner3456]

Maybe we're talking about two different things? I'm talking SHTF where the guy can't find any kind of drink anywhere. I'm thinking that pint of J&B would bring a lot, as would a pack of smokes or some tobacco and fixin's.

Personally, I'm more into stocking up on the cheap Walmart knock-offs of the Bic lighter (they work fine), and votive candles and fire starter and other practical things that I can also use or barter.

 

[Just Jim]

I guess the best question is "what will the market want?" Are you going to trade whiskey for eggs or chickens? Think about your trade goods as something you can never replace in your lifetime. If it all comes down, all you will have is what you have.

jj

 

[Burt Gummer]

Look poor.

Best two words of advice ever.

When/if the gov is handing out cheese and you have two years of food, you had better go wait in that line with your neighbors and bubblegum and moan about how hungry you are ....

 

[coop44]

easier to quit drinking than smoking, been there done that. Not alot of home made brew out there I would trust either. start making it now and get a reputation with your neighbors, and practice for the future, I think 200 gallons a year is the legal limit for personal consumption.

 

[chemist]

It's pretty easy to make booze - even for non-chemists! So stockpiling the cheap stuff may not be worth it. If you have the cash but not the space, then premium brands might be the better choice. There are always going to be rich people, and they're the ones who will have the trade goods that you'd like to have. So what could you store that they're going to want?

But there's a risk in stockpiling any kind of addictive material. People go nuts for ciggies or booze or weed, and will act so stupid and irrational to get them, way out of proportion to the value of what they're stealing - or robbing. Look at all the "medical marijuana" houses that get ripped off these days.

Even if you go far from home to trade, somebody at the flea market or wherever is going to recognize you and know where you live. I'd rather forgo some comforts and keep a lower profile.

 

[Gunner3456]

It's pretty easy to make booze - even for non-chemists! So stockpiling the cheap stuff may not be worth it. If you have the cash but not the space, then premium brands might be the better choice. There are always going to be rich people,

It takes a lot of space to make alcohol. Not so much for beer, but it doesn't keep well. You need a very large store of grains.

Rich people? If we have massive inflation, their money won't be what we want. What do they have to barter?

and they're the ones who will have the trade goods that you'd like to have. So what could you store that they're going to want?

Have they prepped? It may be that we have what they need, like water and food and fire. Wouldn't that make us the "rich" ones? I don't want their Rolls. Just wondering...

But there's a risk in stockpiling any kind of addictive material. People go nuts for ciggies or booze or weed, and will act so stupid and irrational to get them, way out of proportion to the value of what they're stealing - or robbing. Look at all the "medical marijuana" houses that get ripped off these days.

Even if you go far from home to trade, somebody at the flea market or wherever is going to recognize you and know where you live. I'd rather forgo some comforts and keep a lower profile.

All of that I agree with. However, at some point we would need to take the risk and barter. We would need some sort of society, even if it's just a place where people barter. Even if all I have is a few Bic lighters and candles, that could tip someone off that I have more. Cold people are desperate too. I don't see a way to avoid risk.

 

[chemist]

Yes, there will definitely be rich people. They may lose millions in their useless Rolls Royces, but they'll have millions more in every kind of asset class you can imagine.

Some things won't be available at any price, just because of transportation limitations. Those are the things that will hold value here in the PNW: chocolate, coffee, tropical products of all kinds. And maybe single malts from Scotland too. But price isn't about what somebody "would" pay, it's what he can pay, so there's the reason why you want to do your trading with the rich folks.

Besides, people who are all set for basic food and water are a lot less likely to kill you for scotch or chocolate than people who are watching their families dying of hunger and bad water. Trading matches with desperate people sounds awful risky to me.

 

[knuckle Head]

Although trading matches with desperate could be dangerous and probably will be, and trading with the rich would be more profitable. But that rich person may not have any useable skills and the poor desperate person has probably had to learn a few, this is where real trading come into play

 

[redmud]

antibiotics i.e. amoxacillan, penacillan, if you had any and someone had an infection they would most likely give you anything you ask for.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Any attractive ladies out there - don't forget prostitution. Prostitution > Starvation. Even if you have to do it behind your husband's back. It is good for the family. Food, that is ...

Turning tricks will run rampant. Women have survival instincts that rival men by far. They know how to get down to business in order to survive.

 

[knuckle Head]

Any attractive ladies out there - don't forget prostitution. Prostitution > Starvation. Even if you have to do it behind your husband's back. It is good for the family. Food, that is ...

Turning tricks will run rampant. Women have survival instincts that rival men by far. They know how to get down to business in order to survive.

It is a shame it comes to that, personally I rather give man or lady some work to do than to stoop to that level, I hope to God, I never get that bad off to pay a woman for it, especially a married woman.

But your point is true look at every war, conflict or crisis and they did what they had to do and really who here can really blame them, after all it was all about survival

most women do have better survival instincts than a lot of men, they can manipulate us better they we can them. A woman will instinctively is attracted to man who is the leader or by her definition the best protector and provider. after all that is why we are different.

 

[billdeserthills]

You guys are great, & I'm glad we're on the internet so I don't hafta actually get too near to some of you'all, heh heh