After a serious disaster (major natural disaster, polar shift, police state, alien invasion, whatever...) and paper currency inevitably becomes valueless, what is everyone banking on being of value? Obviously the standard survival stuff applies, weapon, ham etc., but what is a safe bet for bartering? Interested to hear thoughts as i'd like to start reorganizing my investments you could say.
when shtf, what will be of value for barter?
Absolutamente
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Been skimming through the thread and didn't see dry pool chlorine tabs. Can be dissolved to make chlorine for water purification and they are portable. Needles for knitting and sewing, light weight and portable. Underarmor thermals, again portable. I am trying to say preps should be portable, or chached if heavey. Ammo is great but try evacuating while carrying your supply on your back and you will wish you had buried some of it. When the time comes to barter, when some sort of civility has returned, breakout your portable e-tool and dig up your riches. Oh, and many thanks to all for the previous good ideas.
My wife recently quit smoking and has left over "patches" and nicotine gum. She was going to toss them but I stashed them along with her previous packs of cigarettes that mysteriously disappeared in the past. Just another item - that was going to be tossed - added to my future barters.
I'm curious where in history in the worst of times has gold & silver had no value?
I worked on a job in Brazil a long way from any civilization and you could trade raw gold for most anything you wanted. The people in the area we were working had very little but they knew what gold was.
Knives ,machetes and bright colored t-shirts were in demand also.
Those bullets in a SHTF event may just get you a 50% chance of getting killed. With no or little medical care available even being wounded is a serious problem.All the dreamers and Rambos seem to think slinging lead is a safe pursuit. They will all be in for a rude awakening.
A little reality goes a long way. Learning how to avoid a shoot out is the most valuable skill but overlooked,to bad.
Red
I worked on a job in Brazil a long way from any civilization and you could trade raw gold for most anything you wanted. The people in the area we were working had very little but they knew what gold was.
Knives ,machetes and bright colored t-shirts were in demand also.
Those bullets in a SHTF event may just get you a 50% chance of getting killed. With no or little medical care available even being wounded is a serious problem.All the dreamers and Rambos seem to think slinging lead is a safe pursuit. They will all be in for a rude awakening.
A little reality goes a long way. Learning how to avoid a shoot out is the most valuable skill but overlooked,to bad.
Red
I don't think it has been said but sustainable energy is almost priceless...
Solar panels
Solar trickle charger
A/C-D/C converter
Back packs
Duct Tape
Car batteries
Gardening tools
Shoes
anything dynamo
watches
flashlights
gun magazines and cleaning kits
knives of all kinds
gum
I could go on but, well you know...
Solar panels
Solar trickle charger
A/C-D/C converter
Back packs
Duct Tape
Car batteries
Gardening tools
Shoes
anything dynamo
watches
flashlights
gun magazines and cleaning kits
knives of all kinds
gum
I could go on but, well you know...
It seems to me one's skills arre going to be the best trade in value
lkely there will be murrauders and bands of men and children willing to fight over food and civil unrest is going to be all over. but that's in the worst case senario just above a nuke strike. and the only way to servive that is to stand out side and watch it .
I have played the senario over and over, a loner will be a threat to every one scavaging to servive , but the group that creates a community has the best chance, people teaming up with skills . lawns would turn into gardens and every one would be responsible for the preservation and care . water sources and generators to keep that water moving is the next issue. A lot of people will be hoping for hand outs or stealing it if they can.
lkely there will be murrauders and bands of men and children willing to fight over food and civil unrest is going to be all over. but that's in the worst case senario just above a nuke strike. and the only way to servive that is to stand out side and watch it .
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Over 25 years ago I started developing the skill of bartering and trading items, excess, unused, and unsold inventory of items. I have traded for most literally everything under the sun from gasoline to gold and dental care to washing my dog. Anyway yes the skill is vital but what I personally believe will be vital is the network of people who know how to barter, and people who I have a relationship with, people that I trust, people who have skills that I do not have, people who have items in excess that I may want. For example a wheat farmer who has several thousand bushels of wheat in his bin at all times. Or the farmer who has several hundred head of beef on the hoof. Or the dairy man who has the cows and the milk. I have been developing skills in candle making because everyone will want light. I am stocking up hundreds of pounds of wax and wicks to make candles. I want to be the light company so to speak. Oh I also developed a relationship with the beekeeper locally for his bees wax. That stuff makes great candles.
I have my chickens, and gardens, and greenhouse, and fruit trees, and berry bushes and all the rest. But the key will be to having the network. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT STORE IT ALL. It is in the relationships with the people not in the things!
I have my chickens, and gardens, and greenhouse, and fruit trees, and berry bushes and all the rest. But the key will be to having the network. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT STORE IT ALL. It is in the relationships with the people not in the things!
So you co-opt the loner and bring him in. If he's really interested in getting a better future, he'll be educable, and if he isn't, you have one more for the slave pens.
See note above about slave pens. The slave mentality is one that cannot be reformed, and you cannot afford to put them in positions where they can hurt your community. I don't like it, you don't like it, but there it is. Thieves go to the pens. Period.
Kids? Take 'em in and raise 'em. The marauders will be hoist on their own petard as we build again, just like they were the first time around. It takes an organized society to keep the guns running.
Mr. Attitude, you said it better than I can. However, a gasifier and gas lamps will handle the lighting better than the candles can. Trade is better, by far, than trying to make it all yourself.
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Jewelry works on some; but not on everyone.
It doesn't work worth diddly on any one that's worth keeping around.... However, it does make 'em happy, and when she's happy, you's happy....
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27,569 Posts
I agree.
As for my wife, it does not make her happy. She does not care for jewelry at all.
There are some ladies who are not effected by jewelry at all.
Put a gold bead in the surface of her .45 front sight maybe?
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Free Range Chickens an egg every day
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This is the first post I came to that mentioned skills.
I totally agree.
Depending on how bad TSHTF was, skills will be great for bartering.
I can weld, and I have two brother-in-laws that have skills, one is a Carpenter and the other is a Machanic, my daughter-in-law is a nurse, these types of skills will be greatly needed after TSHTF.
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297 Posts
It varies on WHAT caused the SHTF, and also how long the SHTF, and if its long term, what stage you are at.
Key thing to me is stock up on stuff you use, if the S does not HTF, its not waste, if the SHTF, well, your prepped and suddenly you can get stuff for barter. It might be a spare peice of kit, it might be a spare tshirt, then again, to a hungry family, a jar of peanut butter and some clean water would be priceless.
Key thing to me is stock up on stuff you use, if the S does not HTF, its not waste, if the SHTF, well, your prepped and suddenly you can get stuff for barter. It might be a spare peice of kit, it might be a spare tshirt, then again, to a hungry family, a jar of peanut butter and some clean water would be priceless.
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44 Posts
Barter keeps you useful!
think about not HOW to get the stuff, but the stuff you would need. I need cheese, I need bread, I need a soap, find the people who make it, and trade. I am a fan of barter..
I say barter is THE WAY to go, and it could be anything as easy as a bowl to eat from or a knife to hunt with... I am already bartering , in this economy , I can make laundry soap that uses 1 TBLSP per load (compact as hell!) works great and for less $$ than the store stuff. wouldnt that be worth something when you are dirty and kroger is gone?
think about not HOW to get the stuff, but the stuff you would need. I need cheese, I need bread, I need a soap, find the people who make it, and trade. I am a fan of barter..
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The things that will be of value for barter are those things that are needed but are in short supply, and do not have good substitutes. What is needed may be highly dependent on the particular SHTF situation.
Since none of us is clairvoyant, the best thing we can do is to stock those things that we know will be of use to us in the majority of situations. Chances are, if it's something YOU'll need, then someone ELSE will need it, as well. If you have extra, then you have something to barter with. If it DOESN'T "hit the fan", then at least what you've stocked is something that you'll use anyway, so having it "on hand" isn't going to cause any hardship or "opportunity loss".
Since none of us is clairvoyant, the best thing we can do is to stock those things that we know will be of use to us in the majority of situations. Chances are, if it's something YOU'll need, then someone ELSE will need it, as well. If you have extra, then you have something to barter with. If it DOESN'T "hit the fan", then at least what you've stocked is something that you'll use anyway, so having it "on hand" isn't going to cause any hardship or "opportunity loss".
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