Sell Before Or After Apocalypse?

Same here. Clearly, no one will have everything they need to survive when the next SHTF situation arrives. Because of this, having something that can be traded by people so that they can get what they need to survive is a good thing. This is where the PMs will come in handy... not during a SHTF event but afterwards when we are all picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild our futures.

As to whether some do or do not believe it will happen... well, a lot of folks in the "Roaring 20s" sure didn't think that an economic collapse was coming but that did not prevent it from happening. Those who had real money came through the terrible days of the 1930s OK. Those who did not had a MUCH more difficult time of it.

Speaking of those days... my great grand parents were born in the 1870s. They did not trust banks at all, so buried their money. When the crash of '29 came along, they owned their farm, had no debt, and were not invested in Wall Street at all because they did not trust that system either. They believed in hard money and hard money only. They did fine in the 1930s and were even able to help their family, some close friends, and even some strangers get through those days. Anyone who came by their farm and was willing to work for food was hired for the day. Most of these men moved on after a day or two but they always put on a good meal for those who would work for it. They did not believe in giving away free handouts but a job, even for a day or two, was not a hand-out. It was a hand-up.

Funny. I'm reading a book now about a similar event. It's called, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". It seems the vamps were behind the American civil war, as they were determined to keep their supply line of slaves flowing from Africa at all costs, as this was their primary source of blood. Lincoln, having lost his mother to a bloodsucker, set out to stop them. Revisionist fiction, sure, but still an entertaining read, so far.

Drudging up an old thread!!

Awesome thread to read through. The one question I have:

Will my MS65 1889 CC Morgan silver dollar be worth 300,000 worth of something, or just .7735 oz of silver?

Actually this thread is more appropriate now than it was back in 2012. Hard to believe how much things have changed these last two years. With Ebola, financial collapse, and ISIS now a threat to the homeland, an even greater threat is the loss of the power grid which no one seems to take seriously. If that goes kiss everything goodbye. No water, no food, no fuel, everything stops. I really don't think metals will help us at that point and even cash won't get you much. Beans and bullets is what you'll need.

At the local monthly guns shows, the doomers vendors are out selling in force. The newest is one women selling copper rounds from a ¼ ounce and up. Now I am a token collector, so the rounds have some passing interest for me. As to one of each style/type.
She was working very hard to convince me that I should buy bulk amounts.
I told her that currently I had a couple thousand feet of copper wire, 150# lead, brass and aluminum not counting steel shapes.
All at a lot lower price, and a lot more useful in the event of the end times.

I have to agree with everybody that is along the beans and bullets line/Mad Max movies could be a required viewing for preppers. No were did they even bring up gold or silver as a means of payment if I remember.
Barter will be king.

If somebody hears you have gold and silver they will collect a band of like minded heavily armed half wits, and take it from you. since they will only be thinking in the pre-end times thinking of value.

"Practical Skills" will be of more value, and may even keep you alive when the local war load takes over!

Besides how would the price be set for the value of exchange rate! Plus how do you parse out smaller than full units sizes and better have a good none battery weight scale.
Collectables will be worth less.
As I said on another forum "Sometimes it is hard to know if the current state of affairs in the larger urban area's is normal or the Zombie Apocalypse" Don't forget to stock up on the Zombie buck rounds!

Lol, stacking cans of food with the labels peeled off for the next generation with reading problems!

Back to that 2012 Bee Ess: look at it this way. There are 12 numerals on a clock. When that hour hand passes the 12, what happens? Does the world end?! Remember that next time there is a year 2000, a 2012, or anything that has to do with OCD numerology. It's all in your head.

The Mayans were counting their time in periods of hundreds of years according to the their belief system. Why would anyone take that as anything relevant to this particular era?

All of these zombie shows and zombie movies are beyond me; it's a total gimmick (just look at Zombie ammo). They are all quite ridiculous; I don't get the craze at all. Originally, back in the 1960s, zombies were a metaphor for communists. Today I think they represent people who talk'n'text.

sell it all & buy lead (backed by brass and gunpowder)

It depends on who else is on the island, and their disposition. If I found it...