SGTbull07’s most recent micro-documentary details the recent news that the CFTC has allowed large banks like JP Morgan to make bets in the gold and silver paper markets without limits. Eventually, that paper Ponzi, like all which have come before it, will collapse quickly and without warning:
The continued manipulation of silver (and gold) has been brought to light by numerous sources, including GATA as well as independent whistle blowers. For most, gold and silver are simply another asset class. In reality, however, these precious metals are, as noted in the micro-doc, the historical ballasts that have kept currencies honest – until, that is, the gold standard was eliminated in 1971. Regardless of the manipulations and media talking points, when the SHTF it will be these precious metals (and possibly other commodities like oil) that governments will turn to as a way to value their currencies. Those who have the gold will have at least some value in their currency systems, while those without gold will become worthless.
Right now, China, Russia, India and other nations are buying up as much gold as they can get their hands on – because they know where its value is headed; and you can be assured they aren’t buying the GLD or SLV commodity exchange traded funds on the stock market – they’re buying the real thing. The U.S. Federal Reserve reportedly has about 8,000 tonnes of gold in their vaults, but we may never really know if all, or any, of that gold is still there until it’s too late, as there has reportedly not been a complete Fed gold audit since 1954.
Eventually, at some point in the (near) future the excessive leverage in the gold and silver paper markets will come crashing down, just like the excessive leverage brought down our stock and commodities markets in 2008. Reports suggest that there is nearly 100 times as much gold being traded in paper markets around the globe than has ever actually been mined in the history of the world. You can see the problem this might pose when traders of that paper gold eventually decide they want to take delivery of their metal – it simply won’t be available because there will not be enough to go around.
This will lead to an almost instant crash in the credibility of the paper markets and an equally rapid explosion in the price of the physical assets.
For now, it seems, there is still time to acquire physical precious metals at relatively fair value compared to where the prices may be several years hence. In fact, it remains a legitimate possibility that the price of precious metals will take a another significant fall, as we saw in the market panics of 2008.
We maintain, as we have before, that a stock market sell of, if it were to occur again, could mean a correction in precious metals as investors panic and sell anything and everything in their portfolios. We also believe that if such an event were to occur there would be a price floor where large buyers like China, India and Russia, as well as individual investors, would began pouring into the metals, effectively stabilizing the price. Given the instability of the global economic, financial and political systems, regardless of gold and silver’s short-term movements, the long-term bull market trend remains intact.
In addition to the possibility of falling precious metals prices in a stock market collapse, the fact that large financial institutions like JP Morgan are able to place ‘bets’ on paper, essentially without limits, means that manipulation may continue unabated for a while longer. Until, that is, global instability leads investors to request physical metals in exchange for their paper receipts. It is at this point that the entire paper gold and silver markets will be revealed as the house of cards that they actually are.
We continue to recommend to those who care to listen that holding physical gold and silver is an important wealth preservation and diversification strategy. We will, as we have done for the past several years, continue dollar-cost-averaging into precious metals regularly as a hedge against not just inflation, but government instability and a loss in public confidence. We urge our readers to give this some serious consideration and make gold and silver a part of their complete emergency and disaster preparations.
Sometimes I wonder of all this push for people to buy physical or paper precious metals is just a way to pump of the prices and make the skilled investor rich and the unskilled poor. I’m very skeptical…. Beware folks….
I agree w/Slim. I enjoy the content of this site but if SHTF it’s not all about owning precious metals… which this site seems to really push hard. I too wonder if this is just advertising for precious metals.
Slim / Stan – thank you for your comments. I understand your concerns in this regard.
It’s (preparedness and disaster planning) most certainly not all about owning precious metals, however, I believe this is an important part of any complete Preparedness Strategy. There are many different types of readers here in many different income brackets with very different needs. Some may have large retirement plans and investing 90% of their assets into 6-gallon wheat buckets would simply not be a viable strategy. I am trying to cover as many of the bases for preparedness planning and news on this web site as possible.
I won’t deny I am “pushing hard” on precious metals. I am. I am also pushing hard on people stocking up on food, self defense armaments, and skills building. PM’s are just one part of it.
We often see comments where people ask the question “should I still buy silver at $29” — this post is essentially a commentary on what I think are the possibilities for silver, and why buying at $29 (or lower if the opportunity presents itself) is still a good idea.
Slim, you’re entitled to your opinion, but I am not a skilled investor (by traditional investing standards) or market trader. I do, however, own gold and silver stocks and other PM assets, as I have made clear on previous occasions. Stan, I also run advertisements from Google and other advertisers on this web site and have made this clear as well. With regard to the Google advertisements, I do not choose which ads are displayed, though they are ‘content’ driven, so Google will likely put up related advertisements, and this web site generates revenue if you happen to click an ad you are interested in. It also generates revenue in other ways, but the reality of it is that I am not going to place advertisements for non-related services when my intention is to put people in contact with the information, as well as the products and services they may need acquire in order to achieve their personal preparedness goals.
I agree that readers of this article, and articles on all other web sites should beware. To blindly purchase gold, silver, ammo, guns, food, and other preparedness products without contemplation, research and reason is never a good idea.
That being said, my intention is not to “pump prices.” The price, it seems, has ‘pumped’ itself. I’ve been writing about investing in gold and silver since this web site’s inception (Jan 2009)… Did I personally pump the global price of silver from the then $12 to the current $29? Maybe. Did one have to be a skilled investor to have not only preserved but generated wealth in dollar terms with this strategy? It just made sense – and it still does.
Thank you for your comments and thanks for reading.
Mac
I’m a little on the skeptical side of owning gold, but only a little. The most likely “SHTF” scenerio is a financial collapse due to printing too much paper fiat…..then the world will turn back to real money…..which is gold.
Silver, on the other hand, is clearly going to go out of sight one of these days. The industrial world simply consumes too much, existing stockpiles have been nearly depleted and mining can’t keep up. That’s a formula for a price spike if ever there was one.
But I wouldn’t go to great lengths to acquire either until you have other more basic areas of life support well covered.
Cant eat the shit..thats for dam sure.
and the way these financial markers are played with by TPAB..gold or silver could end up not being worth any more then the paper money..remember its only worth what someones willing to pay for it.
and that can work in your favor or against it, just depends on its viewed value at the time your looking for something to gain with it.
the government can make it so you cant own any, or change the rules on its value to suit them..they been playing that game for this long..what makes anyone think today is anydifferent is beyond me.
just because somewhere there is a piece of paper that says gold is worth X amount doent mean that once TSHTF..that it will still be worth that..I see absolutly no prof, that in total anarchy anything being worth what some mouth piece says it is.
Mac said:Â ” Did I personally pump the global price of silver from the then $12 to the current $29?”
Well, if you did Mac……can you run it on up to a hundred or so ? I’d be truly appreciative……ahahahaaaaaa
I will just remind you guys, that in crisis periods paper money was for crap whereas gold and silver assisted many people to pass through the tough times.
This means of course that gold was used in black market for getting food. But at the end of the day, one balances his/her need to survive with the need to pile up assets.
My ancestors survived the German occupation by slowly selling precious assets such as gold british coins, and some antique weapons from the 1821 Greek revolution (two flintlock pistols and two yatagans) which belonged to the family.
A year later Germans left, but my grandparents were alive partially because of the gold.
Manos
VRF:
Nope….you can’t eat them….but you can’t eat paper dollars or your Visa card either. But all of them can currently be used to BUY STUFF you can eat. That’s one property of money…..a medium of exchange.
So, then the question becomes:
Which medium of exchange has the longest running history of being used as a medium of exchange ?
Not paper….not plastic…..nope, it’s those shiny metals.
And of those 3, which has another property of true money……a store of value ?
Plastic ? nope
Paper ? nope.Â
A twenty dollar paper note and a twenty dollar gold coin were equal 100 years ago. Are they today ? Nope.
Why ?  Because you can only mine so much gold per year, a fairly small amount if you spread it out per person in the world…..and how much paper can you print ? ( or more modern, create with a keyboard )…..unlimited amounts apparently.
The whole history of economics plainly teaches the more rare an item is, the more value it has. Which is more rare…..gold or paper ? When people talk about “intrinsic” value, THAT is what they are talking about.
Can the govt change the rules anytime ?Â
Well SURE they can, and do. The whole TRUE purpose of govt and politics is to favor those with the most influence. Govt today is merely a pretty face with lipstick slapped on it over the EXACT SAME BUNCH that used to be robber barons and war lord kings.
THAT is why they have to be reminded, from time to time, that as Chairman Mao said “All politics comes out of the barrel of a gun”
And finally…..yes, in TOTAL anarchy, who knows what will be worth anything…..although there is plenty of historical evidence to suggest in the worst of times, gold is still valued highly.Â
BUT why is it people against PM’s always jump to Mad Max world ?
Because in my more-than-a-few decades, what I’ve seen is a long, slow slide…..not a sudden fall into anarchy. Based on what I’ve seen, the MORE LIKELY situation is you’re gonna get old, and anything you’ve saved in paper dollars is going to be worth less and less, whereas had you saved some, or most, in gold/silver, you would have retained, or maybe even gained, some purchasing power. Gasoline when I started driving was under 30 cents/gallon. Today, it’s three paper dollars or 2 silver dimes…..actually less in silver than the price in 1965. GET THE MESSAGE ?
Andy – I wish I could. I think Max Keiser is the guy to talk to about that. hehe.
VRF – agreed. We can not be certain of the value if the SHTF. My view on this is that if there is a buyer, or buyers, somewhere in the world, there will still be value there. We can’t eat gold, and this is one of the reasons why I put together this article last year: What is Money When The System Collapses? (https://www.shtfplan.com/emergency-preparedness/what-is-money-when-the-system-collapses_12292009 )
For me, it’s all about diversification.
In terms of paper price, it really is not of that much importance to me. I am not fully invested in gold/silver and a complete crash would not kill me, that’s for sure. The market is so heavily manipulated it is hard to understand what the real value of these metals is. This was demonstrated last year in Greece. As their sovereign debt crisis went full steam, the global paper price of gold was around $1100 or so, while the street value in Greece was approaching some $1700 per ounce. This proved the paper-to-physical disconnect for me.
Manos makes an excellent point about having gold. You never know when you might need it. In a SHTF complete collapse of society as we have come to know it scenario, gold/silver will likely remain a liquid and portable asset that can be used to bail you out of a bind. While most may not be willing to trade food or water for it, there may still exist a market for services (or other goods) in which gold/silver can be used to settle transactions.
Thanks all!
Mac
Metal bugs refuse to see the light. They see the number of dollars in the peoples hands, personal credit and oil all unlimited ever increasing and going to the moon.
The amount of dollars and credit in the peoples hands are NOT increasing. Oil production is NOT increasing.
In a collapse situation, and food is scarce, and the masses are killing each other for food, money won’t buy you food —- AND you won’t get a slice a bread for a gold bar.
In a collapse situation, and dollars/credit become scarce, and the masses are killing each other for food, you won’t get a slice a bread for a gold bar, you won’t be able to sell your metals as no one will have money/credit.
Has anybody here got to “play” with a tube of 50 gold 1/10 ounce coins, how about a tube of 1 ounce gold coins? Green monsters are fun to to play with too! The coin shop won’t let me drool over them anymore.  Tell the postal worker that it’s the electronic head to your female robot. Ride the Bull bubble’s going up & don’t be silly. Sure wish I owned some. When they start decreasing the deficit & I start seeing “We sell gold”, I will believing things are getting better.
Stan, I got some paper land, food, & bridges I’d love to naked short sell you…..
I love it when people use the argument that you can’t eat silver…like they’re storing food…NO – they are buying iPods…Xboxes, and fancy clothes…eating out every night because there’s nothing at home to cook…
Anybody not storing food right now is an idiot. Seeing the MSM even state that food prices are going up – watching riots all over the world, reports of food shortages, and stores empty in flooded areas…
Everybody forgot Katrina? Storing food and clean water is a no-brainer. Just like silver being real money (the word for money and silver in many languages is the same word).
I’m sure I’m not the only one on this comment board that feels like Cassandra. We’re looking at an obvious solution to a very real problem and people are poo-pooing us and dissing our concern for them.Â
They have to want it more for themselves than you want it for them. That’s the sad truth. Just like you can’t convince a drunk to give up the booze till he’s had enough, you will not save these people. When I see my mom and her husband’s retirement accounts go to zero, I will be glad to know that at least they own their home free and clear, and have place settings for twelve of her sterling flatware pattern. They probably won’t starve. I probably won’t be inheriting any silverware (don’t need it already got some myself – great way to buy silver – under spot in many cases – look on ebay).
Right now I’m done buying silver – I am getting more and more convinced that a person of my modest means is better off having food around for others to give as charity or barter. I’ve got the silver base covered for now, thought I had the food base covered, but now feeling…more concerned.
Will be starting the seeds for this spring’s garden soon. Our growing season begins early – some of my tomato plants are still green and growing and I feel dumb for not doing a winter garden this year. Thinking about getting some chickens…but can’t (nosy neighbors) till things get worse….
Lindsey Williams keeps saying – protect your dinner table. After you do that, meaning buy food, guns and ammo (and water) then think about shampoo, soap, medical supplies, seeds, etc. After you get all that squared away, then put some money in precious metals.Â
Hearing people say all they need is silver – or gold – to buy what they need – stupid…you assume there is supply available. Empty store shelves and you are going to do what?
Hearing people say they have plenty of guns and ammo so they will take what they need from others…stupid and EVIL.  You will eventually be shot and cut up for dog food. And that is what you will deserve.
One thing I want to stress to people is that if we have a pandemic, then you may not be able to leave your home safely and so you need EVERYTHING inside already. And stock some colloidal silver in case you have to go out or if you get sick. It’s great against colds and flu, and is considered effective (in high enough doses) against all pathogens.
People need to get a grip.  When things get nasty, that 25 pound bag of rice or beans might get you a pickup truck, or somebody’s grandma’s diamond ring, or a gold coin. People will sell their most precious heirloom to feed their children.  Stock food!!!
Then get pretty gold and silver coins if you have money left over. And thank the CFTC and JPM for making it cheaper and easier for you to get them. It’s going to be a very interesting time when the silver deliveries stop. It’s just a matter of time. I’m shocked there’s any left NOW.Â
I frantically bought last year. I was convinced the crash was happening so I feel any extra time here is a gift and we all need to make the most of it.Â
Mac, you have a lot of patience with the rude people writing in on your blog accusing you of just trying to sell silver…the links and articles you provide have such valuable information and I’m very grateful you decided to do this blog to help me and others like me.
Namaste
Slim and Stan,
Please read this and explain why you think buying some gold and silver is a scam. And tell the fleeing dictator while your at it because he obviously needs all the friends he can get becasue everyone knows you can’t eat gold…
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/deposed-tunisian-president-ben-ali-said-have-fled-country-15-tons-gold
i’m elated to witness so much critical thinking about PM’s. i continue to value new crisp uncirculated ten dollar bills as the ultimate salvation if the economy encounters a slight bump ahead. to me gold and silver are just shiny lumps of speculative junk that rust away if they’re not continuously waxed and polished. a friend of mine tried to clean a 1884 morgan silver dollar with chlorox. this junk coin turned into a worthless dull grey blob of garbage.
remember my friends - our future stability rests in the hands of the harvard trained hard working banking geniuses at the federal reserve bank and at our major banking centers such as j. p. morgan and goldman-sachs. it’s perfectly obvious that these banking professionals such as such as jamie dimon and lloyd blankfein have our best interests at heart. this is the reason things have been so stable in america throughout the current assault by the worldwide chinese mafioso and their wealthy drug running mexican cohorts.
Thanks Mac. I’m not sure why people even work to get paid digital/paper money.  It has no intrisic value. I do understand people that ride the wave with the rest of the crowd but people that don’t know how to swim should stay out of the water. Mac is giving swimming lessons.
It must be the the chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl− reacting with silver mushroom. S reacts also.Â
Burst Yer Bubbles
I’ll tell you what I tell all the sheep who think they know everything: The gold is for AFTER the choas. Eventually things settle down and the rule of law again comes into play. THAT is when your gold is helpful.  I’m amazed at how many can’t think beyond Mad Max, IF that happens world wide. Personally, that’s not how I see it playing out at all. In a total Mad Max world, we’re all probably dead anyway. But that hasn’t happened in recorded history. It probably won’t. So keep your pretty green paper; more gold and silver at a better price for us morons.
Slim, what are doing the other times when your not wondering? Stan, why are agreeing with Slim when he is wondering?Â
Mac, I’m glad I can still buy silver at $29 spot plus.Â
Gee Burst Yer Bubbles, I hope gold goes back to $35/ounce. What would silver be?Â
You can’t believe all the doom and gloom news you read on blogs and YouTube. Are things really that bad? I live on Long Island, NY just 35 miles from Manhattan and I see little to no signs of recession/depression. People are at the malls spending like no tomorrow, driving there Porsche Cayanne or Range Rovers while living it up in there $600,000+ homes. I’m certainly not one of them but I don’t see it being that bad here.
I think most of the doom/gloom news is government disinfo. The dollar is still the all mighty magical piece of paper that people around the world kill for. You still see millions of illegals doing whatever they can to enter the U.S. as if this country is heaven. As long as the FED keeps printing money, we should be fine.
Folks…
Many times when the subject of Gold and Silver arise, one always jumps in with “you can’t eat Gold”…and yse, this is true.
But allow me to make one thing very clear.
Those of us whom advocate owning physical Gold and Silver have prepared for all the other contingencies that need to be mentioned. YES, we have stockpiled food, YES, we have stockpiled survival goods, YES we have accumulated protection, along with the most precious metal on earth…LEAD (copper jacketed)!
So, let it be known that Gold and Silver should be the LAST thing on your list, but on your list nonetheless. I agree with Mark here and thank him for once again reminding us of where one should place priorities.
When you purchase physical Gold or Silver, you are not really “spending” money folks, you are merely moving it from one ‘account’ to another. It is no secret that more people believe in stuffing their money in their mattress than in a bank at no interest but a high probability of collapse. If you choose this method, you’re far ahead of the game save for one action:
“When you convert your cash into Gold or Silver, you are locking in the POWER of your money at that time! You are now immune to inflation and calamity!”
“Gold in the hands of the Public is an Enemy of the Stateâ€
– Adolph Hitler
The United States went “bankrupt” in 1933. [President Roosevelt Executive Order 6073, 6102, 6111, 6260; Senate Report 93-549, pgs. 187 & 594, 1973]
Pursuant to Title 12, USC Sec. 411, a “dollar bill†(Federal Reserve note) is NOT a dollar. It is a promise to pay face value – in dollars – in the future. That promise was repudiated in 1933 – over 76 years ago.
For over three generations, Americans have lived under a perpetual “temporary†State of Emergency, with no real money in circulation, and no one lawfully paying their debts. (See Art. 1, Sec. 10, USCON)
Thanks to 305 million “human resources†pledged as collateral on the impossible national debt, worthless notes have circulated as “legal tenderâ€. However, when foreclosure happens, I do not think they will be happy with their indentured servitude.
The Republic Cannot Stand, unless the People Stand for the Republic!
@Bubbles: “In a collapse situation, and food is scarce, and the masses are killing each other for food, money won’t buy you food —- AND you won’t get a slice a bread for a gold bar.”
I don’t view this kind of thinking as productive, because it just leads to throwing up your hands.  If it turns out that you can’t even buy a SLICE of bread for a gold BAR, why prep at all? You can’t eat your metal, true. In such a Mad Max scenario, it’s granted that metals won’t help much, but neither will cash. The fact is, none of our preps are going to make Mad Max life survivable for long, let alone worth living.  Â
Whether we want to admit it or not, all of us are prepping for scenarios that fall short of armageddon.  So what? Though none of us knows how this is going to play out, severe depression-style hardship can come in many forms for which metals will have plenty of utility.
Hey shroom, tell your friend with that worthless 1884 morgan that I’ll give him a crisp new $10 bill for it…
Michelle – I have a sip of colloidal silver every night before bed, haven’t had a cold for years.
I’ve been saving silver for 35 years. When I was a kid in the latter 60’s I’d go to the pinball place and buy silver quarters from the other kids for a small premium. Don’t know why, just always thought it was a good thing to have. As I got older I decided to keep 5% of my money in the metals as insurance, seems to have worked rather well. Debasement of currency has a long history… even if TS doesn’t HTF
It generally seems there’s the “Have’s” and the “Have-nots” out there. And in the world of Precious Metals, the Have not’s are the one’s that make excuses for the dangers of having precious metals. Anyone with any smarts knows that we are headed for a dramatic transition in our life. Our life-styles are about to change and in the long run, it’s just what we all need. Less texting gadgets, body fat and prescribed/non-prescribed drugs and more real experiences of living in a tribe where all humans are appreciated and have value. It is time to cut off the fat and so, with most Americans addicted to one thing or another, it’s time for a collective “cold turkey”. Unfortunately, many will not make it. But that’s life and so we move on from there. In the meantime, we will all need the basic provisions for this process to go as smoothly as possible, i.e., tangible, sustainable assets (food, gardens, security, shelter, etc.) and most importantly nourishing farm land with access to water. In addition, when a new currency is created, the way to buy in to that purchasing system will be with Gold and Silver. Those two metals in particular will enable those who have acquired them while they were still cheap to transition with less stress. These metals are outrageously cheap right now. Make hay while the sun shines and the moon shines. Hope to see the other “bugs” on the other side.
Comments…..Oh, and one can still buy a gallon of gas and a large coffee….with a 1964 Quarter!
Think about it.
i can buy 3 gallons of gas and a wonderful macdonads’s coffeee with a crisp new uncirculated ten dollar bill. if you try to buy something with that 90% silver quarter you got 25 cents worth = hardly anything.
silver coins are scams - absolute scams.
“Silver coins are scams” You should give warning, when you are going to make statements like that! Â I am wiping off my monitor, and still LOL!
I should be so lucky to be “scammed” into buying silver coins.
Not being an expert in finance, I know exactly $h!t about Phukk. Having admitted that, I would not touch gold even if I could afford it. I am buying silver, but not as an “investment” so to speak, I view it as transferring worthless fiat paper into something of real currency value. Whether silver goes to $5,000 or sinks to $5.00…I care not. In the aftermath it will still buy something – have some value! That’s all I care about. I expect a full on collapse, nothing less! I hope I am wrong. If I am wrong, I will laugh at myself right along with everyone else that’s laughing at me…it will be my plaesure!
Because that will mean that it did not get as bad as I think it will…and for that I will be truly grateful, at least for my children’s sake.
Not being an expert in finance, I know exactly $h!t about Phukk. Having admitted that, I would not touch gold even if I could afford it. I am buying silver, but not as an “investment” so to speak, I view it as transferring worthless fiat paper into something of real currency value. Whether silver goes to $5,000 or sinks to $5.00…I care not. In the aftermath it will still buy something – have some value! That’s all I care about. I expect a full on collapse, nothing less! I hope I am wrong. If I am wrong, I will laugh at myself right along with everyone else that’s laughing at me…it will be my plaesure!
Because that will mean that it did not get as bad as I think it will…and for that I will be truly grateful, at least for my children’s sake.
If you want to bitch about the swimming lessons that you haven’t paid for or want to look into it with a grain of salt in your fresh water pool (FREE), don’t pee in the club pool.
I remember when a silver quarter only bought a gallon of gas. Now it buys more.
Yeah Mushroom. Be sure to remind the electronics industry, the solar panel industry, the medical industry… that they’ve been scammed all of these years! What they THINK has been conducting electricity all this time, has been a scam! All along, they could’ve just used a little Elmer’s glue instead, eh? Way to spread the dis-info.
And Michelle and Mariposa, it’s not easy trying to help those that don’t want any help, or are too ignorant to recognize what metals have historically provided those that thought ahead. From the crash of ’29, to Nazi Germany, to the inflation of the late 70’s. For Godsakes, you have Manos proving to you a personal anecdote of how these very metals can save your life! Just at it helped those escape Germany in the 40’s. Yet no one listens. They regurgitate the ‘You can’t eat gold’ nonsense like it was a bumper sticker slogan.
Some of you need to seriously start thinking about what such pride (or ignorance) will do to those around you, for whom you must provide. This is not a game. Yet some of you are so incredibly flippant with your responses and ‘theories’. HISTORY supersedes your theories. Read up, and wake up.
Back in the turmoil of ’29 and ’79 when people lost it ALL, many were asked, ‘How did this happen to you? Why didn’t you take any measures against this?’ And many answered, “I never thought my government would lie to me. I thought my money was safe.” It didn’t matter if you had a million bucks under your mattress. It only mattered if you had metals to see you through.
And in recent history, you have the OVERNIGHT revaluation of a currency, ala North Korea or Argentina. A government can break you before your morning coffee, to 1/1000 of your worth if they so chose to.
And by the way, while we’re on the subject, for those that need such education. Start reading Zero Hedge and Max Keiser. You’ll be a better prepper for it.
Last count, there was less than 1 billion ounces of physical silver left on the open market. The US mint has sold over 3 million ounces in just the past two weeks! Finite supply is a reality. Add in all of the masses now visiting local coin shops, orders on the internet, billionaire investors, China’s interest in the metal, JP Morgan and HSBC billions in naked shorts, and you find yourself with a supply not nearly enough to meet demand! Oh, and the tech industry needs about 70% OF ALL THAT COMES OUT OF THE GROUND ON A YEARLY BASIS.
So let’s keep it all in perspective, and try to listen to those trying to help you. Good luck to all.
I can carry a pocket full of gold very easily compared to silver. Good thing I have both to the morons that think one is solely better than the other.
And “Gaze of Glory’, please do not interpret the spending habits of those around you as a sign that all is well. It is a sign of many things, a stable system not being one of them. Today, there is not a single channel on the mainstream news that has been the least bit honest of our state of affairs. People listen to that propaganda, and see no reason to change. They are told all is well, keep spending like good sheep! This is no accident. Up until the NIGHT BEFORE the crash of ’29, that led us into the Great Depression, government was still telling the people we were ‘all good’. Jobless rate was down (due to the same manipulations of figures we see today), and notions of an ever-higher rising stock market. Then…. SPLAT! Think someone didn’t want the people knowing how bad it was until it was too late? Nothing’s changed.
And a very real possibility, is the public’s knowledge that it will take a bank at least 14 months now before starting their foreclosure process, out of bankers’ fear of showing the loss on their books. This is why we have MILLIONS of shadow inventory homes, yet to be listed anywhere as ‘bad loans’. People take the time to learn things like that, because it allows them to game to the system, and fight ‘the man’. Everything else is just a waste of time to them! But this is now allowing homeowners to spend what would have been mortgage money, on needless bullshit consumption.
Stay prepared my friend, and rent a video on the Depression. No accident the PR campaign runs such parallels as today, given Bernanke’s ‘historical study’ of that era. The crash is coming, whether they tell you it is or not.
If I had a million Iraq dinar’s, I would buy 27 silver one ounce rounds.Â
Comments….. Iagree with Mac, but he also realizes that the average person cannopt afford to purchase silver and gold and have it sitting around in a “just in case” scenario. I look at the people of Brazil and Australia, losing their homes and everything they own. Even if some had a few pieces of gold, what good is that going to do them now? It matters not what disaster scenario one can conjure up, what I foresee out of all of this, is a roof over your head, food stored, and something to protect yourself. I have some silver, but as I have said before, if I can’t go any where and I’m hunkered down, what becomes more valuable–silver or food?
I just read an article on Drudge, that the most pressing commodity in short supply is food and inflation. We already know it’s coming here–it is here already.
I wondered when you would chime in.
The Tin Man didn’t have a brain “also”. If I had a few pieces of gold, it would be in my go bag, but I have some silver, but as I said before, if I don’t want to go anywhere mentally, and I’m hunkered down, what becomes move valuable: food or a brain.
Â
Goldenfoxx, I’m kind of with ya on some of that. No one should assume that everyone can just go out and buy these metals without some means of doing so. That ain’t so easy today. Having that food is pretty key right now, and we should all be working on that already.
But in terms of Australia, where I also have friends (Thankfully on the other coast), let’s think about that for a second. Some may have had a lifetime until this point to acquire a couple of ounces of gold from their wonderful Perth mint over there. Kept either on their person, or grabbed while the waters rose, they would be able to quickly convert to an acre or two in quick order, once they get their bearings, and were safe from harm. No need to barter, just a conversion to the currency of the day at a local coin shop, take your cash, and go get an acre with a trailer on it. Inland this time! A very real scenario that would have gotten some of these folks on their feet, as it very well may for some.
Someone else mentioned the quick assertion to jump to the Mad Max scenarios. There is a world that will exist between now and then. Just like I mentioned, convert your metals to the currency of the day if you really need something, while RETAINING PURCHASING POWER! The dollar is crashing, your metals will increase to offset it. No black market bargaining needed. Just real money retaining real worth.
Silver for true appreciation of worth these days )as the gold/silver ratio tightens up) and for smaller transactions, gold for later to buy a piece of land in a pinch, or safe passage to another land if it gets that hairy.
And yes, as the video suggests, Ed Steer’s site is awesome, as is Harvey Organ for daily metals updates, and also King World News. Some of my faves.
Nope you can’t eat precious metals.
People who say this must only have food and supplies, no money under the mattress or in the bank. The point is if you do have money saved it might be a good idea (after buying food and essentials) to buy some precious metals to preserve your savings. Not so you can eat it. Have you seen what happened in Zimbabwe. They needed to pan for gold in order to buy food. The currency is useless.Â
Michelle, I agree with this.
Lindsey Williams keeps saying – protect your dinner table. After you do that, meaning buy food, guns and ammo (and water) then think about shampoo, soap, medical supplies, seeds, etc. After you get all that squared away, then put some money in precious metals.
COVER ALL YOUR BASES
One final thing. :) Australia is a great case study for all that’s discussed on this site. Thank you Goldenfoxx for bringing it up. In short, for those in Oz that had nothing but food, no metals, and possibly lost their cars in the flood, they would have lost it all. The food would have been destroyed, and they would have had no means to replenish their stock (or re-purchase land and a roof over their heads as mentioned above), had they not had some metals for protection. And that all depends on their cash situation at the bank. But we know the banks are doomed, so in the future, those metals may be your only saving grace.
Diversification seems to be the moral of this story.
OK. You guys are killing me! We have the “You can’t eat your silver (or gold)…” crowd in here.
PEOPLE! PLEEZE!!!
The silver and the gold is not to help during the chaos that would ensue during the beginnings of TEOTWAWKI. The gold and silver are for you to have something after things are re-established and things start to improve. It will only be a fool that buys gold instead of food and guns. In the initial stages of SHTF the gold and silver are wothless and no amount will buy you a loaf of bread. They might allow you to recieve some lead in exchange for ripping you off but that will be the only trade. Food and ammunition will be far more valuable and mainly for keeping YOU alive, not trading.
Look, if you take 12, $100.00 bills and stuff them in an envelope they’ll be worth nothing after things get put back together and going again.
However, a 1oz gold coin will be worth approximately the same as it was before the crash.
Gold and silver are for storing value, not for buying food. At some point you may be able to use it to buy food but certainly not initially and especially not at normal prices. I would say that during TEOTWAWKI you can expect a loaf of bread to be about as much as a 1oz gold coin. If you haven’t prepared you might actually pay it, too!
Your preparation must be balanced! I use the 6G principal:
God.
Guts.
Guns.
Groceries.
Gasoline.
Gold.
You need some of each. How much? That is for you to determine. Ther is a 7th G (a Garden) for long term TEOTWAWKI, if that comes to pass.
Don’t be a guntard, goldtard or foodtard. No amount of any one thing will keep you alive. You have to have all 6Gs, 7Gs for long term, in addition to your home or bugout locations.
GodSpeed to all of you.
-NetRanger
I think everyone needs to use common sense about precious metals and investing. First of all, if you have common sense, you know that the bond market will crash at some point in the next 18 months or so. I understand that many do NOT have common sense. People that are in government bond funds, own parts of bonds at 1-3%, and if anyone thinks interest rates are going to stay at that level….you need more help than anyone on this site can give you. When interest rates start going up (there is no free lunch), they are going to be screwed. If you add in that fact that many states are having major financial problems, you can understand the bond market will be in bad shape for many years. Everyone will get hurt buy this, especially people with state pensions.  It is just a matter of time before states say “we can’t give you everything we promised”. Let’s face it; it will happen. Therefore, precious metals should be a valuable part of a good portfolio. Real coins, good precious-metal stock funds and the like. In addition, good financially-strong stock funds are attractive to me, too, because no matter what is said on this site, I find it hard to believe that the whole economy will shutdown.  So, soon as interest rates start rising; bond funds will be in the shitter faster than you can say Warren Buffet!
Finally, as smart as we all think we are; we may be proven to be a bunch of dumb asses…..so keep on top of everything that is going on in the world!
the end.
One more thing; I am in the food business and I can say for sure that prices are going up! I agree with Goldenfoxx on that subject.
Around the time that TSHTF, the CRIMINALS who run the Federal Gov’t will CONFISCATE gold – as was done once before! THEY might well also CONFISCATE silver. So all the PM bugs here will be left goldless and silverless and clueless – and holding bags of paper money like everyone else! Remember, those CRIMINALS who are in CONTROL are always at least one step ahead of you. THEY make the Ciderhouse Rules – NOT you! And if you have squirreled away a mountain of food and water buffaloes of water in your residential bunker, your neighbors, near and far, will soon find out and then that mountain will turn into a molehill and those water buffaloes into a drop in the bucket. If you yank out your six-shooter (or bigger), someone out there will throw a smoke grenade (or better) into your living room and then you’ll have to retreat into your basement (if you have one). THEY will smoke you out! Remember, there are MORE of THEM than there are of you!
So, all you’ve done with your clever planning, is make yourself a BIGGER TARGET.
So, what’s the best survival strategy?
ENJOY LIFE while you still can! When (not if) TSHTF, join the patriots and be prepared to shed your blood to water the tree of liberty. On the other hand, being a dual citizen of some far-away and self-sufficient and under-populated country may pay off in SPADES. How about New Zealand or Denmark? 😉
Ooops, too late, right?
“Live free – or die” (New Hampshire).
I have a 5 yr. supply of George Jettson 5 course food pills. If you’re banking on PM’s only being worth while on the back side, dream on. The NWO will be in control with new money. Deflation, again….. After WWIII, now your talking. Take a history course in the library.
PS No matter how big or thick your bunker, THEY have a bunker-buster ready for you. A bunker mentality in these troubled times will surely lead to disaster. The safest place to be (besides New Zealand and Denmark) will be on top of the barricades! 😮
PPS Some of you here have stopped THINKING – and are being led around by a gold (or silver) ring in your nose!
Make no mistake about it, what’s coming to America is CLASS WARFARE – the HAVES against the HAVE-NOTS!
“Choose you this day whom you will serve!” SELF-service is going out of style – BIG TIME!
Godsend,
First of all, gold was not confiscated. Please review your history before laying in to everyone with such a rant. It was ‘demanded’ under threat of law, to be relinquished for the ‘good of the country’, then later re-valued, instantly diminishing one’s worth on the ‘open’ and legal market. Less than 5% of the people turned it in. My bet, no one on this site would ne amongst that 5%. No one came to get it. Fear was the overriding factor for the few. But when that’s all you have left, most people will say, “If you can find it, you can have it”. And no one that I KNOW would be feeling the same patriotism in handing over such worth to a bunch of criminals. This country and its people have changed.
Next, silver wasn’t confiscated, and will very likely not be confiscated due to many factors. The logisitics of it. The number of outstanding and untraceable quantities of it, as many will not be leaving behind personal info when they make their metals purchases at the local coin shop. And, this is a biggie, many more people are armed today than were in the 30’s. A very dangerous prospect to come and take all that someone has left of any value. And there are not ‘more of them than there are of us’.
Rather than ranting about the NWO which we acknowledge is very real, get calm, and start to rationally think about your next move should the signs point to them coming to get your metals. Slow down and think. And don’t leave receipts behind with personal info, and always pay with cash.
No disrespect, but let’s get the facts straight first.
I like the free-market. IF teotwawki happened in a big way, those with extra food Will find a way to exchange that extra food for gold or silver, even immediately after SHTF, that’s how the free-market works,… unless something gets in the way of the free-market, like goberment, as happened during the hurricanes and such.
Fact is, I myself have one extra bag of rice that I’ll happily trade for gold or silver immediately after SHTF. I imagine there’s lots of people like that, many farmers too, all willing to trade.
So I think that shoots the idea out of the water that gold and silver are useless immediately after SHTF, eh?
Spend your currency and save in precious metals. You’ll be glad you did. For those who want to dollar cost average then take a look at
https://silversaver.com/share/43JNH
I’ve been unemployed since 3/10 but I still put a little into food, ammo, supplies and metals each month. Not a lot on a monthly basis but over time it sure does add up.
Good luck and God bless all,
mm
Dave
You missed my point entirely.
The point is: The Federal Gov’t CRIMINALS will make sure that NO ONE circumvents or foils their objective – whatever it is (and it ain’t gonna be nice!). THEY have the power – and you don’t!
That was THEN and this in NOW. The game has/will escalate into a LIFE or DEATH struggle. THEY WILL CONFISCATE GOLD! – maybe silver, too. The value of history here is the PRECEDENT of the concept!
YES, there are MANY more of THEM (the HAVE-NOTS) than there are of you (the HAVES with gold, silver, food, water ,etc.)!
Read my ENTIRE comment(s) and THINK! THINK about the American Revolution. THINK about the French Revolution! THINK about the Russian Revolution! THINK about ANY Revolution, including the Tunisian Revolution, now in progress.
THINK, THINK, THINK! (No disrespect) 😉
There are three opportunities to benefit from your stash of precious metals. The first is well BEFORE Mad Max, when greatly increased commodity prices lead you to believe TS is going to HTF and you want to sell your stash and buy up all the food and supplies you can so you can be one of the “havesâ€. As a side note, if the Pollyannas of the world happen to be right, and this thing blows over with barely a whimper, PM will simply be a good investment. The second opportunity comes if your timing is wrong or if Mad Max is thrust upon us with no warning. In that case your PM stash becomes a medium of exchange assuming you can find a friendly farmer with food to sell. That’s a big if, especially if you can’t get gasoline to drive out to the farm, so prepping with tons of food is critically important, along with the other preps people keep bringing up. The third opportunity occurs after Mad Max “takes care†of the “have nots†(if you catch my drift).Â
While society will never again be normal, eventually some level of civility will return and when it does, your stash of gold will either be tradable or convertible for cash at an exchange rate far higher than it is today. You might even be able to exchange your stash for a small farm. Remember, by this point the dollar has already collapsed, and PM will be universally recognized as valuable if things play out as they always have in the past.
Â
So to those who claim you can’t eat gold, I say thank you for leaving more in the system for me to buy at a reasonable price. However, I have to warn you: if you come begging to me for food, water, or other essentials I have in abundance, and you have nothing of value to trade, I am going to remind you that you made the conscious choice to keep your wealth in a known cesspool of worthless paper, you chose to squander your filthy lucres on junk because conspicuous consumption makes you feel superior, and you chose to ignore the avalanche of warning signs because it’s too painful too think about the coming crisis. I am going to inform you that evolution has a plan for those unwilling to adapt. I prefer not having that conversation but I will if your emergency plan brings you to my doorstep.
1933 Gold Confiscation:
http://www.the-privateer.com/1933-gold-confiscation.html
——-
Gold butterfly
You also missed the point. 🙁
Something (someone) is driving UP the price of gold. Someone is creating DEMAND for gold. More and more people WANT to hold gold in their hot little hands or put it in their mattress, hoping that it will BAIL them out of CALAMITY. (it won’t). Gold is being ACCUMULATED and CONCENTRATED in a growing number of hands. People are being cajoled into turning in their “scrap” gold in the Malls of America – by “Guess Who”? The CRIMINAL Federal Gov’t is gonna WANT that gold! (for their nefarious purposes). THEY will leave no stone unturned to GET all the gold THEY possibly can. Count on it! 🙂
————————–
QUESTION: Name the 2 critters who have done more to CREATE DEMAND for gold in the last 10 years than anyone else?
CONNECT THE DOTS (it’s really not that hard – honest! THINK!)
—————————–
Good night, Irene.
—————————–
Hey, yourdaddy, try these on for size:
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” (James 5:1-3)
“Those who try to save their life will lose it!”
Godsend,
Those who prepare for what’s coming ARE the true patriots. They won’t be under stress and freaking out like those (the have not’s) who sit and watch too much tv while texting and dreaming about living in far way countries, and the glory of spilling blood to water the tree of Liberty, as the bills pile up on their kitchen counter .
When the time comes, don’t come prowling around my home looking for handouts. You won’t be able to renew your prescription for Prozac here. The only thing I’d be willing to part with is a little lead.
Godsend,
Less than one percent of the 300+ million American people own gold. How many of those have gold in their home? What is the value/quantitiy of those few coins the great unwashed have managed to accumulate after several years of economic depression? Is it really worth sending the Special Forces after? So Chairman Obama is going send the Amry door to door to collect my couple of coins? Really? More than likely Chairman Obama will tax the crap out of any gold that you’re are now required to report to the IRS under present tax laws. That gold being what is locked in vault somewhere. The current banking rules/laws arleady give the IRS all the information needed to tax/confiscate at will. I’m just a dumb sheeple but even I can work out the cost/benefit of grabbing the vault contents vs sending the Army door to door to collect the odd coin.
“” The Federal Gov’t CRIMINALS will make sure that NO ONE circumvents or foils their objective – whatever it is (and it ain’t gonna be nice!). THEY have the power – and you don’t!””
LOL! Gotta give credit where it’s due, well said GodSend
“The drive of the Rockefellers and their allies is to create a one-world government combining supercapitalism and Communism under the same tent, all under their control…. Do I mean conspiracy? Yes I do. I am convinced there is such a plot, international in scope, generations old in planning, and incredibly evil in intent.”
– Congressman Larry P. McDonald, 1976, killed in the Korean Airlines 747 that was shot down by the Soviets
For the rest of you, sorry for the digression. There are informative posts here supporting the outstanding article and video. Thanks!
Truth alone triumphs!
Some pretty interesting banter on this one…
IMO, compelling arguments made by Michelle, Dave, Euro-American, Netranger and of course, Mac. Â Common fabric throughout their above posts is to diversify your approach, and prudently prepare for battles on all fronts…As humans with limited foresight, none of us can claim EXACTLY what will happen…All we can say for certainty, is that something will.
Dave recalls history well when referencing the lunacy of our govt just hours before the crash of 29′ as well as the expediency with which it hit. Â A similar story played out many centuries before and can be found in Matthew 25 (Yep, that’s right. Â Go dust the ol Bible on the shelf off and read that Chapter…ok, just google it 🙂 ) Â For those that won’t, this Chapter is CHOCK full of applicable parables.
1) Â The 10 virgins awaiting their bridegroom. Â 5 prepared with Lamps & OIL, while the other 5 just brought their lamps (i.e. food without ammo, ammo without precious metals, metals without water etc you get the point).
2) The Gold bags. Â Funny how God is described as meting out Bags of Gold rather then some crisp $10 bills as a medium of value (ok, couldn’t resist). Â Seems if precious metals were good enough for God, (although there is no pre-text to determine whether or not he believed “we could eat them or not”) gotta believe they’re good enough for me. Â (Ok, couldn’t resist that one either)
3) The Parable of Giving. Â Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you did unto me.
Bottom line, we can troll around valuable web sites & blog sites (like this one) as the primary source of “information” or we can just refer to the same old Book that’s been saying the same old tired story for centuries. Â Answers are right in front of us.
God Bless,
Dad
Hey Dad, something tells me there wasn’t too much dust on that big book of yours, but you bring up some excellent points. I’m not going to comment on your points since you articulated them quite effectively, but I would like to add one vital tool to consider for anyone’s arsenal in preparation for navigating the coming “phase transition” unfolding as I type these words.
Consciousness.
Without it one is at the mercy of the winds of this ever changing phenomenal world, blowing our anchor less boat here and there towards the rocky coast. With it, that is, established in it’s unbounded Silence, one will naturally and automatically be steered in the direction that supports creation, which might very well might be considered the path of least resistance while traveling the rough seas of life (in this day and age).
A wise man once said, “Go within and the Universe is yours.”
Align yourself deeply with the Field of all possibilities and you will find the support of all the Laws of Nature. Some call That Unified Field; Pure Intelligence, to others it is God. All one needs is a marginally functioning nervous system to tap into the Source and reap It’s benefits. Once Established, Gold and Silver is just a by-product of living in Abundance.
IMO: Get deep Rest. Eat organic, non-GMO food. Drink pure water. Breath clean air. Exercise and Be around people that nourish you.
Some of you Phd wtb bastards in physiology make me want to test some GIANT french government ex-lax chocolate eclairs on you & your mutant off spring. Do you have your preps like NetRanger suggest? If not, have a steeped hot grande cup of STFU & seek help @ $120/hr at your nearest GM hemorrhoid PA CEO looking for a squeak in your head and buy some long term 12 month Spanish T bills. Your banter amuses me! Eat up, the pay toilettes is down the hallway to the right.
But you can eat gold!
http://www.cheftools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=13-0199
Â
Hey Mac – why are many of my comments “awaiting moderation”, while others seem to appear instantly? The conversations are being disrupted – or coming to an “untimely end”. 😉
PS to yourdaddy
Are you familiar with the story of the “golden calf”? What, do you THINK (I doubt it), it means? Have you heard of “Mammon”?
Do you recall that Jesus and His disciples stashed away Roman gold coins, beef jerky and swords as their world ended?
Have you noticed that all the people you respect (and most others here) are concerned with SELF-preservation – NOT giving or the plight of their fellow man?
Comments…..THE LORD HELPS THOSE THAT HELP THEMSELVES
I really think this sums it up…
**Admin Edit – Youtube Video Embedded**
*Originally Published at: http://www.timhawkins.net *
Any guesses on which dries up first Mac. Paper gold or paper silver? I suppose one will dry up < 24 hours of the other. I’m leaning towards silver first even though I believe the quiet dark side is buying up junk gold from the people now. Then the collapse of Comex warehouse with the PM’s trading pits going live on the business channels.
Every American who can afford to do so should put some portion of his “wealth” into PMs. This only makes sense as the Republican controlled Congress prepares to climb aboard the Democrat’s Obama-Train-to-Collapse (raising the debt ceiling again!). Ultimately, the debt will be insurmountable, the dollar will collapse as the government defaults, inflation becomes out of control, and the social, political, and financial order is put at great risk.
This does not mean we should run out today and buy gold at $1375 or silver at $28.50. It does mean that sometime during this short-term pullback, if you have cash, you should use SOME of it to buy SOME PMs.Â
The article, above, is concerned with the paper PMs–GLD, SLV, AGQ, UGL–that, in a time of crisis, and maybe in normal times, could collapse and become worthless because they may not possess the gold or silver to pay the holders of the paper. In this regard, they are no better than a U.S. dollar bill–it is not backed by anything and, in the end, is worth only the paper it is printed on.
Buy some PMs in a liquid form (for example, “junk” silver, silver rounds, gold Eagles), but also have some farmland or garden space, some woods for fuel, some long-term food storage, a source of water, guns and ammo, and a good generator and fuel or good solar capability. The world does not have to collapse for all of these to be of great value.
GodSend–I am not sure “yourdaddy” meant anything like the way you interpreted his post. He advocates, in fact, giving to others (“Even as you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”). Moreover, nothing he posts indicates he would worship the Golden Calf or serve Mammon. It seems to me that he finds in the Bible’s teachings much that helps him figure out his world today. Along these lines, I would point to Ecclesiastes: “There is nothing new under the Sun,” and the Parable of the Talents. Seems to me that a man can work, invest, prepare, and still be with God (insofar as any of us can be with God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without Whom NONE of us can be with God).
Comments…..
THAT is why they have to be reminded, from time to time, that as Chairman Mao said “All politics comes out of the barrel of a gunâ€
Yes, TnAndy..and all this talk of confiscation of PMs…if they can take your metals, they can also take my supplies and food…
Keep stocking ammo and buying weapons??
Comments…..
Gaze of Glory
January 17th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
You can’t believe all the doom and gloom news you read on blogs and YouTube. Are things really that bad? I live on Long Island, NY just 35 miles from Manhattan and I see little to no signs of recession/depression. People are at the malls spending like no tomorrow, driving there Porsche Cayanne or Range Rovers while living it up in there $600,000+ homes. I’m certainly not one of them but I don’t see it being that bad here.
~~~~~
Could it be those you speak of still have fricking jobs and health insurance??? DUH!!!
Republican Controled Congress? Don’t the Rs control only the House, as opposed to both House and Senate? They’ve had the House for two weeks and now they get blamed for stuff??? How about the Ds and their marxist president who had a SUPERMAJORITY for two years? I love it when people blame the Rs and completely ignore the fact that the other criminal gang, the Ds, had free reign for two years. I think BOTH parties have been giving us the shaft for years. I’m fed up with the Ds getting a free pass when they’ve managed to do more damage than the Rs.
Comments…..
Whether we want to admit it or not, all of us are prepping for scenarios that fall short of armageddon.  So what? Though none of us knows how this is going to play out, severe depression-style hardship can come in many forms for which metals will have plenty of utility.
Thanks Dunkirk…and this frame of mind is why my neighbor says she’d rather have NOTHING when TSHTF than have lots of supplies, medicals, food, water…
And I said ….HAVE AT IT, GIRLFRIEND!!!
TimH – Great vid! Thanks for posting.
Tom – If I had to guess, I guess I’d go with the silver market, as that one probably has much more leverage in the system. Of course, there is less gold than silver, and it seems that if investors were to request delivery, maybe they would be more likely to request it in the form of gold as opposed to silver? Not sure, honestly, but both paper assets should play right off each other, IMHO.
JJ – Executive Order 10998 (signed by Kennedy) assigns control of all food supplies and food supply management to the US Secretary of Agriculture in an emergency. This and other EO’s can and will likely be used to seize and stockpile all available food stocks. In my view, that means if the SHTF and they know (perhaps by backtracking preparedness web site transaction records or your credit cards or using other methods like See Something, Say Something) that you have stocks of food, they’ll come looking for you and your reserves if they so choose.
I maintain that several of these would be in the best interests of those who want to secure reserves for their existing reserves: https://www.shtfplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/shovel21.jpg
Great comments all – thanks for contributing your thoughts!
Mac
GodSend – For the time being, if you wouldn’t mind putting all of the comment strings into one comment, that would be much appreciated. I am working on a “REPLY” commenting system that will allow conversations to take place under specific comments. The reason they sat in the queue is because I held that so that I could mesh 6 or 7 comments, with breaks, into one comment so as not to overwhelm readers who subscribe to the comments with a ton of emails every time one is approved.
Thanks.
Mac
Comments…..I really enjoyed this article, but the comments from the people that “own stocks”, just be sure you own them, you should require the stock certificatre in your name, do not be the Beneficiary as in 100% of mutual funds, ask you investor to get your certificates ,If you dont hold the certificate it is all probability that CEDE& Co. holds registered ownership, which means YOU DO NOT own them, check it out, Google DTCC
Federalist45
“Seems to me that a man can work, invest, prepare, and still be with God (insofar as any of us can be with God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without Whom NONE of us can be with God).”
Yes, of course! If we interpret the times we live in as the END TIMES, however, (as I do) then special conditions apply. 😉 Note the James verse I quoted in my concatenated comments prepared by Mac – they appear out of the flow of the discussion, unfortunately. If SELF-preservation is the prime motive, as opposed to facing the challenges ahead in unity with our fellow-men (as many here appear to do), then it’s time for a follower of Christ to re-examine his/her motive in light of Scripture. Of course, you don’t have to be a follower of Christ to SEE! that focused SELF-preservation will lead to doom! Ordinary common sense will lead you to the same conclusion – IF you THINK through your actions thoroughly.
PS The 2 critters who have been CREATING DEMAND for gold more than anyone else are Greenspan & Bernanke – the DEMONIC DUO! Think of “Death by 1000 Cuts”! Nothing creates more demand for gold than a GREAT DEPRESSION – or, as Gerald Celente would call it: GREATER DEPRESSION. “THEY will have their reward”. 😮
As always, use common sense. Don’t invest much in precious metals until you get your house in order: a one-year supply of food and other basic necessities that you use every day, basic survival gear, pay down your debt. Then use gold and silver to hold your “extra” wealth against the real possibility of fiat currency going bust. Should it get bad, while other people are using their US$100 bills as toilet paper, you will be purchasing real toilet paper with your 1-ounce silver rounds.
You are correct al. I have over 1,000,000 shares of penny stock in a gold miner. Big risk with a little bit of money years ago. Over the counter with a well known broker that took over a month and a half to receive certificate. Many companies do not allow private held certificates now. The company could still be bought out, go under from fraud, or many other reasons. After all, it’s a penny stock waiting to go for a few dollars a share. There is always risk in investments except the physical.
Comments…. As i sit here reading all the posts and comments, I see you have a lot of level headed readers.some of which i agree  and others whom i disagree. I would like to say,I am one of those who knows whats coming, and  have  done very little to prepare. other than to talk about it. Its like i am watching noah build the ark,I know why he is  building it,  he told me, and everyone else like me, and more than once.There is a flood coming, A WHAT?  I  SAID!!!  how do you know???  how much time do i have? not long was the reply.GOOD  i will start to prepare  tomorrow i thought, that was two years ago. time goes by so quick,  as in the days of  noah there was a select family who heard the message,and listened to noah,now i am not comparing you to noah nor, anyone else as being part of the selected family,but the message is similar DONT SAY WE DIDN ‘ T WARN YOU)
THERE Â IS A Â FLOOD, THAT IS COMING!! SO,I WILL START Â TO BUILD MY ARK TODAY!! Â PUT MY FAITH IN GOD,WHERE IT BELONGS, AND MAKE ROOM FOR AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.
‘
“You can’t eat silver/gold”. Really (sarcasm)?
This I do know. When I got my 1st 1 oz. silver coin as a Xmas gift when I was 13, you could purchase one movie ticket with it (back then $4). Years later, when I pulled that same 1 oz. silver coin out from my closet, it could still buy a movie ticket (now $8). Another 10 years and now that same coin will buy me dinner out for me and my whole family ($30) at the local diner.
I can see the trend, and I think most here can too. Right now it takes 25 silver oz. to fill my oil tank. Perhaps it will only take 10 by year’s end.
People can discuss all they want what silver/gold will be worth when TSHTF, but no one can deny RIGHT NOW that having some on hand to convert back into notes just makes good business sense.
All this talk of guns, ammo, gold, etc. I suppose there is a place for all of this. But why do I not hear anyone talk about alternative energy, like solar panels and wind turbines? Even though they would not likely cover all your current energy needs, they would go a long way to providing juice for stoves, battery recharging, heating, etc., wouldn’t they?
@JJ… “Thanks Dunkirk…and this frame of mind is why my neighbor says she’d rather have NOTHING when TSHTF than have lots of supplies, medicals, food, water…”
Just to be clear, that ain’t me. I didn’t say I had that same frame of mind. Quite the contrary. I’m saying that the “you can’t eat gold” crowd is too careless if they think there aren’t plenty of SHTF scenarios that fall short of armageddon but for which metal will be extremely useful for survival.  It is definitely worth the effort to prepare.   I think NetRanger is spot-on. Metals will help most after the dust settles. If metal doesn’t have any utility during the crisis itself, because you can’t eat it, that is no reason to throw up your hands.
BTW, I don’t think its all that controversial to admit the truth: most preps will not help a prepper survive the extreme doomsday scenarios for any appreciable amount of time.
In my opinion precious metals are a double edge sword, they cut both ways. If the SHTF, Lead, Food and Water will be the new precious metal. If you have Lead, Food and Water, ounce for ounce they will be worth there weight in gold.
Comments…..great stuff!!! however it will not matter if you do survive.. you will be in  the  brave new world of the last order. so now what!!! this  being, only the beginning of things to come.how long are you going to live on the fringe,or just survive? till they find you, or you get turned in by someone you know? my guess is that you will  just survive for a little while longer THEN THE LESS PREPARED. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN?  YOUR  FAR FROM YOUR BUNKER WHEN THE  TSHTF? NO MAN KNOWS!!! THE HOUR
Update: I R E-land prints Euros to pay
de positors. Protests over
rising food etc prices in 3rd world 1/ 11.
And int nat. 4 caster says
Western vip’s linked to ‘slush funds’
discovered , seized (by whom?) in
Vat. (69= brand name) City bank.
Still no SHTF….prepare but get on with living. No one can tell how these times will play out, or when things may come apart. The tragedy is that it will be like the Civil War…brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, when the Wall St. bankers caused it all in the first place, they, and their federal reserve “bank”. Cheers!
Comments….. Commentaires …..
@net ranger .MERCI,O.K.+10
Dear Godsend-
Although your response is filled with sarcasm and makes an attempt at insulting me, I do appreciate this open forum that allows two “brothers” to communicate.
I am very familar with the story of the Israelites worshipping the Golden Calf. I just don’t see how it applies to this discussion. For the benefit of those that don’t know this story, after Moses leads the Israelites from the tortuous grip of Pharoah, he ascends Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments. While up at the Summit (aledgely for 40 days, same time as Jesus spent in the desert, same time Noah spent in the Ark, same for Ezekiel, etc) these same Israelites, who just a month earlier would have given their life “for the God of Moses” soon become impatient, bored, distracted, selfish and ultimately idolaters as within that short period of time, they traded their “genuine” worship of God who delivered them for a golden, calf shapen relic. Because of their gravely sinful act, God “allowed” them (Moses included) to wander in the desert for another 40 years (funny how that number keeps popping up…For those familar with the theogical study of “Typology” you understand why) and they never reached the promised land.
So, that brings us back to why would you ask me if I am familar with that story? I can’t for the life of me see how it is analogous to our current situation…And the video message in this string. Are you suggesting that ALL Gold is evil? Or just that buying it represents a veiled worshipping of it? Color me confused here.Â
As an aside, our Triune God is one who defines himself as “Love” composed equally of Perfect Mercy & Perfect Justice. At many times throughout creation, he has seen the need to swing his hand of Justice…But in EVERY instance his soft voice of mercy speaks pre-emptively to prepare those in the path of its impending arrival. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING NOW!Â
God (via his third person The Holy Spirit) is speaking to millions of people advising them that (obviously my words here) “Time is short. My hand of Justice will soon be levied on ALL inhabitants of the world as the blood of martyrs cries out for recompense. Justice is MINE says the Lord, and while it is painfully necessary to bring human kind’s attention back to Me, it is My Perfect Mercy that cries out to you to PREPARE for that dreadful day.”
God spoke to Pharoah, who didn’t listen. God spoke to Noah, and others didn’t listen/heed, God spoke to Lot before he destroyed Sodom/Gomorroah…etc etc. And now, he’s speaking to us.Â
Ever notice the wide spectrum of people who consider themselves “preppers?” Just on this message board, we’ve got people who are obviously Christian and just as many who would never be accused as such (and everything in between). We have people with means, people with little means & people in debt. We have people who are gun aficionados to people who’ve never picked up a gun. We’ve got people who are astute investors (stocks PM’s or otherwise) to people who wouldn’t know what a bond/stock or silver round was.Â
My point is, the Holy Spirit is on a mission of mercy clamoring to ALL of us (as we are all God’s children) to do whatever we can in preperation for a worldwide chastisment. Some people get it, some people don’t… The best way to describe this process is “scales falling from our eyes.” All of us at some point, “had scales over our eyes” playing within the system by its current rules & expectations; and once we tuned into the Holy Spirit’s soft/constant voice (urging), the scales began to fall, and we now understand. This process was the result of nothing we did. It was God’s grace alone that while we weren’t listening…he kept speaking.
There are many on this board who have benefitted from hearing the Holy Spirit, yet turn around and lamblast their figurative/actual brothers & sisters for being “Sheeple” or “Too stupid” or “Lost causes.” Let me be unequivocal here…ALL OF US, at one time not too long ago, could have been described in that same exact way by Our Lord…Yet he KEPT FAITHFULLY COMING.Â
Don’t be so harsh on those that still have scales over their eyes, and don’t be so quick to be ready to shoot them when they come to your door. God has given each of us the GRACE to prepare during this brief calm before the storm. Don’t let your pride get in the way, and shut out those that are still struggling to understand & discern his voice in these matters. We are all in this boat together, and the more of us that prepare, the better off we’ll be as we endure what God has in store for us. (BTW, if you think I’m promoting a wrathful, angry “how could you do this to us” God, then that will require another side-bar as you have missed my point. As a world, collectively we promote evil. We allow 10’s of millions of abortions to be perpetrated on our unborn every year, we divorce from our lifelong vows at a near 60% clip, we fight, we kill, and ultimately we reap what we sow..His Justice (our punishment) is now inevitable. If He’s telling/urging you to look into Food & Water, do so. If He’s telling/urging you to secure barterable items such as cigarettes/liquor/coffee do so. If it’s ammo or precious metals or all of the above, just start doing it.Â
We’re on a “Need to know” basis. We won’t get the full blueprint, but we will hear enough to put ourselves (& collectively our currently blinded neighbors) in a better position to endure it.
Finally, as Christians, the best thing we can do is ACT like one. That includes how we conduct ourselves on anonymous message boards. Godsend, I know you’re heart is in the right spot, but your delivery is a little rough. No need to cast barbs at me or others, but even if you do, I promise to always turn the other cheek and never respond with a barb in kind. And while doing so, I promise you I will continue to Think. 🙂
My best,
Dad
PS: (Federalist45 appreciate you holding the line for me & Euro-American thanks for the kind words).
PPS: (Read Ezekial Chapters 3&4. Might have some relevance to our current state of affairs).
Yourdaddy,
That was an AWESOME post. You’ve given me much to consider.  Thank you….
Yourdaddy……wellspoken!
Dear Kaynine-
I fully understand the point your trying to make. You’re asking a critical question dealing with the possible futility of preparing for the coming chastisement when it’s all going to pot anyway. In other words, “What’s the point of living if…”
1) You live in fear
2) You won’t be in the same comforts as today
3) You’ll be on the fringe of society
Seems like there are millions in the world today that are already enduring a life filled with the above 3 things…They might look at all of us as if we’re crazy…and not because we’re preparing for this unknown event, but because it’s already known and they’ve been living it, and are wondering how/why we can’t see it.
To take it one step further (and not to put words in your mouth) but the premise stated above if granted begs the question, “What is the value of life?”Â
As creatures made in the image of God, every moment we take a breath we are intriniscally valuable…PERIOD. Our culture strenously objects (fun movie reference for some out there) to that belief, and constantly is “re-assigning” human value & worth to each life. Â
For example, if someone has a terminal illness, and the remainder of their days will be in pain, that life is just not worth living another moment.Â
Or, for the benefit of potentially solving a known disease, we can slaughter the unborn for their stem cells and perform research…Their unborn life isn’t valuable as they aren’t here yet, don’t have a SSN, and don’t matter “to us.”
Or under the craftily sold guise of “Choice” we legally allow (& promote) the termination of our unborn because they would have been born to an unfit situation. Thus, we’ve decided that no life for them would be better then a life at all.  In each of these cases, the value of life was impuned from another.
So, to rein it back in, Life (in all its ups & downs) is worthy in the eyes of God. Just because we might not have electricity, or three squares a day, or ice, or transportation or an X-box to play on, is worth fighting for. Each of us has been instilled with an innate drive to survive..When the chastisement is in full force, you will either have hampered or aided that drive by prepping or not prepping. The choice is yours. Â
I hope you aid it.
Dad
I am impressed! Prove me in future.
It seems there is a tendency to believe that our “special period”, our “phase transition”, i.e. when TSHTF, will happen rather suddenly.
I don’t believe that is the intention here.
Considerably more money can be made with a methodical, step by step, slow, melt down, i.e. as the water in the pan heats Mr. or Ms. Froggie keeps racking up more on the credit cards, paying all kinds of taxes, scarfing down more gmo foods, putting on the pounds, supporting the Cancer Industrial Complex, keeping one nostril above water, all the while self absorbed in the myriad of psychotropic drugs alienating oneself from oneSelf.
They manipulate on so many levels just for the shear pleasure to see so many suffer. They aren’t about to have it all come to an abrupt halt.
Americans are their entertainment, Damn it! When the water in the pan is about to reach boiling point, they’ll just back the temp off a few degrees to optimize their investment.
However, with that being said. For those who remain Present, neither overshadowed by the past nor the future, the growing turbulence will be like a pebble tossed into a perfect silent pond, hardly noticed.
Personally, it’s about time we all started experiencing Reality for a change. This is going to be a great show.
@yourdaddy:Â Bravo, sir.
Sej said:
“All this talk of guns, ammo, gold, etc. I suppose there is a place for all of this. But why do I not hear anyone talk about alternative energy…”
Well, probably because this is an article about metals, and it would follow that the comments would be about that ?
I imagine that more than a few of the posters above have some alternative generating systems in place along with food, water, etc.  Mine is a 3.2kw solar PV system.
Am I the 100th poster on this subject?
You are, indeed. We had a prize for the 100th poster, but we’re not sure who you are, so maybe next time.
😉
It’s phunie how gold/silver always gets the most responses unless there’s a pissing argument about guns.
Never under estimate the capital expense, labor, risk, energy, blood, sweat, taxes, paper work, permits, refinery, security, tons of rock & (did I say risk?) to get the Earth to give up an ounce of PM to make a profit in a mine to keep it open next week to fwd an ounce of metal to make a coin for someone to hold so it can just sit there.
Comments…..Those that poo poo the value of gold and silver no nothing of history,or they read it and regurgitate from rote memory just enough to get a passing grade, then like an alzheimers patient,forget it 5 minutes later. Sure gold andsilver arent very tasty,however the chances of a total meltdown are images conjured in peoples minds by movies like “I am Legend”………….dont be a fool,there could be massive hardship in this country, even people starving, however the infrastructure and power of the people would slowly take hold and start churning away again. In the meantime food,and especially laying hens would be immensely valuable. 4 hens could provide eggs to feed a small family, hens make no noise, and can be kept in an inconspicuous cage in the backyard. If you have a rooster,and the neighbors dont mind, then you have a perpetual motion food machine. A dozen is better,I have 60.I also have a couple of milk cows. If you dont want to spend a bunch on ammo,just buy a .22 , 5000 rounds is not much money. Outside of war, the lowly .22 has killed more people than all other calibers combined. Of course a .223 is much nicer.Â
Silver and gold will buy all of these in a moderate crisis.
The govt will not try to confiscate PMs they may make laws,but since we have the 2nd amendment, they know that behind every blade of grass there is a rifle. (Hirohito,on why the US could never be invaded)
To Anonymous at 8:11pm who said: Â “to make a coin for someone to hold so it can just sit there”
Oh really? Inert?
<http://books.google.com/books?id=fJcsL60uj9MC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+power+of+gold&source=bl&ots=TAUXq98u3A&sig=81kxl-ddK29AjoMwVhx3rTmgVpI&hl=en&ei=n9M3TezUDYSosAO2hN2GAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&sqi=2&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false>
If I had 1,698,869,662,043 Zimbabwe dollars, I would buy an ounce of gold. If they were all one Zimbabwe dollars, I would build a fire and keep me warm all winter.
European American, your link didn’t work, but I imagine you were trying to point out the many uses of gold, especially the industrial applications (such as 12 volt power supplies) that makes gold useful and something that is worth much much more than just a pretty paper weight:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Gold#Industry
Thanks Clark. Enjoyed your link.
The last time Olympic gold medals were entirely of gold was in 1912.
http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/03/09_gold.html