Barter After The Collapse- Items to Keep on Hand and What to Avoid
Barter After The Collapse- Items to Keep on Hand for Trading After it Hits the Fan
The inevitable death of the dollar will bring chaos and shortages of many items we take for granted right now. Today’s post will take a look at what are some good barter items and even what are some bad ideas for barter.
One of the biggest challenges for keeping barter items is space. Large bulky barter items are going to be hard to store in significant amounts. A few small items that will be as good as gold after the collapse include pain relievers, hard candy, playing cards, soap, shampoo, and medical supplies. If we experience a major collapse that makes it difficult to be seen by a doctor, antibiotics will be in high demand. Fish antibiotics that are sold online require no prescription and are the same types of antibiotics as prescribed by doctors. They are not regulated to the extent that prescription antibiotics are , so don’t start going to the pet store instead of the doctor. In a collapse scenario, I will take fish antibiotics before I die or lose an arm or leg to gangrene.
Precious Metals
Precious metals are a great means of preserving your wealth. Gold and silver have been considered money since Genesis 13. In a complete grid down scenario, practical items may have more value than gold and silver until society begins to rebuild. Once that happens, gold and silver will once again have purchasing power. In a barter situation, silver will be more practical than gold for smaller transactions. A one once silver coin in currently worth about $25. A one ounce gold coin is worth about $1400. It might be a little hard to get change for a $1400 bill. I still recommend diversifying between gold and silver, but I personally think it is worth the higher premium to purchase fractional gold coins to have the smaller denomination. Gold coins are available in 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10 ounce sizes. I use JM Bullion as they offer the lowest price over spot. If you decide to go with JM Billion to purchase metals, use coupon code PR5 to get $5 off your order of$300 or more.
Ammunition
We saw ammunition shortages sparked by the Sandy Hook tragedy last year that depleted supplies for nearly 6 months. With the addition of government ammunition hoarding, prices skyrocketed and producers were unable to keep up. It doesn’t take much imagination to envision a world where ammunition is used a tradable commodity. If silver represents large bills after the collapse, we might expect ammunition to play the role of $10, $5, and $1 dollar bills.
Alcohol and Tobacco
I often hear peppers who don’t drink or smoke talk about hoarding alcohol and tobacco for barter items. I think this is a bad idea. In a situation where resource scarcity has driven people to a barter economy, people who are expending their limited resources on alcohol and tobacco are addicts. By bartering with them, you are bringing people around you that have made vices their priority. When they expend all of their resources to get a bottle and a pack of smokes, where do you think they will look to attack when they get hungry? Because they have been trading with you, they will have a pretty good idea about how well you are set. It is a potential for trouble you don’t need. If you are addicted to alcohol, tobacco or drugs, now is the time to get free of those chains. It will be much harder with the added stress of the apocalypse.
The odds of a currency collapse.
The odds of a complete currency collapse are 100%. There has never been a fiat money system that did not return to its intrinsic value which is nothing. This is not tin foil hat conspiracy theory, it is history. If the odds of your house burning down were 100%, would you buy fire insurance?
Happy Prepping!
MDG
Sorry to be such an “attacker,” but people apparently read this blog, and this advice seems to be too short, and also too WRONG!
Have you have been through any sort of actual disaster? Survived war? Economic collapse? Survived a hurricane?
Post-collapse needs are “very real.” First, MOST survivors are victims — not zombies. They are friends, neighbors, work colleagues, even family. The survivors aren’t all druggies missing out on their last fix, or alcoholics ready to KILL for their next drink.
Alcohol is actually one of THE BEST prepper and barter items that a person can stockpile. It’s the multipurpose tool of disasters. It can be used for cooking, cleaning, sterilization, fuel, fire, self-defense, and yes — even for taking the edge off as needed. It’s easy to transport, easy to hide, easy to reduce into proper amounts for barter (e.g. down to the drop.) And, people can use it IMMEDIATELY.
Whereas, precious metals aren’t REALLY much “use” during post-disaster events. You can’t eat it. You can’t start a fire with it. You can’t really immediately use it in any way — except as currency. All precious metals REALLY are, is a hedge against currency collapse (e.g. of the USD during hyperinflation, or to hedge the effects of traditional inflation.) There are MUCH BETTER items to stockpile for bartering than precious metals (and alcohol is close to the top of the list!)
Ammunition is also a TERRIBLE barter item. Sure, you might want to stockpile some for your own self defense. But, to barter it away to others, is EMPOWERING them to overtake YOU some day.
The BEST barter items, are those that: 1.) are multi-use; 2.) That require some skill/forethought to create/accumulate (that not every/any average Joe can produce by themselves;) 3.) Items that are easily transportable, and sub-dividable into smaller volumes for smaller transactions; 4.) Items that you can indeed make/reproduce during/after the disaster; 5.) Items that are exhaustible (so you have repeat customers;) and 5.) Items that are indeed addictive (again, so you have repeat customers.)
One of our favorite barter items is electricity/energy. We have solar and wind systems that we can erect after an emergency, to generate electrical power. We also have a stockpile of battery charges and rechargeable batteries. We can rent/lease/barter these batteries to needy friends/neighbors, and have repeat customers when they need a recharge. Plus, when done PROPERLY, your neighbors will VALUE your contribution to their lives, and not see you as prey, or a threat. (Lessons learned after Katrina, where preppers were seen as horders.) Preppers need to LEARN TO SOCIALIZE and HELP thy neighbors. We don’t have to necessarily give them our last meal, or the clothes of our kids backs. But, we SHOULD help our neighbors, and become a community leader after a disaster — instead of a selfish shut-in.
Something as simply as surplus military rain ponchos can be decent barter items. Or, an icemaker is a winner, too (especially in the south.) Being able to provide needy neighbors with bags/coolers of ice can make you VERY POPULAR in the neighborhood. Often, roads are closed due to fallen trees and powerlines and flooded roadways. If you can sell bags of ice on a nearby street corner, you will make TONS of new FRIENDS (not enemies.)
For longer-term disaster events, you might consider something like a “skills lending library” of books & DVDs? This will allow you a somewhat renewable source of customers/barter & trade. e.g. They borrow a book in exchange for something you need. They learn skills that make them more self-sufficient. They return the book, give you something ELSE, to then borrow ANOTHER book/video. Rinse & repeat, as they say.
A half-dozen breeding rabbits could also be used as a GREAT barter item! They breed rapidly, and provide enough food for your family (even a surplus.) You can barter off the excess meat? Or, trade some of the offspring to neighbors to help provide food for them — making them less needy and less dependent upon you.
Don’t under-estimate the value of artificial light during emergencies. Most disasters include COMPLETELY DARKNESS after the sun sets each night. Powerlines and poles are down; electrical services are flooded; transformers are blown; etc. It can be scary for some people to spend so many hours in complete darkness. They lack a feeling of civilization and security. So, bartering of LED flashlights and lanterns can be VERY heard-warming. If they are crank-lights, then you are empowering your neighbors to tend to their own needs. If they are battery-powered lights, then you are creating future customers to return for battery recharges. Or, a couple of trashcans full of solar-powered landscaping pathway lights can do the trick, too!
There are SO MANY things people can collect for barter. At the BOTTOM of the list, however, should be precious metals and ammunition. We have NEVER had a neighbor come to our house, and ask if they can borrow five ounces of silver; or borrow a box of .223 ammo. But, we HAVE had people come over to borrow food, water, batteries, flashlights, fuel, board games — and even alcohol.
I wish this article would have made more sense, and not only included BETTER items to stockpile. But also, talk about how to SAFELY barter. e.g. what items you should barter from your home, versus those that you should never barter from home. How/where to barter safely away from home. How to make your own barter items after a disaster/emergency (e.g. make your own alcohols, make your own electricity, make candles, etc.)
Please, do better research. Don’t just quote the “easy road,” or the “path of least resistance” to create some content for your blog. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, and start getting it RIGHT!
Regrets,
Jack.
Thanks for your feed back Jack. Tell us what else we need to cover.
How about storing the alcohol for “ME” ? Things are going to be stressful, so how about a little stress relief?
Exercise is also a great stress reliever. Having a bit on hand for medicinal purposes is fine, but make sure you have your basics covered as well.
In re: alcohol though, keep in mind that in can be used for medicinal purposes and therefore can handy in other situations for bartering.
Yes Curvy, it might be a good idea to keep a bit on hand for medicinal purpose, especially if some one requires stitches or serious medical attention.
Thank you.
Thanks for helping a newbie
That is why we are here Jennifer. Check out our 7 Step Survival Plan. Find it in the categories section on the left hand side of the page.
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