Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR [1]. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in registered Class 3 machineguns. (See the Tangibles Investing section, near the end of this column.)
Precious Metals:
Gold Prices Will Be ‘Explosive,’ Just Wait and See – Jim Rogers [2]
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As of July 31st, the trend line for spot silver [3] is looking encouraging. I hope that SurvivalBlog readers stocked up when silver was lower. If you didn’t, then buy now, before the next market crisis. (I predict that the next global crisis will send silver soaring to $35+ per ounce.)
Commodities:
Is Big Oil planning its Funeral by ignoring the obvious? [4]
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The boom in coffee prices is continuing [5]. As preppers, we need to watch commodities prices closely, to be better able to time our purchases of physical goods, both for our own use and for barter. This might be our last chance (at least for several years) to stock up on freeze dried coffee at a reasonable price.
Stocks:
Reuters: Nikkei falls on tech share slump; posts 2nd weekly drop [6]
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UBS Shares Drop After Swiss Asset Review Hits Capital Buffer [7]
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S&P 500, Nasdaq finish lower after Amazon disappointment; Dow closes at record [8]
Forex:
The growing trend toward US Dollar (USD) weakness versus the Euro (EUR) is now apparent [9]. In his campaign, President Trump promised stronger exports. With the cooperation of the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve private banking cartel, a weak Dollar is how he will get his desired export numbers. Have you hedged yet, folks?
Economy and Finance:
Brandon Smith at Alt-Market recently posted this interesting analysis: The Globalist One World Currency Will Look A Lot Like Bitcoin
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I found this linked over at Claire Wolfe’s blog [10], last week: What Happens When Your Money Is Suddenly Worthless?
Tangibles Investing (Machineguns):
Here in the United States, a curious legal situation exists: The number of transferable Federally registered machineguns was artificially frozen by the U.S. Congress, in 1986 [11]. This has made the price of the relatively few registered machineguns (around 300,000) go through the roof, in a constant stairstep fashion. Even a commonplace registered receiver M16A1 which sold for around $900 in 1986 now sells for around $31,000 [12]. And a Thompson M1928 submachinegun, which sold for around roughly $1,400 in 1986 now sells for around $40,000 [13]. (The $200 transfer tax must have seemed like a fortune back in 1934. It is affordable, today.)
The big question is: Will Congress stop this seemingly endless “up escalator” by re-opening the NFA registry [14]? (This might come in the form of another short-term Registration Amnesty, a la 1968. There have been several attempts to do so, mainly for veteran bring-backs [15], but none have yet been enacted.) Given the vagaries of Congress, this is difficult to predict. But the chances for enactment seem better under President Trump, than with any other president since 1986.
Thousands of Americans–now mostly wealthy doctors and lawyers–are betting on the status quo–that is that the NFA registration window will remain closed. They are stocking up on registered Class 3 machineguns. For now, at least, it appears that the sky is the limit for their prices. Here are a few good articles on the subject, as well as a link to an NFA sales board:
Is buying an automatic firearm a good investment?
Machine Guns Are Legal: A Practical Guide to Full Auto [16]
Buying NFA / Class 3
Information on Class 3 Weapons
Small Arms Review [18] – A great magazine on NFA topics. They also host a semi-annual NFA-oriented gun show that is just amazing.
Subguns.com [19] (JWR’s favorite site for NFA-related items)
Unwise Investing:
Ferrari driver wrecks supercar just an hour after he bought it [20]. JWR’s Comments: Apparently the driver was just slightly injured. I suspect that the gravest injury was to his insurance rates. Ouch!
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. So please see our Provisos [21] page for our detailed disclaimers.
News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR [1]. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact [22] form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who particularly watch individual markets. And due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” investing news. We often “gets the scoop” on economic and investing news that is probably ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!
Comments Disabled To "Economics & Investing For Preppers"
#1 Comment By Benjammin On July 31, 2017 @ 12:26 pm
Kinda hard to get too excited about what PM may do. When you don’t have any, and can’t afford it now (in quantities that would make any difference in the long run), then it really isn’t much of a factor directly in the survival equation. I know, PM pricing reflects economic health and so on and so on. But I pump what little surplus I have into real commodities, like food, ammo, supplies; things I can really use in a SHTF situation. If I had any surplus wealth, I suppose I would be more considerate of PM. Right now I have one mint condition gold Maple Leaf, more of an expensive souvenir and a novelty, kinda like the cheap C Russell knock-offs I have hanging on my wall. I tasted that Maple Leaf once. Don’t know as it would do much for my pancakes in the morning the day after…
#2 Comment By VT On July 31, 2017 @ 11:49 pm
Start with pre’82 pennies and nickles(sort change)you may even find silver
#3 Comment By warren On July 31, 2017 @ 4:00 pm
I would like the editors opinion on so called bump fire stocks, both as a practical alternative to automatic firearms, and as a potential barter item own range as it were. I also would be interested in your opinion of owning a NFA registered firearm vs a bump fire rifle which needs no registration.
Also is it not possible for the ATFE to open a window for new registration of pre 1986 NFA firearms, finally the NFA refers to machine guns, not select fire weapons,would it be possible for the Trump ATFE to simply change the regs to allow for burst only select fire weapons to be taken out of the NFA
#4 Comment By Idahoser On July 31, 2017 @ 9:51 pm
betting on artificially rare items seems unwise. As for actually using full auto, even simulated like bump-sticks, is wasteful in almost all circumstances.
#5 Comment By Idahoser On July 31, 2017 @ 9:52 pm
also, “down range” WROL, machine guns are easier to make than semi auto.
#6 Comment By Jerry On August 1, 2017 @ 6:37 am
As a long time reader of SurvivalBlog (and professional Survivalist myself), I’m well aware of the the decline and eventual collapse of our current civilization.
However, I’ve also been fascinated with the stock market all my life, and am finally transitioning to being a trader full-time.
The problem with silver is, to be honest, that it’s in a long-term downtrend. The main indicator is that silver cannot get above its 50-month moving average. Until it can get above that (the next two years, maybe?), it’s pretty much stuck. If it can break that, then we’re on our way back to $25 – $30 /oz. Call it manipulation, whatever. All I look at are the pure technicals (I try to avoid YouTube, Zero Hedge, or anything else that can distort my discipline.). I’m even currently making money with silver on paper (USLV) during the current rally that I identified the bottom of recently, but I don’t expect it to last beyond the first week of August. Needless to say, I’ve made money shorting silver this year, as well.