Economics & Investing For Preppers

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. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor.) Today’s focus is on investing in custom knives. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

David Lin: Silver Not Done Rallying; Look For 8% Upside From Current Levels

o  o  o

Gold price retreats on strong dollar, supported by trade tension

o  o  o

This article that was posted back in April provides a useful reminder: What Would a Trade War Do to the Value of Precious Metals?

Forex:

A good primer, over at Quora: How can I short a currency that has extreme inflation?

o  o  o

And speaking of shorting: South African EFF leader Julius Malema has made some rash statements that might confirm that his nation on a Zimbabwe Trajectory. (“I’ve never slapped a white person, I’ve never called for their slaughter. I’ve never called for their killing, at least for now. I can’t guarantee the future.”)  If and when Malema and his cronies go Full Mugabe^(TM), it will be the death knell for the South African Rand. Those who like to gamble might want to start shorting the Rand, now.

o  o  o

Argentine Peso Resumes Plunge After Central Bank Shakeup

Cryptos:

Former anti-virus software CEO and now expatriate John McAfee has been dabbling in the cryptocurrency world. A few months ago, he revealed that he charges $105,000 per tweet about a crypto. More recently, he’s begun touting Docademic. That is a crypto token designed for medical services payments. (Presumably, they are either paying him, or he’s an investor.)

o  o  o

Bitcoin Prices Stabilize Above $6K – But Will They Stay?

Economy & Finance:

Loyal reader and content contributor H.L. sent us this at Wolf Street: Dollar’s Eroding Purchasing Power Inflates Retail Sales

o  o  o

Trump announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese technology

Tangibles Investing (Custom Knives):

I recently had a lengthy chat with a consulting client about investing in custom knives. We agreed that it is a crowded market, and that is difficult to predict where the biggest gains will be. Knife collectors are notoriously fickle and faddish. But some makers have developed reputations that have spanned generations. The key question is: Who will be the next Bo Randall, Jimmy Lyle, Chris Reeve, or Rudy Ruana?  My advice: Attend custom knife shows. There, you should look, listen, and mostly keep your mouth shut. Quiz some of the dealers who stock knives from a variety of makers. Ask them: Who are the up-and-coming knifemakers?  Ideally, you should look for journeymen makers with eye-catching designs and who are verging on being considered master makers.

Key indicators are: Top quality materials and workmanship, practical yet elegant designs, industry awards, and rapidly growing waiting lists. If you decide to take the plunge, then don’t hesitate to place a custom order. I recommend placing orders for pairs of identical knives made to your own specifications for materials and blade designs. As long as they aren’t outrageous specs, then you will end up with two things: Knives that you”ll enjoy keeping in your own collection and knives that are not “run of the mill”. Thus, you’ll probably be able to command high resale prices.

It is best to wait until the maker’s waiting list stretches out for several years before re-selling.

If you are buying any fixed blade knives, be sure to order the makers best quality sheath, to go with it. If they only offer Kydex sheaths, then if possible you should specify a colored Kydex that compliments the color of the handle. That alone will help distinguish the knife when you later go to sell it. Custom display cases  are also worth buying if they are made by or specially for the knifemaker and marked with his name or logo. Remember: Every distinguishing feature represents additional leverage in commanding a high resale price.

And, as always, be sure to keep the original boxes, correspondence, receipts, and other paperwork. Don’t trust your memory. Keep records!

Provisos:

SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. So please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact 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 “get the scoop” on economic and investing news that is probably ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!