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1. “Gold to Silver Ratio Hits Highest Level in 27 Years – What does it Mean?”

   it means the g/s market is manipulated.

   “After all, reversion to the norm happens more often than not.”

   or that the “norm” is changing.

2. Precious Metals (Ratio Trading Metals):
   I’m seeing this as an opportunity to buy more physical 1 oz silver rounds with my limited budget dollars.
   It may not be much, only an ounce or two more per month, but it adds up.

3. I have some silver and I never thought of it as an investment but more of insurance because I have bought during lows and highs. I have tracked every silver purchase for the last 8 years on an excel spreadsheet. Buying a few “high” purchases will kill your gains.
   Here are problems you have when you have limited access to dealers because of where you may live and/or buy in low quantities. What the coin dealers do is when the spot goes from high to low they just raise their over spot price to compensate for the fact they are selling silver for less than they may have paid for it. Another practice I have notice when you buy an ounce the dealer will charge say $5.00 over spot but if you went back the next day they will give you only $0.50 over spot to cash in that same ounce. I guess a coin dealer has to make a living too, but at who’s expense.
   What prompted this comment was a comment 3 days ago by Tim which I never considered.
   “PMs are more nearly insurance…And you get to keep the ‘premiums”.

4. I buy both “junk” silver and 1 ounce Walking Liberties. Just a bit, every month, and it does add up. A few Kennedy half dollars (1964-1969) too. Add in all the nickels I got, and it’s pretty respectable. I have friends who dumped their silver when it slid off of its highs a few years ago, and they think I’ve lost it, buying as I do. We shall see.

5. never quite understood why people say gold/silver will be useful after teotwawki. if the trucks aren’t running then no-one is going to sell any amount of food or anything else for any amount of gold.

   1. Money eases transactions when barter requires both parties to have something the other wants. For example, let’s say that in a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario I have five piglets and you want to trade for one. You offer me 200 rounds of 5.56. I have plenty of 5.56, so I shrug and decline to trade. I say I’ll accept your mountain bike instead, but you decline since it is your primary method of transportation. So we are at an impasse.

      You have two options: Do a chain trade in which you trade your ammo to someone for a mountain bike (and the chain may have many more links) or we can negotiate a price in money — silver or whatever the current monetary unit is. Option 2 is faster and easier and allows me to then use that money whenever I want to buy whatever I want.

      While I agree with your basic premise that food will be in demand, so will sex, cigarettes, alcohol, medicines, gasoline, rechargeable batteries, etc. I know I’d trade food for an antibiotic or other medication I needed.

      1. “cigarettes, alcohol”

         (grin) you forgot coffee and chocolate.

         dunno. g/s will be taken only if the recipient thinks they can turn around and spend it elsewhere – I just don’t see that happening very often for quite a few decades after any kind of major teotwawki. think I’d rather have $1200 in coffee or rice or salt than a $1200 gold coin.

   2. GMan, Dave’s reply is spot on. Any major event rolls through in stages (for example, decline, collapse, recovery, rebuild). Silver and gold will have its place in all stages plus still act as a medium of exchange. Anyone who fails to prepare for each stage of an event is substantially increasing the risk of failure. In addition to food, skills, self defense, etc. I also want to give my family a chance of coming out on the other side positioned well for success. At some point your preps don’t allow formmuch more than daily survival. More is needed to start up a successful business or buy necessities.

      1. “stages”

         yeah, that’s the only argument that makes any sense – ‘cept that’ll be decades on. think it’s better to focus effort on getting there rather than on trying to pre-position yourself for any kind of economic dominance after decades of starvation and gunfights.

6. Another thought-at some point the US dollar becomes worth alot less – maybe no longer a reserve currency – might be good to have some silver to trade for a currency with value – Swiss franc. Silver will have value regardless of dollar value or lack there of.

   1. “at some point the us dollar becomes worth a lot less … might be good to have some silver to trade”

      as someone else pointed out, this country deficit-spends by literally one trillion dollars per year, and has a trade deficit of 600 billion dollars a year. if the dollar fails then this country is going to be a profoundly different place (think tijuana with no money but lots of guns), and I’m not sure silver and gold are going to be any kind of life raft.

   2. “the us dollar”

      the dollar is not us owned or controlled in any way. it’s a private pyramid scheme, meant to loot the us and the world for all they’re worth and leave the owners in possession of everything – just like joseph wound up owning all of egypt.

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