Here are the latest news 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 SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in S&W Triple Lock revolvers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)
Precious Metals:
We”ll start out with this, from Gary Christenson: Silver – Eight Years Later.
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Commerzbank: ‘Gold Living Up To Its Role As A Safe Haven’
Economy & Finance:
China Gears Up to Weaponize Rare Earths in Trade War
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Bank of America: We Stopped Doing Business With Gun Companies Because Our Employees Were Afraid. JWR’s Comments: We’re really supposed to believe that? A.P. Gianini is surely rolling in his grave.
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Why Is Deutsche Bank (DB) Down 14% Since Last Earnings Report?
Offshore Investing:
How to Open a Bank Account in the Cayman Islands
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How To Open an Offshore Bank Account In Canada as an American
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At Investopedia: How to Open and Access an Offshore Bank Account. Here is a quote:
“The basics of opening an offshore bank account are similar to opening a bank account in your home country. Offshore banks will ask for your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, address, citizenship and occupation.
To verify your personal information, you can expect to submit a copy of your passport, driver’s license or other identifying documents issued by a governmental agency. Additionally, banks are concerned with verifying your residence or physical address since this may affect taxation issues. This requirement may be satisfied by presenting a utility bill or similar documents.
Due to the wide range of different identification documents that may be presented to offshore banks, additional assurance of a document’s authenticity is often required. A notarized copy of certain documents may suffice in some cases. Other offshore centers prefer an “apostilles” stamp, which is a special type of certification mark that is used internationally. Where this is the case, you will need to visit the government office that is authorized to issue this stamp for your state or nation. (For a general overview, also see Taking A Look At Tax Havens.)”
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But… Be warned: Americans’ life savings disappear from Mexican Monex bank. Here is a little snippet:
“Last December, the Machirs called Marcela Zavala Taylor, their Monex banker of 9 years, to get cash for contractors building their retirement home in San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel, a city of 69,000 about 500 miles south of McAllen, Texas. But Zavala didn’t return calls, and the Machirs discovered that their nest egg was gone. Kathy Machir says: ‘When they told us we had 6 pesos [32¢] in our accounts, I just felt sick to my stomach. Since then, they have not dealt with us in good faith.'”
Commodities:
The Largest Producers of Crude Oil (1965-2017). This includes a fascination animation that shows how the ranking of the world’s largest producers of oil changed over a 50 year period, from the Cold War until today.
Tangibles Investing (S&W Triple Lock Revolvers):
The S&W Triple Lock (a.k.a. S&W .44 Hand Ejector New Century or S&W .44 Hand Ejector First Model) is one of the most sought-after S&W revolvers. It is called a Triple Lock because this revolver’s cylinder locks at three places instead of the more common two places.
First introduced 1908, the Triple Lock was primarily chambered in .44 Special, and also made in smaller numbers chambered in .38/40, .455 Eley (Webley), and .45 Colt. It was marketed head-to-head with the Colt New Service revolver. Because of high production costs, Smith & Wesson discontinued this model in 1917, after only 15,376 had been produced. A Triple Lock in minty condition will fetch as a much as $3,500. That’s not a bad return on investment for a revolver that originally retailed for $21!
As with other collectibles, condition is everything. The crown jewel of any serious S&W revolver collection would be a Triple Lock that is still in its original factory box.
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. 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!
I haven’t found a triple lock I can afford, that boat has sailed. I have a couple 2nd model HE’s I enjoy, the 44 special is a good round. I have several Colt New Service guns, a couple in .45LC and 44-40. One of them is a target model. All of the revolvers by S&W and Colt of that era are a delight to play with, they just don’t make them like that anymore.
From the linked Yahoo Finance article about China and rare earth mining. ~ “Beijing cutting exports of the commodities that are critical in defense, energy, electronics and automobile sectors. The world’s biggest producer, China supplies about 80% of U.S. imports of rare earths, which are used in a host of applications from smartphones to electric vehicles and wind turbines.”
The New York Times has an article about Rare Earths dated May 23,2019. ~China’s Supply of Minerals for iPhones and Missiles Could Be a Risky Trade Weapon~ =
“Rare earths are not actually rare. But refining them from ore is expensive and polluting.
China has been one of the very few countries willing to tolerate the industry. Though rare-earth mines have opened in the United States, in Australia and elsewhere, China dominates refining and transforming them into valuable metals, magnetic powders and other high-value products.”
…Chinese customs data show that the United States bought only >3.8 percent of China’s exports of rare-earth metals last year, far less than Japan, and also less than India, Italy or Spain.
In large part, that is because so much manufacturing has shifted out of the United States. … Remaining American industries like automaking and aerospace manufacturing now import entire systems from China, like car starters and aircraft wing flaps.
Beijing could still block exports of Chinese-made motors, magnets and other gear to the United States.
The dilemma for Beijing lies in whether to jeopardize its central role in global supply chains by halting exports of crucial components to the West. Trade hawks in the Trump administration have been quietly expressing hope that China will do just that. They see such an interruption as the best way to persuade global companies to shift manufacturing permanently out of China to the United States or to American allies, a long-term goal known as >decoupling in trade circles.” …
In an odd and little-noticed reversal, China has actually become somewhat dependent on the United States for rare-earth ore. China’s manufacturing sector is now so huge that the country has begun importing semi-processed rare-earth ore from a mine in Mountain Pass, in the California desert near the Nevada border. … In recent months, the mine has accounted for roughly ~>one-tenth of the world’s rare-earth mining.”
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[There’s information on the Internet about the very accessible deposits of Rare-Earth in SurvivalBlog’s redoubt region. … China’s economic strength is a willingness by the leadership, to treat it’s people like economic slaves, and to also allow the massive pollution, of ultimately the entire world. … The are moral reasons and economic reasons for ‘decoupling’ trade with China.]
Why bank with Bank of America? I am pretty sure that most of us have smaller regional banks available. Most offer the same services with the key actually being Service. I had some stock in BofA and in the process of realigning my portfolio got rid of them as well as Goldman Sachs. B of A for their virtue statements and GS because they are in trouble due to a faltering EU and they are a predominantly European Bank. I doubt that either Bank will go under but Along with Levi Straus, Dicks Sporting Goods, and Yeti as well as other virtue signalers I can live without them, Can they live without 1/2 of their customer base?
Do not worry about gun manufactures etc. not having a bank to go to, Nature abhors a vacuum, and other banks will be happy to pick up the slack.
Don’t forget Intuit, who have been kicking firearms related businesses off of Quickbooks with no explanation but obvious reasons. Freshbooks is better anyway.
I closed my account with BoA over 10 years ago when they first started their political silliness, haven’t worn a pair of Levis since the early 90s, don’t own any Yeti products (and wouldn’t have them now), and wouldn’t be caught dead in a Dick’s Sporting Goods or Field and Stream. Lately I hear REI is pressuring Vista Outdoors to divest itself of Savage Arms or REI will stop carrying ANY of their products. Even though a new REI is going in near me, looks like I won’t be shopping there.
I hope that enough real business people have been paying attention, and see that injecting politics into business decisions isn’t good stewardship!
Mainland China is ready, willing and able make cheap junk and fill container ships headed for our ports. They will crush their people and environment today to make a buck. They will fight to keep what they consider their market share. They will wait us out while continuing to expand their military and foul the shipping lanes.
The move to other emerging economies is occurring but few countries are willing to sellout tomorrow for today like China.
The American people continue to fuel the Chinese economy. If we just stopped buying their crap for a month we would get their attention. Cold turkey!
When the Chinese economy implodes it will be due to the weight of their greed, not due to our tariffs.
Just my opinion.
A.P. Gianini would be spinning in his grave if he got a glimpse of San Francisco today.
RE: Bank of America
Most preppers are still wired in one way or another into the ‘system’, and are vulnerable. Sweden is now almost cashless, and Germany is close behind. We are only a few years behind.
There is already a type of social score call a credit rating, internet companies that collect information and ineffective, rate individuals for profit, and the current push of internet censorship of conservative voices. It should not be hard to imagine that the tentacles will eventually seek us out, cut us out, and choke us out of their global system. Increasingly isolated, at some point, we are no longer politically relevant, and then they hope to eliminate us entirely. We can be listed on the World Wide Wed of deplorables in a faction of a second, and discriminated for any number of arbitrarily contrived, and politically ‘undesirable’ traits. A neighbor can loose their ‘good’ status simply for engaging in a conversation with you, Mr. Deplorable, ala’ the Chinese social score system as developed by Google.
I do not underestimate my enemy, and practice living as I might be forced to do in the future. This requires certain skills and a network of like minded persons who participate now rather than learn the hard way by learning later. We can anticipate, and restore good old fashion methods of doing business. Starting the process is easy. We can help build a community that be closer to being self sufficient, simply by paying with cash, or even attempting to barter when paying with cash would be easier.
In the Redoubt, good old fashioned ways of doing business still exist, yet it does need to be practiced. It must be watered, so it does not perish, and we need it to regain it’s former vigor. I barter for a sizable part of what I need today simply to preserve cash. One cannot appreciated the benefits of having alternative means of payment until they have had some time in that saddle. Barter is often inefficient, and is a skill that needs to practiced and refined to be useful. Silver will be helpful, yet barter will be needed to preserve a limited supply of silver until the community is well lubricated with an alternative. Bartering with those who one frequently does business with, often proves to be the best way to get started. Those few who continue to barter with you, may be your future participants in the grim future.
and Germany is close behind
Show me please?
This is simply my humble opinion. I warned Danish friends when visiting in Denmark in 1987 not to let the Muslims in as it would end in major cultural clash ruining, then Scandinavia. I have worked for and befriended many Muslims during my youth. In fact one Iranian gal proposed to me! As a Christian however, the proposal was a nonstarter. I am certainly not racist. After visiting east Germany at the end of a year long stay in Denmark, it was my opinion given to family in 1980 that the U.S. would end up like Europe in about 20 years. During my last and long visit to Denmark in 2015, I found that the U.S. was not the same, but in general, simular, and worse in several important ways. About 1982–84, I knew Asia would be a major economic power in the world. I still have opinions that could prove to be incorrect as I only have a broad sense of what the future might bring. I also tend to be a bit early in my estimates. Yet, better too early than too late is my school of thought.
The EU is now being challanged by a recent resurgence of Nationalism and the EU may have put some of it plans on the back burner for now. A number of years ago, the Germans surveyed after using a mocked up store using in the testing, liked the idea of using RFID to make routine transactions, such as paying for groceries. At the time of my last visit, the EU was testing in Germany, a cashless system. Sweden has mostly been their ‘flag ship’, the place where the EU could implement, or Beta test it’s social engineering. Sweden is often 20 years or more ahead in it’s social evolution, they tend to be on the ‘cutting edge’ for a number of reasons, too many to get into here. It is mostly a cultural thing.
During the last visit to Europe 2015, most of Europe was oblivious, even more so than Americans. Germany and Europe in general has awakened, yet sadly too little, too late, IHMO. Same goes for the rest of Western Civilization. I certainly hope to be proven incorrect.
Please for forgive me if I paint with too broad of brush. This seeing into the future stuff is a tough business, yet it is not hard to get the general trend of things. Unfortunately, it is often that what is clear to myself, is usually not so for others. I do the best I can.
I hoped this helped. Gotta go render up some bear grease… it’s said to be good for just about everything, including bullet lube. Not all rabbits are vegetarians.
Sweden may almost cashless, but Germany isn´t close behind and no we don´t like the idea of cashless very much.
The Option to pay with a Card Maybe, the Non Option to pay with cash not even a little
Outstanding reply, thank you!
Hi ThoDan,
Here is the U.S., most folks use electronic means to pay for goods and services. Very little cash is used. I consider the U.S. to be almost cashless. If cash suddenly disappeared, few businesses would suffer in the U.S., yet these would adapt quickly to a cashless system. Credit card readers are easily available to just about anyone, and cheap. Just plug it into your iphone and you are in business again. Most western countries are similar in this regard?
TR
I consider Germany nearly the opposite, in many Shops, especially Restaurants, you can´t pay with a credit or debit Card maybe not even an EC Card.