“I have a 1913 bond certificate that I keep around for perspective. The bond was issued by the Government of the Chinese Republic: the 5 percent gold loan of 1913 for the Lung-Tsing-U-Hai Railway. The financing was remarkably international for the day. The bond certificate is printed in both French and English. The loan is denominated in British pound sterling. And the bonds were issued in Brussels.
I purchased the bond certificate complete with some associated coupons, payable every six months on January 1 and July 1, from January 1943 to January 1961. No one had ever tried to collect these coupons, because there was no point to the attempt. The loan had been rescheduled to 1/2 percent in 1936, with interest payments rising gradually to 4 percent in 1941 and thereafter. But then the war intervened, and payments ceased altogether. And there was a revolution in China. And somewhere, some small investor who had expectations of an easy life of clipping coupons until the Year 1961 was forced to abandon his vision and return to the drawing boards.
Foreigners who put their faith in China are apt to be disappointed.” – J. Orlin Grabbe
The bond was issued by the Government of the Chinese Republic: the 5 percent gold loan of 1913 for the Lung-Tsing-U-Hai Railway. … A speculative investment for people, that were able to lose all their money.
…….. In a movie comedy, WC Fields starred in a movie called the Bank Dick, where an investment was made in the BeefSteak Mining Company. In zany comedies, movies have a happy ending.
People should consider the SurvivalBlog advice about the wisdom of owning Tangible Investments. … A >working firearm from Elk Creek Company, or buying a piece of usable rural property are some of the options worth considering.
……. For many things, the price of the things are NOT really increasing. = The value of our money is >decreasing. Most of our politicians willing run, on the treadmill inflating our currency, which decreases our currency’s real value, when purchasing the things we need.
GGHD, as usual you offer valuable insights. I reckon it is time for me to invest some more of those depreciating dollars in tangibles. One that is seldom mentioned is old bicycles, for riding if my mainframe breaks and for parts. In SHTF times, people whose cars no longer work want to get around and will offer lots for that freedom.
Carry on in grace
Once a Marine; always a Marine.
… … Lots of luck with finding an affordable used bicycle, that’s worth buying. Last weekend, 7/11/2020 I went scouting for a bicycle for an old gal in the trailer park. We looked all over the area. Businesses were closed; the only ones open >didn’t have inexpensive bicycles for sale. …. I live in basically a ‘flat’ farmland area. Perfect for bicycling. … [There is a current bicycle shortage like the recent toilet paper shortage.]
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From Market Watch on June 15, 2020 [Sill true in my area a month later]
‘They’re buying bikes like toilet paper’ — pandemic leads to a bicycle boom, shortage.” …
In the U.S., places like Walmart and Target have been cleaned out of bicycles.
Fitness junkies locked out of gyms, commuters fearful of public transit, and families going stir crazy inside their homes during the coronavirus pandemic have created a boom in bicycle sales unseen in decades.
In the United States, bicycle aisles at mass merchandisers like Walmart have been swept clean, and independent shops are doing a brisk business and are selling out of affordable “family” bikes.
Bicycle sales over the past two months saw their biggest spike in the U.S. since the oil crisis of the 1970s, said Jay Townley, who analyzes cycling industry trends at Human Powered Solutions.
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We even went to shops specializing in old ‘used junkers’ for bicycles. There’s a college town nearby with shops specializing in old bicycles. They were NOT really open for business on a Saturday. [No one was interested in selling inexpensive bicycles]
I apologize for mentioning this company for NEW bicycles to you. These bicycles must be durable. =
montaguebikes(dot)com
From the site.
“In 1997, Montague won a two-year grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who recognized the importance of the folding technology, to work with the ~>United States Marines in developing the Tactical Electric No Signature (TENS) Mountain bike.”
“For this project Montague developed a new folding design, enabling the bike to fold faster for Paratrooper exit from military aircraft while also increasing its load bearing capacity. This gave rise to the Paratrooper, Montague’s non-electric Military Mountain Bike.”
and
“Military Folding Bikes =
The Montague folding bike design was originally developed for the US military under a grant from DARPA to allow airborne soldiers to drop out of airplanes and into combat with a bike. The rugged and portable Paratrooper folding bike is now available to the public.”
[There’s even a section with pictures explaining how to spot a >counterfeit Montague bicycle.] … The bicycles are NOT all that expensive for quality bikes. I don’t know about the availability of Montague bicycles.
You are on the case, my friend. The “buying bicycles” was based on past opportunity. Yes, there is nothing worth our time and money in this present buyers’ market. Next spring, the wannabes will be dumping good equipment.
I have read about the TENS and folding bike. Both are on my “dream list”. A robust machine may be very useful in our coming times.
Carry on, in grace
Should have said, “The prices are NOT really increasing” so much, as the value of our money is decreasing.
SurvivalBlog has featured information from former Congressman Ron Paul MD [He was a real medical doctor; super-smart] Ron Paul has written a number of books about our economy. … Unfortunately, the Fake News isolates the Doctor’s insights and ideas into a ‘crank’ type of predictions.
… [In my opinion, ‘The USA will NOT go back to a ‘gold’ money standard. The future is ‘plastic money cards’ with little usage of paper money.]
We and the world are riding a ‘paper (fiat) money’ Bubble. Some politicians, bankers and other economic interest are financially benefiting from the money Bubble. … The size of the world-wide money Bubble has gotten bigger and bigger each year.
[Only >God knows for sure, when the Big Bubble will pop. Will popping be an economic depression or great big war with the overthrow of governments?]
SurvivalBlog has information about surviving an economic collapse. … Make some necessary preps are readily. … Trump is trying to bring real wages up within the USA. The Globalists want to keep wages low. = Economic slave labor has always been the goal of many ‘elites’; even before the Egyptians used whips, to force other people to haul the big rocks for their big pyramids. Slave laborers working away go back into time. … +The Globalists want to flood the USA with laborers from overseas to bring ~down the salaries of the workers in America.
The Globalists have provided the world with ‘cheap stuff’ from China; employing the Economic Slaves of a Communist Dictatorship. … Trump wants to close the door on China, and bring the jobs back to America [or at least the jobs out of China]. … Make some plans now, for economic disruption. And yes, people have been making cataclysmic predictions for years. … The Money Bubble has just gotten bigger and bigger.
Of course Trump might be voted out of office this November; if that eventuality occurs, it would be advisable to strengthen the neck muscles, to enable wearing the Yoke of the Globalists.
Best yet, read through some of the books from Dr. Ron Paul MD. Read through the information on the back pages of SurvivalBlog. +Make a wise decision about buying preps and voting in November.