Economics & Investing For Preppers

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 green frame Glocks. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

I don’t want to sound like some gloating “I told your so”, but the recent run-up in spot silver is noteworthy. It is interesting to see that the silver-to-gold ratio is starting to shift back more toward normal. It is down from the absurd 91-to-1 and now at around 83-to-1. I expect that trend to continue, with the silver-to-gold ratio at 72-to-1 by the end of 2019. This is still a good time to ratio trade out of gold into silver. And for those of you who hesitated to buy silver: Please don’t feel that you’ve missed the boat. You can still buy on dip days.  I believe that silver is headed to at least $55 per Troy ounce, in this bull run.

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Next is this from Gary Christenson: The Silver K.I.S.S. Strategy.

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I noticed that Rhodium is now up to around $4,700 per Troy ounce.  I’m curious: How many SurvivalBlog readers took my advice in 2016 and bought Rhodium? Back then, it had dipped to under $700 per ounce. For any of you who did buy some, I should mention that this is a good time to sell at least half of your physical Rhodium. Buy low and sell high, folks.

Economy & Finance:

On to his at Zero Hedge: US Manufacturing Weakest In 10 Years As New Export Orders Collapse

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Reader H.L. sent us this news from London: Laid-off bankers abandon bikes worth thousands in car parks

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Just when you think you own your own private property…

Commodities:

Nickel is surging after Indonesia said it will ban exports of the metal from January. JWR’s Comments:  I hope that folks are still following my advice to gradually stockpile Nickels (U.S. five cent pieces.) Based on data before the recent nickel commodity price surge, Coinflation.com says that the the melt value of a current Nickel is now $0.0414. But methinks that their melt value will soon exceed 7 cents.

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Low prices now, but… Natural Gas Prices Poised For Dramatic Price Increase

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EV Makers Face One Major Problem

Financial Privacy:

Martin W. Armstrong: In Australia, they want to make it a criminal act with a penalty of 2 years in prison for purchasing anything with more than $10,000 in cash.

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How Hackers Violate Your Privacy

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Coinbase drops UK support for privacy-focused Zcash cryptocurrency

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And from the banking cheering section: Why the Financial World Needs to Know Your Customer (KYC)

Forex & Cryptos:

Some commentary from Richard Breslow, quoted over at Zero Hedge:  “The dollar trades like a champ. Now the decision has to be made whether to buy and hold it at prices that were forecast by very few analysts. Traders are getting very little solace from being told that if they liked the euro versus the dollar at 1.14, they must love it at 1.09. And, frankly, some of the obvious safe-haven trades have been running out of steam. Even as they have done nothing wrong to negate the story of why they are useful items in the best of portfolios. Patience is a virtue often in very short supply.”

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“Sound as a Pound”? Pound-Dollar Rate Draws Big Money Buyer, Citing Overblown ‘No Deal’ Brexit Probability

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Bitcoin And Crypto Market Rally Looks Real: LTC, BNB, BCH, TRX Analysis

Tangibles Investing (Green Frame Glocks):

You may have already heard that Olive Green frame and Rough Textured Finish (RTF) frame variants of Glock pistols are scarce and often sell for more than standard texture black-framed Glocks. Green keeps coming back in limited numbers in the later generations, but RTF seems to have been completely discontinued after Gen 3.  I’d estimate that less than 2% of Glocks were made with green frames, and even fewer with RTF frames.

If you can find examples of green frame Glocks or RTF Glocks that are Gen 3 (or newer) and that are either new in box (NIB) or like new in box (LNIB), then they are worth buying, to stack in the back of your vault.  At least in the case of the RTFs, “They ain’t makin’ any more of ’em.” Consider this: Run-of-the-mill black “commodity” Glocks actually drift down in value, over time. They were produced in huge numbers, and I suspect that gradually the interest in Gen 3 guns will wane. But the scarce limited-production variants seem to hold their value, and even appreciate in value. Stack them deep. Your grand-kids will thank you for your prescience.

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Mr. Armstrong agrees: Assets Versus Currency.

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 closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News from local news outlets that is missed by the news wire services is especially appreciated. And it need not be just about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!

 




16 Comments

  1. Obviously not the same ‘Factory Green, RTF’ as Austrian made Glocks, but Gen-3, 80% lowers are available in a ‘rainbow of tactical colors’ from “Firearms Unknown” in the San Diego area, that’s where I bought my Green frame and slide. Price was very fair, additional parts availability is very good and service was excellent.
    Frame(s) come with the jig and drill bits, so if you want a fun winter project, here you go, and yes, you will need a drill press and a vice… (FYI: I have no ties to this company except as a customer)

  2. Metals investing:
    The rich man buys gold.
    The stable man buys silver.
    The poor man stashes nickels.
    The impoverished man holds a steel blade.

    The DoomReady man stacks brass and lead…to defend from the rich man that comes to confiscate and the poor man that comes to steal.

  3. By an EV and wonder how you are going to drive in the winter, no sun, low temperatures that will drain the battery at a prodigious rate to heat the cabin.
    Upps, back to burning fossil fuels or nuclear energy to charge your batteries. It is amazing how gullible people can be. Hybrids make a lot of sense as they are very fuel efficient and can stand alone all winter long. My wife’s Prius is great to drive, but unless you are going to take your car on only short distances all electrics are a suckers game and it looks like they may have a negative effect on “Global Warming/Climate Change.”

  4. Australia creating a criminal penalty for using their own currency. And just how are they going to track cash without spending more money than they can ever hope to gain? They could easily make a lot more money off the illegal drug trade by seizing their cash and avoiding the health issues and crime costs that are associated with it.
    Looks like more politicians flapping and flailing without a clue as to what they are doing. Shame our politicians are just the same.

  5. Our “private property” is not really ours. Not when the government can charge us 5% of the value of it or more annually for so-called property taxes. And when the government can make us go through background checks to buy other private property from another private citizen. And when the government can send a family a bill for estate taxes after a family member dies. No, we are merely slaves. If we obey all the laws that is. And fugitives if we do not.

  6. What is the years of nickels that are the ones to try and collect? I’ve never been a coin collector or ever had much extra to devote to it but willing to try a little.
    Thanks.

  7. Re: Kalispell Gun Show Haul

    Picked up 900 fired .30-06 cases, head stamp SL 43′ (St. Louis) all in original 20 rd. cardboard boxes with the red stripe in opened, yet excellent condition, “Caliber .30 M2 ALTERNATIVE. This lot was made for the allies, and was copper washed steel jacketed bullets. 20 bucks! (free!) Unfired, these would be ‘collectables.’ How fitting, as these would feed the ‘accurized’ 03A3 with a minty 44′ barrel. And bags of match booolits to fill the cases, only 10 bucks each. Everything else is at home. Materials cost to make one sub moa load, .37 cents. Even a poor country boy can survive.

    The Lord flooded and overwhelmed with many blessings on that day. Yet there is more that will remain unspoken. Lots of antique rifles to have at fair prices, and perhaps even bargain prices. There were not enough buyers to support their price tags. Lots of lever rifles, that can also serve well as self defense tools. 14 rounds of .45 long colt hollow points, or even .44-40 the cartridge that won the west, and others can be purchased on line, and can be quickly and accurately dispensed. I would not bring a hand gun to a rifle fight. I also have a line on a nice ‘beater’ antique Mosin Nagant, cheap in comparison. And I got shake the hand of Jim Rawles.

  8. I so enjoyed the quote from Kon-Tiki. At first, the by canoe part, had me thinking it was a quote from a Rawles book.

    I was also fascinated by the article you linked:

    EV Makers Face One Major Problem

    The comments helped flesh out the issue of recycling the ev batteries. Just as the SB comments routinely enrich my life.

    Carry on

  9. Police buy-backs are prolific at a local shop, like-new Model 22 Glocks going for $349. Worn G17s are fifty dollars more because the Nine is the flavor of the month. I bought a bunch of them. They are mostly bone-dry and clean on the inside, no holster wear. The shop stocks pallets of ammunition in all common flavors, even 6.5 Cred. So .40 S&W ammo, either FMJ or street ammo costs the very same as 9mm.
    I do love this recent mythological perception that 9mm is superior to the Forty. I could cash in a Krugerrand and buy four more and have change left over. Waiting for the Chinese to crush HK and drive gold up once again.
    When things go in the toilet, I don’t think a desperate person will much care what color the frame is or whether it is pre-owned or not. The central question is, do you want to get gang-raped…..AGAIN?
    “The prudent man sees the danger and hides himself. The simple pass on and are punished.” Proverbs.

  10. Where & what & who does one trade their silver or gold into the common currency of the day?

    All PM’s must have a 3rd party trade of some sorts. And coin shops or collects will need “cash” of whatever currency to trade for that stack of silver or gold. That is where one will find the taxing authority to take their cut. And it will be a big cut.

    Now I like a certain diversity-(only time I do for that matter)- in the PM’s but also tangible items like solid vehicles-trucks.

    Just depends on what remains valuable during economic events.

    1. When and if an economic reset/crash makes your cash worthless/PMs very valuable, people will not want to accept worthless paper money in exchange for goods and services. THAT is when you start spending your precious metals- NOT when the value has gone up 400% or whatever. When you need a new truck, and the dealer has 50 of them just sitting on his lot with no buyers, that is when you negotiate a price based on gold or silver. Same with everything else. Five ounces of gold for a new truck ? Ten ? More ? Less ? Same with land, or food. Wait until no one wants paper money anymore. THAT is when to spend your gold and silver.

  11. Since you aren’t likely to use either Rhodium or Silver in an industrial process, and depending on the form of the latter, are you saying you should SELL?

    I remember the Dot-Com boom, then the real-estate bubble.

    I bought Cisco at X! It is now 10X (did you sell, where is it today? There was also pets.com, netscape, …).

    Flipping houses was also profitable for a while. Getting a house at $200K and seeing it go up to 750K, but then…

    There is absolutely nothing to gloat about. See, I bought daylight at 6am when it was still twilight, and see how much it is at noon?

    I doubt Rhodium would work for barter – if TSHTF, how much would you trade it for (assuming USD was worthless – maybe a case of water?). Silver is a bit more liquid (ironically quicksilver isn’t), but that is a difference between a store of value and an investment or speculation.

    That said Platinum still seems down (unlike Palladium) so maybe trade your Rhodium for Platinum in case your kids don’t get a scholarship?

  12. I think posting links to articles that require us to register or log in to view shouldn’t be posted. You preach OPSEC here and then post links to articles that require readers to give up their OPSEC to view. Just my 2cents!!!

Comments are closed.