Letter Re: Fishing for Survival

Good morning. I’m an avid Survival Blog reader. I live in bush Alaska and live a largely subsistence life. I read this article with interest and would like to make a couple of suggestions in regards to fishing for survival. In my part of the country, I can legally use a gill net for subsistence purposes. This can either be done as a set net and checked later, or as a drift net, or seine. They are very efficient. Next would be a fish trap. This is a simple device that can be submerged in the water. The fish swim in and can not swim out. There are a number of ways to make these at home, out of a variety of materials, but here is a compact commercially-available one. Promar Collapsible Minnow Traps available from Cabelas or Amazon is a good one. I use the large one and it can also hold otter, mink, and muskrats in addition to fish. I know these two devices are not particularly portable, but when I think of procuring food in a survival situation. I think of energy expended verses energy gained. Both of these are very low-energy investments with the potential for a large gain. -Countrygirl

HJL Adds: It is important to remember, fishing for survival is different than fishing for sport. When fishing for survival, the rules go out the window. Nets, traps and other accouterments have a higher success rate than hooks. However, you must be aware of the local laws when practicing.

Economics and Investing:

A derivatives implosion was the black swan that ignited the global crisis in 2008. With the amount of total global derivatives now over a staggering 1.25 quadrillion dollars, there is no question that Greyerz is correct when he predicts this will eventually collapse the current financial system. It’s just a question of when it will begin and what the next trigger will be. This Terrifying Black Swan To Collapse Global Financial System . – J.W.

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America’s Poor, Deeper in Debt Than Ever

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The Fed Has A Big Surprise Waiting For You. – J.W.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

How You Know The Time For More QE Has Come

More Americans Than Forecast File for Unemployment Benefits

No New Debt For Germany In 2015

If The Economy Is Recovering, Why Is The Labor Force Participation Rate At A 36 Year Low?

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – September 13, 2014

13 September 1951 is the the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

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If you are working on your pandemic and HAZMAT preps, Ready Made Resources is carrying the Hazarid decontamination system. You can decontaminate people, autos, or even entire houses with this, and it works on Molds, Germs, and Viruses. They will also include two Mountain House Pouches with each purchase if you mention SurvivalBlog when you order.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel which can be assembled in less then 1 minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  11. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  12. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  13. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  10. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  11. RepackBoxis providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 54 ends on September 30st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Trading in Precious Metals, by Kestrel

My butcher pulled me aside last fall, while I was in his shop dropping off a deer for processing. He had a gold ring with a diamond mounted in the center. He asked me what it was worth? I own a jewelry store and told him I would take it to the store, weigh it, and give him a price. He explained that a woman came in for some meat and couldn’t pay; she gave him the ring to hold with the promise to come back and pay him the $60 that she owed within the next week. It had been a few months, and she never came back. He was afraid that she had duped him.

I weighed the ring and measured the diamond. The next day I called and told him I would give him $130 for the ring. He gladly agreed, and I paid him cash less the price of the venison. It worked out very well for him, but he could have taken a few steps to better ensure he didn’t get cheated.

You may imagine trading in junk silver, food, and ammo in a post-apocalyptic world. Maybe that will work out okay for you, but millions of people haven’t put aside silver and gold coins, ammo, or food to use for trade. These folks will probably have jewelry and sterling silver items to use as trade. People are trading their old jewelry and silverware that they never use anymore right now, while the economy is in bad shape but still running. If the economy collapses, or falls even further than it has, even more people will need to get something useful from their metal.

The scenario I shared in opening the article is becoming more common every day. You might say that you just wouldn’t do it, because it’s not worth the hassle and risk of trading in people’s jewelry. That’s fine; you can stop reading now. For the rest of you, some basic equipment and knowledge of simple math is all that is needed.

Determining Metal Content

Look for stamping

The first thing to do when trading for old jewelry or silverware is determine the karat or “fineness” of the piece. Most pieces are stamped. A 10x jeweler’s loupe makes reading quality marks easier. (They are available for under $20; just be sure to get one that is “fully corrected”.) “Fineness” is simply a percentage of precious metal in the piece. For example, 585 fine is 58.5% precious metal. “Fine” metal is pure; fine gold is 99.9% or 99.99% gold. Here is a list of common karat marks in U.S. jewelry:

  • 10k (41.67%)
  • 14k (58.33%)
  • 14kP(58.33%)*
  • 18k (75.0%)
  • Ster (92.5%)**
  • 416 (fineness 41.6% gold)
  • 585 (fineness 58.5% gold)
  • 750 (fineness 75.0% gold)
  • 925 (fineness 92.5% silver)
  • 900pt (fineness 90.0% platinum)
  • 950pt (fineness 95.0% platinum)

    Other markings seen on metalwork are often maker’s marks (hallmarks). Things to stay away from are stampings that say “GF” often with a fraction of 1/20 or 1/12. This is gold filled and should not be given any metal value. “GE” of “HGE” are gold electroplate or heavy gold electroplate; there is no metal value in these. Old pieces sometimes are stamped “rolled gold plate”; again, there is no metal value. Also, stay away from anything that says “XXXXX Silver”. These are nickel silver. Often the stamp will say “German Silver” or “Mexican Silver”, but I’ve seen many other names in front of the silver stamp. There is no silver in these.

*The “P” after karat weight doesn’t stand for “plated”; it stands for “plumb”, as in exact.

**Sterling silver legally can be as low as 91.5% silver.

Verify metal content

Never trust the quality stamp, as there are way too many fakes out there. Some fakes are easy to spot. I had a bracelet in the shop yesterday that was stamped 14k. The plating was flaking off, and the color of the gold wasn’t right. It was sterling silver stamped 14k and plated. That one was easy to spot, but there are some good fakes out there. Also, be aware that gold can be alloyed to make just about any color including white, red, green, and blue. You will need, at the very least, acid for testing the metal. It should be noted that no test will tell the exact metal content of the piece, except a destructive assay.

Aqua regia is a time tested method for testing precious metals. To make aqua regia, mix one part nitric acid to three parts hydrochloric acid. If this isn’t something you are comfortable with, don’t worry; there are other methods of testing metals. To test with aqua regia, file a spot on the piece. (It doesn’t take much, just enough to remove any plating– usually one or two swipes with a needle file.) Put a drop of acid on the spot you just filed. If the spot starts to bubble and turn green, it’s a fake. Sterling silver will turn a cloudy cream color. Aqua regia should be washed off of anything it touches with lots of water.

Acid test kits are available. You can buy acids pre-mixed to dissolve common fineness of gold. Usually kits come with 10k, 14k, and 18k acids, and a streak plate or touchstone. A kit can be put together for under $30. Use is pretty simple.

  1. Rub the piece on the stone to leave a streak of metal.
  2. Rub a piece of known 14 karat gold on the stone. (Your wedding band would work, if it is 14k gold.) Try to use the same color of gold, if possible.
  3. Apply a drop of each type of acid to the metal streaks.
  4. Compare how the metal in the 14k streak reacts vs. the unknown streak.
  5. If it dissolves under the 10k acid, it is fake or very low karat; if it dissolves under the 14k acid, it is 10k; if under the 18k acid, it is 14k, et cetera.

Electronic testers are available, too. They are expensive and unnecessary. The ones I’ve used have worked well, but nothing is foolproof except an assay done by a refinery.

Silver can be tested with these acids, too. I advise you use the acid on some sterling and coin silver to see how it reacts. Compare this reaction to nickel silver. A rare earth (Niodymium) magnet is a must for testing silver. They can be bought locally at a tool or electronics store for a couple of dollars. There are many videos out there showing how the magnet drags on silver, without immediately falling off, which it does on many other metals. Get one and experiment with how the magnet works on different metals.

Weigh the piece

You will need a scale for this; there is no way around it and no substitute that I am aware of. The scale doesn’t have to cost a fortune. If you are a reloader, a grain scale works very well. A word of caution: Metals are weighed using TROY WEIGHT, not avoirdupois weight. If you have an avoirdupois scale, multiply avoir. Multiply avoirdupois ounces by .91146 to get troy ounces. Below is a chart of common conversions needed in weighing metals.

Change From:

To:

Multiply by:

Grams

pennyweight

.64301

Grams

oz troy

.03215

Pennyweight

gram

1.5552

Pennyweight

oz troy

.05

Oz troy

pennyweight

20

Oz troy

gram

31.1035

Grain

pennyweight

.0417

Grain

gram

.0648

Karat

grain

3.08647

Karat

pennyweight

.1286

Karat

gram

.2

Finding the Value

Now that we have a weight and a metal quality, multiply the weight by the percentage of precious metal in the piece. If a ring weighs 6.4dwt (pennyweight) and is determined to be 14k (58.33%), take 6.4 x .5833 = 3.73312dwt of fine gold. Then, convert 3.73312dwt to troy ounces by multiplying it by .05 to get .186656 ozt.

Now, find out what gold is going for. There are numerous websites that will give you metal prices updated by the minute. Coininfo.com is the one I use, but any of them will work. If gold is $1300/ozt, multiply .18665 x 1300 = 242.65. Therefore, the gold content in this ring is, at that time, valued at $242.65.

Making an Offer

Now that we know what the market value is of the gold, it’s time to make an offer. You can’t offer $242.65 for the above ring; here is why. You have to get rid of the ring to get money for it. You can send it to a refinery to be melted down and the refinery will write you a check or send you bullion in trade. You won’t get $242.65. You could take it to a local jeweler, coin shop, or pawn shop (GOD forbid), and see what they will give you for it; it won’t be $242.65. Alternatively, you can offer it for sale or trade at a swap meet, flea market, or in a classified ad. If you paid full price and then resell it, you could probably make some money on it, but you will need to hold onto it until someone wants it.

Always assume you will need to send it to a refinery or sell it to a coin/jewelry store. If you send your metal to a refinery, they will pay up to 95-96% of market, minus shipping. Local buyers will generally pay between 10% and 80% of market value. If you deal locally, shop around for the best deal.

If you are dealing with a refinery there are some things you should be aware of. First, it isn’t worth sending metal to a refinery unless you have a bunch of it, and the more you have the better return you will get. Most refineries have a payment schedule listed on their website explaining what fees and percentages are charged and paid. Also, you will probably need a business. Refineries don’t want to deal with the public. You will need to fill out an anti-money-laundering form, stating that you aren’t a criminal. Some refineries will hold your metal until you tell them to cash it out– generally, when the market hits a point you like.

Now back to making an offer. Along with the problem of getting rid of the piece, you need to worry about the metals market dropping. You can’t pay full price at $1300/ozt and then sell for 95% of a market that has dropped to $1250/ozt.

What if that 14k ring is really 13.4k? Simple testers won’t pick up a few tenths of a karat difference. In fact, legal regulations allow any gold piece with solder in it to be under-karated slightly, and if you are trading a lot in metals, a fake will slip by once in a while.

Sometimes, there are stones in jewelry– a crystal in an old watch. Sterling silverware is often filled with plaster or wax. So just determining the exact precious metal weight of a piece is often not possible.

I won’t tell you what percentage to offer. That is something you can decide on your own. I will say that you should offer 10-15% less market just to cover your butt against the above problems.

Here are some refineries I’ve used in the past with good results: Hoover and Strong, Maguire Strickland, Stebgo, and North American Metals.

Things to Watch Out For

In the U.S., gold below 10k can’t be stamped gold. However, there is a bunch of 8-9k gold out there– mostly from south of the border. Buy at your own risk.

You may come across 20-22k gold, as it is sometimes seen. It has a very rich color and comes from Europe and Asia, mostly.

A magnet will tell if the piece is steel; use it on every piece. If it sticks, it’s fake.

Platinum can be a little difficult to identify, if you haven’t played with it before. Platinum is heavy and soft. It is also very tenacious; it doesn’t like to be removed from itself. Drag a file across a piece of platinum, and it will bite and move with unexpected difficulty.

Silverware, candlesticks, bowls, and cups can be problematic. The bases of most of these are weighted with wax or shellac, and silver knives have steel blades and hollow handles that are filled with plaster. Getting a weight on these is impossible without destroying them. Spoons and forks are usually solid sterling. If it says “silverplate” or isn’t stamped “sterling”, it isn’t real.

What do you do with the gemstones in jewelry? I wouldn’t offer any money for stones in jewelry. Can you tell a cubic zirconia from a diamond? A synthetic from a real sapphire? What if the stone is scratched? How much can you sell the stones for and to whom will you sell them? I would offer to give the stones back if the seller wants them and they are easily removed. Prongs can be pulled back with fingernail clippers, if you are careful. Just always let the seller know there is a risk of breaking the stone upon removal.

If metal isn’t stamped, that doesn’t mean it isn’t gold or silver. Jewelry is often repaired, and in repairing (especially rings) the quality mark is removed.

I’m sure I don’t have to say this for anyone here, but if you are dealing with this kind of stuff on the street, be careful.

One day an opportunity may come your way involving “junk” precious metals. I hope this article gives you the confidence to profit from the situation.

Two Letters Re: LEO Medic

Hugh:

I just want to say “thank you” to this author for such an excellent series. I agree that they are the finest articles I have ever read on SurvivalBlog. As an office-based physician, I do not have the hands-on field experience that will prove so valuable in the future, and I think most physicians are in the same boat. So thanks so much for taking the time to educate all of us. I will read and re-read your articles, as they will save many lives.

Primary Care MD

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Just wanted to add to B.O.’s comment. I’m a former army combat medic, 101st Airborne in 1970 and did 10 years with the Army, ending up as the ward-master of an ICU (NCOIC or sergeant in charge) II picked up EMT while still on active duty (before Paramedics existed). I drove an ambulance until I got my LPN and worked at that while I got my RN. As an RN, I initially worked in ICU and after a few years, switched to ER. I’m now retired with 25 years as an RN. All told, I’ve spent about 45 years in patient care. LEO Medics letters were AWESOME! If I can add anything to this it would be my suggestion that folks frequent their local thrift stores. Keep an eye out for medical braces– knee, wrist, and ankle in particular. They work a lot better than elastic bandages but should be properly sized. It’s also a good idea to have a pair of crutches on hand. They are frequently in thrift stores for $5.00 to $10.00. and cost a lot more than that if purchased new. Properly adjusted, the top pad should be 2-3 inches below the armpit. The hand grip should allow a slight flex in the elbow. I would imagine there are Youtube videos for this and for applying braces. For B.O.s question on thermometers, he might want to consider rectal thermometers. The oral electronic ones work both ways but should be well cleaned after use. I’ll also add that when my dog was ill, I listened to his heart and was shocked by how irregular it was. I thought he was in atrial fibrillation. When I took him to the vet, he laughed and said all nurses get concerned when they listen to their dog’s heart beat and that sinus arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) are normal for dogs. Once again, LEO Medic’s letters were AWESOME, and I feel that might be an understatement. WSB

Odds ‘n Sods:

Scary stuff! Video: Softest Target Ever? A Nuclear Plant Outside D.C. Is Virtually Unguarded – P.S.

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San Diego Unified School district has an MRAP?. – S.B.

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Local legislators squash gun-grabbers, override governor’s veto. – B.B.

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Spain is Militarizing Against Citizens – The Coming Civil War?. – J.W.

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At the urging of a couple of readers, I watched the pilot episode of the new Utopia “reality” television series last night via online streaming. In my opinion, putting people who do not share a common faith and work ethic together in that artificial construct for 365 days is a recipe for sharp conflict and probably for starvation.

There will presumably be 15 mouths to feed. (Although I expect a few early departures of some participants.) Clearly, a few sacks of flour, a couple of jars of pickles, and the milk production of two cows won’t go very far. With just $5,000 available, they will be hard pressed to have enough calories to see them through the year. Buying sprouting seeds would be the best immediate use of some of that cash. They will also need to get lots of row crops in the ground, pronto! The availability of stacked hay bales, electricity, and clean running water were all providential gifts to the experiment. (However, will the latter two come with monthly bills, at Southern California rates? Yikes!) I suppose that if they can use their phone to somehow tap into Craigslist and Freecycle they might have a chance, but I assume that the series producers have laid down some strict rules on outside contact.

History is replete with stories of failed utopian social experiments. Most of them fail within a couple of years. Also, consider that most of those societies have been started by people with a common faith and a shared work ethic. The motley crew assembled for this series clearly lack those attributes, so unless this is all secretly rigged, I’d rate their chance of success at less than 5%.

A large scale hippie commune called “The Farm” did have some success for a few years in the 1970s but only with a lot of very hard work. (Slackers were sent packing.) The Farm’s population peaked at 1,400, but it is presently down to 175. And, not surprisingly, communal banking of private income was abandoned in the early 1980s.

Unless the Utopia series participants quickly find common ground and commit themselves to hard work, then they will live and learn. – JWR

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” – Deuteronomy 29:30 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – September 12, 2014

SurvivalRealty.com has some interesting listings. SurvivalRealty.com helps connect survival-minded individuals and families with knowledgeable real estate agents, wherever their retreat destination. They feature properties as diverse as a game preserve lodge in South Africa to a cabin on a remote lake in Saskatchewan (bring a floatplane!) or as close as the mountains of Wyoming to the hills of Idaho.

Look at these: Africa, SK, Wyoming, and Idaho.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 54 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,100+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel which can be assembled in less then 1 minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  11. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  12. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  13. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  10. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  11. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 54 ends on September 30st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

What Retail Might Look Like At The End of the World As We Know It, by Jacob

In most TEOTWAWKI scenarios, one of the first things to fall is the “kanban” retail system used by big box retailers, such as my place of employment. While I think that there is some truth to this notion, there are a few important things about “big box” store policies and customer trends that are important to know in the event that it all hits the fan. My background is in communications, and I have worked on and off in various positions that involve “crisis management” since high school. Most recently I have worked as a manager in retail at a store in an impoverished metropolitan region. I personally want to be getting out of Dodge when it all goes down and do not recommend being in a retail environment if it happens, but the following are a few observations during my time in retail that may help give some insight into what a retail store might look like during a collapse.

  1. The first and most important thing to remember is that actual disasters do not deter customer traffic. In fact, they tend to draw spectators. Black Friday, which was my first day on the job as a manager, is a prime example of this tendency. People with no intention of shopping will still show up to watch the chaos and further clog customer traffic lanes and push us closer and closer to store capacity. We literally spend months planning for Black Friday, which is known as “The Event”, every year. However, in the event of TEOTWAWKI, we probably will not have such protocols in place despite having the traffic. Grocery, sporting goods, pharmacy, and clothing are going to be busy places. I suspect that less traffic will be present in the hardware, lawn and garden, and automotive sections while people are still somewhat civilized and actually paying for their merchandise. Obviously, this depends on the circumstances and nature of the disaster.
  2. During the past few months we have had a string of bomb threats at my store that have resulted in evacuation and temporary closure of the facility. In every situation, we had strings of vehicles driving to the front doors between police cars and fire trucks to ask the managers on duty if we really were closed. Personally, if I saw police cars and fire trucks with lights flashing and police line up, I don’t think that that’s a place I would particularly want to be. The average American customer, in my experience, does not seem to think that way. When deterred at the front door and despite the nature of the crisis, we had clusters of people setting up picnic blankets a couple hundred yards away in ninety degree heat for four hours to wait for the doors to reopen. When they did open, customers were inside before anyone else.

    It would not matter if nuclear disaster were imminent. We would still have customers. While I do anticipate sporadic violence throughout the store (as I have seen in times like snow storms when it comes down to the last loaf of bread), I do not suspect mass looting to begin during a localized crisis until inventory begins to run out or is already depleted. Again, this will depend on media hype and how quickly the disaster strikes. Pandemic and long-term power outage would look very different. When looting does begin, I doubt that it will be for practical items. I predict that additional inventory will be on the way immediately, unless fuel cost and availability or physical obstacle prevents it. The distribution centers will likely disgorge their inventories in order to continue to do business, because as I said before we will take your money as long as you have it unless directed otherwise. Once the product is gone, it will not matter that more product is on the way; once the customer cannot physically see product, it no longer exists to them and that is when they panic.

  3. The next thing I have learned is that everyone waits until the last second to react to disaster. Whether dealing with snow storms, holidays, or going back to school, time and time again I have watched thousands of customers wait until mere hours before an event or even during the start of an event to come and purchase what they need in mass quantities. Even on Christmas Day (the only calendar day of the year that we are closed), we cannot get people to leave. Every year we must literally herd people to the checkouts and out the door. On some occasions, it has taken security just to close the store. This has even been true during periods of evacuation, such as bomb threats and fires.
  4. People will panic-buy anything, but they often overlook the truly important items. Junk food, alcohol, toilet paper, disposable diapers, bread, milk, and meat will be the first to go, but things like hardware, vitamins, and some automotive items (if they are in stock) will possibly be overlooked temporarily in the panic. Smart buying practices require planning and organization. Panic-buying results in predictable impulsiveness.
  5. I do not think that retailers will necessarily stop doing business until the last possible second. Obviously the nature of the incident will impact the time frame of closure, but do not underestimate the determination of retailers to do what we are in business to do. Even in the event of the American dollar losing its value, I doubt that we will stop taking them as long as we have inventory or until direction comes down from corporate. When the SNAP system crashed twice last year, we still accepted them as payment on food despite the cards not having any value. We may very well accept payment when no one else will, just because we are “supposed to”.

    My concern with this idea is that, as stated before, customers are short-sighted. In full-bore panic mode even if willing to legally purchase items, they may not believe that more inventory is on the way. As I said before, this can lead to panic and might be the catalyst for looting.

  6. As far as staffing is concerned, most of my employees are entertained by mass panic and will likely stick around to operate the store until things get completely out of hand. This is why we have so many volunteers for Black Friday every year.

    There are a few exceptions to this rule. A power-outage cripples retail. When the power goes down, we cannot operate our Point of Sale systems, and we stop accepting payment for goods. If customers knew that this was going to be long-term, it could spark panic and possibly looting very quickly. In my experience, customers tend to be very short-sighted. Most will either wait to see if it “comes back on”, if they are in the store, or they will “come back later”. Honestly, a power-outage is the scariest scenario for someone who works in retail.

    It is also important to remember the power of rumors and a mob mentality. If the news, an employee on site, or a customer somehow exaggerates the scenario, it can cause a domino effect and mass panic. This is another likely catalyst for panic and looting.

  7. I do not think that pandemic would necessitate closure immediately, unless there was federal directive to close businesses in a particular region. Even though some employees would stop attending work out of fear, there are a lot of others who would still attend regardless, due to the need for a paycheck, work ethic, or just to watch it all happen. The company would not likely close its doors to customers who want to pay for things, like medicine, unless forced to, and might even bring in a temporary work force to supplement the existing one in order to continue business. Remember what I said above: We are in business to make money, and corporate knows that people wait for the last second to spend it. They will want to be as close to that last second as possible.

    Even in the event of an occupation, I think that some stores have the potential to remain open. Many businesses in Paris stayed open during the Nazi occupation and simply expanded their customer base to include the occupiers. It would obviously depend on the demeanor of the occupying force. Hitler wanted to keep Paris as a pristine jewel to prove a point to the rest of the world. This condition could even vary city to city.

  8. Crisis response takes time. The more specialized the situation, the longer it takes to formulate a response. Complicate this with things like a power-outage and it may take even longer than usual for authorities to arrive. Management protocol usually dictates disengagement and separation until a response can be formulated. Our first priority is to protect our employees and ourselves from the threat. Customers rank lower on that hierarchy. If mass looting breaks out, we may direct employees to stand back and get to safety, and some store managers may even abandon operation of the facility entirely.

It’s impossible to predict exactly what will happen, but these are a few things that I have learned about crisis management, protocol, and customer trends in my time in retail. I hope that you don’t need to get to a store at the eleventh hour, and I certainly intend to be getting out of Dodge myself.

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o o o

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