Survival Gardening: The Most Vital Prep – Part 1, by T.J. Dixon

Many of us would regard someone with one year of freeze-dried food as a good example of someone who is prepared. They are ready to ride out the storm when a major Without Rule of Law (WROL) scenario comes along. The issue then becomes, what happens after that first year? Even if they escape mob violence because they have effective self-defense supplies and have trained both at the gun club and in tactical scenarios, they will be out of food in one short year. While they have may all the medical supplies to handle small and large emergencies throughout that year, they will still be hungry. Once the local area is hunted out, there is only one possible solution – grow your own. Without the ability to produce all the food your family or team needs, you are only delaying the inevitable – a slow starvation. You will spend the year eating all your preps knowing that there is nothing else coming after that. For that reason, gardening – Survival Gardening to be specific – is be your most vital prep; it’s not as flashy as great tactical gear or buckets full of food, but it has the wonderful property of being sustainable unlike anything you have to buy in the store.

This article is aimed at the non-gardener, or previously failed gardener, who may have never successfully planted a single seed. I am going to outline a getting started guide, not a comprehensive list of everything you can do, but the essentials to get started without much time or money invested. It is designed to take you from zero gardening experience to sustainable Survival Gardener in easy, small steps. You do not need anything besides a shovel and some seeds, although better equipment will make the job faster and easier.

Many people have purchased “Survival Seeds” and stored that small can away in a cool dark place. Once WROL hits, they imagine taking them out, putting them in the ground and watching the magic of nature as it blooms into a garden of abundance and they are able to sustain themselves. As a master gardener and someone who has gardened seriously for decades, I can assure you that the above scenario is a likely as a novice gun owner taking out their unused AR-15 and successfully winning a battle against a squad of Navy SEALs. It will absolutely not happen. What will happen is a series of mistakes, natural predators, disease and failure after failure as hope slowly dies out.

Continue reading“Survival Gardening: The Most Vital Prep – Part 1, by T.J. Dixon”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on Pastor Matt Shea’s fledgling ministry. (See the Central & Eastern Washington section.)

Region-Wide

Judge deals blow to Oregon group’s vision of ‘Greater Idaho’.

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Forecasts show drought continuing for Inland Northwest.

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Inland Northwest Insights provides current economic and demographic data.

Idaho

Idaho unemployment rate drops to 3% as pandemic fades.

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Idaho Home Prices Continue to Skyrocket

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Liberal tourist freaks out at the sight of an armed shopper in Sandpoint. JWR’s Comments:  It is laughable to think that this post made it to the widely-read “Upworthy” site. Here in the Redoubt, everyday people are often seen legally armed. Only a handful of tourists feel any stress at the sight of it.  Get over it, Annie. Open carry is legal in more than 40 states. And permitless concealed carry now a growing trend, legal in 21 states. Now scamper back home to Illinois, where you will mistakenly feel more safe. But be advised that Idaho is ranked #42 of the 50 states for violent crime, while Illinois is ranked #19. And for intentional homicide rates, Idaho is ranked #48, while Illinois is ranked #14.

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A Boise television newscast: Extreme heat, severe drought afflicting Idaho and much of the West. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog reader A.K. for the link.)

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Northwestern Band of Shoshone sues Idaho over hunting rights.

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Alaska Air adds Boise to Moscow flight in partnership with U of I. (Well, the flights are actually to Pullman, Washington, just across the state line.)

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Be it remembred, however, that liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned, and bought it for us, at the expence of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood. And liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know—but besides this they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible divine right to that most dreaded, and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers. Rulers are no more than attorneys, agents and trustees for the people; and if the cause, the interest and trust is insidiously betray’d, or wantonly trifled away, the people have a right to revoke the authority, that they themselves have deputed, and to constitute abler and better agents, attorneys and trustees.” – John Adams, A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law (1765)

Preparedness Notes for Monday — June 21, 2021

June 21st — the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere–is the birthday of Rex Applegate (June 21, 1914 – July 14, 1998), author of Kill or Be Killed. He was the friend and mentor of SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio — who authored today’s feature article.

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Last week’s scheduled Senate Judiciary Committee preliminary vote on David “Waco” Chipman for ATF Director was postponed to Thursday of this week (June 24, 2021), without any explanation. Apparently, all of our phone calls to our U.S. Senators are having an effect.  Keep up the pressure to have them reject the horribly anti-gun zealot Chipman. And while you are at it, ask your two U.S. Senators to co-sponsor new legislation to remove all barrel length restrictions from the National Firearms Act (NFA).  That would be an “end run” around the ATF’s proposed rulemaking that would redefine arm braces and unwittingly turn several million American gun owners into felons, overnight. Thanks!

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I should mention two noteworthy new listings, over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty.com:

and,

Since I’ve been blogging for 15 years, it was inevitable that other websites would pirate SurvivalBlog’s copyrighted work. I’ve of course written many of the requisite “cease and desist” letters, but I have had no response. There are lots of such sites, and since they even pirate my blog’s Top Note posts, they appear to be fully automated. Here are a few examples of the half-dozen frequently pirating sites here in the States:

The latest pirate site that I’ve heard of is interesting: Rester En Vie. (“Stay Alive.”) It is in France, and all of their content is in French. So, not only do they copy SurvivalBlog’s content — no doubt as filler, so that they can sell merchandise — but they’ve gone to the trouble of running our articles through an automatic translator. This auto-translate conversion produces a horribly stilted French text. Ceux salopards! (I know some other French that is more colorful that is also applicable, but I’ll refrain since this is a family-friendly blog.)

Does anyone out there who is reading this know a good copyright attorney that is willing to work on a contingent fee? – JWR

CRKT Jumbones Blackout, by Pat Cascio

As a rule, for an Every Day Carry (EDC) folder, I like a blade between 3.5-inches long and 4-inches long. That length just seems to fit my daily needs more than anything else does. However, I’m not closed-minded about most things, and I’m always open to new ideas. So, when CRKT sent me the new Jumbones Blackout for a possible article, I wasn’t all that excited about it. “Gee, another long-blade folder that I won’t carry…” was my first thought. But I was wrong! But that was simply a first impression, and in short order, I changed my mind, and thought to myself “Why didn’t I request a sample of this folder, immediately?”

The original Jumbones was quite the folder, got one, and love it. The Jumbones, is designed by Jeff Park, in Hawaii. He is under the tutelage of Ken Onion, probably one of America’s most well-known custom knife makers. If anyone is familiar with Ken Onion’s designs, you know he knows his stuff. He comes out with more new designs all the time – and I don’t know how he does it…his brain must feel like it is ready to explode at times, with all the information locked-up inside.Continue reading“CRKT Jumbones Blackout, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Joe T.’s Chocolate Pudding or Pie Filling

The following recipe for Chocolate Pudding or Pie Filling is from SurvivalBlog reader Joe T., This makes enough for one large pie or six chocolate pudding servings.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 2-1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons of corn starch mixed with 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Directions
  1. Heat all except corn starch and vanilla.
  2. Just before boiling, add corn starch and vanilla.
  3. Stir with wire whisk for one minute while boiling.
  4. When it thickens, pour into pie crust or individual serving dishes.
  5. Let cool before eating.
  6. Top with whipped cream, and serve.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

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. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at market reactions to recent Federal Reserve signals. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Why is gold down nearly $100 after Fed shakes up markets?

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Neils Christensen: Panic selling in gold could last a little longer as Wall Street turns bearish on gold, but many look to buy the dip. Here is an excerpt:

“The Federal Reserve unleashed considerable panic in the precious metals market. While there is still some bullish sentiment in the marketplace, some market analysts say that it could take some time for gold to work through all the selling pressure.

The latest Kitco News Weekly Gold Survey results show that sentiment in the precious metals market has dramatically shifted as the gold ends the week down $100. The yellow metal is seeing its worst weekly performance since March 13, 2020, when financial markets collapsed due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

Sentiment among retail investors is at its lowest point since early April when gold prices were just starting their two-month rally.”

Economy & Finance:

ING: US household wealth surged $20tn despite the pandemic.

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At Zero Hedge:  Feels Like 1977: Inflation Too High, Money Too Loose.

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CNN: Major US mall owner files for bankruptcy.

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At Activist Post: Unemployed Households Can Earn $25/Hour on Welfare in 21 States, New Study Finds.

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Democrats planning $6T spending bill that sidesteps Republican support. JWR’s Comment:  It takes someone with a really special statist agenda to phrase a headline that way.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 20, 2021

June 20th the anniversary of the 2013 death of novelist Vince Flynn. (Born April 6, 1966, died June 19, 2013.) His death at age 47 was a loss to the literary world.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 95 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (a $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. An Israeli CBRN Gas Mask with Hydration Straw and two Extra 40mm NATO Filter s – Manufactured in 2020 (a $229.99 value), courtesy of McGuire Army-Navy.
  5. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.
  6. An assortment of products along with a one-hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Round 95 ends on July 31st, 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.

Planting Productive Orchards, by David K.

When someone says the word ‘orchard,’ most people begin to immediately conjure images of fall and vast acres of fruit trees, hayrides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, apple harvests, making cider, and so forth. But to those with a preparedness mindset, the word ‘orchard’ also implies benefits like self-sufficiency, the attraction of wild game for hunting/trapping, diversified protein sources, fur for blankets, boots, hats, coats, and gloves, as well as bartering. The term ‘orchard’ can have broader connotations beyond your typical fruit tree acreage. For many, myself included, the term ’orchard’ stretches beyond fruit trees and includes nut trees, berry bushes, vine fruit, and beekeeping.

When you, or your family, are reviewing and considering a land purchase, you would do well to take into account your ability to incorporate some or all of the options noted previously (fruit/nut trees, berry bushes, vine fruits, and beekeeping). Having the ability to incorporate all of the varieties noted into the broader definition of an orchard helps everyone. You, your family, your group/community, and wildlife all can benefit from the planning of this resource. I’ve added wildlife because fruit and nut trees attract them in droves and will allow you to diversify your food options (protein) year-round and during a collapse.
If you think you might want to plant an orchard, I would definitely recommend doing two things:

1. Find your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
2. Do Your Research

Learning your plant hardiness zone is fairly self-explanatory. Once you know that, you can begin researching which types of trees, shrubs, and vine crops are suitable to your location, or future location. To that end, the first place I recommend looking is online. You’ll be able to gain a solid knowledge base and generate questions that you can either try and answer on your own with additional research or bring the questions with you to a local arborist or nursery. The online resources can also lead you to the purchase of valuable and reputable non-fiction books for your library from highly knowledgeable and respected authors, researchers, growers, and scientists.

When you begin your online research, I recommend the Stark Bros website. I’ve found that their website has one of the easiest interfaces for consumers to navigate and there’s a wealth of information available about fruit and nut trees as well as a nice variety of berry plants and bushes. As an example, Stark Bros. published ‘Growing Guides’ for individual fruits, nuts, and berries as well as a homestead guide for fruit trees. You can find that information using these two URLs:

• https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide
• https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/adding-fruit-to-your-homestead

For all of the information available online, I would still highly recommend that you procure additional and specific information from local arborists and nurseries. They will be able to confirm or correct any information you find online and answer the questions you generated while you were doing your research. Local resources are going to be your most knowledgeable and easily reachable resources outside of local clubs and organizations. All of these local resources will help better direct your knowledge base as it pertains to your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.Continue reading“Planting Productive Orchards, by David K.”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

To share this, you can find it here: https://kapwi.ng/c/ClOK0IhA

Meme Text:

Hunter Biden’s Artworks are Expected to Fetch $500,000 Each

But of Course, Those Payments Have Nothing To Do With Buying Influence

Related News Link: 

Hunter Biden’s abstract art to sell for $500K to ‘anonymous’ and ‘confidential’ collectors says his ex-con agent, raising serious questions about WHO the buyers are.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” – 1 John 3 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — June 19, 2021

June 19, 1834 was the birthday of Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon, who died 31 January 1892. He was a British Particular Baptist preacher.

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Today’s feature review article was too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 95 of the contest ends on July 31st, 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.  Thanks! – JWR

One Year Review: Blackhawk Trident Boots, by Desert Al

Back in January of 2020, SurvivalBlog’s Field Gear Editor  Pat Cascio reviewed the Blackhawk 6-inch Trident Ultralite Boots, and caught my attention. I am wary of buying gear online without physically holding something in my hands and trying it on. But I have used many Blackhawk products over the last 10 years and have been pleased with the price point and quality of their items. I had my boots picked out waiting in my shopping cart on Blackhawk’s website for several months until they went on sale for Father’s day in June of 2020 and I purchased them for right around $100, including shipping. I have now owned the boots for almost a year and I wore them every day to work for the past 12 months, five days a week as well as on evening walks with my family. Unfortunately, I have not been on a cross-country hike in those 12 months but my work environment has supplied a varied testing ground for these boots and I feel I can give a decent review for anyone looking for survival footwear.

I work as a groundskeeper for a large university in the Southwest where the temperature reaches 110 degrees and up in the summer (today we’re expecting 113 degrees). The terrain I walk on campus varies from cement, asphalt, dirt, sand, gravel, decorative river rock and a lot of masonry brick work. I wanted a boot that was lightweight, breathable, and provided aggressive grip on a variety of surfaces. My previous boot was a pair of Redwing Irish Setters Farmington Soft Toe, which had a very slick tread and were dangerous in slippery conditions. A side note on Redwings is sadly half the store’s boots are not made in America anymore and the quality and tolerances show in the cheaper boots made in other countries. The best boots I have ever owned were a pair of Redwing model 899s (made in USA) which were unfortunately discontinued and replaced with some really goofy futuristic designs by Redwing.

Back to the Blackhawk Trident boots, I’ll go over my personal pros and cons I have experienced over the last year. I chose the coyote brown color option and was pleased to see in person that it was a somewhat darker shade of coyote brown and did not scream tactical, a plus for the grey-man philosophy. The six-inch “collar” design makes these boots easy to get on and off and the shorter length does not require a zipper down the side of the boot like other military style boots. The outer design almost looks more like a hiking boot to me instead of a tactical boot, with ample rubberized reinforcements in areas prone to damage. The outer layers of material have taken a good beating over the last year and the only signs of wear are discoloration from the harsh sun and chemicals I work with. Some of the protective rubberized coating on the inner big toe portion of the boots is starting to peel but seems firmly held in place where it meets the other fabrics.Continue reading“One Year Review: Blackhawk Trident Boots, by Desert Al”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in this column, in the Odds ‘n Sods Column, and in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I’ve been getting a lot of exercise while traveling. Along with some calisthenics, I’ve been taking bike rides every morning. These have varied between 14 and 21 miles.

Deo Volente, I’ll be back at the Rawles Ranch on July 2nd.

Presently, the folks at  Make Ready Arms are helping me create a new version of the Elk Creek Company web site, with our pricing denominated in pre-1965 U.S. silver coinage.  I’m taking a bit of my own advice. There will be an option provided for paying in Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) via cash, money order, or check, using a multiplier. The multiplier will start out somewhere near 22.8 times face value. That is based on the current market price of a $1,000 face value bag: $22,800. That makes pre-1965 silver worth 22.8 x face. Thus, an antique gun that I’d price at $650 in FRNs will instead be priced at +/-$28.50 in silver, payable in 1964-or-earlier dimes, quarters, or half-dollars.

I should also mention that anyone who pays in silver dollar coins (Morgan or Peace Silver Dollars) will also receive a special bonus–above and beyond the bonuses that we include with every order. These bonus items have really delighted our customers.

Because of this website re-work, it may soon disappear for a few days. But it should be back up and ready to take your orders around July 1st. Thanks for your patience.

And now, Lily has the news from the ranch…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”