Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 book collecting. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Kitco queries Phil Streible: Why Gold May Not See 2011 Price Levels Again

o  o  o

The Metals, Money, and Markets Weekly by Mickey Fulp

Economy & Finance:

At Zero Hedge: Blain: “It Feels Like A Shooting Match Is Imminent”

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Here’s the worst-case scenario for the US-China trade war.  (Keep in mind that this was published by rabidly anti-Trump CNN.)

o  o  o

Rural America Is On The Verge Of Collapse.

o  o  o

Tesla Slides After Morgan Stanley Slashes “Bear Case” Price Target To Just $10

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day

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“What can be more foolish than to think that all this rare fabric of heaven and earth could come by chance, when all the skill of art is not able to make an oyster? To see rare effects, and no cause ; a motion, without a mover ; a circle, without a centre ; a time, without an eternity ; a second, without a first : these are things so against philosophy and natural reason, that he must be a beast in understanding who can believe in them. The thing formed, says that nothing formed it ; and that which is made is, while that which made it is not, This folly is infinite.” – Jeremy Taylor

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 26, 2019

May 26th is the birthday of Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.) He was born 1949. When not touring, he lives Somewhere in Montana, so he qualifies as a Redoubter. He reportedly has a large gun collection which is heavy on Sharps rifles and rifles that have factory letters showing that they were originally shipped to Montana. His song A Country Boy Can Survive is of course practically a survivalist anthem. His father was just 29 when he died, and despite a couple of close calls, Hank Jr. is now well into his golden years, so he may yet live to a ripe old age.

—

Today we present a short guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that was not submitted for writing contest judging.

 

Reconciling Ammo and Magazines, by Incisor

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We are well-advised to maintain a reasonable supply of ammunition and magazines. But how do you reconcile the two? You probably have, or should have, questions like:

I have X number of magazines. Do I have enough ammo for them? How many times can they be reloaded, given the available ammo supply?

I have X number of rounds. Do I have enough magazines? Or, How many magazines can I fill?

These are reasonable questions. So, lets address them. You’ll feel a lot better when this simple exercise is finished, and it might even point out “soft spots” (inconsistencies) in your inventory of ammo and/or magazines that may need to be resolved.Continue reading“Reconciling Ammo and Magazines, by Incisor”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”.  Today, we look at San Francisco’s plummeting quality of life.

New Florida Law Okays Front Yard Veggie Gardens

On July 1st, a new law will take effect in Florida, voiding some local zoning laws. This law recognizes the right of homeowners to grow vegetables on their own property–even their front yards. Hooray!  (Thanks to DSV for sending the link.)

Is Idiocracy Becoming Reality?

Evan Horowitz at NBC: IQ rates are dropping in many developed countries and that doesn’t bode well for humanity.

An Affordable Drone for Retreat Security?

Reader SOG suggested a recently-reviewed drone, under $150. He says: “An inexpensive drone with pic and cam not tied to a cell phone. These would be great for retreat ops. Sort of a poor man’s RAVEN.”  Here is a an ordering link: HUBSAN H501SS X4 Drone GPS 4 Channel Altitude Mode 5.8GHz Transmitter 6 Axis Gyro 1080P FPV Brushless Quadcopter Mode 2 RTF ( White)Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – 2 Timothy 3 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 25, 2019

On May 25th, 1787, The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. The task of the peaceful overthrow of the new American government as it had been defined by the Article of Confederation eventually led to the United States Constitution that is so abused today.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. 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, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

Commerce Model Prepping: A Re-Evaluation, by B.H. in North Idaho

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Editor’s Introductory Note:  This article serves as an update to B.H.’s original piece on this topic, published in SurvivalBlog back in March of 2013.

Introduction

Over the years since I first read the novel Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles and made the decision to embrace prepping my idea of prepping has changed. It started when I recognized that friends, acquaintances and strangers all had varying ideas and degrees of preparedness even within very similar prepping models. The greatest characteristic of Survivalblog.com is that there is something for everyone presented in articles and information. Regardless of your station you’ll find information pertinent to your specific situation to help you improve your own preparedness level. I realized that my own prepping mindset was slowly shifting over time as I pursued knowledge, skills and dealt with changing personal circumstances. Health issues, children getting older, economic changes and political changes have all required minor to major changes in my original preparedness model.

These changes and realization led me to begin classifying the different levels or approaches to prepping. It began with a realistic and unbiased look at the location I had originally determined as a great location for prepping. My research began to reveal some hidden assumptions and biases I was holding that caused me to ignore critical factors.

Continue reading“Commerce Model Prepping: A Re-Evaluation, by B.H. in North Idaho”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

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To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, 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 the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Between my writing, helping Lily in the greenhouse, ranch chores, patching a pond liner, and some mail-order biz, I’ve had a very busy week!

I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to my ad for some extra HK 91 and HK93 parts, magazines, and accessories, at The FALFiles Marketplace. The large number of orders has meant making a few extra trips to mail out packages, at the local post office. Thank goodness for Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. Mailing heavy items like steel HK magazines (as many as 23 magazines per box) has been a bargain, with flat rate pricing.  still have about 30 more pre-packaged lots to sell and mail out, so this project will continue for another couple of weeks. Note that I keep adding items to my “want to sell” list.  For example, I just added two rare original German-made HK91/93 bipods: One light and one heavy!

One of my other projects this week was re-attaching a couple of cedar plank shelves, in our greenhouse.  Lily had found that they were a bit too high for her liking. I lowered them both about 10 inches, and now they are in easy reach for her. I’ve also been hauling rocks, soil, and manure. One fairly fun project this week was using our pickup and a heavy tow chain to drag an excavated stump out to a burn pile that is not close to any trees. (It was too heavy for an ATV to move.) Every serious prepper needs to own at least one tow chain. (But there is more versatility if you own two. And, of course, remember: “Two is one and one is none.”)

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”.  Today, we look at the devastation of some recent tornadoes in the central United States.

Tornadoes Tear Through Missouri, Leaving 3 Dead

“It Felt Like An Earthquake”: Violent Tornados Tear Through Missouri, Leaving 3 Dead

30 Tornadoes in the Central US

At CNN:  There were reports of 30 tornadoes in the central US on Tuesday. JWR’s Comment: Watch the NWS forecasts closely, and leave your NOAA weather alert radio turned on!

The Spycraft Revolution

Reader T.Z. spotted this, at Foreign Policy: The Spycraft Revolution. The article begins:

“The world of espionage is facing tremendous technological, political, legal, social, and commercial changes. The winners will be those who break the old rules of the spy game and work out new ones. They will need to be nimble and collaborative and—paradoxically—to shed much of the secrecy that has cloaked their trade since its inception.

The balance of power in the spy world is shifting; closed societies now have the edge over open ones. It has become harder for Western countries to spy on places such as China, Iran, and Russia and easier for those countries’ intelligence services to spy on the rest of the world. Technical prowess is also shifting. Much like manned spaceflight, human-based intelligence is starting to look costly and anachronistic. Meanwhile, a gulf is growing between the cryptographic superpowers—the United States, United Kingdom, France, Israel, China, and Russia—and everyone else. Technical expertise, rather than human sleuthing, will hold the key to future success.”

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

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“Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” – Psalm 72 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 24, 2019

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On May 24th, 1775, John Hancock was elected president of the Second Continental Congress. He is best known for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, which he jested the British king “could read without his spectacles.”

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 82  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any 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 (an $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 Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. 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.
  3. 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,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. 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).
  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. 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, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 82 ends on May 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.

 

 

Finding Community Prepping Resources – Part 2, by 3ADScout

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(Continued from Part 1. This part concludes the article.)

Flea Markets

I like flea markets, since it is like attending a hundred yard sales without spending all day driving from one end of the county to the next.  I find that flea markets have basically three types of vendors. One type is the seasonal vendor who is there each week, often in the same spot.  These folks are dealers and I find that their prices are higher, they don’t haggle as much, and each week it is just about the same inventory as last week.  At the flea market I go to, these dealers are mostly up front towards the entrance and at the end of rows.  Some however, they are also in the last row.  Why is this important?  When I go to this flea market, I skip the known dealer areas at the beginning since I am familiar with their inventory and I know I won’t get the “Best” deals from them.  Instead, I skip to where the non-regular sellers are at.

The second type of vendor is a dealer but doesn’t always attend one particular flea market.  Like the regular vendors, their prices can be higher and they may not haggle as much but their inventory may be new to you if you have never seen them before.

The last type of vendor is my favorite, they are the “I just want to get rid of this stuff” vendors.  They might be looking to down size, make room in their home, or even be getting rid of a deceased family members property. Profit isn’t their main motivator.  Not wanting to pack stuff up at the end of the day is their main goal.  That isn’t to say these vendors will give their stuff away but they will haggle and their prices will be very reasonable for the most part.  This last type of vendor is who you should go to first.

A few other tips and tricks about flea markets, those vendors that are there every week well guess what?  As Ma and Pa “I want to get rid of this stuff” are setting up, those regular vendors, who are dealers, will swoop in like buzzards looking to cherry pick their wares.  Then the seasonal dealer will walk back up to their table and put a new tag on the item with double the price on it.  How can you level the playing field?  Well ,our flea market charges 50 cents per person for admission.  Dealers typically pay $5 for a space.  Pay the $5 and enter with the dealers.  Park your vehicle and start to walk around as others are setting up. When you are done looking, set up and sell your surplus goods to put back into prepping.Continue reading“Finding Community Prepping Resources – Part 2, by 3ADScout”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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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 antique swords and sabers. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

News from Canada: June 1, The Hunt Is On For $100K In Gold And Silver. JWR’s Comment: This is a wild golden goose chase, but at least it beats Pokemon Go.

o  o  o

Gary Christenson: None Dare Call It Nonsense. Here is an excerpt from his essay:

“The Big Picture:

  • The world has chosen to use debt-based currencies instead of gold and silver. There are consequences.
  • Debt has counterparty risk and currency risk. Gold does not.
  • Debt fails when the “full faith and credit” narrative is no longer believable.
  • Creditors of sovereign nations should realize they will be repaid ONLY if the debtor nation borrows even more. This is a flawed system.
  • History shows that “out of control” spending, excessive debt, and government corruption create consumer price inflation, currency devaluation, and wealth inequality. At the extreme, the value of your savings and retirement denominated in fiat currency units, diminishes or vanishes.”

Economy & Finance:

H.L. sent us this at Wolf Street: US Home Sales Drop, Drop, Drop Despite Lower Mortgage Rates. But Mortgage Applications Jump. What Gives?

o  o  o

St. Louis Fed Promotes Still More Free Money For Banks (And Hiding It All)

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”