That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against .... Well, at this point in the quote you pick your own antagonist. Because let's be honest, all stackers have some antagonist. For some it is the government, for others the banking system. For some it is just "the system", whatever that may be. This post is intended to be one person's take on the who, what, when, why, where and how you should stack. There has been several threads alluding to this recently. Clearly not everyone will agree with my point of view (in fact it is obvious that some are very antagonistic to it) but I hope it can be a starting point for civilized discussion so that we can open the minds of people who are not sure whether they should be stacking or not. I would like to think that this thread could be a resource for future new members as well as current ones. The way I look at it if you are going to stack, whatever you are stacking, you are expecting something to collapse. You can stack PMs or edible commodities or many other things: it doesn't matter, these arguments apply. If the status quo is being maintained then there is no reason to stack anything. But what people expect to collapse can vary considerably. I am going to address three main ones, there may be others: societal collapse, financial collapse, environmental collapse. These are very different and require different approaches. But each, to some degree or other, involves what people on this forum generally think of as stacking. To be clear, let me say what I believe each of these entails. You personally may not be concerned about each or any of these, but others are so bear with me. If you are not interested in stacking then I would respectfully request that you let this thread be a discussion among those who are instead of belittling those who feel the need to consider it. Societal collapse will occur when we reach the point that two halves of society can no longer live peaceably together. These halves may be split based on income, race, religion or any of a number of other things. I think it distinctly possible that the powers that be are trying to encourage this, but I personally am not sure I see it happening. Financial collapse is when the financial world implodes and the dollar becomes worthless. I do think this is going to happen: whether it happens in our lifetime (for those of us of a certain age) I am not sure, but it will happen. It is mathematically impossible for the USA to pay off its debt: once it is no longer the world's reserve currency (and that will happen because changes occur, on average, once every eighty or so year) it is certain that the dollar will collapse. Environmental collapse is when the infrastructure or the grid collapses and we no longer have access to basic necessities such as power and energy. Many people think this is imminent because we are long overdue for a CME, and if nuclear war were to break out there would like be a large scale EMP. I do think it possible, but I am not as convince as many of its immediacy. I would like to point out that I am not advocating any of these. I have my opinions but I am trying to be impartial in this post and to present a point of view which allows all people, regardless of their reason for considering stacking, to be able to get a good take on what is needed. So, that said, let me begin with a summary. Societal Collapse If this happens people will be going against one another. The inner cities will be chaos and you don't want to be there. The suburbs will not be much fun either. Rural areas will fair better but will still have problems getting supplies because most of those originate from the cities. More than anything else you will need a way to protect yourself and feed yourself. Those in states which don't allow the ownership of firearms will be at a disadvantage so neighborhood groups are going to be essential. In this case you need to stack friendships and supplies. Bullion will probably be of little use but bartering will probably take place. Junk silver will be useful for barter. But the most important things to stack will be those things which keep you alive: food, clean water and medicine. Financial Collapse If the financial world implodes then the dollar become useless and it will be impossible to buy anything with fiat. This has happened several times in recent history. Weimar and Zimbabwe are perhaps the most well known. You will need a way to protect your assets. Junk silver may or may not be of value to you depending on how things pan out, but I would recommend having some: perhaps enough to provide you will whatever that same money would buy in 1964 dollars for a period of six months. Bullion will not be of much value in the short term, but should see you through when there is a recovery. Let me remind you that the dollar is propped up by the fact that it is the world's reserve currency. Over the last 500 years we have has several reserve currencies with an average survival of around 80 years. Those 80 year are up for the US dollar in 2025. Environmental Collapse In this case the infrastructure the the country will collapse. Lot's of scientists are saying that we are way overdue for a CME (Coronal Mass Expulsion) and we barely missed getting one last year. If this happens the entire grid could be wiped out and there would be no energy anywhere: no electricity, no gasoline, no ability to deliver supplies. The USA does not make the equipment required to bring it back online so it could take years. Another concern some have is that there will be a nuclear war with resulting EMPs. I am not expressing an opinion on whether this is likely or not, but if it does happen then there will be a short term down time (months) but also major radiation Again, I am merely enumerating the issues without being a proponent of any of them. I do think there is a possibility of one of these three happening in my lifetime. How high a possibility I don't know. Probably not too high, but high enough to want to be prepared. So what things can we all stack in order to protect ourselves from these possibilities? Let's say right up front: SILVER and GOLD are not high on the list. So what is? What must you do before even considering stacking precious metals? Again, one person's opinion, but I hope the starting point for a discussion. Essentials Don't even think of buying any precious metals until all the following are taken care of: 1. Be totally debt free, including a mortgage. If financial collapse is the poison then those who own anything are in trouble. The banks are not going to forgive the debt. 2. Own land outright which allows you to provide for yourself. This includes the ability to grow food, generate energy and get clean water. The food will be needed for both societal and environmental collapse. The energy will be needed for environmental collapse. 3. Have the ability to protect yourself, probably through firearms and sufficient ammunition. This will be needed in case of societal collapse. If you are not legally allowed this where you live then move. 4. Be fully stocked up on several years supply of medical necessities. Get off of prescription drugs if at all possible. These will be needed in all cases. Only if you can say you have covered all of these 100% should you consider stacking precious metals. I could go into a lot more detail than this and if this threads develops into a discussion I will be prepared to do so. I would like this to be a civil discussion on why people feel they should stack and under what conditions they feel that should happen. My opinions are not necessarily correct. But I have spent well over a decade thinking and reading widely on these matters. I, myself, am prepared for almost anything and think I can survive almost anything except for complete nuclear annihalation. But again: if you are 100% percent against this whole concept then please refrain from posting. I do know want this thread sidetracked by discussion about how stupid people are for not believing in the powers that be.
Good point. Tin-foil would be useful to help avoid all those electronic waves around. Thanks for reminding everyone about my oversight. Much appreciated.
get off your sicknesses and prescriptions folks. yep, you heard it here first. Don't want any diabeetus during the famine.
Okay, Fry. You are one of the two people I knew would try to hijack this thread and try to reduce it to nonsense. I cannot stop you from posting but you idiotic comments are not appreciated. I am trying to help people who come here looking for good advice. You have not produce any since I arrive on this forum so why not let those who have something better to say actually do so.
Talk about nonsense. Do you think mortgages and credit card bills are going to matter in your end times fantasy? And honest to god, most people don't want to be on prescriptions. If people are starving you aren't going to be left alone to grow your own food, and you won't survive many firefights. Silly. Dare I say idiotic?
FryDaddy, just out of curiosity, how old are you? Likewise, privy? Just so we know what level of worldly experience and knowhow we're dealing with. ========== "The way I look at it if you are going to stack, whatever you are stacking, you are expecting something to collapse..." That's not what I believe. I am stacking to maintain the purchasing power of my financial assets. If that implies the collapse of the dollar, then your statement, in a roundabout way, is correct. The day paper money's "blowin' in the wind," our experts will suddenly get religion, but then it's too late. The up-front risk of stacking is minimal, and certainly better than hoping. Ages, please?
OK, thank you. Now you might ponder the fact that there are more people (generally poor) and more debt, and more hatred, than at any time in the history of civilization. This is not a good sign. By the way, I turn 72 this month. The odds are high that I'll be gone before the world gets into serious trouble. I think I have mentioned several times, I'm stacking for my heirs, not me. They are wonderful, loving, brilliant, clueless people.
I just made that up. I wouldn't give you any of my personal information. It could be used against me by them when EDITED : Read rule on abbreviations I still have more prepping to do based on advice I read on internet message boards. Maybe when that time comes we can barter: I can tell you my age in exchange for some of your silver.
I agree that you should take care of your debt first now. but if all out world war III happens PM's will be useless. food, clean water and medicine and guns and ammo, gas will be traded as money. My current reason for stacking some silver and gold is a storage of wealth if I have to sell some off for an emergency in the near future. I have some silver. some gold. I would like to get more silver when I have paid more debt down.
I stack because I think we are at a relatively low point in the cycle. I hope to unstack when the time is right. In a way I'm also a preppers because where I live we are one good earthquake away from weeks or months of isolation due to damaged bridges preventing vehicle travel in and out of the region. Air travel would still be available and temporary bridges erected eventually. The supplies I have would be useful many scenarios.
I stack to hopefully get more dollar bills in the near future and long term. Make some money trading this year hopefully and in the long term stash I see as a type of annuity I sell off when I am retired or close too it. Silver and gold are low risk and I see them as a type of variable savings. I'm out of debt so that helps with the stacking. Not much of a worrier about the survivalist stuff. I do stack a lot of junk 90% though. If I did start worrying I would be stacking guns, ammo, gasoline, and whiskey. Now I'm thinking of the Mad Max movie I saw a couple years ago.
Fair enough. But is it really stacking if you intend to sell it in the near future for a profit? Isn't that really speculating on a short-term price increase?
I guess it depends how you define stacking. My stack goes up and down. It's still a nice stack in my safe though! If it goes down it somehow comes back. I dumped everything last October when spot was $19.15. I made money because I bought early last year when spot was $14.23. I have since reloaded and my stack has doubled. I keep my cost per ounce down by buying under spot from dealers at coin clubs, coin roll hunting half dollars, and looking for deals online. Yes, there is some speculating going on. For example, I bought a few tubes of 2017 ASE's. I plan to sell all of them this year. I'd like to do it by end of July while the 2017 is still fresh in the ASE collector/stackers mind. You wait too long and people start thinking about and waiting for next year;s ASE. I do other speculating but that is just one example. My 90% I don't intend to sell anytime soon. That goes into deep storage for years and comes out like I said when I am older. Half my stack is 90%, and it continues to grow on a monthly, sometimes weekly basis depending on how many coin shows and clubs are going on. Gold I hold. That's retirement money and a hedge against a possible weak dollar in the future. Also, I get pure utility/enjoyment just having the PM's and checking out the stack in the safe when I am putting new inventory in there. That's fun for me!
I don't understand why there's such hand-wringing over being ONE to the exclusion of the OTHER. You can be sympathetic to both schools of thought without juvenile insults and jeers. What determines where you "pitch your tent" is the way you spend your coin money. That's when you vote. And stacking has virtually nothing do with apocalypse and chaos, unless they last more than a week (time enough to starve). In its purest form, it remains a low-risk, but not a perfect way to preserve the purchasing power of your money, and it's served that purpose for millennia. For now, I can't think of a better way. I have plenty of the "things" others say they need to survive; you know what they are. In retrospect, I'm a little bit sorry I ever brought the subject up, people have been so nasty about something that is for all intents and purposes NONE of their business. But otherwise, the newbies hear only the naive and illogical blather of the smirking haters. I want to sell, and will sell, another 25% of my numismatic holdings. I think that leaves a good balance, then I'll move on to something else. But I will remain willing and able to buy some numismatic coin collection that's an auction or estate "steal" -- I just won't keep it very long.
That is exactly what I mean. You believe that PMs will preserve your buying power better than dollars will. You are anticipating that the dollar with eventually collapse. No roundabout it, they way I look at it.
Agreed. I did say that silver will not be close to the most important in all emergencies. That is why it must only be a part of your stacking. Stack and be able to grow enough food, guarantee yourself a supply of clean water, provide as much medication as possible, be able to defend yourself. Only then should you buy significant amounts of PMs. Gas is not going to help as it degrades very quickly. Some people produce their own biofuel but I am not one. Those people who depend on medication for their life will be in trouble in an emergency to it is best to try to improve your health as much as possible (for some, of course, it is not).
