Once money is worthless, what is the best thing to stock up on for trading?

Anything that allows you to barter.

Everything we take for granted will have value.

Originally posted by ballsdeep


Narcotics > everything else from a survival perspective; max value, practical survival applications AND easy to hide/preserve large quantities.

Yeah I would probably put them above weapons if it wasn't for the fact you wouldn't be able to keep your stash safe without them.

5 keys each of coke and heroin would take up very little space, and make you richer than a king once TSHTF.

All interesting ideas... but don't forget toilet paper! If the SHTF, (no pun intended) your digestive system will be taking a hit. Multivitamins can also help your immune system. Also have on hand a bottle of non-ultra, unscented regular no scent clorox for water purification. (4 eyedrops worth per gallon of water, seal, shake well, leave open and store in sunlight if possible... next day, cover, shake again and store, again, unsealed. for a day. then you can cap it. If you can still smell bleach, keep shaking and storing in sunlight.

Every house in America should also have a generator-cranked radio/flashlight. And I recently got a cb radio and car antenna. You can find em on ebay for about 40 bux. Old school, but your car batt will run it and it may turn out to be the main form of communication between people. Most can reach almost 20 miles.

As soon as the SHTF, go fill up your car with gas - regardless of price. You car can provide heat, shelter, safety and small-use electricity (radios, TVs, small appliances, etc) with an inexpensive 12-volt converter. But ya gotta have gas. And, if the grocery store isn't being looted, get as much canned veggies, potato soup, pasta and rice as possible. Condensed milk is good, and honey will last almost forever. The best food to keep on hand? Vitamin-enriched cereal like total. It can keep for years if necessary, and doesn't require milk.

Hate to say it, but you should also have some sort of defensive weapon. If you have guns, great. Remember that a looter probably is armed as well. Set traps. Get creative. Something as simple as spraypaint, hair spray... even vinegar, sprayed in someone's eyes, will give you enough time to either flee or to take matters to the next level much more easily.

Surgar, tobacco, coffee, cheap blankets, any type of seeds. Yes, marijuana included. Everyone deserves to feel happy when surrounded by so much sadness and destruction. Oh yea, lots of bags of doritos.

Hmmmm...If things went far south and there was no money, addicts would go nuts for their drug of choice. Meaning whisky, rum, vodka or anyother type of hard liquor. I would say cigs, or tobacco and rolling papers. Coffee could be another one. I would think you would buy the whole bean and vac seal it? Lets see, the obvious of food and ammo. Things like aspirin, motrin, clean sterile bandages or gauze, and neosporinn (3 in 1 ointment). As someone else posted, I'm sure alot of women would trade their husbands for this, feminine hygiene products and midol. Also marketable shtf job skills. Knowing how to hunt and process meat, mechanics, strong medical knowledge (doesn't even have to be MD level, emt or paramedic level would be valuable), seamstress/tailor skills, etc.

If you just looking for stuff to buy and store, anything with a long shelf life and you can hide buy either burying or locking in your garage. Use what you need every week and rotate stock to replace if stored in your house.

Backyard chickens will come in handy as long as you don't have to get out of Dodge.
I have a family of 7 and our laying hens gives us more eggs than we know what to do with. We haven't butchered any of them yet but once they stop laying eggs we will have some excellent chicken soup.

I went through 4 hurricanes in one year and found out that gas, propane & ice were in great demand. We had an ice maker at work running on a generator. This was a godsend when we were without power for 3weeks and the stores were selling their whole shipment of ice within the first hour or two after it was delivered to the stores.

If the Earth potential of the Human Species is to Evolve ; beyond this mindless exploited wage slavery and their unelected dictators & "their" western so called democratic friends ,who use the mass media to psychologically brainwash people to vote for a system that amounts to societies of apathy & ignorance of the true reality of their potential " IE/To be their own masters of their own destiny"
Then there is hope for this "Human Species" to "SURVIVE" [how long only time will tell !!]
A society of Earthly Human Beings without borders cooperating together with respect for all other earthly & likely cosmic life forms [ ps somewhere somepeople speak all of each others languages = language not a barrier,ie roll on the internet, facebook etc.
No need for money,or any other kind of currency exchange that creates divisions,exploitation, slavery, or even eventually the "Horrid RFID " Global Plan etc that is planned for the human race.

Instead of this we can all offer to contribute our Efforts & Abilities in any way humanly possible individually to create the" Best of All Possible Worlds". Yes we need Diggers ,Carpenters,Plumbers, House builders ,Food & Clothing, Medical/Herbal, Comedy ,Art etc etc ,only this time we wont have money oriented cowboy bulders or side effect pill pushing doctors and on and on and on. Basically this is a voluntarily contributed created Society World that need not be a pipe dream or a so called static utopia but rather a way of living together that is dynamic open to change , that has Innate Wisdom combined with the most Self Aware ,Socially Aware, Politically Aware & even Cosmologically Aware People Inspiring the "PRESENT AWARENESS" that leads to an "OPEN FUTURE that can lead to a World we are just begining to "GLIMPSE"
Who could have thought on this past New Years Eve that half the middle east countries would rise up like they have & it looks like the powers that be left & right, east & west will stop at nothing to prevent these Revolutions Succeding [ EG / Watch whats Done to Supress to the Bahrain Uprising ] & the Potential they may have latent in them.
A really free society [without Money etc etc etc] is really within the reach of Humanity if we have the courage to make it so; & "THE SOONER THE BETTER" as it may become more & more difficult as the emerging "SOCIETY CONTROLLING TECHNOLOGY BECOMES ALL INVASIVE & THERE IS NO WHERE TO BE FREE ! WELL NOWHERE WHERE WE CAN ACTIVATE OUR OWN DESTINY EXCEPT IN WHATEVER MOUTAIN TOP WE CAN ESCAPE TO.
Promise to keep it short & succinct next time. GOOD MORNING WHERE EVER YOU BE
CHANGELING1

I just watched Armeggedon Man on the history channel.
It was informative.But everyone else was gone and it was just him left alive.

edible plant seeds/medicinal seeds (hearty heirloom nonGMO), freeze dried fruit/vegetables, water purification tablets (or lightweight uv filter), batteries, basic medications, clothing/fabric (can be used for warmth, shelter, sanitary supplies, diapers, and bandages), salt (preservative), vitamins, silk to help purify liquids with larger microbes, and seeds strictly for producing fiber (hemp, flax, cotton, etc).

know the closest water supply, learn the land, buy a fieldguide and survival book. acquire to ability to live and eat simply.

human excrement can be made into fertilizer over time... I'm not saying it's pretty, but it's better than just giving up and dying in ignorance.

Nah i still say selling children as sex slaves will be the most proffitable. I guess selling adults would be proffitable too as people will need salves for cheap labour, but i imagine there will be a lot of serious security issues needing to be adhered to in order to keep them in line. Could be more trouble than its worth, maybe.

I remember reading something once about a SHTF scenario and barter..

I'll paraphrase because I can't remember the exact quote. But basically - Nobody will pay you or trade you for anything if they think they can simply take it with the expenditure of one round, one stab with a blade or one swing with a club without fear of any reprisal.

Most things mentioned would likely be great for trade - or for taking. Make sure they feel far safer trading than taking.

Remember....

....break the skin of civilization and you find the ape, roaring and red-handed." - Robert E Howard

I came to the conclusion a long time ago that if it hits the fan, I'd rather have a lot of canned ham, potted meat, beans or such. After a few weeks, a person will be willing to give you a bar of gold for a can of food. And most likely, you wont be willing to make that trade.

Tools that don't rely on electricity.

Knives, axes, hand crank drills, shovels, ect.

a plow that could be pulled by horse or ox.

Non GMO seeds from GMO plants. 100% organic seeds.

Make your own oil from plastic. All you need is a pressure cooker, fire, plastic tubbing and a bucket filled with water.

Self crafted weapons.

reply to post by Elieser


Own a business, use it to trade goods and services to barter, own some gold and/or silver, own a few weapons and bullets, have fresh water, canned foods, a garden, be self reliant as much as possible. Take tracking and survival courses, learn how to hunt. Prepare mentally, this type of event would be an adjustment for just about anyone, let go of your fancy gizmos, cell phones, cable TV, ect, you don't need them to survive, try to sell off or trade what you can.

reply to post by spikey

Just a satarical comment to Gadafi!
Need to find some of that hash.A couple of bricks.
Got my own seeds for back up though.

How about a do it yourself book. How to make everyday goods out of everyday materials.

- Soap
- Filtered water
- Dehydrated Food
- Candles
- Axe-Firewood
- Become a backyard doctor "download emergency medical care books"
- Medical supplies out of everyday items
- How to make your own solar panels.
- How to refurbish batteries

Any stash of goods will be about as worthless as any other stash of goods. Many people have given good responses such as booze, cigarettes, food and the like. However, here are some more facts that you may want to think about.

Firstly are the factors necessary for these commodities of possible trade that need to be kept in mind. Whatever goods that you are considering these are the following factors to consider.

It should be portable. The more portable it is the better.
It should have a use value over and above an intrinsic trade value.
It should not be degradable or should not degenerate quickly.
It should be durable and subject to harsh conditions without loss of use or value
.
However, there are many things to consider about goods for the end times. The first is livelihood. People need bread and security. Food, weapons, and travel methods will always be the most valuable commodities in war torn areas. So, what are also the most important things in war torn areas are food preservation equipment and methods, military tactics and training, knowledge and equipment of escape, evasion, and basic survival.

In the military, if you are going to be going to a war torn area then they will give you materials and training on what basic editable survival materials are available in the area. As well, you will be given knowledge on how to build shelters in your area with the available materials that are fit to the climate conditions.

Do you have a survival manual for your area? Do you know what can you eat from the street and how to prepare it? Do you have a map of your area that lists sources of fresh water or escape and evasion routs? Do you have a plan for movement, or do you simply plan to sit at home? If so, how do you plan to protect your home? Bullets will go right through most dwelling walls and door
.
If you are looking to store food then get the kind that is freeze dried and available to store for over 30 years. If you are looking to buy guns and bullets then focus more on .22 caliber survival weapons as much as you would shotguns or long rifles. Do you know first aid? Do you have any basic medical gear? Do you know how to sew?

Also, one of the most important things to remember about war torn environments is, as mentioned by someone else, being able to provide a skill to someone else. Can you sew? Do you have any mechanical equipment than can be used for income without electricity like a manual sewing machine, manual washing machine or other such equipment? Wax in abundance might be as well a commodity to buy as gold in that it can be cleaned, sterilized and reused in many cases. Start thinking like you were in the 1700’s and then you will begin to see things clearly.

Life will not end before it degrades for a long time. The great depressions were ten years before world war two started. Can you farm? Do you have land to farm on? If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to take this year to learn some basic farming techniques. Remember that many ships are sent across the seas today for trade in spices, sugar, and other basic goods. Can you grow them? Do you know how to sail if you had too? Can you fish?
I hope that you are beginning to see that you can survive in the hard times if you start thinking about the old times. Your ancestors did it, so you can too, just start getting involved and keep learning the skills that you need.

Surviving any period of time or place is not so much about goods as it is about knowledge and abilities.

Hand-crack two ways radio, charger, flashlight. (limitless application there, folks)
All kind of canned food.
Fire-maker (magnesium)
Salt
Sugar
Tortila
Bread
Wind-generator
Horses
Alcohol Swabs
Canteen
First Aid kit
.
.
.
.
etc

reply to post by Elieser


Ummmm......Canning jars with lots of spare lids, a pressure cooker ("AllAmerican"), non-hybrid, heirloom seeds. Hunting rifles, ammo, meat rabbits (newzealand whites), meat and egglaying chickens, meat goats (southafrican boer). Water filtration, ("Kataydin") and storage (food grade 55gal drums). Dry perishables in sealed #10cans, grains, hand tools (manually operated), sap buckets and taps (maple sugar), honey bee hives (for pollination and honey), wine grape vines, fermentation buckets, yeast, bottles cork and "corkers". Nowhere near a complete list but you get the picture.

Obviously most of these items require "land" and will never be needed unless TSHTF collapse is madmaxian.
That being said, if your going to ride out the big one and protect a tribal unit, then preparing for a worst case scenario is definitely worth the effort and expenditure.

I started to acquire the needed items a few years ago, my thought process was to produce enough excess for trade, like you said, you can't eat metal.

YouSir