Exdios,

I'm not sure if "stockpiling" is the best word, but having some PM on hands is a reasonable mean of financially weathering any storms. The rationale for this is that PMs have been used as some form of currency for thousands of years. Indeed, the paper bills we now have on hand were just a more convenient way of doing transaction that used to be done in metal coins. For the longest time, every bill you had was backed by it's value in precious metals (usually gold) held in the Federal depots.

History aside, the point is to diversify which is a valid argument for many things in life. If you are debt-free, and currently invest in say mutual funds, you may want to consider investing in some precious metal. The point is that PMs are tangible as opposed to the "virtual" money you have in investments. If all of a sudden, all computers were to crash at every banks around the world (EMP, cyber attack, etc), what would happen to your money? This is why PMs are interesting to preppers. That said, you can't eat silver and can't stay warm with gold, so PMs are not usually a prepper's priority.

As for "those currently selling precious metals are making a killing off the Prepper communities", I would suggest that your best bet is to buy from reputable sellers that will sell PMs based on the spot price than from individuals (like on EBay, Kijiji, Craigslist, etc). You are less likely to end up with knock off or overpriced PM through reputable sellers.

I wouldn't suggest to turn all your money into PMs, but having an amount on hand, any amount, may be valuable at some point, whether SHTF or not. After all, PMs have usually increased in value consistently through history.

Good advice helicopilot. I have also learnt that gold has always been purchased as a store of wealth and a hedge against inflation from worthless fiat currency eg Weimar and Zimbabwe. Aside from mainstream BS it seems we are now in a inflationary depression as our dollars purchasing power has diminished over time and our dollar buys less now then 5 years ago.

Simply put I don't "invest" Currency in anything, Money or cash is used or banked.

That being said though I do buy assets to invest in as needed, such as tools, machinery etc etc. I don't see the point investing in property, Funds etc etc. Sure you make money back on occasion, but usually at someone else's expense.

I have some silver put away in a safe, but its not for currency or anything, and those I have traded with has either been cash or barter.

There is speculation

Cheers, Yea trying to gauge opinions on it at present. Thanks for the input.

There is speculation that both gold and silver will be worth more as time will tell. But for trading I would also stock up on alcohol and trading this will allow you to hold out on PM a little while longer and have something to trade while catering with different tastes.

To further Tradesman's line of thinking, yeast and a sugary mash are much less of an investment than AU and AG ingots. You will have to make a small investment in copper tubing and copper canisters though. sigh, another project.

I'm not a big believer in PMs, more in line with exdios' current way of thinking - tools & trades that make me more self-sufficient, better able to barter in a circumstance of mutual need. It seems to me, whenever there is a big market correction, it is the middle & lower class that get bled to make the adjustment, and it reads to me like it is primarily middle-class money that's driving up the price of PMs. So, if there is, say, a market crash, I suspect the precious metals market will be one of the commodities to take a big, big beating.

I also get the impression that most people who are thoroughly into PMs are thinking that there is a high likelihood of reverting back to a standards-based currency, but I would bet that if (*if*) we move back to a standard, the standard will be something less easily monopolized - the kilowatt-hour or something - not gold or palladium or tin etc.

If things have really gone so bad, that people are reverting to using PMs to trade, I think the capacity to barter will be equally relevant. I know if someone came to me for, say, food, and offered gold, I would have no use for it.

I think physical commodities are, in some ways,a better bet than PM. Afterall, you can have all the gold and silver in the world, but you can't eat it, it won't clothe you. I read that during the Zimbabwe currency crisis, since money was basically worthless, other than the obvious things like food and water, things like pens, shirts and clothing, toilet paper, and other secondary necessities were worth literally trillions of dollars. But all things considered, just like financial investing, a mixture of assets would probably be wise.

The Eat Tomorrow blog recently posted a ten-best barter items post.
https://eattomorrow.com/blog/2015/09/10-of-the-best-bartering-items-if-the-grid-goes-down/

It never occurred to me that those 50ml mini bottles of liquor might be make decent "currency". I am not all that familiar with them, though. My recollection is that most of them are plastic bottles, these days. I think I would be inclined to purchase glass, for long-term storage. Anyone know what comes in glass mini bottles?

Edit Oct 10 2017:
50ml Glass containers I've found so far are :

Grey Goose Vodka
Absolut Vodka
The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Absinth - made in Czech Republic, I think "Green Tree Distillery"
Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin
Crystal Head Vodka (Dan Aykroyd's Vodka) - bottled shaped like a skull
Hennessy Cognac
Luxardo Sambuca
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Chivas Regal 12 Scotch
Patron Reposado Tequila (excellent thick glass)

.