Survival Scrapping...

Okay guys. I did a quick search and found no entries regarding survival preps in relation to scrapping.

Are any of you preppers?

I keep copper and brass as my least valuable precious metal. I have sizable (for me) cans of copper fittings and densely packed items (probably 100# or so) and brass 300#'s or so. The dense buckets just get stowed for a big run up in prices. I consider these a SHTF put away for troublr.

My scrapping basically funds my SHTF preps. It is not the only income stream, but is is one of the legs on the stool. Scrap, garage sales, Craigslist and E-Bay are what I use to prepare for my future.

I will also hang onto lead as a SHTF prepping item. I don't have a ton, but if I get lead, I hang on to it. I figure lead is a very important component in one of the most precious metals you can get; copper jacketed lead.

I also consider my garage sale shopping as a scrapping pursuit. I buy brass and copper items for < scrap value and drop them into the appropriate pile. I buy LP gas and have 200#+ as I consider fuel an important preparation for hurricanes and power outages. I buy old furniture and refinish, old routers and reprogram, old items and relist and sell.

I do not consider myself a prepper.

I do consider myself an opportunist, and an investor of commodities.

Take all your brass,copper etc and sell it. With the proceeds buy gold and silver in various sizes. Ounces,half ounces, 1/4 ounce rounds and ingots. This is the only currency that will be worth anything when the SHTF. You can even have gold from electronics refined and poured in the form of shot so you can measure what you need when you need to purchase something.

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Originally Posted by BRASSCATCHER

Take all your brass,copper etc and sell it. With the proceeds buy gold and silver in various sizes. Ounces,half ounces, 1/4 ounce rounds and ingots. This is the only currency that will be worth anything when the SHTF.

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I believe toilet paper will still hold intrinsic value. Would you recommend using some of the proceeds to stock up on toilet paper?... Oh yeah... and bacon... Just this toilet paper and bacon and that's all I need... and this water purifier... Just this toilet paper and this bacon and this water purifier and that's all I need... and this gas....

I prefer to keep honing my skills as a beer brewer. Screw gold. Alcohol was once a major commodity and will be again if SHTF

Do not know if I would be considered a prepper or not. If combining parts from one machine to another to make it work, saving non ferrous for the best price, or tying to learn as much as possible to be self sufficient are elements of a prepper, guilty as charged. Built a solar collector based on the information from this forum and cut my own firewood for heat. Learning how to raise a garden and can food. More for learning than survival, but the bases are covered.

Now the truth. I print hard copies of information found on the internet in case something happens to our power grid. Yes, I might be a prepper or a scrapper. Your choice. A scrappers lifestyle is one of self sufficiency and one of survival.

If you dont have TP then it really hit the fan.;(

Not a prepper but I think you would need to have those items already in place. The metals would be needed to replace things you need. I also would rather carry around 5 ounces of silver worth $100 than 40 lbs of copper worth the same thing. Also precious metals are easier to hide and store taking up much less space.

I would hoard lead before I did gold.

I won't shoot gold, or hold it to any value other than a luxury.

copper and brass have more functional value than any precious metal

I've become pretty interested in this prepping stuff but never really done much with it. I do save most nonferrous now, mostly because I plan to take it all in at once when I need cash. I do know a lot of things about self sufficiency though. Like growing a garden, cutting wood, trapping/snaring, hunting, fishing, canning, and most importanly Scrapping!

Not really a prepper but we do live by the seasons. The spring, summer, and fall are spent prepping for winter. We put up enough food, fuel, and supplies to carry us through till spring. It's definitely a certain lifestyle.

Right now ... i'm busy getting the firewood put up before the cold weather sets in. The goal is to have seven to eight cord in storage before the end of October. Come hell or high water at least we will be warm this winter.

We have three different generators so the power supply is adequately covered.

We're using up the last of the food in the pantry & freezers. It will be time to shop the store sales pretty soon.

Have had at least 1700 rounds on hand at any given time for the last fifteen years. Firearms have been test fired and cleaned.

Don't have anything on hand for PM's. ( We got our life savings wiped out when the recession hit back in 2007 ) I guess the ammo, canned foods, or cases of TP could be used for barter & trade if things ever did go completely sideways. We're not really planning on that happening all of a sudden though. The harsh winters here are a more immediate concern.

I try to be, but living in an apartment and not making a lot of money makes it difficult. I know there are people on here with similar interests to prepping(shooting, precious metals) there are some intersections between the community. That said, I frequent another forum Survivalist Forum Survival Gear SHTF and TEOTWAWKI Articles, it is great for all prepping info and more, I have searched the site looking for fellow scrappers and haven't found much.

I remember the saying "A army walks on its boots" or something like that.

It started me thinking, one of the things that would be worth a lot in the future would be quality boots.
Not just any boots, but ankle covering, quality leather, thick layer soled hiker boots, with laces.
Any size would do if its for barter, just as long as they are quality, and cheap. Like second hand store $6 size 10's plus or such.

From reading a scifi book years ago, a running source of currency could be Silver or Gold wire.
At a set dia, a length can be cut off for any denomination.
By manufacturing this wire from scrap peices, with a embossed engraving down one side, a currency could be made as you, or 'they' would buy it from you as a reel of wire.
When they barter and end up with a bunch of short lengths, that people wouldn't trade with.
You step in and 'buy' their silver wire, melt it down, redraw it back into wire, emboss your 'mark' into its side, after taking your 'cut' as/ for your profit.
Because you are familiar with Silver and its makeup, and how to check its purity, and can make the wire, and emboss it.
You end up acting as the 'banker' and maker of currency. Huge profits.......

I don't sit on scrap period , I quickly sell it and reinvest my money . This mentality stemmed from having to purchase a large majority of my inventory . If I have items sitting around then my money is not working for me . I also have noticed that my organization and space in the shop have increased . But wih my current situation it's all about diapers and formula I stockpile those now .

If SHTF..... i'm just gonna go to wal-mart for the big SHTF sale.;)

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Originally Posted by NHscrapman

If SHTF..... i'm just gonna go to wal-mart for the big SHTF sale.;)

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Will we have to use a SHTF-EBT card for that?

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Originally Posted by t00nces2

Will we have to use a SHTF-EBT card for that?

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I'll be using my SHTF-BFH ;)

I'm going to be putting some of my money into more silver soon, though. The prices are on the low end and it might be time to make a buy

I would be a little cautious about investing in PM's these days. The last two "panics" didn't pan out.

Pre- Y2K PM's were dead flat for years.

The 2012 end of the world predictions caused gold to spike at around 1900.00 USD /oz but once the moment of truth passed it dropped like a rock.

I suppose one opinion is the same as the next but it looks to me like we've hit the crest of the inflationary side of the recession and have entered into the deflationary phase.

It's a big IF

If we are going into a deflation then money will get harder to come by and prices will drop. That would include PM's and other commodities.

I would spend a % of your scrap profits on things you can and will use. Btl water, wood, propane, charcoal, batteries, liquor, first aid stuff including feminine hygiene items, flashlights, generator, ice chests, gun, ammo, bow and arrows, coffee and more. Yes you could barter your copper scrap but the same could be done with any coins depending on there composition and or face value or forex exchange.

It's a toughie because if you're going to prep you need at least a year supply of everything. You might have hard currency but if the ship hits the fan and the supply chain gets cut those things simply won't be available to buy no matter how much money you've got.

It's just a guess but the minimum bid to prep these days has got to be at least 25 thousand dollars. :(

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Originally Posted by Scrappah

It's a toughie because if you're going to prep you need at least a year supply of everything. You might have hard currency but if the ship hits the fan and the supply chain gets cut those things simply won't be available to buy no matter how much money you've got.

It's just a guess but the minimum bid to prep these days has got to be at least 25 thousand dollars. :(

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That is probably true but what if you need to be on the move? You just can't sit in your house and defend yourself forever can you?