tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post2825162084517042701..comments2023-08-15T06:33:53.114-07:00Comments on Bison Prepper: pulling the banker plugJames M Dakinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-8690834543000643612018-06-16T10:42:45.862-07:002018-06-16T10:42:45.862-07:00First test I use is a magnet. Some will slow it d...First test I use is a magnet. Some will slow it down a little as you move over it like a Peace or Morgan dollar. I use a very strong neo magnet. Then weight and calipers to check for size. Many fakes are silver plated copper and copper will be bigger or thicker to get the correct size. Then there is test acid which is less than $5 for 50 - 100 tests. Even on pure .999 silver it will leave a discolored area, so be aware of that before you test. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-23869727846839571382018-06-13T06:20:42.377-07:002018-06-13T06:20:42.377-07:00I could spend the rest of my life and savings tryi...I could spend the rest of my life and savings trying to find a decent pair of boots. All those that report "great" really mean "great compared to the rest of the trash". I haven't heard one report on any boots as good as they used to be before the 08 crash. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-63348486631700535722018-06-13T03:52:56.175-07:002018-06-13T03:52:56.175-07:00Good shoes would be a good investment in these tim...Good shoes would be a good investment in these times. When things go tits up, quality footwear that fits YOUR FEET will be a definite asset. Yeah, scavenging the dead might yield some that fit, but fit well - that's luxury man. Seriously - find some good boots that work for you. In the long run (see what I did there ?), it is worth it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-6140394199096713892018-06-13T03:18:04.950-07:002018-06-13T03:18:04.950-07:00Volume vs weight is one way.Volume vs weight is one way.Spudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00689059709873763146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-83306410175111998672018-06-12T18:30:02.705-07:002018-06-12T18:30:02.705-07:00Dozens of AR's-ha! If that is you, say hi to ...Dozens of AR's-ha! If that is you, say hi to Rawles for me, from your adjacent mountain top concrete castle.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-46971384082553237202018-06-12T18:26:56.475-07:002018-06-12T18:26:56.475-07:00https://www.silver.com/fake-silver-gold-testing/
T...https://www.silver.com/fake-silver-gold-testing/<br />There is the magnet test, which seems the most feasible, but they list others.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-16279816577535719392018-06-12T18:17:37.217-07:002018-06-12T18:17:37.217-07:00Anybody know of an inexpensive way to test silver ...Anybody know of an inexpensive way to test silver to make sure it's real, or how pure it is?ghostsnipernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-90247538322610335232018-06-12T16:41:38.912-07:002018-06-12T16:41:38.912-07:00Food first, but there is a quantity of food that i...Food first, but there is a quantity of food that is enough (you can't find space for it, or 7 years of wheat-every-day for your tribe of 20 if blessed with a 2000 square foot below-grade basement). As far as storing things in-general goes, I want a diversified stockpile to give me a better-than-nothing (or praise-his-hair!, good-enough) ability to use tools/run&hide/fight/trade. Small-denomination silver (.999 pure ounce or 90% dimes/quarters) is part of this, as is a few fractional-ounce gold coins (tenth ounce/10 or 20 Francs/UK Sovereign). I'm not rich enough to worry about the weight of rolls of gold ounces or 50Peso coins in my pack. Don't over-invest in pm's, just like being cautious of over-buying dozens of AR-15's when ammo/mags may be the shortage. <br />pdxr13Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-21941148547414592342018-06-12T15:38:33.532-07:002018-06-12T15:38:33.532-07:00With $90 magazines, I don't know if I'd ne...With $90 magazines, I don't know if I'd need a "lever release" rifle. Good gravy. Of course, some folks buy $12,000 ATV's, so what's a $100 magazine or two between friends? James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-51204086774200294612018-06-12T14:25:00.632-07:002018-06-12T14:25:00.632-07:00"Food is first, Always" is a Bison quote..."Food is first, Always" is a Bison quote ;-)Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-3293272755372321172018-06-12T14:21:43.752-07:002018-06-12T14:21:43.752-07:00I don't know if it's just that I'm pay...I don't know if it's just that I'm paying attention (you know, when you're looking for a lawn mower all of a sudden all the mower shops "appear") but a lot of people are lamenting the noticeable drop in quality / durability of various things. <br /><br />When I was a young fellow, a guy into RC aircraft showed me a motor he had that was 20 odd years old. He said he'd never part with it because it was built to last "unlike the rubbish they make today". <br /><br />On the firearms front in Dingoland - Scroll down to the bottom (I can't link to the specific rifle). Some smart cookies have gotten around the semi-auto restrictions. Savage rimfire A22 has been converted to a "lever release". <br /><br />https://www.cleaverfirearms.com/Products.aspx?Category=Rifles&Brand=55 <br /><br /> Dingonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-87541455745830117842018-06-12T13:32:21.485-07:002018-06-12T13:32:21.485-07:00The movie Stone did, "Salvador"? With J...The movie Stone did, "Salvador"? With James Woods. He had a hollowed out heel on a pair of boots for a gold coin that saved his life from soldiers ( if I recall correctly-been a minimum of twenty years since I watched it ). It doesn't literally translate to the future, but a good anecdotal cautionary tale. Now that I think about it, was that Ed Harris as the sniper with the FN-FAL? James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-52209834536679045822018-06-12T12:08:26.771-07:002018-06-12T12:08:26.771-07:00For me, Silver has been a good way to set aside mo...For me, Silver has been a good way to set aside money over the years. <br />It is private, physically under your control, harder to spend on a whim than cash, and has the potential for gain unlike dollars which are guaranteed to constantly lose value.<br />I don't agree that it comes dead last on the doom shopping list.<br />Precious metals are like any other item accumulated for an uncertain future.<br />Guns, of course, get some. You might never need to fire a single shot. Or your battle rifle may be the only thing that carries you and your family through the apocalypse.<br />Stored food: yes, safe bet you will need food every day. But will you have to tap your storage before you die (if you aren't already eating it to rotate). Who knows. You may be able to normally purchase (or produce) a great diet for decades to come. Or maybe a month from now, most of the population will be dining on one another. And your food storage saves you.<br />My point is balance is useful in preps and no one know for sure how things will shake out. To me silver is part of that balance.<br />I agree with James and others that an economic meltdown and mass impoverishing is one of the most likely scenarios we face in the short term. Silver is outside of the digital economic system.<br />I have read many anecdotal stories in histories of various hard times where a silver or gold coin at the right place and time saved lives and preserved freedom. <br />On the 90% "junk" silver issue, I own some but will probably stick with mainly 1 ounce Eagles, Maples, or Aussie mint issues for silver.<br />90% Washington quarters or Roosevelt dimes look like coins still in circulation. I want something different looking. Years ago I purchased Mercury dimes, Franklin halves and Standing Liberty quarters for their obvious difference to current designs (this was $5 to $7 silver days). Too collecty today.<br />There are some newly minted 1/10th ounce and 1/2 ounce coins but I feel the premium is too high.<br />Multi-ounce (or multi-gram) bars are verboten according to most survivalist lore. But at a certain point makes sense as the price per ounce is less, you've got the smaller sizes squared away, and your goal is wealth transfer to the other side. Or maybe the bars could serve to close the deal on a big purchase you could never make during normal times: a productive ranch or farm, a dowry for a hot bride with excellent genetics, whatever.<br />SAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-62228611001995502912018-06-12T11:19:47.623-07:002018-06-12T11:19:47.623-07:00Don't forget junk land! I'd much rather h...Don't forget junk land! I'd much rather have a decent piece of junk land than fifty ounces of silver. Well, I did both, turning excess cash into land and silver, but for the prepper that has more financial obligations that I...I don't worry too much about the mark of the beast. Too many folks are grey economy, distrustful, etc. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-83128701673545135492018-06-12T11:09:47.065-07:002018-06-12T11:09:47.065-07:00After food, shelter/clothes/gear, weapons ammo, th...After food, shelter/clothes/gear, weapons ammo, then do a splitting of dying dollars into silver or 1/10th gold as more of a longer view strategic plan. When total economic collapse sets in, (it will take a while as people will still trade in what they know for a while) and dollars are repudiated or new warlords or regimes have own currency or bartering systems. It is going to be more difficult to be totally de-linked from banking/financial system as a full on cashless system/mark of the beast participation requirements will keep most connected to the borg. Outliers who want freedom? or are sleeping rough outdoors will probably be scooped up by a.i. robots and repurposed psycopaths and interned or fed to wood chippers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-33612626863139337572018-06-12T09:12:41.208-07:002018-06-12T09:12:41.208-07:00I have another article on silver in a day or two, ...I have another article on silver in a day or two, then I have one on food as priority, just as you outline above. I think that is the article I chastise folks for not taking pocket change and filling up salvaged two liter bottles ( about fifty cents and a soda bottle gets you two days of food ). It is best to view the articles as a continuation rather than stand alones. I'm trying to cover everything now, rather than just the core ideas. This includes niche topics like "you shouldn't own a semi, but if you do..." or "you shouldn't own silver, but if your food situation is secure...". I'm trying to branch up. But I also always return to the core ideas. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-52991622846299480562018-06-12T09:06:42.459-07:002018-06-12T09:06:42.459-07:00I've heard the same good things about silver a...I've heard the same good things about silver and healing. James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-80171670598700623032018-06-12T08:26:33.621-07:002018-06-12T08:26:33.621-07:00Jim, another good article but I must throw in my t...Jim, another good article but I must throw in my two cents worth. Most of your minions should not be following your advice on this one because they are not ready. Food. Number one will always be food. It is impossible to have too much therefore most of us do not have enough. Any “extra” money you have should therefore go to food storage. When the SHTF no one will trade you food for silver. Or anything else. Next comes shelter (also because you need a place to keep your food storage) and then comes a way to protect it all. In the unlikely event you have “enough” food, shelter and protection then you may fall for the allure of PMs. Don’t kid yourself, it is an allure and many of us fall for it. Myself included. If you do, my suggestion is to buy it for cash from a seller you can trust like a coin dealer or pawn shop with a fixed business location. If you order over the net there will be a record of the sale and purchaser. Confiscation of PMs is not unknown in this country. I buy only silver dimes because they are a known quantity of silver and their small size tends to make it less likely to be counterfeited. Also, their small size makes them more useful for trading. They have a published value that will aid in negotiating with the dealer.<br />Your advice regarding food is what sets you apart from the survival riff raff and I felt I should remind you. That and junk land and no semis. Puts you way above the rest. Thanks for all you do.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-16088093976452728452018-06-12T07:46:20.197-07:002018-06-12T07:46:20.197-07:00But, but, but, you can't eat silver! Sure you...But, but, but, you can't eat silver! Sure you can, kind of. You should have a silver coin in each of your water storage containers, including canteens in your emergency bag. The pioneers kept silver coins in their water supply and in their milk. The silver coin stopped bacterial growth in the water and extended the shelf life of the milk (remember no modern equivalent of refrigeration). We know from scientific studies that silver can self-sterilize in as little as six minutes depending on what disease/bacteria is placed on it. I have an upcoming experiment planned for the next time I have a wound in a convenient location. I plan on NOT cleaning the wound (unless it's got embedded dirt/gravel) and merely placing a silver coin on it and tape it down as a bandaid. It should heal nicely since it kills everything.<br />Peace outAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-78097376186941012012018-06-12T07:45:37.189-07:002018-06-12T07:45:37.189-07:00The one here wants $500. Guess they are popular e...The one here wants $500. Guess they are popular enough they don't need to try.James M Dakinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382139289994087931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2686829448547770092.post-16653301295721790962018-06-12T07:38:53.809-07:002018-06-12T07:38:53.809-07:00Hey Jim, as for cheap bank accounts, check for a c...Hey Jim, as for cheap bank accounts, check for a credit union. A local one here only requires a 5 dollar account balance in the checking to have no monthly charge. I keep it open just to be able to deposit checks from my side work. once they clear I take it out. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com