Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

[agnut]

This thread is a continuation of the over three years that it was running at the GIM website. Also, madfranks has graciously offered to sticky an archive of all the previous material. That’s coming but is a huge load to download.

So here we are on May 21, 2010. If you have been reading a lot of articles on the internet, you may have noticed that some writers of late have mentioned bartering as a necessity in the future. Actually, bartering and horse trading has always been a skill that has provided extras, or luxuries if you will. I believe that as time passes, it will provide necessities much more than luxuries. Hopefully, we are all pretty much aware of what the future holds. It ain’t gonna be pretty. However, there have always been opportunities throughout history and I see no reason why there will not be opportunities on the future. No matter how bad it seems to get. In fact, difficult times offer great bargains to those aware and prepared.

This thread is no armchair warrior advice. It is here, offered freely in order to enrich and empower lives. Your lives. If you read this thread and archives and do not change your life for the better, you have wasted your time. I am not altruistic but rather believe in what Ghandi said “Be the change you want to see in the world.�

I believe that the world cannot be changed from the top; it must begin at the bottom. That’s us, you and me.

So let’s get started.

My first personal observation in the last few months is that my customers have been increasingly asking if I had any good used transmissions rather than the higher cost rebuilt ones. This has been a fast developing trend that I anticipated years ago. I have been saving good used parts over the past 5 years. My cost has been nothing except for the storage space, of which I have plenty. This is an example of futurist thinking which by the way, Ponce is an absolute expert.

A few weeks ago I attended a garage sale where the owner was a carpentry specialist. He had a yard and house full of desirable items. I asked why he was selling all of these items and he said that there was no work and he had to move soon. I asked the price of a few items and learned that he was practically giving them away.

It was then that I set up a plan. I took the items I wanted and set them on the far side of the front porch deck. When done I must have had 80 or so items set aside. Other buyers wanted to look at my items but I told them that they were all sold. So they moved on. At the same time I was guarding my stash, I was going over the other for sale items a second time for anything I had missed.

When I finished I had the seller give me a price for all of the items. The price was so good that I paid without haggling. There is a sound reason for not haggling in some circumstances. When a purchase is already very cheap, it is unwise to try to get it for even less. You could create ill will; very expensive in the long run. Also, have some compassion for a seller who is in a financial bind. Sure, it is a judgment call. In this case it paid off handsomely. I asked if the seller had anything else he was going to sell later and he said that he had a storage container full of items that he was going to sell the next weekend.

I got his name and phone number. This is important. I called him on Thursday and confirmed that he was to begin the next garage sale on Saturday and not on Friday as he previously mentioned as a possibility. Nothing like getting to a garage sale to discover that the sale had started the day before and all that was left was what nobody wanted.

I was told that the sale the next Saturday would start at 8:00 and I made sure to be there when it was supposed to open. However, the seller had listed the sale in the papers at 9:00. So I was there an hour before others would arrive. By the time most buyers arrived I had already filled the porch with everything I wanted. Once again I went over the remaining items for anything I had missed. I asked the crucial question “What else do you have for sale ?� He took me in back to his garage and back yard where I picked up several more items.

At the end I asked him for his total price and he said “How about 50 bucks ?� I replied with “How about 60 ?� He smiled and said sure. Why did I offer more that asked ? Call me crazy. It felt good to be generous back to the seller who had been so generous to me. If I were to see him in the future, I would feel good about our dealings. What is 10 dollars in the whole scheme of things ? In this instance, it was powerful in my opinion. See, that’s one of the beautiful things about bartering and horse trading. We have the power to express ourselves in positive ways and spread goodwill toward our fellow man. I have always said that business is bad where anybody loses (except for the competition). Good buying and selling takes place without coercion or fraud.

So what were these bargain items of which I speak ? Picks, shovels, rakes, brooms, saws, pry bars for a dollar. Stanley and Craftsman chisels, pliers, wire cutters, tin snips for as little as a dime apiece. A roll of new three lead copper wire weighing over 60 pounds for $2. Forty pounds of heavy tow chain for $2. A new come along for $2. An 8 foot fiberglass Werner ladder for $2. A 6 foot fiberglass Husky ladder for $2. A tool box with 100 sockets, ratchets, extensions and more for $5. A 100’ extension cord with roller for 1$. A 12� Diamond brand Crescent wrench for $1. Ten table saw blades with two portable holding units for $2.

I also got 5 big boxes of nails for $2 each. They had been opened and didn’t weigh the original 50 pounds each but were still mostly full. I also got lag bolts, specialty items, etc. I still haven’t looked at it everything but I know that if I had to buy all of the items new from the store, it would have been well over $3,000. I spent about $140 in total. Looking back, I know I missed a few items. This always happens in a sale with so many items offered. If you didn’t get the seller’s phone number, be content with what you did get. There will always be more sales in the future.

You are probably asking yourself, “Yeah, a bargain. But what are you going to do with all that junk agnut ?� Well, some of it I need and some I will put away for the future. I don’t expect that a straight nail will be worth a dollar someday as Ponce says it is in Cuba right now. He was in Cuba a few years ago and had the money to repair his father’s house. Problem was, the materials were not available AT ANY PRICE. Will this happen here in the good ‘ol USA ? It could but I’m not counting on it. I’m buying with the belief that many things will dry up in time and the screaming bargains I get now will become in greater demand some day. That goes double for good quality American tools.

The other day I was cruising around and saw a sign for a garage sale. I drove by and it looked like a lot of baby clothes and toys. But I stopped there just to see if there was anything interesting. There wasn’t. But I did ask “What else do you have for sale ?� The husband piped in with “We have a barbecue out back�. So I looked at it and it was a medium size unit with three burners inside and one outside. It had a propane bottle with an expensive cover. He wanted $5. The only problem was that the plastic wheels were broken. But since I don’t move my barbecue around, I will saw off the lower legs and make it level. A nice unit that is $200 at Home Depot (plus sales tax of $17) The way I look at it, I got the barbecue for less than a third of the sales tax had I bought it new. Oh, and almost forgot; a propane tank and cover thrown in on the deal. The cover had a huge decal of the Florida Gators, from the University of Florida. I mention this because my daughter is visiting us in July and she worked at the University of Florida medical center for several years. Sort of a karmic thing, I guess. As Voltaire said, “God is a comedian playing to an audience that is too afraid to laugh�. I laughed when I saw the barbecue cover for the first time, knowing it was meant to be.

Gotta go; please post any experiences you may have. This thread is meant to be for all of us to share.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Always remember that you are a sane person living in an insane world. Rather than get upset (wasting valuable time and energy), get to understand it and make it work for you.

[MNeagle]

Welcome back, again. Looking forward to those priceless archives. They were my favorite threads. Simply priceless!

[SHTF2010]

welcome back, agnut

:sun:

TSHTF is close . . . . .

[madfranks]

This thread is going to be a great asset to this site, and I for one am really happy that agnut decided to continue his famous thread here. As agnut mentioned, I'm going to sticky this thread and help him upload the previous Bartering and Horse Trading thread from GIM1 so it's here for reference. Agnut and I have been in touch over the past few weeks, and as many of you know from GIM1, this thread is a true treasure trove of information, so much so that he could probably write a successful book with the knowledge he's shared with us. Thanks agnut for your work on this topic!

[Book]

Gotta go; please post any experiences you may have. This thread is meant to be for all of us to share.



Whew! I have been saving this photo for weeks now waiting for this new Bartering And Horse Trading thread:

:oo-->

[Ponce]

Hey buddy, WELCOME.............

Day before yesterday I went to my favorite store "The Senior "Thrift Store" here in town.........looks to me that someone very very rich bought the farm not to long ago because I found two coats with matching pans and one coat by itself with a western motive, I would say one set alone is worth at least $125.00 if not more and then five more like new pair of pants, I would say that the whole thing is worth AT LEAST $400.00 if not more.........all that for $6.00.

All the clothing that I am collecting if for later because there will be very little in the way of clothing coming in from overseas and what there is will be very expensive.

[JohnQPublic]

What Do Silver and Gold Buy? (http://www.gold-silver.us/what_silver_gold_buys.html)

[SHTF2010]

i was in a dollar store a few days ago and picked up a belt for $1.25

my new belt was packaged as a " Luggage Strap "

i got it home, took it out of the package and it fit perfectly ( adjustable to 67 " )
do i care what it's called, not really, i went back and bought 4 more
and if i never use these as belts, i have 5 ft of material ( and clips ) for $1.25


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/mj247/belt.jpg

[SHTF2010]

opening a new GSUS quotes file with these two


“What else do you have for sale ?�

I’m buying with the belief that many things will dry up in time and the screaming bargains I get now will become in greater demand some day

agnut




futurist thinking

what will have value in the future ? / what will become more valuable in the future ?

[SHTF2010]

salvaging, scrounging, whatever one wants to call it

don't be afraid to pick up roadside freebies
just a few of the items i've picked up while out on my bike
mainly along the roadway coming off the Ambassador Bridge

i even go for an early morning bike ride on recycling day

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/mj247/roadsidefreebies.jpg

[Spectrism]

Tag sales.... I always ask: Have any old coins or silverware for sale? Sometimes I get lucky.

In the pic, the top two items shown next to a quarter- spoon and spreading knife are 2.4 t.oz Sterling. I got them today for 25 cents each.

The knife at bottom has a Sterling handle. That was 75 cents.

[agnut]

Thanks all. So much to write about. Went to a Chinese buffet a couple of days ago and noticed that there was no shrimp being offered in any form. Usually there are three types offered.

Maybe there is a lesson to learn here. When something we have been used to getting all our life suddenly vanishes like shrimp, we adapt and eat more of the other dishes served.

But what happens when something like toilet paper or canned tuna or coffee suddenly disappear from the market shelves ? Or something for which there is no substitute ? This is the reason why we stock preps (not “hoard�; I hate that word).

Ponce’s post on the general section about a toilet paper bargain may well be a future necessity as well as a bargaining item. Think about it; trading food, liquor or bullets is a no no. But toilet paper used for bartering is about as safe as you can get. Think of the factories making toilet paper. What if they shut down in a collapse ? Toilet paper is something there is no equal substitute for. Used newspapers ? Sears catalogs ? A sponge ? Yuck !

And think of the ladies out there. Imagine the points you will make in their knowing that you had stocked a huge “load� of several years’ toilet paper. Boxes of Kleenex may become a rare luxury. Of course, you might have a hard time getting any away for trading material. Just saying.

A toilet paper scarcity would give new meaning to “three squares a day�.

And what other items that we take for granted would be very desirable trading material ?

And which items bought at X dollars now will be worth multiples in a few years ?

What did Ponce take to Cuba some years back ? Yep, you guessed it. TOILET PAPER. And large bottles of aspirin. His family acted as though it was Christmas morning. Do you know where their bathrooms are ? Well, you take a shovel and dig a hole in the back yard….. And pray you don’t hit pay dirt.

We are so incredibly spoiled with more conveniences than in any place or time in history. And I hear a lot of bitching about many inconsequential petty problems. When the wheels fall off the economy, I think millions will go into shock. I expect that we who have prepped will have enough difficulties to deal with but the unprepared will be overwhelmed. As Gerald Celente often says, “When people lose everything, they lose it.�

I’m writing this to tell you that we may have only a few months to finish getting ready. Don’t think so ? Well, I have reread the first bartering and horse trading posts about 3 ½ years ago (Jan 2007)and things were so different then. We had Bush jr as president and thought things couldn’t get worse. Hoo, boy were we wrong. Real estate hadn’t yet become unreal estate. Unemployment wasn’t on everybody’s minds. And we didn’t have an oil volcano going off in the Gulf of Mexico. And so on…

So if things have changed this much in the last 3 ½ years, just imagine what the next 3 ½ years will bring. Not to disparage anyone’s quantity of preps but we ALL, no matter how prepped, will come to the end of our preps at some time in the future. What then ?

Well, bartering and horse trading has the ability to lengthen the time of exhaustion of our preps. Remember, Cuba has been going through privation for several decades with no end in sight. Anyone thought of how many years it will take for us to recover ?

Another answer is to have skills developed which will be in demand in hard times. Shoe repair ? Good idea but you better have tools and material set aside. Baking bread ? Better have ways of baking as well as a continual supply of wheat and sugar. And in my case, better have plenty of parts to repair transmissions. The critical factor in all skills is that, aside from the demand, there must be the raw materials to complete the job. Wise to think through possibilities from the beginning to the end and what materials it will require in order to carry through the years. Otherwise a skill to be offered will cease when you run out of “prep� material. Like food preps as opposed to growing your own food. Think renewable resources.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Gotta go; please post any experiences you may have. This thread is meant to be for all of us to share.



Whew! I have been saving this photo for weeks now waiting for this new Bartering And Horse Trading thread:

:oo-->

Hi Book; that is sooo wrong ! We all had a good laugh though.

Best wishes,

agnut

[Ponce]

Ponce <--------waiting to read Agnu's new post........get your butt moving, and I don't mean up and down ;D

[agnut]

Greetings all. I have been thinking about where we are on the timeline of general financial well being. There is a reason for this post which I will get into at the end. The following thread is chock full of points to ponder. Please read it in its entirety. But first, a couple of posts from this thread that are appropriate to bartering and horse trading :

“Yep, it's called the barter system.....and bartering will become more and more common as this depression deepens.�
Doctor fungcool (posted 12,522 times) post #16

And :

“People who denigrate bartering as impractical never needed a bag of potatoes to feed to their family that night, or the family would go hungry. They're still imagining a world where their lawn gets mowed every week, their 401(k) is intact ( if not very good ), they have medical care available somehow, they have an automobile or three, they have their eye on that new 5-iron or GPS device. They can't imagine how it would be possible to line up all those trades for the goodies they have always enjoyed. It gets a heckuva lot simpler in the worst of times.�
UncurledA (posted 3,733 times) post #18

“Yes we are in a Great Depression�

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=362526

And finally, Troke with 29,771 posts sums it up :

“Well folks, lots of (wishful?) thinking here.

Now we all know we cannot have the Big D until O declares a bank holiday. I have read that on this very forum.

Now the purpose of unemployment, FDIC etc was to prevent the Big D. And it has. So to run around claiming we are in the Big D is bullsh*t. Not yet, anyway.

How will you tell? Easy. No cars on the street, nobody at WallMart, half the restaurants closing, nobody at the car dealers etc etc etc. That is what happened in the 1930's. I was around at the end of it and I heard the stories.

We ain't there yet so it is stupid to claim we are. Kind of like those folks running around here claiming we were in the Big R at the precise time that Gov revenues were the highest in history.

Are we heading for the Big D? Sure looks like it to me but we are not there yet..

BTW, 40 million on food stamps? That is about 12% of the population. Yet everybody 'knows' that the real unemployment rate is 20-25%. If so, why is not 20-25% of the population on food stamps? One would surely think that.

Anyway, I tremble for my grandchildren. I don't see a way out of this because of the large number of people in high positions who want us further into it so they can consolidate their power.�

So after having read this thread, where are we on this financial being timeline ? Well, there are many things to consider before taking drastic action.

1. What is our individual savings situation in relation to our ongoing expenses ? In other words, how much money do we have socked away against our living expenses ? A month’s worth ? A year’s worth ? As stated in the above thread, 43% of Americans have less than $10,000 for retirement. How many months would that last ?

2. Can we reliably get this money when we need it ? Is it in stocks or bonds ? A 401K or IRA ? Let me know how that works out for you.

“If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it�
Ponce

Now is this quote becoming more starkly apparent to you as time passes ? In other words, are you losing confidence in what assets you believe you have that are NOT in your possession ? You should be. Bigtime too !

Years ago when the gold and silver funds GLD and SLV came into being, I had a gut feeling of foreboding because they were being created and run by two big banks. Banks that were heavily shorting gold and silver on the commodities exchange. And now, years later we learn that they have only 1 ounce of physical gold and silver for every 100 ounces they are supposed to have. Now it appears that there is naked shorting on the commodities exchanges as well as the GLD and SLV funds. Doesn’t that make the hair stand up on the back of your neck ? It should. The term “fractional reserve gold and silver� comes to mind. You know. Like fractional reserve banking where the banks keep only 1 or 2 percent (if that) of your/their money in cash. A sin to do with unbacked (or debt if you will) fiat paper currency but to do this with gold and silver…. I can’t even think of words to describe the depth of my disgust and revulsion.

Fractional reserve should be called fictional reserve.

And quantitative easing should be thought of a qualitative sleazing. (as in sleazy). By the way, have you managed to get any of the trillions of dollars created out of thin air ? Not even a buck ? Me either. This reminds me of a word I made up years ago to describe what I saw coming. Hyperstagflation. That is, a scenario in which wages are going nowhere or decreasing as taxes are rising, costs are rising, unemployment is rising, etc. The end result is the driving the middle class into poverty. Isn’t this happening now ? As I have written in the past, we are in the midst of WWIII. But it is a financial war so most are missing the impacts of the money/debt bombs being lobbed in. There are millions of casualties but hard to calculate. People aren’t actually dieing but a considerable portion of their happiness, security, health and futures have been destroyed. I also wrote about this years ago and called it “actuarial murder� This financial war leads to feudalism through central banking. The rich and powerful in their castles overseeing the serfs slaving away for crumbs.

3. Will we continue to increase unemployment ? Real unemployment, not the govt figures. With huge numbers to fall off the unemployment rolls, they will not be counted as unemployed thus making the govt figures look better than they actually are. Neat trick if they can get away with it. Figures don’t lie but liars figure.

4. Will inflation get worse ? As far as the govt figures, perhaps not. Remember, social security payments did not get a cost of living increase this year as they had in past years. Of course, govt workers got an increase. Cute, huh ? But when viewed from the perspective of the average retiree, the costs of damn near everything went up. So yes, inflation will continue to ravage by stealthy price rises, content downsizing, new regulations, tax increases, etc. A sort of backdoor method to take away what you receive as well as what you have to pay more for.

5. Will housing prices fall further ? As govt ends their temporary home buyer tax credit (government bribe), home sale volumes should fall noticeably, putting more unsold homes on the market.

And face it, if unemployment is high and going higher, who will be foolish enough to even think of getting into a long term debt nightmare ? In my view, the height of stupidity. A sort of Darwin’s law working in matters of finance.


6. Are food prices going to take a bigger “bite� out of our income ? Do I even have to go into this one ?

7. Are taxes going to go up ? Do I even have to go into this one either ? Aw, what the heck; I can’t help myself.

Federal, state and local govts are all deeply in debt. The federal govt has a credit card with the Federal Reserve and will continue to spend like a drunken sailor until Doomsday (which is closer than we think). But the state and local govts have no such credit cars and legally balance the books. So they will be forced to cut back drastically. And soon. Stata and local govt employees may soon be laid off by the droves unless the feds somehow give/lend them the many billions to kick the can down the road.

When the day arrives that the Federal Reserve takes the Treasury’s credit card and cuts it in half and says “No more�, that will mark the day that we go over the falls together. And at that time I do wonder what will happen to all of the stocks and bonds. For you see, 99% of all U.S. stocks and bonds are owned by an outfit called Cede and Co. And who owns Cede and Co. ? Why, none other than the Federal Reserve ! Is this to be the form of calling in on the trillions of debt to the Federal Reserve ? Hmmm… And where would that leave the average American ? Is this the planned end game ? We’ll see (or cede, as it is defined as “to yield, grant, assign, transfer“). But we should question why 99% of stocks and bonds are in the ownership of a subsidiary of the Federal Reserve.

American debt ? “Why, we owe it to ourselves. No problem.� Or is that a fantasy ?

8. Is your job becoming more or less secure ? And if you have a job, are you doing the work of two or three people to make up for all of the ones that were laid off ? Did the management double or triple your wages to compensate you for the increased workload ? No they didn’t; the savings went to the bottom line where they appeared more profitable. They actually were more profitable but on a smaller scale; not a good trend for the future. And many in management got fat bonuses for this. I have to wonder what they will do next as their volume of sales decrease. Lay off still more workers and the few remaining will be expected to work as much as 9 times harder as in the past ? No, the layoffs was a one shot deal as far as I can see. If management lays off workers they will have nothing to manage. Kaput. Shot. End of story and company.

Now we get to the reason for this post. What can we do individually in view of all this bad news ?

1. As contradictory as it may seem (especially on THE premier gold and silver website), gather cash in hand. Don’t have ANYONE between you and your money. “Sorry, we can’t do that� is a financial door slammed in your face. Could be a bank holiday, stock, bond, IRA 401K refusal of redemption.

And don’t be overly concerned that someone will rob you; the banks, govt., bond and stock markets have been doing that for years.

Additionally, don’t be overly concerned that the cash you hold will become worthless. The fiat dollar is all that 99+% of the populace understand and not until they know its true worthlessness, the fiat dollar will continue to hold purchasing power.

The two downsides to holding fiat dollars are inflation and govt. issuing new currency with a 100 to 1 old for new currency exchange. So don’t have so much cash as a proportion of your total assets that its loss could seriously damage you.

Ponce and I see advantages in holding cash in the form of coins, particularly in bricks of nickels. I have read that this year may be the last one for minting nickels out of 75% copper and 25% nickel. One way to dodge the bullet of a 100 to 1 paper dollar devaluation.

2. Sell anything that you don’t need or will need in the future. Could be an extra car, boat, snowmobile, trailer, collectables, etc. Most of it is going to become heavy baggage in the future.

3. Stock lots of canned food, especially canned tuna (Ponce just bought 1,440 cans of tuna to add to his preps), toilet paper (you can’t have enough), Jelly, etc. This is for long term storage and possible bartering material. Also, what will a can of tuna be worth in two or three years ?

4. Cut your living expenses as much as possible. Take a lunch to work or when you are going to be tempted to buy fast food while on the road. Roll your own cigarettes. Don’t laugh; a pack a day smoker could save over $1,500 a year by making his own cigarettes. And that’s after tax money. Probably have to gross over $2,000 in before taxes money. How many hours do you have to work in order to gross $2,000 ? Two weeks ? Four weeks ?

Lots of possibilities to save.

If you do cut expenses, know how much you saved and put it away or buy more preps. Make it a game for now because it won’t be a game after a collapse. Tight money management will then be an absolutely necessary skill to have.

5. Repair what you can yourself. Service your own car, machinery. Labor for car repair can run as much as $100 per hour.

6. For food, buy mostly sale items. And when there is a significant sale, stock up heavily. A while ago I bought half gallons of cherry ice cream for $1.29. I still have a few in the freezer.

7. Buy next winter’s clothes in the spring and summer. Garage sales are best. My closets are jam packed with clothes I have bought over the years from garage sales. Most was 5 cents on the dollar.

8. If you have payments on a car, sell it if you can and buy a good used car, preferably one that gets high miles per gallon. If gas prices go through the roof, you will have a bargain to enjoy for years to come.

9. Housing. Now this is a tough one and my opinion probably won’t fit in with your thinking. This is a highly subjective area, although it holds the potential for immense savings.

I have been advising a friend to sell his home for years. It peaked at $900K a few years ago; he just had an offer for $500K. What happened to the other $400K ? That is what accounting calls lost opportunity cost. He who hesitates is lost. There is a time to buy, a time to hold, a time to sell, a time to run away.

Although home prices have received a beating in the last three years, this does NOT mean that they are a bargain at this time. There is potential for them to fall much further. I would watch and wait; it is foolish to be anxious to buy a house. Impatience and rationalization are mental games that can get you into trouble, not out of trouble.

If you have a house or are thinking of buying one at this time in history, you should be weighing the pluses and minuses for the future, for the purchase and ownership of a house is the largest investment decision that most people will make in their lives. With that said, let’s look at the pros and cons. Feel free to add any I may have missed.

Pros Of Home Ownership

A. As long as you pay the mortgage payment and property taxes you will have a place to stay.

B. You can make changes without having to ask the landlord’s permission.

C. Mortgage interest can be written off against your income.


Cons Of Home Ownership

A. Price you paid for a house can fall enough that the mortgage owed is greater than what you can sell it for. In other words, upside down. In fact, this tragedy has been happening on a large scale for some time.

B. Many times, resale of a house can be difficult and take a long time. In other words, illiquid.

C. Mortgage cost with property tax and maintenance costs are typically much higher than renting a comparable house.

D. If you lose your job or income source, owning a house can become a heavy burden. I hear about this all the time.

E. The higher cost of ownership is lost opportunity cost. This is both in the down payment cost in the beginning as well as the higher costs paid out over time. And don’t delude yourself; the average house turnover is about 5 years. So thinking you are paying down the principal is an illusion since the principal pay down is back loaded. In other words, the first mortgage payment is practically all interest while the last mortgage payment is all principal.

This lost opportunity cost of buying rather than renting could have been wisely invested and potentially pyramided into a fortune. Having the power of liquidity (cash in hand) when others don’t is a tremendous advantage for profits as well as peace of mind.


Best wishes and JMHO,

Agnut

[Ponce]

LOL Agnut, looks to me like if you had a good time with your fingers ahahahahahah, pretty good advice..........keep it up.......the writing I mean LOL.

[agnut]

Hey buddy, WELCOME.............

Day before yesterday I went to my favorite store "The Senior "Thrift Store" here in town.........looks to me that someone very very rich bought the farm not to long ago because I found two coats with matching pans and one coat by itself with a western motive, I would say one set alone is worth at least $125.00 if not more and then five more like new pair of pants, I would say that the whole thing is worth AT LEAST $400.00 if not more.........all that for $6.00.

All the clothing that I am collecting if for later because there will be very little in the way of clothing coming in from overseas and what there is will be very expensive.


Hey Ponce. As usual, you are buying items at borderline giveaway prices. A while ago I told my older son about the thrift store clothing you had been buying and he has been bringing home some great deals. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Thanks to you.

Lately I’ve been buying hoes, rakes, pickaxes and other hand gardening and manual working tools. Doesn’t hurt to have spares as well as enough to sell/trade later. Some would cost $20-25 each and I have been paying a dollar when I see them.

I remember years ago, a local guy was picking up broken shovels, hoes and rakes for free to 25 cents each. He found some light wall pipe and welded them up and sold them for $10 each. Those were the best hand tools I have ever owned. I heard that he was selling them like hot cakes.

I’m still wanting to get a large quantity of canned tuna for preps or bartering later. I wonder if many realize that the spawning ground for some Atlantic tuna is in the Gulf of Mexico. And with the current oilcano going off, there may not be as much tuna harvested in coming years. A price rise in canned tuna ? Hmmm…

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

What Do Silver and Gold Buy? (http://www.gold-silver.us/what_silver_gold_buys.html)


Hi JohnQPublic. Wow ! I was about to answer your short question and then I realized that it was a heading to an article that you had written. I have hard copied it and will take some time to study it. Some great insight there. Thanks.

At the 2010 World Mining Investment Conference in London, James Turk gave a presentation in which he stated that “Over 60 years, the oil price which has risen sharply in all major currencies, has effectively been absolutely flat in terms of both gold and silver, apart from very minor short term fluctuations, as an indicator of the precious metals’ wealth preservation characteristics. “

There have been other writers alluding to the same thing recently; gold and silver may not make a “profit� in relation to purchasing power in the future. However, they will preserve purchasing power as they have through the centuries.

This reminds me of Warren Buffett’s quote, “It is not until the tide goes out that you discover who is swimming without trunks.�

Is this “naked shorting� ?

Point is, in a collapse of fiat currencies (and perhaps the whole damned system), almost everyone will be stripped naked (not a pretty picture). And the few with precious metals will be the only ones left clothed and financially powerful. Being rich is relative. When nobody around you has anything and you have the same as you had before a collapse, you will be relatively rich. Something to think about.

I never expected to become rich from precious metals. My goal has always been to be able to be left the Hell alone. And continue with my and my family’s life in a quiet, respectable manner. Along with being out of debt and having preps, physical gold and silver complete the picture.

And if that ain’t good enough, I don’t know what is.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

opening a new GSUS quotes file with these two


“What else do you have for sale ?�

I’m buying with the belief that many things will dry up in time and the screaming bargains I get now will become in greater demand some day

futurist thinking

what will have value in the future ? / what will become more valuable in the future ?


agnut

===============================================

Good to hear from you SHTF2010. I like your website name; prophetic. I noticed you are Canadian. Any gorillas living up there ?

Some nice roadside freebies you got. That Snap On crescent wrench would cost a bundle if bought new off the truck. Instead, yours must have fallen off the truck.

I find plastic gas cans, chains and other goodies along the roadside.

Yeah, that question , “What else do you have for sale ?� has made/saved me a lot of money over the years.

How things have changed in the last few years. My focus has shifted from things I need to things that are a screaming bargain AND at the same time will be needed someday. Primarily because of Ponce, I have been collecting items that likely will become more in demand in the future. Nails, galvanized pipe, tico fittings, etc.

It appears to me that the money circulating around has been getting scarcer and scarcer. I am thinking that if this continues for too long, we won’t have hardly any money available for day to day dealings. I am reminded of my father who bucked hay for 25 cents to 50 cents for a 12 hour day. And he shoveled coal at the local high school for 50 cents a day. He told me that at the end of the day, he had worked so hard that he could brush the salt off his back. This was during the last Depression.

Will we experience a time when there will be so little currency circulating that people will work for a pittance ? Well, in our twisted world, anything is possible.

Last night I rented the movie “The Road�. My son and I watched it together. It was more grim than any movie I have ever seen. Survival and flight after a financial and social collapse. After watching it, I came to realize that it was about as accurate as you could get. And that realization was the scariest part.

The movie begs the question, “Would you rather be prepped with all the planning and sacrifice it demands or be on The Road ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Tag sales.... I always ask: Have any old coins or silverware for sale? Sometimes I get lucky.

In the pic, the top two items shown next to a quarter- spoon and spreading knife are 2.4 t.oz Sterling. I got them today for 25 cents each.

The knife at bottom has a Sterling handle. That was 75 cents.




Hi Spectrism, thanks for the photos. Quite a score there. What is that; a 50 bagger ? HaHa

I’m always looking for sterling silver in my travels but rarely find any. As the spot silver price goes up, there will be less and less offered for sale. Also I think the public is/will be becoming aware of silver and gold prices. We may have a dip this summer but that is just a buying opportunity to me.

I suggest you look into catalytic converters. Sometimes they can be gotten for free or almost nothing except removing them from old derelict cars. Some of them are worth as much as $200 on eBay. You have to cut the ends off to sell them on eBay. There are professional buyers and they can be contacted for prices offered. You should know what model and year car the converters came from; it has a lot to do with the value.

Best wishes and happy hunting,

Agnut

P.S. I’m in the middle of writing a looong post about various types of buying opportunities. Summer is here and I believe the months ahead will be the best in years. I’ve already made two big scores, one I wrote about a few weeks ago and the second I did last Saturday.

[k-os]

Thanks, agnut. Well-written, sound advice. I didn't participate in the Bartering and Horsetrading thread at GIM, but I look forward to following along this time, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

I visited a drugstore (CVS) yesterday and noticed they have a green sticker for items that are 75% off. I bought a handful of nail/toenail clippers for about 47 cents each, and they are going into storage for bartering when TSHTF.

[agnut]

Thanks, agnut. Well-written, sound advice. I didn't participate in the Bartering and Horsetrading thread at GIM, but I look forward to following along this time, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

I visited a drugstore (CVS) yesterday and noticed they have a green sticker for items that are 75% off. I bought a handful of nail/toenail clippers for about 47 cents each, and they are going into storage for bartering when TSHTF.


Hi k-os and thanks. I borrow a lot of my wisdom from my Cuban uncle Ponce.

I’ve been remiss in sending all of the bartering and horse trading archives. My older son said that he could help me; I’m still a computer idiot. These archives are quite long and may take you a couple of weeks to slog through.

Good deal on the nail clippers. Maybe nail files would be a good idea too. Neither age or go bad.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

I’m writing this long post because the summer buying and selling season lays ahead like a financial banquet.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the changes in what I’ve been seeing at sales in the last year. I’ve dropped in on several that were more garbage than garage sales. Lots of Chinese junk floating about too.

So what to do.

Well, there are garage sales, moving sales, self storage auctions, estate sales and auction houses. Each one has their own characteristics (not to mention the characters milling about). You won’t see a grizzly bear waiting for a salmon run in an Arizona dry wash. He’s doing the right thing but in the wrong place. Not to mention the wrong time. So with this, let’s look at the various types of sales to determine the best for you.

Garage Sales

As mentioned above, garage sales appear to be trending toward folks trying to sell anything, even for a nickel. Items so sad that the sellers appear as though they are too lazy to take it all to the dump. Most of these sales are not advertised in the papers but have a sale placard on the corner with directions. However, these sales are not always a waste of time. There may be one or two items of value. They are at the bottom of the food chain for us barterers and horse traders.

The next step up are the garage sales listed in the classified ads. You can sort through these in the comfort of your home and set up a plan of attack. Always be aware that the first 8:00 AM sale you attend will preclude your attending other 8:00 AM sales. In other words, you can’t be in two places at the same time. However, you may find a prime sale starting at 9:00 AM with a less promising sale beginning at 8:00 AM. So attend the earlier sale as long as you can finish up and be there for the 9:00 AM prime sale. Just part of the battle plan.

Lately I’ve been seeing more people who are buying for the purpose of reselling at their own garage sales. A natural response to these dire times of high unemployment, high inflation and black swans coming home to roost unexpectedly (Ya like the way I mix metaphors ?).

Moving Sales

Moving sales are often better than garage sales because the sellers are motivated to lighten their load as well as need extra money for their move. For example, a riding mower for sale would be more likely at a moving sale due to its weight and size. Also a piano, boat, extra car, etc. Large and heavy items. Think of what the soon to be moving seller is thinking.

And the prices are usually lower and more flexible. If someone has to move in 10 days and they have a boat they want $2000 for, you may want to put in a lowball bid of $800. If they haven’t sold it before they move, they have the options of either taking it with them (maybe impossible), leaving it behind (foolish), or accepting your lowball offer. It isn’t your fault that they are between a rock and a hard place so don’t feel guilty. It is THEIR guilt and fault for not planning ahead.

The technique on such a situation is to get their phone number and call them a few days before they move. You can give them you phone number as you let them know you are interested but DO NOT at this time give them your lowball offer. Let time and events work for you.

You may not get the deal but isn’t it better to consummate half as many deals at lowball prices rather than twice the deals with a much lower profit potential ?

Yesterday my sons happened to be driving about and saw three bulls standing on a hillside looking down at a herd of heifers. They were laughing as they told me since I had earlier told them the joke about the young bull and the old bull standing on a hill. The young bull said “Let’s run down there and make love to one of them�. The old bull said “Let’s walk down there and make love to all of them�.

Patience is a virtue that pays off handsomely. Pace yourself. Be anxious for nothing; this is a business, not a roller coaster ride.

Self Storage Auctions

A few weeks ago I attended a self storage auction. There were the contents of 12 storage containers up for bid. There were about 25 bidders in attendance, three of whom I recognized as professional bidders. These three were buying for resale profits and set the tone for the auction.

Bidders are not allowed to handle the merchandise but only to briefly look into the container and guess at what all the boxes contain and estimate the value of what else they could see. It is like buying a pig in a poke. The other bidders usually enthusiastically bid like they’re gonna win the lottery. And bidding usually goes so high that you may laugh inside at the insanity of human nature.

I bought nothing but learned that this was not where I want to invest my time and money. Years ago I bought many storage containers’ contents. Overall, the work and money yielded at best a small profit. Sure, you may hit the jackpot. But not often enough to be worth the time. I do recommend that you attend such an auction, if for nothing other than the experience. Just don’t get swept up in the excitement.

By the way, these containers have usually been picked over by the last owners as well as the staff of the storage company. You are bidding on what they didn’t want. And worst of all, it may be a setup container. That is one that is made to look like it holds promise of lots of valuable items but ends up with broken down furniture and empty boxes. I know, I was once suckered into one by my inexperience. You see, the highest bidder price is used to first pay the storage bill against it and then the previous owner receives the rest. A profitable scam. Be careful.

Estate Sales

There are basically two types of estate sales. The first is where a professional has priced all of the items, usually at no or little profit for you.

The second type is where the still breathing family members are getting rid of some old geezer’s possessions. Hey, I’m getting to be an old geezer myself but the difference is that my family knows what my things are worth. They are all proficient barterers and horse traders. So don’t expect any screaming deals after I croak (That salmon mousse DID taste funny. Was it supposed to be green ?)

Last Saturday I attended an estate sale; it was listed in the local Saturday paper. Only problem was, it had also been listed in the Wednesday edition and the sale actually was for Friday and Saturday. I can only guess at what I had missed.

Anyway, there was still a house and garage full of items. I got a new in the box ½ ton trailer for $40, about $240 retail. A Yamaha keyboard with a heavy box of sheet music for $40, retail well over $200. A leather computer chair for $20, retail $130. My old plastic carpet pad was shot and I had priced a new one; it was $54. So being the cheap bastard that I am, I had been dragging my heels in getting a new one. Well, guess what showed up ? Yep, a new heavy duty pad. I casually asked the seller what she wanted for it and she said, “How about a dollar ?� My heart skipped a beat; a 54 bagger. Think about it; I saved $53 of after tax money !

I got a new in the box 500 watt surround sound audio receiver for $35. I can only guess at the retail price (an eBay ad said that it had cost $1000 new). There were scores of smaller items I also got like a power meat slicer for $2. And there were several boxes of free items such as scrap aluminum, wiring, coffee cans of nails, screws, etc. Honestly, I haven’t had the time to go through it all yet.

Soon after I arrived at the estate sale I found an area to put all of the items I wanted. That way, all of the items wouldn’t have other buyers taking my bargains. I told the seller that I wanted to buy a truckload of items and asked her if she would make a package deal. She brightened up at the prospect and said that would be fine. When I was done, she discounted the total price about 20%.

I loaded the truck and headed home. I had been there about 3 hours and all that time there had been other buyers aimlessly poking around, buying little. Not a professional buyer in the bunch. I think I spent $240 and my 1 ton truck was loaded; even the passenger seat and floor were piled up with goodies.

Auctions And Auction Houses

When I was at that storage container auction, a professional buyer let slip that the best deals were at an auction house in a nearby town. I looked at their coming auctions online and will have to get there when time permits. Might be a goldmine or a bust. At least it would be educational.

I don’t have much experience with auction houses with all the garage and estate sales going on. Besides, my favorite dealing situation is on a one on one basis. Having to outbid someone, possibly with an ego problem or brain dead, could raise the winning price too high. So be very, very careful; we are not hunting rabbits, ya know.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[SHTF2010]

maybe i just haven't noticed before, but i'm noticing now
more people seem to be putting out items by the roadside

today i brought home a bamboo 60 inch wide blind, works fine
went back a couple hours later, and the other items out with the blinds were already gone


the fact that something was thrown away has no bearing on it's worth to it's finder

The Scavengers' Manifesto

[agnut]

Hi SHTF2010. So true; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Many of the garage and estate sales have a box or area of free items. Scrap aluminum and scrap copper are sometimes in there too.

Best wishes and keep on pickin' the bargains.

Best wishes,

agnut

[agnut]

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while. With the oil mess I’ve been feeling like a deer frozen in the headlights.

What to do, what to do…

Somehow reminds me of a Stephen Wright story. Seems there was a guy who had an itch in his brain and the only way he could relieve it was to THINK about sandpaper.

With news being so limited, it is hard to get a clear picture and therefore how to react/prepare (or scratch that itch). I’ve been watching the oil spill every day since it happened on April 20. I believe that it will not stop and will even become much worse as the pipeline ruptures even more. I also believe that its continuing to spread will have life changing consequences on everyone. Doesn’t matter if you are in the arctic or South America or a tropic island. If this continues, no one will be immune. There is direct damage and there is collateral damage. We are all living on the same Earth.

Now this oil leak continuance isn’t a 100% certainty but whenever I am faced with a problem I ask myself what it will take to remedy the problem. I don’t see the relief wells currently being drilled as a solution. In fact, they may only increase the problem. I have read that about 40% of what is coming out is methane, a gas. Okay. And the other 60% is oil, a liquid. Now I’m no scientist but isn’t a liquid compressed to 100,000 PSI only a tiny bit compressed in volume ? But how about methane gas under 100,000 PSI ? How many multiples does it expand when released under our normal atmospheric pressures ?

In other words, released methane gas weighs almost equivalent in comparison to our atmosphere. But what does a cubic foot of methane weigh when under 100,000 PSI ?



It is said that nature abhors a vacuum. Well, we who are living above the ocean level are the vacuum relative to the tremendous pressure below. The oil and methane and God knows what else spewing out is nature equalizing that pressure. How long and how much is unknown but the sheer volume under pressure down there implies that this leakage has the capacity to destroy sea life on an epic scale. I have read that about 70% of our oxygen comes from the ocean. I look around at all the tall pine trees and other plants and am suddenly appreciative of their ability to produce oxygen.

In my shop I have a 20 ton hydraulic press. That’s 40,000 pounds per square inch. And THAT is its maximum capacity. I can squash copper pennies with this press. Now imagine 100,000 pounds per square inch; that’s 50 tons pressure. That is one amount of pressure I have read that the oil and methane gas are under in the oilcano in the Gulf of Mexico.

So do you really believe BP or the government will be able to stop the flow ? As Dirty Harry said, “Do you feel lucky, punk ?�


A thought provoking thread about bartering :

What About Bartering?
Apr 26th, 2010
Timebomb2000

Bartering. As the economy has worsened, there has been more talk of bartering. Bartering always grows in popularity in tough times, and there’s no doubt bartering will have a role in a post-collapse situation.

Bartering isn’t complex; it simply represents trading of goods and services where there is no common medium, such as money. You barter when you want or need something that someone else has. A lot of survivalists think that bartering is bad, because you should prepare to have everything you need and thus never be in a situation where you need to barter.

Well, that’s simply nonsense. No single family, let alone an individual, can possibly prepare themselves for an indefinite period of survival and anticipate every need, let alone wants. By all means you should prepare as well as possible, but pretending that you’re fully prepared is even worse, because then you’re turning a blind eye to opportunities that will arise that you can capitalize on for the benefit of yourself and your loved ones.

Food and shelter are the most basic necessities, and thus they are at the top of any preparedness list. It also means that in an emergency, these will be the items most in demand, and therefore, the best items to barter with in terms of getting an advantageous exchange.

Bartering shelter is a risky proposition. Let’s say you have lots of room and someone else needs it, but unless you know that person well and can gauge how they will act in a crisis, AND unless they have something that you want or need, bartering for shelter can be an extremely difficult proposition.

Bartering for food, on the other hand, is easy. Everyone needs it, and not everyone will have it. Just look at the crises around the world, be they man-made or natural. Getting food to survivors is always a top priority. It will be no different when the collapse happens here, and because so many Americans are woefully unprepared, there is going to be substantial demand. (Keep in mind how far most of us are from food sources and you can begin to imagine how severe the food crisis will be.)

Perhaps you have done a great job of stockpiling food and you have an excess, and you come across a family that is going without. It would be great to simply be charitable and give them food, and perhaps that’s what the situation will warrant, but in survival situations you have to be extremely careful with charity. What happens when the food runs out? If the family has something to exchange-even their labor-then you should seek to find a just exchange of goods and services. (For example, an individual might benefit from having the combined work force that a strong young family can add to a retreat location or safe house, or even just in the garden).

Of course, if you have a survival garden, livestock or another replenishable source of food that exceeds your personal needs, then you’re in a great situation because you have an unending supply of tradeable goods that will be in demand. However, be discreet with this because anyone who is perceived as having surplus in a time of need could be a target for theft or worse.

On a related note, some Christian thinkers have taught that storing excess while others suffer is immoral. The idea of having years worth of food stored away in your garage while children and the elderly are starving at the front door does present a challenge. On the other hand, I’m reminded of the instruction Joseph received to prepare Egypt for the coming famine by storing up the bounty from the seven years of plenty. Remember that in Genesis people (including Joseph’s family), came from all over to buy the grain that Egypt had so prudently stored up. I think we can conclude that there is nothing wrong with preparing for a coming disaster and even trading for goods with those that are in need. When it comes to charity, each person must decide what he is capable of doing.

Of course, you can trade all sorts of things. Many of your emergency supplies will be in demand, be those books, tools, communications equipment, medical gear, tools and basic supplies. Most of us are probably not making preparations to store things specifically with barter in mind, and very few of us will likely have enough of these items to last indefinitely anyway. However, I do know people who are now adding to their core survival stockpiles with luxury items, such as alcohol and tobacco, because of their barter value.

Finally, don’t overlook the skills you have or could acquire as a source of bartering. The wonderful thing about bartering a skill is that once you have traded it for something else, you still have it! On the other hand, you can’t store up your skills like you can a commodity. If you have a skill that will be useful in a survival or post-collapse situation, then give some consideration to how you might be able to employ that to help others and receive in exchange something you want or need. If you don’t have a skill, perhaps you should work on developing one or more that will be valuable. If you’ve been working at a desk, pushing paper around all your life, now might be a good time to develop a hobby or interest that could prove valuable later on.

Of course, those with medical, agricultural, mechanical, carpentry and construction skills will be in great demand. It will serve you well to develop some skills in these areas, and possibly another area. For example, I recently visited a third world country where they are making permanent water filter systems out of locally available materials, principally rock, gravel and sand. These water filters can take the nastiest water from a creek or river and turn it into potable water, using materials found virtually anywhere in the world. When the city water stops flowing, knowing how to produce drinkable water will be an extremely valuable skill.
Posted by ElkHollow

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=364875

=================================
There has been much written about a one world currency and a cashless society. In such an environment bartering may become a necessity rather than an optional benefit.

With this oil spill catastrophe, most are not aware that the Atlantic bluefin tuna spawn in the Gulf of Mexico. You know, where that canned tuna comes from. So, do you think the price of tuna will go up or down with what has happened ?

How long do we have before the prices begin to rise ? And the quantity available lessens ? I can only guess but even if this oilcano hadn’t occurred, the price of a can of tuna would have gone up anyway. I believe that this catastrophe will accelerate price rises and possibly limit availability.

Canned chicken and canned beef probably won’t accelerate but only rise in price as the fiat dollar loses purchasing power. Personally, I would buy cases of tuna first and the canned chicken and beef second.

Remember what happened with the rice shortage and the consequent price rises and lessened availability ?

Ponce told me that he had read that in the past in Cambodia (I think), a can of tuna was traded for an ounce of gold. Now before you go screeching out of the driveway to the local supermarket, stop and think about all the ramifications of such an action.

In the first place, that was an extreme time with its own set of unusual circumstances. Don’t count your cans of tuna as if they were ounces of gold (Silver ? Well, maybe).

In the second place, you probably won’t be trading your cans of tuna for cash or other items. Why ? Well, you want to keep on eating and living, dontcha ? However, trading for other food items may be feasible. I just don’t think that trading food for nonfood items would be wise in many cases.

Food inventory is potentially special, a highest and best use item, and to be set apart from normal bartering and horse trading. Hmmm…how can I make it more clear ?

Food and toilet paper have I neither.
Can still wipe my ass but can’t eat grass

King Midas would have agreed. All the gold in the world and can’t eat makes Jack a dead boy.

In the third place, bartering with food could get you killed if the circumstances were extreme. Just the rumor that you have food for sale could spread like wildfire. And you could have a hungry mob at your doorstep. So think about what others are feeling and thinking before you act.

Obviously the above possibilities are ones that we are most reluctant to ruminate upon because they force us to consider actions that go against the grain of all we have believed normal and just. The fact is, we are facing a world in which the good guy doesn’t win and the guy doesn’t get the girl and he doesn’t ride into the sunset and he doesn’t live happily ever after.

No, this is and has always been a world in which the most adaptable to change will have the best odds of survival and prospering. It is just that we who live in the developed world have had it too easy for too long and are now in the process of being thrust into the world on a more level playing field. Competing with others who have had to live on less than $2 a day will be devastating for many. Maybe a new TV show for the masses called “American Idle Meet The Reality Show�.

Anyway, there are some good ideas in the above Timebomb2000 thread. A desirable profession and the ability to grow food will be more important in the future than we have ever known. So having these along with bartering and horse trading skills will make the difference between penury and prosperity.

Best wishes and JMHO,

Agnut

P.S. Went to an estate sale Saturday. Had mixed feeling when I left. You see, the sale had started on Friday morning and I was only seeing what others had not wanted although many items were at giveaway prices. I did get a Proto torque wrench for 6 cents. That’s not a misprint. I also got a couple of Crescent wrenches for 6 cents each. One was a Craftsman and the other was made by Proto. Twenty new carbide cutters of various sizes for a total price of $5. Probably cost $6 to $8 each in a hardware store. Not sure; I just needed them.

There was a double axle trailer for sale for $700 that was the best construction I have ever seen. I am considering buying it and selling my smaller single axle trailer which is probably worth $600 and nowhere near as good as the new trailer. See, this is a potential trade up for a $100 cost plus registration. These trade up deals work in cars too. I have worked up into a nice car from a couple of fixer uppers.

[MNeagle]

Hope you don't mind this addition to your thread agnut:

21 Things You Should Never Buy New

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/21-Things-You-Should-Never-usnews-2356162080.html?x=0

[agnut]

Hope you don't mind this addition to your thread agnut:

21 Things You Should Never Buy New

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/21-Things-You-Should-Never-usnews-2356162080.html?x=0


Hi MNeagle. Ya beat me to it. I was going to post your article and had already copied it. There is an additional article that ties in :

20 Things You Should Never Buy Used
By Amy Lu


http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2010/06/07/20-things-you-should-never-buy-used

Should make for some interesting thoughts. I've never bought used underwear but heard that Hillary donated some of Bill's for a tax writeoff. I have to wonder who the heck would want them (or to handle them without a pair of rubber gloves. Probably in a glass display belonging to some sickie).

Best wishes and your posting is most welcome. Thanks,

agnut

[agnut]

Hi all. This is a continuation of my post #25 where I ran on and on about the oilcano in the Gulf of Mexico. What is happening is a process and I feel that we have to watch it as well as prepare for its possible consequences.

This relief wells tapping into the main pipelines do not sound feasible to me. With that, here is a thread addressing it (particularly note post 5 and 7 by LoupGarou, a long time member of TB2000):

BP containment cap is bouncing and wobbling

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=365272

I just refilled my diesel truck and filled another 20 gallons into 5 gallon cans. I have 9 of the 55 gallon drums and have been slowly filling them. Why slowly ? Well, that costs over $1,300 and I’ve been buying more food preps and may be facing having to pay for a couple of steers (preps on the hoof; however I don’t look at my dog as a prep as some macabre person once wrote).

So my money is being allocated to what I feel is most pressing for the next few months. It is NOT precious metals. Even cash is, although I hate to say it, preferable to acquiring more precious metals at this time in history. I would have to say that food comes first, fuel second, cash third, and precious metals a distant last. Funny how time through the years has changed my thinking. But this oil catastrophe has greatly accelerated my focus on what may well become scarce or unavailable in the near future.

We have but to imagine gas and diesel becoming expensive or God forbid, unavailable in the coming months. How much do we have stockpiled and how long will it last ? How many miles do we anticipate driving for our necessities. Additionally, I have been thinking of buying a Detroit diesel generator. How much will it consume per day ? Even running it for 2 hours will use 2 gallons of diesel. That’s just to run the freezers and recharge the batteries (that I don’t have yet; or the inverter either).

So after all these years, I’m still not fully prepped for where I want to be. My heart goes out to those who have done their best and are still woefully inadequate to face a collapse.

I feel that there is some time (until there ain’t, of course) to make a concerted effort to fill in the prep gaps I see. I hope you who read this will take this advice to heart and act on it.

After all, what have you got to lose ?

Do you think that fuel will become cheaper in the coming months ?

Do you think that food will become cheaper in the coming months ?

Do you think it is going to get any better in the coming months ?

Fuel and food are powerful investments. Ponce’s saying “If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it� applies here in the way that if you hold cash or precious metals, that means that you don’t hold what they MAY buy in the future. And I say MAY because in a calamitous time, you may not be able to get what you assumed you could get when you were living in peaceful times.

Remember, I wrote a while ago that we are in WWIII right now, but it is an economic war. A battle for winning a future for yourselves and loved ones.

By the way, I have extended an invitation for 6 people living in Florida to stay with me if they need to evacuate. I don’t know if any of them will act before it is too late. And I don’t know how bad it will be. I just cannot for the life of me see how this oil gusher will stop without immense damage to the southeastern states. If what Ponce has told me is true that only 1% of the oil spilled is on the surface of the ocean, that 99% lurking below the surface will have to be dealt with in the future.

If 100,000 barrels are gushing out each day, that is about 4,200,000 gallons. And 4,200,000 gallons divided by 24 hours is 175,000 gallons per hour. And 175,000 gallons per hour divided by 60 minutes is 2,917 gallons per minute. And finally,2,917 gallons per minute divided by 60 seconds is 48.6 gallons per second.

Hey ! 48.6 gallons doesn’t sound like much now, does it ? Wouldn’t even fill one of my 55 gallon drums. But THAT is PER SECOND !

And this 48.6 gallons per second isn’t going into a storage tank; it is going into the ocean. Can you imagine what the govt would do to you of you dumped even one barrel of oil into the ocean ?

Yeah, it’s that bad !

Be aware that those few who see a potential danger and act upon it preemptively will face ridicule in the beginning but become regarded as prescient afterwards. It is merely learning to think in terms of future possibilities and weighing their likelihood against the cost of acting or not. This is why we prep in the first place, isn’t it ?

Bartering our cash for fuel and particularly food preps may be the most valuable passive deal in our lifetimes. I don’t know for sure but am not willing to take the risk of being wrong.

This post is a heads up that I hope will help us all in putting into perspective the magnitude of the ongoing catastrophe.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[BabushkaLady]

Thanks Agnut!

I thought I'd post an upcoming Huge Yardsale for anyone in the area. It is 675 miles from Hudson, Michigan to Gadston, Alabama. It's always the first weekend in August. This year is Aug. 5-8. The sale includes entire towns, big fields, any open spots. Some of the route is much better then others. You can find almost anything at this sale.

www.127yardsale.com

I also thought I'd mention a few tips from a Seller to all you Buyers out there. This goes for any paid booth, gunshow, fleamarket, yardsale, or consumer trade show. Take what you like, it's just from my experience:

• Don't approach a vendor with a low-ball offer if another Customer is standing right there. I may sell you that item for that price, If we're alone. Be patient for deals.

• Don't offer a ridiculously low price and then only want One of them. If I have 500 of them, I'm more likely to give you a Deal on several. If you see a specialized booth or table, not a bunch of random stuff, this is where you can get some good quantity Deals. Get on your cell phone and find your friends to share with, to get your price way down.

• Think before you talk with the vendor. If you "used to" make your own and tell that to the vendor, they'll immediately think "So? (assole)". If you're thinking of buying some of what you "used" to make, then compliment them on the Quality while you mention making your own.

• Nice goes a long way. I'm more likely to cut a deal to someone that really needs/wants/likes something then someone that walks up and throws cash and growls. Sometimes someone darts in with a low offer, gets a no and darts out. We call them Kamikazes. Stand there, talk and negotiate!!

• Talk in a low voice when you're asking for "no tax" at some of these venues. The tax people are all around actually checking the vendors. Of course it's negotiable!

Have fun at the summer sales!

[agnut]

Agnut, after reading this entire thread I felt compelled to give thanks to you for providing your insight and profound depth of knowledge on preparedness as well as the overall global picture we are all facing.

I am also in the camp that believes the most valuable commodity at this time is food. Also, everyone should own a Katadyn Pocket water filter or something in equivalent quality. That unit alone is capable of filtering over 10k gallons of water in favorable conditions.

A good quality (coleman) portable propane stove/grill w/griddle attachment and atleast 50 canisters of 16.4oz of propane will be priceless in the coming future. One of the best choices for cooking low key combined with a Stainless Steel thermos for efficiency.

I always keep my vehicle filled up with gas. If it goes below 3/4 of a tank, it's time to hit the gas station again.

As far as bartering is concerned, I will be taking the advice in this thread and stocking the most essential supplies that I can find at discount.

One last note. I hear a lot about toilet paper as a necessity but no one is mentioning baby wipes. Not only are they more space efficient, but the better quality kind is also useful for cleaning multiple items due to being more resistant to tear apart. No water needed to clean greasy hands if you are mechanically inclined as well.

And by all means.. people...whatever you do...do not forget to buy a fly swatter.






Hi EdgeCrusher; good advice. Food preps are at the top of my list at this time. Now when I do my local shopping, I buy by the case. The Costco trips are by the truckload or as much as I can afford.

I have the AquaRain unit and have used it for years. Also a couple of the Katadyn pocket water filters for backup, even though I have a good well on my property.

Like saying “Buy enough food for as long as you will want to eat�, “Buy enough T.P. for as long as you want to wipe�. I would expect that it will be great trading material later. But you would have to have lots and lots since you would need it yourself. If not, you would surely experience “seller’s regret�. Butt of the joke or joke of the butt ? Your call.

You’re so right; the baby wipes are good for a quick cleanup, especially where water is scarce.

Many years ago I bought a Coleman stove that works with unleaded gasoline. A Y2K prep. I still have it new in the box. Ya never know what fuels will be available in the future. Also got a solar oven but have only tested it a couple of times. Boiled water but don’t know how it will perform in winter. Used in conjunction with a thermos, I could slow cook beans or rice. No fire, no fuel needed.



This article appeared the other day. In past months I’ve been seeing some warnings that food prices will be going up dramatically soon. So my harping on food accumulation doesn’t seem so iffy now. Especially with the oilcano in the Gulf of Mexico and what it portends for future food production. A win-win action; that is, if you ACT !


“Lack Of Food Is Going To Start Playing Havoc�

USDA Reports Food Shortages: Wall Street 'Caught Off Guard' by Severity
Published on 07-02-2010


By Eric Blair - BLN Contributing Writer

Several recent headlines indicate that food prices will continue their swift climb upward. These troubling new reports show that agriculture production and stored grains are critically low and experts are now predicting food shortages.

Look at a few of today's mainstream headlines: Drought threatens global rice supply in the India Times; VA farmers say heat taking toll on crops, Associated Press; Severe food shortage follows lack of rainfall in Syria; and, finally, Corn prices bolt as USDA downsizes crop estimates, which states that, "Commodity professionals were caught off guard Wednesday by a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showing 1 million fewer acres of corn planted this year than earlier projected, and almost 300 million fewer bushels of corn in storage." And these articles don't begin to address crops being damaged by the toxic rain from the Gulf oil disaster.

We are back to recession economics and rapidly heading toward a deeper, longer “Third Depression.� With all recent economic indicators setting new record lows and deficits at record highs, this ship is only going one way folks, down, down to Chinatown. This WTC-Building 7-style-controlled-demolition of the U.S. economy has long been engineered by the borderless banksters and will likely continue to collapse at the rate of free-fall gravity. With all of the manufactured confusion it may be difficult to know where best to invest your limited assets, but it seems to be clear that Food is on the march.

Depressions are caused when capital is removed from the economy and that large sucking sound you hear is your money being vacuumed out of your pockets into the banksters' coffers. The shakedown went like this: they bet big, got fat, then lost thousands of times more than everything real on earth combined, then representatives of the serfs gave them all of the serfs’ money they need (including bonuses) to re-stimulate the economy.

Well, our money is NOT flowing back into the economy as promised, and it will not be flowing back into the economy anytime soon. With nothing but crumbs left for the peasants, deflation is happening to durable goods and paper assets (of which real estate has become), while the cost of human necessity is rapidly inflating.

There were several trend forecasters and financial firms predicting upwards of $200/barrel of oil before the Gulf oil gusher. The “analysts� said this would occur because of the perception of scarcity and a weakening dollar. The oil disaster and the subsequent outrage at Big Oil will surely take care of selling the perception of scarcity, while the Federal Reserve and Congress will surely take care of weakening the dollar.


We’ve seen this Beta test before when oil prices reached their peak of $147 in 2008 sending the price of food to the stratosphere. Food staples like rice nearly tripled in six months and at times increased 50% in just two weeks primarily because of record oil prices and a weak dollar in 2008. During this run up on prices, big box stores like Sam's Club and Costco were rationing the number of bags of rice customers could buy. You can bet that Food Crisis Beta 2.010 will be far more severe.

This third factor of actual Food Scarcity, coupled with high oil prices and a feeble dollar, will multiply the severity of increasing food prices. Whether this scarcity is being engineered to further cull the population or is a genuine imbalance in supply and demand is not important. The fact is that this reality that is playing out in the matrix and this triple-threat to food costs creates an opportunity for the serfs to soften the recessionary blow, and perhaps offer some economic freedom.

You don’t have to be an “End Times survivalist� to believe storing food is a pragmatic practice. Everyone with expendable cash can and should design a good food storage and rotation system and buy bulk food as an investment. Many rationalists are touting guns, ammo, and gold as good small-scale investments given the despicable agenda unfolding in our matrix. Certainly those are critical investments in an economy dwindled to the rationing of necessity, but not everyone is into guns or can afford bundles of gold. And gold, at the end of the day, can only be traded for necessity.

These recent food alerts seem to indicate that food may be the best short-term investment for the “Average Joe.� It's simple, if the retail price of rice doubles as it did in 2008, then you (the investor) make 100% return in something that's immediately tangible. It’s time to pay the tax penalty to cash out your mediocre "I-bought-in-to-the-American-Dream" 401K and invest in Food!

http://www.roguegovernment.com/USDA_...17/17/Y/M.html

Gotta run; a family get together.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I would like to post all of the past years of the bartering and horse trading thread from the old GIM website but have been overwhelmed lately. And reviewing it all in order to post it is a huge task. I think life will slow down after I am dead; I hope so.

[agnut]

Thanks Agnut!

I thought I'd post an upcoming Huge Yardsale for anyone in the area. It is 675 miles from Hudson, Michigan to Gadston, Alabama. It's always the first weekend in August. This year is Aug. 5-8. The sale includes entire towns, big fields, any open spots. Some of the route is much better then others. You can find almost anything at this sale.

www.127yardsale.com

I also thought I'd mention a few tips from a Seller to all you Buyers out there. This goes for any paid booth, gunshow, fleamarket, yardsale, or consumer trade show. Take what you like, it's just from my experience:

• Don't approach a vendor with a low-ball offer if another Customer is standing right there. I may sell you that item for that price, If we're alone. Be patient for deals.

• Don't offer a ridiculously low price and then only want One of them. If I have 500 of them, I'm more likely to give you a Deal on several. If you see a specialized booth or table, not a bunch of random stuff, this is where you can get some good quantity Deals. Get on your cell phone and find your friends to share with, to get your price way down.

• Think before you talk with the vendor. If you "used to" make your own and tell that to the vendor, they'll immediately think "So? (assole)". If you're thinking of buying some of what you "used" to make, then compliment them on the Quality while you mention making your own.

• Nice goes a long way. I'm more likely to cut a deal to someone that really needs/wants/likes something then someone that walks up and throws cash and growls. Sometimes someone darts in with a low offer, gets a no and darts out. We call them Kamikazes. Stand there, talk and negotiate!!

• Talk in a low voice when you're asking for "no tax" at some of these venues. The tax people are all around actually checking the vendors. Of course it's negotiable!

Have fun at the summer sales!





Hi BabushkaLady. Excellent advice; you sound like an old hand at bartering and horse trading.

We don’t have swap meets closer than an hour’s drive from here. I used to attend them when I lived in southern California several years ago and I miss them. Actually, you have made me think about going to the extra effort and seeing what is offered; could be some great bargains I am missing. I wish I had more time but I have my dance card filled with the last three times when I was at a moving sale and an estate sale from a home, I had my one ton truck loaded to the gills. The last sale I was so loaded that even the passenger seat was stacked with goodies that I could hardly see out of the right side mirror.

Not to take anything away from swap meets but I have never bought many items at one time. Look at what others leaving swap meets have and many are empty handed and others have only a few items in hand or in their pull wagons.

Perhaps selling your acquired items at a swap meet would be the place to get the best prices. And buying a few bargains from other sellers before the meet begins could increase your profits. I have done this and it works well.

My point is, time is money and the time spent at a swap meet is far greater than at a moving sale or estate sale. Sometimes I am able to get used items that would cost $2,000 if they were new for as little as about $100. And do this in a matter of a couple of hours.

I’m 63 years old and am still learning to use my time wisely. Much of my activities are guided by compressing my time in bartering and horse trading so that I have as much free time to relax and think and plan. And goof off. A favorite old cowboy saying/observation of another person is, “He’s going so fast that he’s passing up more than he’s catching up to�.

In my opinion, there is another opportunity that is even better than moving sales and estate sales. And that is buying out inventories of defunct companies. I have done it a few times and the percent return has been phenomenal. Problem is, it isn’t that easy to find these sales. Sometimes word of mouth or an ad in the paper. But I believe that if one were to search out where these inventory sales occurred, one could make a fortune.

One way may be to advertise in the newspapers that they are buying business inventories and see who calls. Most of them could be qualified on the phone without having to leave home.

Another may be to advertise “Buying Estates, Have cash�. Old folks are passing on or moving to a retirement home all the time and their children often just want the property cleaned out so that they can either rent or sell the place. Not that you have to be searching the local obituaries like a vulture but someone HAS to clean up the piles of a lifetime accumulation. It might as well be you. This sounds like a full time business and it may be if you get well known in your area. Maybe it would be a good idea to read the obits and contact the family and let them know that you are in the business of cleaning out a house and garage. I don’t know; I’ve never tried it. In such questionable situations we must turn the tables and ask ourselves how we would feel if our parents had just passed away and if we were contacted by someone offering to buy and clean out the old homestead. Some may be upset and some may be grateful; I don’t know. A matter to be handled delicately.

Another source would be to talk to a local realtor and ask them what they do when an inherited/foreclosed property is placed in their hands and who cleans out the contents and who cleans up the place and gets it ready for sale or rent. I understand that house cleanup that includes painting, patching drywall, yard work and other repairs pays very well in such situations. Banks taking foreclosures could be another opportunity. Contact them; what have you got to lose ?

Here’s a great thread on bartering items :

“Pseudo-Currency: Items You Can Trade Like Cash Or Use Yourself if the Balloon Goes Up�

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?s=a3250253c7325d0aa509765a455c9b81&t=365804


There are events happening throughout our lives. Most are relatively innocuous; that is to say, challenging events from which we can and do deal with in order to continue. And once in a great while there are those events that are insurmountable; there seems to be no viable solution. Our unbacked fiat currency collapsing could be one, the ongoing oil disaster in the gulf of Mexico could be another. The thing is, we must adapt to whatever happens with all the knowledge and wisdom that we can.

Now if I were living near the gulf of Mexico I would have already made plans and be in the process of getting away from the area. Not just a couple of hundred of miles away because if this spill continues, there will be millions of evacuees. I would expect most of them to not move more than a couple of hundred miles away. No, I would relocate somewhere as far away as I could. Somewhere like Oregon, Northern California (not my favorite), or Washington. I would be thinking of these millions evacuating and putting an incredible strain on the resources of the adjoining couple of hundred miles area. Think about it; will these newly overcrowded areas be happy areas in which to live ? Will there be jobs available ? Water ? Sewage ? And what evacuating family would have the resources to buy a house or even rent a house and continue their lives. I envision millions of refugees. And as their name implies, they will need a refuge in which to live. I have read it estimated that there may be as many as 40 million who will have to evacuate. That is about one eighth of the U.S. population !

Are you getting the picture of the enormity of the situation ? Well, since the well blew up on April 20, we are in the 12th week with perhaps 5 more weeks until the relief wells supposedly stop the leak. And do you really think they will be successful ? Sadly, I don’t. Besides, there are fissures on the sea floor leaking oil also, some as much as 10 miles away from the blown out well. Will they be able to stop these one mile undersea leaks too ? How do you stop a volcano on land ? Right ! You don’t because you can’t.

My point is that we should be preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. BUT let us not rationalize that this disaster will go away. That would be an extreme case of hope and change (for the better). Wiser to think of it as hopeless and change for the worse. No apologies to campaign promises of hope and change. A politician’s promise is mere flatulence.

I know most folks don’t believe that this oil disaster will destroy the U.S. as we have known it. I am only stating that it has the potential to destroy the U.S. as we have known it. If mass evacuation becomes necessary or mandatory, it will mark the beginning of serious changes for us all. We live on a spider’s web of interconnectivity and a vibration goes out to all areas. And a tear in the web (such as diminished food production) decreases our security, even though it occurred all the way on the far side of the web. Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

As I wrote before, I have an open invitation for 6 people (4 family and two friends) in Florida to stay here with my family. I am surprised that none of them see the potential danger as I do. Maybe I am premature in my concerns but I know that if evacuations are enforced, it would be chaotic and dangerous. The best way to avoid a fight is to not be there in the first place.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Proverbs 27:12

On a personal note, my transmission business has been totally dead for the last few weeks. Not even a phone call. And this is supposed to be the busiest time of the year. I’ve talked with others in the business and it is dead all around. In my 40 years I’ve never seen anything like it. So beware that we may have fallen off the cliff and haven’t felt the impact coming. If this be the case, cash may be becoming very hard to come by; much harder than usual. This may be the time to gather all the cash in hand that you can. I don’t trust fiat cash (no duh) but it is a necessary evil for now and all that the general population understand.

Best wishes,

Agnut


P.S. Here’s another nickel metal content change article. The following months may be the last chance to acquire bricks of real nickels at face value. Much better than holding paper dollars in my opinion.

Obama Plan to Make Cheaper Coins Criticized by Businesses

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/14/obama-plan-to-maker-cheaper-coins-criticized-by-businesses/print/

[Bullfrog]

Hey Agnut, I am glad you started this thread up again. It is nice to read something that makes you think as opposed to reading something that tells you what to think.

The USA as we know it is over. The crash started so slowly that it couldn't be seen and is now escalating towards terminal velocity. A couple of recent signs that I don't think you mentioned that show the acceleration of the crash are:

unemployment insurance not being extended for millions of people
cops being fired

Both of these events are big news. Both mean an increase in crime. It will be like a
pebble dropped in a pond, the ripple will affect many more than those from the initial event.

Cops being fired is one of the last things TPTB want to do, because they know what the cops job really is.

Another thing to consider, is that there is now a new group of unemployed people on the street. A group that is aggressive, trained, and is already dabbling in crime to a small degree. How much will it take for them to go feral?

[DMac]

Hi Agnut! Check out this story of a teen bartering his way from a cell phone to a Porsche!

Teen Trades up on Craigslist from Phone to Porsche in 2 Years (http://www.autointhenews.com/teen-trades-up-on-craigslist-from-phone-to-porsche-in-2-years/)

[agnut]

Hey Agnut, I am glad you started this thread up again. It is nice to read something that makes you think as opposed to reading something that tells you what to think.

The USA as we know it is over. The crash started so slowly that it couldn't be seen and is now escalating towards terminal velocity. A couple of recent signs that I don't think you mentioned that show the acceleration of the crash are:

unemployment insurance not being extended for millions of people
cops being fired

Both of these events are big news. Both mean an increase in crime. It will be like a
pebble dropped in a pond, the ripple will affect many more than those from the initial event.

Cops being fired is one of the last things TPTB want to do, because they know what the cops job really is.

Another thing to consider, is that there is now a new group of unemployed people on the street. A group that is aggressive, trained, and is already dabbling in crime to a small degree. How much will it take for them to go feral?



Hi Bullfrog thanks and welcome here. Yes, I have been reading about the police layoffs, the most recent the 80 layoffs in Oakland. Getting more obvious that we citizens are on our own, isn’t it ?

The huge number of unemployed who are now about to cease receiving their checks will next be running out of any backup resources (if they have any, that is ). So the first to go into financial shock will be those hanging by their nails. And the rest as they run out of savings. It is much like having preps stored away. The more you have, the longer the time until you are in desperate straits too. This is why 3 years of preps is advised; and that may not be enough for 3 years and one week. So much depends upon how long and deep this financial disaster continues. Reports of late have been very depressing and downright scary; at least for the masses of folks who haven’t a clue of what is in store.

These unemployed folks of whom I have read that they number from a million to 1.3 million (not sure) will be desperate and looking for any opportunity to continue. Many will double up with family or friends. Some will find part time work under the table in order to feed themselves. These people knew that their checks wouldn’t continue forever so they developed a plan (or should have); whether to find a job or to find sources of income under the table or to live so frugally that they needed little income. I don’t mean to sound trite but there is a number of possibilities and those who are not resourceful enough will devolve to their level of facing their financial situation. Not all of them but many will become an outward reflection of their inner being.

Apparently it has been voted to continue their unemployment for a while longer (until the elections ?). So the above scenario won’t be taking place now. But it is instructive to be aware of the effects afterwards so that we can anticipate and prepare for when it does happen.

The unemployed are different as a group than the welfare group. Now think if there were millions of welfare folks suddenly not receiving their checks. I would expect them to go feral, and quickly too, rather than the newly cut off unemployed. Also, the welfare group have been living under the belief that the government will take care of them forever. And that the world owes them a living. Not all of them; I’m just saying that many of them have a dangerous attitude and will be taking out their being cut off welfare on the surrounding populace. First a looting within their areas and next a spilling out into the suburban areas. This is why it is wise to have a bug out place when the shit hits the fan. And even that is not guaranteed since martial law may be declared and travel restricted. Nobody knows for certain how this will play out since there are so many variables. Who knew 6 months ago that the Gulf of Mexico would become a disaster zone ? And possible war in the middle east.

Here’s a short blurb about what is going on in the minds of American shoppers :

Full-Fledged Disciples of the New Frugality

Deloitte KnowledgeCo LLC and Harrison Group are out with a new report, "The 2010 American Pantry Study," detailing the results of a recent poll of U.S. consumers. Contrary to the expectations of Wall Street traders and ivory tower economists, it doesn't look like average Joes (and Janes) will be returning to their old ways anytime soon. According to Deloitte/Harrison,

over 40 percent of all American consumers in our survey have been directly affected by the recession – lost jobs, pay cuts or reduced hours. Furthermore, it seems as if everybody in America knows several other people who have been affected directly. The effect of these events over the 28 months of the Great Recession have bit deep into the American psyche.

In fact, if the following key findings are any guide, it appears that a sizable majority of Americans are now full-fledged disciples of the new frugality:

* 93% expect to continue spending cautiously even when the economy improves
* 92% have made some kind of change in their pantry-related shopping habits
* 89% feel they have become more resourceful because of the economy
* 84% have become a lot more precise in what they buy
* 81% find it fun to see how much they can save with coupons or loyalty cards
* 55% of those cutting back suffered no decline in income, but simply felt they “should be� cutting back


http://www.financialarmageddon.com/

Look carefully at those statistics and notice that the general population has already dramatically changed how they spend money and save. Big ticket expenditures such as appliances, autos and cruise vacations have dropped considerably.

Within the last year or so I have noticed a huge increase in garage sale and estate sale attendance. Late model cars and well dressed buyers too. And dealers and resellers are showing up early to scoop up the best bargains. The whole playing field has changed and consequently some of the rules. For instance, group buying of items for a discount may not work as well. But keep on trying anyway. Also, attending a sale just before closing time may not pay off as before. Why ? Because many of the good items have been picked over by a larger number of buyers. The oft offered “half prices on everything an hour before closing time� may yield only a pile of junk that nobody wanted. So get there early and often. And be ready to buy on the spot. He who hesitates loses.

Last week there was a nearby community garage sale. I went to several and picked up some bargains but the best one was a professional model Stihl weed wacker. The owner said that it ran well but slowed down and stopped. He was right, it does. Probably something simple like a return vent from the fuel tank. I got it for $5 and the retail new price is $392 with tax. How could I go wrong ?

Today I got a diesel generator. It is powered by a 4 cylinder engine made by Isuzu (C210). I have to wire it up but it cost only $230 delivered. Just a project toy for when I get the time.

Another recent project is the cow and steer out in the field. They are beefalo, half cow and half buffalo. Their father weighs 2,400 pounds so they should be getting huge in a couple of years. Preps on the hoof, I guess.

Recently got a 1972 VW poptop camper with 2 engines. It has 98K original miles and is straight and rust free. It needs paint and mechanical work but the basics are there. Price ? How about $300 worth of my labor in a trade out ?

And to top that, my son got a Reinell 18 foot boat with an 80 HP Mercury outboard and an almost new galvanized trailer. It even had an anchor. Price ? How about free ? The old owner just wanted it out of his yard. Seems unbelievable but true.

I’m not bragging here; my purpose is to get you motivated to look around for your own hot deals. Now is a time of great changes and as a result, many items that wouldn’t ordinarily be offered are up for grabs.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[MNeagle]

15 Things You Shouldn't Be Paying For

So much money and energy is wasted on things we could get for free. If you're into new, shiny things and collecting stuff, this is not for you. But if you want less clutter in your life and want to keep more of your money, then check out these 15 things you shouldn't be paying for.

[Slideshow: 8 Painless Ways to Save Money.]

Basic Computer Software - Thinking of purchasing a new computer? Think twice before you fork over the funds for a bunch of extra software. There are some great alternatives to the name brand software programs. The most notable is OpenOffice, the open-source alternative to those other guys. It's completely free and files can be exported in compatible formats.

Your Credit Report - You don't have to pay for your credit report. You could sign up for one of the free credit monitoring services online to get a quick look at your credit report. You just have to remember to cancel the service before the end of the free trial. Or you could do one better and visit www.annualcreditreport.com, the only truly free place to see all three of your credit reports for free once a year.

Cell Phone - The service plan may be expensive, but the phone itself doesn't have to cost a thing. Most major carriers will give you a free phone, even a free smart phone, with a 2 year contract.

Books - There's a cool place in your town that's renting out books for free: the library. Remember that place? Stop by and put your favorite book on reserve. And if you don't feel like getting out, visit www.paperbackswap.com and find your books there (small shipping fees apply).

Water - Besides the monthly utility bill, there's no reason to shell out $1 for every bottle of water you drink. Bottled water is so last decade anyway. We're over it, and into tap, filters, and reusable water bottles. It's cheaper for you and better for the environment.

Credit Card - With as many credit cards as there are available on the market today, it's easy to avoid a credit card with an annual fee. Unless you're dead set on a particular perk that a fee card brings, skip the annual fee card and pocket that money yourself.

Debt Reduction Help - Speaking of credit cards, if you're in over your head with credit card help, there are many free sources you can turn to for help with your debt. No one is going to be able to magically wipe away your debts, but there is help out there that will set you up on a debt reduction plan you can handle. Start with a visit to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Basic Tax Preparation - If your tax situation isn't that complicated, then you should probably be preparing your own tax return using one of the many free online services. It's now common for e-filing to be free as well with many services. You won't even need a stamp.

The News - Leave it to a blogger to try and kill off traditional print. I'm not anti-newspaper. I just don't find them practical anymore. Skip the daily .50 cents and get your news online. And for you dedicated coupon clippers, you can get most of your Sunday coupons online now too.

[Visit the US News Personal Finance site for more insight and money management tips.]

Budgeting Tools - There are many budgeting tools (both online and desktop) that offer up the service for free. Don't ask me how they do this, but who cares. If you're looking to reign in some of your spending, the good news is you can do it for free.

Pets - This is a controversial one, I know. But there are likely many pets down at your local animal shelter that could use just as much love as the pure-bred types. There may be a small fee due to the shelter for shots and basic care, but you'll have your pet home without paying a mini-fortune.

Shipping - If you like to buy online, you probably use coupons to get a percentage off of your purchase. Take your skills to the next level and look for coupons or promotion codes that offer free shipping. If in doubt, visit a site like www.freeshipping.org.

Checking Account - Isn't it nice when a bank takes your money, lends it out to earn money, and then has the audacity to charge you for the service? What a joke. Checking should be free. If yours isn't free then move to one of the many banks that offers a checking account for free. And the same can be said for ATM fees, teller fees, and checks.

DVD Rentals - Did you know that you can rent DVDs from RedBox locations for $1 a night? And better yet, if you use one of the coupon codes from www.insideredbox.com you can avoid the $1 charge. Free DVD rentals! Most libraries now have free DVD rental as well.

Exercise - Skip the expensive gym memberships. Visit your local park for a walk or run. Do basic push-up and sit-up programs in your living room. Rent a workout DVD from the library. There are many free workout programs you can download online as well.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20100813/ts_usnews/15thingsyoushouldntbepayingfor

[agnut]

Hi Agnut! Check out this story of a teen bartering his way from a cell phone to a Porsche!

Teen Trades up on Craigslist from Phone to Porsche in 2 Years (http://www.autointhenews.com/teen-trades-up-on-craigslist-from-phone-to-porsche-in-2-years/)




Hi Dmac and thanks for the great article. Obviously it shows what can be done with determination and effort. This young man is not a rocket scientist; just a high school student with a dream. I wonder how many who read the article have reflected what THEY are doing with their dreams; or if they have even identified their dreams. I think we all have dreams from time to time but with all of the distractions in today‘s world, most everyone allows themselves to devolve rather than evolve. It is so much easier to come home after work and sit down and watch the boob tube until passing out. It has been said that the TV is a most effective tool to turn gray matter into brown matter.

To succeed we must change habits and prioritize what is centrally important. Sure, there are lots of things we can and must do in our daily lives. But once you have your bartering and horse trading skills down pat, you can pick and choose when you want to make and save money. If life is temporarily too demanding, you can plan for a day in the future when you have the time to go forth and seek. I know it sounds all too simple but it actually is all too simple and that may be the reason that so many reject just how it will open up their lives. The “too good to be true� syndrome.

Here’s a recent example of how things can open up in the course with dealing with people. We recently got the contract to pick up fruits and vegetables from a local supermarket. It is about a 500 pound load three times a week. We have two beefalo and a dozen chickens and we feed them what we can’t use. And boy, are they getting spoiled rotten (though the veggies and fruit aren’t). The rest we use ourselves and give away to folks who can use the financial relief, especially families with children.

What I can’t understand is that what we pick up is in large shipping boxes and the fruit is usually at its peak ripeness. The vegetables are also excellent. I heard that this has been going on for many, many years but suspect it will end in the not too distant future. Too much of a good thing doesn’t usually last for long. And that is why we are prepping and freezing as much as we can right now.

Anyway, one of the people we began giving the fruits and veggies to mentioned that he was working on a friend’s boat and needed an outdrive. I happen to have the one he needs and he plans to pick it up later this week. Deals sometimes seem to come out of nowhere. But that is not entirely true. What is foundational is that you have to be out there, meeting with folks and taking notes. And the more you do, the greater your opportunities will be. Enough lecturing Agnut; you’re starting to sound like a pushy parent. It is just that I am so excited and happy to have found such a fun and profitable activity that I can’t help myself in trying to pass it on. As I have written before, this is life changing stuff.

Last Saturday I had lined up 4 garage sales to attend. The first one turned out to be a huge estate sale run by a group of ladies that just wanted as much out of there as possible. The ad in the paper made no mention that it was an estate sale (my favorite type). I got power saws and an industrial drill and several tool for a pittance. I happened to ask if they had any vinyl records. The lady brightened up and took me inside the house where the other buyers had not yet entered. There were over 150 old albums in racks. Mostly country western but several old rock and roll albums. I asked her how much for all of them and she said, “How about $20 ?� I said fine. Then she said she had to clear it with another doing the selling. She came back and said that he wanted $50; would that be too much ? I didn’t answer but my body language spoke for me. She then asked if $30 would be okay. I said sure and she helped me load it into my truck. When I got home I checked out the values in one of my record catalog. One was $100 and several were anywhere from $60 to $20. The rest were from $10 to $20. A few I couldn’t identify. Now I know I won’t be able to just put these records on Ebay and make a fortune. Anything for sale needs a buyer; there may be no buyers. Also, the catalog prices are way, way above what I would expect to get for my albums. But I believe that someday they stand a chance of being in demand. Some of the records are over 60 years old and the only other way to have the music is on tape or CDs. I wonder how many vinyl records have survived for 60 years in good condition. Remember, vinyl records are somewhat delicate and can be ruined easily and then they lose all of their value. Well, except for skeet shooting maybe. So to acquire over 150 albums for 20 cents each didn’t seem to be much of a risk. Besides, my family and I will enjoy them before selling them; if we ever do sell them, that is.

Also got 28 DVD movies for 75 cents each. I’ve seen others selling their DVDs on Craigslist for about $3 each. Could be a moneymaker for you; I don’t know.

A brand new waffle iron for $5. A thousand feet of small nylon cord for free. Garden tools for 25 cents. And the list goes on.

Best wishes,

agnut

“Making money is a hobby that will compliment any other hobbies that you have, beautifully.�
Scott Alexander

“Living in the lap of luxury isn't bad, except that you never know when luxury is going to stand up�
Orson Welles

[agnut]

Hi Mneagle, great post. I always love seeing ways to save the money we DO have in our hot little hands.

It seems as time passes, there are more and more passive deals and less active deals to be had, so my focus has been changing to keep on top of this.

For some of you who haven’t read my past posts, passive bartering and horse trading is in the form of saving money when we buy things we need and want. Active horse trading is going out there in search of deals that we may resell and make a profit.

By the way, the free fruits and vegetables I wrote about in my last post are piling up in my truck and kitchen (over 600 pounds). And tomorrow we have to pick up another 500 pounds. And Saturday, about another 1,000 pounds. Some problem, eh ? I have been thinking about getting another heifer beefalo (for breeding) but I don’t know how long this cornucopia will continue. If it stops suddenly and I have three cows to feed I will have to buy much more feed. By the way I just heard from someone who raises Alpacas that the big commercial hay fields are in a bad way and some are predicting that hay this winter could rise to $18 a bale. I just paid $4 a bale for 90 bales so I am okay but what about the folks who aren’t stocked up with hay by now ? Just another case of seeing potential future problems and addressing them NOW.

Now look, I am most certainly NOT writing about this bounty dropped in our laps to brag but rather to show you who read this that the very same opportunity may be available in your neighborhood. I don’t know; that is for you to research out. Be sure you tell the produce manager that you have animals to feed. I have cows and chickens. Pigs and goats would be good too.

You may be able to talk to the produce manager of you local supermarket and strike a deal. You might even kick him a few bucks or a gift to sweeten the deal. With what we have spent in the past on fruits and vegetables, I figure I save about $1,500 per year or more. And that’s in AFTER tax dollars which means I would have to make about $2,000 in wages before taxes. Something to think seriously about. Also as a result of this, we are eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, therefore a much healthier diet. Hard to put a value on that but it is huge in my book. Our freezers are already packed to the top and we need another freezer if we are to keep any more fruits and veggies.

Even the many heavy card boxes we get may be flattened and sold to a recycler. I haven’t checked that out yet. We had been throwing away our steel to a local wrecking yard but have lately discovered that we can get about $150 per ton for short steel. Not a lot for a truck load but when we have to drive into the city, might as well load up and at least make it pay for gas, wear and tear on the truck and lunch. See, like the steel, the cardboard may also work similarly. More to think about.

MNeagle, some great suggestions. But if I may, I’d like to comment on them and give my viewpoint.

Computer software. I’m not into computers and am a self proclaimed idiot where they are concerned. I’m a big help here, huh ?

Your credit report. Good advice for many. But I avoid credit like the plague and have no debts. Cash and carry or bartering.

Cell phone. I have a 2 year contract and got a second phone for $10 extra a month. Still a great bargain.

Books. True, the library is a wonderful resource. And with the library network, you can order books from other libraries. For free, too ! I have hundreds of books and refer to them from time to time but they do take up space and require caring for. I bought most of them for a quarter to a dollar. So if I want to sell them at a garage sale, I may even make a profit. Probably a wash though although some folks make a living selling books online. Check out ABEbooks.com where there are millions of books for sale. I bought a book for $2 that was listed for over $150 on ABEbooks. Something to think about if you have a mind to. HaHa, I just wrote that and realized that it could be taken either way. Simple minds are easily amused (especially mine).

Water. I have a well and we fill old 2 liter Coke bottles for when we travel. And our water has no chlorine or fluoride. You might find someone who has a well and fill up at their place. Just a suggestion.

Credit card. I only use a debit card. No fees or interest. If the money isn’t in the bank, I don’t spend it.

Debt reduction help. That sounds like a good one. I have read that some debts can be negotiated for a far lower payoff.

Basic tax preparation. Good idea if your financial life is simple. If complicated however, a good accountant can be worth his weight in gold (or silver at least).

The News. I get the local paper, about $50 a year. Comes twice a week and has many bargains in the classifieds, free items and garage and estate sales. So in my case, it is highly profitable.

Budgeting tools. I’m 63 and if I can’t run a tight budget by now, I never will. But for those just starting out, a strict budgeting plan may set them on the right path at an early age. Good for them if they do.

Pets. We got our dog at the animal shelter and she is an absolute gem. Couldn’t ask for a smarter or more lovable dog. And so protective; she thinks she owns the property and chases off the deer and birds. Also a good gopher getter.

Shipping. True, like on Ebay when the seller offers free or cheap shipping. And if you are bidding on multiple items, email the seller beforehand if they will offer a package price for multiple items won. I have done this for years, both buying and selling. When selling, I have learned that buyers will bid up items higher and more aggressively if your sale stated that you do not charge any extra for multiple winners. I used to do this with antique jewelry and it worked like a charm (pun intended). By the way, if you are selling books, the post office rate is dirt cheap. You have to let them know that it is books of course.

Checking account. My bank doesn’t charge for a checking account, only for the check printing. I don’t keep much money in there anyway so if we have a “bank holiday� I wouldn’t lose much. Don’t you just love that expression ? A holiday for whom ? What a steaming pile of propaganda. But I digress…

DVD rentals. Good idea; we use Redbox for the recent releases. But in my last post I mentioned that I had just bought 28 DVDs for 75 cents each. This winter we will be watching them and afterwards we can either add them to our library or sell them for a profit. They sell for $2 to $3 at garage sales. I get mine cheap because I negotiate with the sellers for a quantity buy. They are glad to get rid of many at a time rather than wait to sell in dribs and drabs. Their loss; my gain. My last two big buys I got over 150 DVDs and paid less that a dollar each. Some great stuff in there too; I only buy what I want to watch. I must have over 800 DVDs and hundreds of prerecorded videotapes. Don’t discount the videotapes either. I get them for 50 cents to a quarter. They aren’t as good to resell but at that price, you could even give them away after you are through watching them. I get lots of Disney videotapes and give then away to friends for their children. Good PR and fun to do.

Exercise. Good advice but I get all the exercise I can handle building transmissions and taking care of our acreage. Lots of walking, feeding animals and hauling stuff around.

I hope this helps. I am an opinionated SOB (almost as much as Ponce HaHa) and have learned that there aren’t many money saving ideas that cannot be improved upon. YMMV

Now I know that dental work can be very expensive. You may be in a low enough income bracket to qualify and not know it, so check it out. I pay $40 for a cleaning or Xray or tooth filling. Sometimes my dentist will fill two teeth for the appointment, costing me only $20 per filling. They don’t do root canals, crowns or dental plates but do refer patients to specialists who work for cheap rates. Check and see if there is such a deal in your area.

Next I’d like to talk about a small savings; a very small savings. Twice a year we haul our trash to the dump. It costs 7 cents a pound. The last time I had over a half ton and had to pay over $70. Now if I were to burn my paper trash and collect the glass jars for recycling I could probably cut my bill in half. And perhaps have to go to the dump one time a year. So I would save $70 per year and one trip to the dump which blows most of the day. Is it worth it ? Well, it is to me because a whole day saved to do something else is precious; you can’t buy time itself unless you really use your head for something other than a hat rack.

Most of you probably aren’t as stupid as me and don’t smoke. But if you do you can make your own cigarettes for as little as about $2 a pack. If you smoke a pack a day which costs about $5, that would work out to a savings of $1,095 per year. You’d probably have to make about $1,400 to $1,500 in before tax wages to pay for your addiction. So roll your own and take a trip to Hawaii once a year on the savings. To paraphrase the Mogambo Guru, “Whee, this money saving stuff is easy�.

If you smoke cigars, here’s a website for cigar deals : http://www.thompsoncigar.com/

There are many possible so-called small savings that can add up to a large savings. And always be mindful that this is after tax money you are saving.

Ponce says that it is not what you have, it is what you DO with what you have.

There is so much waste and carelessness in America. But I believe that it is going to tighten up before too long. Even if I am wrong, doesn’t it make sense to change spending habits now so that you can enjoy the benefits of your changes ? See, change can be really good for cleaning out the cobwebs of a financially neglected attic (your brain). Even the first change you make can open your quest for more changes until you (and me too) have taken control of your finances and therefore your life. And in the process you will increasingly obtain peace of mind. Priceless.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"There is only one success....
to be able to spend your life in your own way."
Christopher Morley

And a few for grins :

"You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know"
The Grateful Dead

"There are two places only where socialism will work; in heaven where it is not needed, and in hell where they already have it.�– Winston Churchill

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. "
-Mae West

“When all the experts and forecasts agree, something else is going to happen.�
Bob Farrell’s Rule number 9

“I want to die in my sleep like my Grandfather... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.�

[MNeagle]

City Council members propose $25 fee for garage sales in Dallas


Two Dallas City Council members have proposed charging a $25 fee next year to anyone who wants to have a garage sale in city limits.

City managers have floated the idea of charging $5, as a way to help balance next year's tough budget.

Council members Delia Jasso and Dwaine Caraway upped the ante today in a memo to City Manager Mary Suhm.

"We recommend the fee should be $25," the memo said.

Jasso and Caraway estimate the fee could bring in $500,000 next year, and they recommend the money go toward senior dental services, cultural affairs programs, graffiti removal and animal services.

I'm not sure how they estimated the $500,000, but I think one relevant question is: will the number of garage sales go down significantly if a $25 fee is attached? Will that decrease the revenue estimate?

What do you think?


http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/post-11.html

[Fortyone]

Additionally, I have been thinking of buying a Detroit diesel generator. How much will it consume per day ? Even running it for 2 hours will use 2 gallons of diesel. That’s just to run the freezers and recharge the batteries (that I don’t have yet; or the inverter either). quoted from AgNut


A Detroit diesel of the 71 or 92 series is one of the most inefficient diesels ever made.Originally used in Sherman tanks, they are a two cycle and VERY LOUD. keep the gen head and use a different engine.

[Mouse]

My wife likes to junk, and many in my family.

She scored a really nice wood basket with needlepoint accents and it was full of needelpoint floss, needles, various tools for needlepoint, two pairs of electric scissors and a bunch of other stuff for a few buxks at a garage sale. She hits the sales usually weekly and comes back with generally good stuff and only spends a few bucks on it. Its only hobby stuff for her or useful things that she will consider.

She found a dripolator coffeemaker at a sale and talked them down to 15 bux (still too much if you ask me), but it's porcelain and in mint shape. It's the cleanest dripolator anyone has seen since they made them. That's our shtf coffee setup. It's like brand new.

I bought a tool box for my cucv chevy wood truck for 15 bux. I grinded off the old paint and did some quick repairs, bought a few cans of cheapie 3 bucks spray paint and have a tool box for my truck. I could have got a nice used box for 100-150 bux. I made my own nice used box.

It goes on forever what you can find if you are looking out for it. The price is always negotiated DOWN. I don't care what it is.

[agnut]

City Council members propose $25 fee for garage sales in Dallas


Two Dallas City Council members have proposed charging a $25 fee next year to anyone who wants to have a garage sale in city limits.

City managers have floated the idea of charging $5, as a way to help balance next year's tough budget.

Council members Delia Jasso and Dwaine Caraway upped the ante today in a memo to City Manager Mary Suhm.

"We recommend the fee should be $25," the memo said.

Jasso and Caraway estimate the fee could bring in $500,000 next year, and they recommend the money go toward senior dental services, cultural affairs programs, graffiti removal and animal services.

I'm not sure how they estimated the $500,000, but I think one relevant question is: will the number of garage sales go down significantly if a $25 fee is attached? Will that decrease the revenue estimate?

What do you think?


http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/post-11.html


Hi Mneagle. That’s really pathetic; govt wants to charge financially strapped folks for selling their used stuff that they had long ago paid for with hard earned after tax income and sales tax added to boot. What’s next; a tax on sleeping ? How about decibel meters to tax “noise pollution” in every home ? Better not give them any ideas, eh ?

It’s funny that you posted that since Ponce had earlier told me that the govt would try to tax garage sales somehow. Imagine having to drive somewhere, perhaps distant, where you pay $25 for a permit to sell what turns out to be $10 worth of used items. And if you sold $100 worth of items, you would be paying 25% to the govt.

No, no, this garage sale permit thing is an abomination and a pox thrust on the struggling American. And guess who is responsible for making him struggle in the first place. In the second place, the govt wouldn’t need to create these taxes and permits if they were handling the nation’s finances in a responsible manner. Gotta stop here; it makes my blood boil.

But hey, there is a possible solution. Get 25 sellers together and purchase 1 permit and hold it on one person’s property. Nothing wrong with one seller and several “helpers” around. Now let them try to break that up or figure out what is going on. I believe when a private party or govt is pushing some onerous agenda, it is best to resist as well as expose them. Maybe with sarcasm or ridicule. Satire is good too. Robin Williams said, “If they can’t take a fuck, joke ‘em “.

I have been thinking (and hoping) that someone would come up with some protest action that all Americans could do that would be easy and cheap. And the citizens wouldn’t have to leave their home either. I’m not thinking of opening the window and yelling “I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take it any more”; that didn’t work in the movie Network and it won’t work in real life either. Something that would make ALL of the politicians stand up and wonder what they can do to stop this nationwide protest.

Something like putting your television on the front porch, pointing it to the street. And for those who don’t want to risk losing their TV, merely turn the TV and point it out the front window. Hell, leave it on 24 hours a day tuned to something like congressional public access.

Also, cease going to the movie theatres and renting movies. That should wake up the Hollywood crowd. You can trade movies between yourselves. Don’t forget to turn the TV around or you’ll be sitting in the front yard in you jammies and bunny slippers. And you surely don’t want you neighbors to get an eyeful of that !

At the same time, get together with your neighbors and have one helluva barbecue. Every night too ! Maybe a pig in the ground. Name it after someone you can’t stand. You know what I mean. Trust me, it will taste all the sweeter as you rip the flesh from the bones.

Topics of discussion ?

A. Wonder how long until “they” respond. Make bets on the calendar dates. Who will win the pool ?
B. List of your demands. You can go bananas here since anything and everything can be on the table. After all, their demands have been pretty crazy, haven’t they ? Now it’s your turn. Let’s see how they like it. Maybe start with term limits. Next, no lawyers in Congress. After that is up to your imagination.
C. Discuss the peace afterwards and how to safeguard it.

And on and on until you, the American citizens, get things moving in the direction you want.

Fasting unto death won’t work; they don’t give a shit about us. They’ll let us starve to death and call us crazy while laughing behind our backs.

Mass protests will be ignored by the mainstream media. Obama just ignored Glenn Beck’s mass protest in Washington.

Violence would be put down with greater violent force. And possibly martial law would be enacted, something they would want anyway.

Voting at the polls ? Don’t make me laugh, with unaccountable electronic voting machines. Besides, we are living in the age of the tyranny of the majority. And the majority wants someone else to pay them to live. And that “someone” is YOU !

Okay, okay; rant off. Even I am getting tired of reading about all that is wrong with the world. When I am out making deals I feel excited but comfortable; I’m in my own little world and it gives me much pleasure.

**************************
I was at a local thrift store recently and got 7 really nice shirts for a buck each. Also got 17 record albums. Four were valued at $50 each, one at $40 a couple at $30 each and a few at $20 each. All in like new condition and for a dime each, it was too good to turn down. Well, unless I would have had to pay in silver dimes. I only look at the catalog prices to tell me of the relative rarity and possibly the desirability of individual albums. Don’t expect to get anything near the prices quoted. I’m not selling; only buying. Maybe some day I will sell some but right now the fun is chasing down interesting vinyl.

While I was picking out records at this thrift store, a gentleman came up and asked if I was a record collector. I said that I pick them up from time to time. He said that he has some records he wants to sell. I asked him how many he has and he replied that he has around 3,000, mostly rock and roll like the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He gave me his number and said to call when we could get together. I’ll let you know how that works out. A deal ain’t a deal until it is done and you are hauling home the goods. If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it; Ponce’s quote especially applies here.

See ? This is what I’m talking about where just getting out there and mingling can sometimes have dramatic results. Not all deals work out; we just have to play the odds. Right now my plate is full with the transmission business and getting prepared for this winter. I wish I had more time to chase the deals full time. I will warn you that it will get in your blood in time and you will always be looking for that next ’fix”. I guess I have become a junk junkie.

By the way, business has been the worst I have seen in 40 years and I ship nationwide. Almost nobody calling for price quotes and no sales for the last 11 weeks. And just yesterday I may have made my first sale. That is, if the customer follows through with what he said. I won’t know for a few days.

A huge supplier of auto cores and parts told me that he was off 80 to 90 percent and that he is losing money each month. How long can such businesses hang on until they go broke ? And how long will it be until business returns ?

If we lose some of these suppliers, what is to happen to the cost of rebuilding anything automotive ? Not to mention the potential for unavailability of parts or ingredients in order to have a finished product. It would be the death of the business process as we know it. And this is also true for other industries as well.

Question is, what would replace the independent automotive rebuild/ remanufacture industry ? The parts departments of the new car dealers ? Have you seen their prices ? You want to talk about double or triple the price ? Talk about inflationary.

I have been reading the writing on the wall for several months. First, there was the parents who would pay for a rebuilt transmission for their sons and daughters. Next came the customers who began asking if I had a used transmission for sale. And finally, the phones stopped ringing. Well, except for all the advertisers, telemarketers, lenders, and wrong numbers.

Money (and credit) have become so hard to come by that customers are buying used transmissions from wrecking yards and from private parties who are parting out their own wrecked cars. Every car parting out ad on Craigslist has everything for sale except the manual transmission. These sell first, even before the ad comes out. And this may be my saving grace. I can repair a transmission with new seals and used parts that will be far superior to what the used transmission market can offer. And I believe I can offer them at the same price.

As a test, I repaired 2 such transmissions in the past year in anticipation of what I am seeing happen now. I was right; it can be done. Darwin was right; the survival of the species does not go to the fastest or strongest but rather to those most adaptable to change. We humans have the capacity to often foresee the future and prepare for the necessary adaptations well in advance.

If money and credit are to continue to be tight, it would be smart to realize that making half the net profit could be just as financially rewarding as in the past. Prices for many things are falling greatly.

And who knows, at the lower profit levels, there may be more than a doubling in sales volume from the old days. Twice the labor for the same pay but the profit’s purchasing power may double. Could be a winner in disguise.

The overview is to be able to pay the bills without going into the hole and therefore protect the nest eggs of preps and PMs. Adapting is the key. I’ve adapted all of my life and have learned to be content with its demands. Actually, it is exciting experiencing change. Like stretching out the muscles of the mind to see how far and well they can take you.

I have also concluded that big ticket item businesses will not return to normal for years; maybe never. Grindingly slow is the new normal and we have to learn to survive under such conditions until our competition goes under and/or buyers get out of debt.

I was fortunate to foresee this coming and have also been fortunate to have been able to financially position myself beforehand. I pay no business rent since I work at home; rent cost is a big killer. And I have no employees like my last business in which I had 12 employees to pay; employee cost is the biggest killer, especially when things are dead. Ponce and I have discussed that the future will include the growth of many cottage industries. Low to no overhead one man operations. Heck, even if I only rebuild a few transmissions per year I will be okay. I’m not Ponce but am trying my best to get as close to his situation as possible.

Gotta go soon to pick up another 500 pounds of fruits and veggies. For the cows and chickens, of course.

Best wishes and JMHO,

Agnut

[agnut]

Additionally, I have been thinking of buying a Detroit diesel generator. How much will it consume per day ? Even running it for 2 hours will use 2 gallons of diesel. That’s just to run the freezers and recharge the batteries (that I don’t have yet; or the inverter either). quoted from AgNut


A Detroit diesel of the 71 or 92 series is one of the most inefficient diesels ever made.Originally used in Sherman tanks, they are a two cycle and VERY LOUD. keep the gen head and use a different engine.


Hi FortyOne. I have since decided to find another type diesel generator than a Detroit diesel. I agree, they are noisy, dirty and inefficient. What initially attracted me to them is that they are simple and will use most any fuel available including biodiesel.

I do have a ThermoKing generator with a 4 cylinder diesel Isuzu engine. I got it for $200 but it may not have the 220 volt output I need. I may decide to sell it to get a 10-12K size unit or even find a 12K generator head and mate it to the Isuzu diesel engine. I just hate to pay so much, being the cheap bastard that I am. And a gas generator is out of the question since the fuel goes bad so quickly. Yeah, I know there are fuel preservatives but the water cooled diesels are built to last so much longer than the gas types.

As for getting better than a gallon per hour fuel consumption, I don’t know if there are any 10-12K diesel units that use a half gallon per hour. If not, maybe modifying my charging time to its best efficiency could compensate. For instance, running the generator for 2 hours at 1 gallon per hour, charging the batteries while using the well pump to refill my water storage tank, running the freezer and doing the laundry all at the same time. And maybe doing this only every three days. This way I would be consuming at a rate of only 2/3 of a gallon per day rather than 2 gallons per day. And if I had some solar panels to help recharge the batteries, I may only need to run the generator every 5 days (the freezer may be a problem here). On a yearly basis that would be 146 gallons per year, a bit less than three 55 gallon drums full. Gotta be adaptable, ya know.

First it would be wise to figure out your electric needs and how you can get them down to a level you can live with. I have shown this type of thinking above. Only then can you know what fuel quantity per day you will need and plan fuel storage accordingly. If fuel became prohibitive, the solar wouldn’t be enough for your heavy load draws but at least you would have lights and small appliances still working.

You might want to look into LED lighting since it draws so little electricity.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[zap]

My meat man ( the butcher )called me this am, wanted to know how I was doing on meat did I have a freezer full?

Hahah I laughed, he just wants cigars, so I told him I am running low on Filet Minion, Rib eye.

Ok he says, I'll get a box packed for you come on down, Guess I am going trading today!

[Spectrism]

Tag sales are getting scarce with the cold weather moving in. Here is what I scored today.....


Reed & Barton- Sterling silverware set:
approximately 50 tozs of Sterling
Cost: $30.


Sterling silver shot cups & minigoblets & 2 bottle tags
approximately 12 tozs of Sterling
Cost: $30.


These were not available when I arrived. I ASKED if they had any..... you MUST ask.

[Spectrism]

Candles. I am finding lots of candles at tag sales. I can get a dozen candles- sticks, box style, cylindrical- all for a dollar. I am stocking up on basic practical stuff that I see cheap.

Yesterday picked up a Wagner cast iron pan for $1. Got an antique HEAVY steel German-made meat cleaver for $10.... just like this one... currently bid up to $70....
http://cgi.ebay.com/F-DICK-98-SCHLIFF-GUT-FALSCH-2X69-MEAT-CLEAVER-GERMANY_W0QQitemZ380278671009QQcategoryZ11660QQcmd ZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI% 26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D1%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid %3D4752366909222127019

Also picked up a box of 1000 galvanized finishing nails and rappeling gloves for $5.

There are often boxes of FREE stuff at these sales. I have gotten things like exercise weights, door knobs, stainless steel sinks.

[Rip Van Winkle]

Hey Spec, what do you mean by tag sales?

[MNeagle]

Hey Spec, what do you mean by tag sales?



tag sale

noun
A sale of used household belongings, with prices typically marked on labels affixed to the items.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/tag-sale

Garage sale/estate sale.

[Spectrism]

Hey Spec, what do you mean by tag sales?


Same as garage sales. People sell their household junk - sometimes junk and sometimes brand new stuff- for pennies on the dollar.

I have much better success at these than the flea markets. In CT the flea markets are havens of professionals who typically know what values are and want top dollar. At some of the flea markets you can encounter non-professional individuals who might give up a trick or two... but most I find are hardened veterans.

[MNeagle]

agnut, any news?

[agnut]

My wife likes to junk, and many in my family.

She scored a really nice wood basket with needlepoint accents and it was full of needelpoint floss, needles, various tools for needlepoint, two pairs of electric scissors and a bunch of other stuff for a few buxks at a garage sale. She hits the sales usually weekly and comes back with generally good stuff and only spends a few bucks on it. Its only hobby stuff for her or useful things that she will consider.

She found a dripolator coffeemaker at a sale and talked them down to 15 bux (still too much if you ask me), but it's porcelain and in mint shape. It's the cleanest dripolator anyone has seen since they made them. That's our shtf coffee setup. It's like brand new.

I bought a tool box for my cucv chevy wood truck for 15 bux. I grinded off the old paint and did some quick repairs, bought a few cans of cheapie 3 bucks spray paint and have a tool box for my truck. I could have got a nice used box for 100-150 bux. I made my own nice used box.

It goes on forever what you can find if you are looking out for it. The price is always negotiated DOWN. I don't care what it is.


Hi Mouse. I must apologize for having not posted and responded for so long. I don’t really have an excuse. I have thought about posting a hundred times but every time either something happens that needs attention or I get the wind knocked out of my sails. I wonder if others are having the same difficulty at this time in history. Anyhow, I’m Baaack !

It sounds like you have a great wife and family there; with so many barterer and horse traders you all will be able to make your dollars stretch to the breaking point. I suggest that you each put together a list of your wants and needs. And share copies to each other. This way, when any one of you are out there on the hunt you will be the eyes and ears for each other - thus multiplying the odds of finding what you need. I even pay a finder’s fee for some items; this has made me deals and money that I otherwise would not have ever known about.

The sewing and knitting items that your wife found at garage sale prices would have cost many times more if she had bought them new. Besides saving a load of after tax money you had earned, she also bought these items with no state sales tax. And something that few consider is how your wife’s (and your) lives were enriched since she probably would haven’t bought these items if she had to have paid full retail. I bet momma was happy and you know the old saying “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”.

I can look all around my place and see items that I had found for practically nothing that I would have never bought new. Some we can use and some will be resold at a profit later. It’s all good. Remember what Ponce said about living in Cuba where many, many things cannot be bought at any price. Ponce believes that we will become like Cuba in time and that we should have multiples of things we take for granted such as coffee machines, toasters, drills, etc. I listen to Ponce and ACT on his wisdom and have accumulated backup items for the years to come. I just hope it will not be for 50 years like in Cuba.

Good score on the $15 toolbox. New it would have been hundreds of dollars, used it would have been $100-150 as you wrote, but you practically stole it for $15 ! As I have written through the years, we as a society are moving from form to function. Form is new, modern and most expensive while function is at the lowest price we can pay for the same utility of the item.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if we all were to calculate the savings by buying used items and then invest that savings into physical silver ? Could amount to a life’s savings in time. But this doesn’t usually happen since we all are pinching pennies and don’t have discretionary money for long term investments.

A few days ago I received a call from a seller who I had put on the back burner. It was for a large quantity of vinyl records. I wrote of this in post #41 on Sept 29 when I had first met this seller. So it has been two and a half months until I completed the deal. Turns out, he had “only” 1,400 records. I bought them for a total of $100. There were about 25 half speed master recordings. The last one I bought 15 years ago cost me $31 new. So I guess I got more that what I paid for in just those 25 records. The rest were a lifetime collection of rock and roll starting in the mid 1960s. Some really great stuff.

And to top that, he sold me a laser guided Technics turntable where the person never touches the tone arm; it is automatic. This accounts for why almost all of the records had no scratches on them. Oh, by the way, he sold me the turntable for $5 !

I asked the all important question, “What else have you got for sale ? He had about 60 Cds for $5; I bought them, not knowing what they were and later found about 15 I put aside for my own listening.. The rest I may give away or sell at a garage sale. Hey, I’m a packrat and can’t help myself.

He asked if I was interested in antiques and then pulled out a box full of antique jewelry and art objects. Some beautiful jade and ivory pieces. I still haven’t valued them all. A carved ivory bracelet like mine was on Ebay for $350 and some of the jade pieces were surprisingly expensive from what I could gather from Ebay and retail prices. The whole box cost me $30 !

This seller has lots more he wants to get rid of including a huge chest full of old baseball cards going back to the days of Babe Ruth and earlier. He said that they are in protective individual packaging. I know almost nothing about baseball cards and could lose my ass so I need to do some research before going into this. The whole chest may cost a couple of thousand dollars and I’m not sure that I want to risk this much capital. I’ve done this in the past and always come out smelling like roses but just one big slipup can destroy a year’s bargain hunting profits. My hesitance is that baseball cards are a hobby and the economy is bad and fragile and could break down without warning. So who would want baseball cards after a market crash ? Well, if I could get the lot cheap and sell off enough cards to recoup my initial investment within short order, it may be worth the risk.

And who knows; maybe I won’t even be able to make this baseball card deal in the future. This is why I always have my eyes and ears open for deals to make. Some fall through and some come in big winners but I try to always have some deals in the works.

Best wishes,

Agnut


The Coinage Act of April 2, 1792
(1 Stat. 246)
Statute I.
April 2, 1792 Chapter XVI.–An Act Establishing a Mint, and regulating the coins of the United States.
Section 19. And be it further enacted, That if any of the gold or silver coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint shall be debased or made worse as to the proportion of the fine gold or fine silver therein contained, or shall be of less weight or value than the same out to be pursuant to the directions of this act, through the default or with the connivance of any of the officers or persons who shall be employed at the said mint, for the purpose of profit or gain, or otherwise with a fraudulent intent, and if any of the said officers or persons shall embezzle any of the metals which shall at any time be committed to their charge for the purpose of being coined, or any of the coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint, every such officer or person who shall commit any or either of the said offenses, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death.

[agnut]

My meat man ( the butcher )called me this am, wanted to know how I was doing on meat did I have a freezer full?

Hahah I laughed, he just wants cigars, so I told him I am running low on Filet Minion, Rib eye.

Ok he says, I'll get a box packed for you come on down, Guess I am going trading today!


Hi Zap. I guess you could say that in bartering and horse trading, you get right to the meat of the matter. Last summer I tried trading boxes of Iowa beef for a transmission rebuild but so far, no cigar. But you never know, the seller may need my services and I have kept his phone number.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of keeping records and phone numbers for future networking. In my last post I wrote of waiting two and a half months for a record deal. If I hadn’t called him occasionally (bordering on pestering, actually), I would have missed the deal. And future deals with him. Only time will tell as to how big this one connection will turn out. The uncertainty in deal making can be a positive in that so many folks avoid uncertainty like the plague; therefore there is little competition.

It is oxymoronic (especially the moron part) that most folks will not venture forth into what they perceive as the unknown/uncertainty of taking a risk when the reality is that Not taking a risk is a far, far greater potential loss than to have taken the risk/venture in itself. Because only by expanding our horizons can we see the broader picture and grow to become more that we were in the past.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[Mouse]

Have been doing well on the bartering aspect as well. We gave out a lot of extra garden produce in the summer and have been giving extra eggs to the neighbors (There is about....5 neighbors within half-mile). We aren't looking for paybacks in particular, but more to judge the basic state of the neighbors. We got thank-you's on almost all of the produce. We started getting eggs from our chickens, more than we could use by far, and started just sending some around the immediate area.

It's all good. We keep sending out eggs to a few of the neighbors and with the veggies and so-forth all the sudden we have helpers if we need to do something, we have some regular egg customers that trade in beef or future favors with brush-hogging or wood cutting or whatever.

We are newbs at this stuff and people are trading eggs and veggies and labor favors. All the other stuff will fit right in there - you need a tool? Your stove has a crack in it? You need your truck fixed? Around here, at least real close around here, about 50% is let's put in and work together, trade together, and more I am realizing these folks are thinking defending together.

Bartering and horse trading is a very worthwhile outlet. It might not make sense to the city people, but out here people barter and trade all the time for everything, and it's just a way of living. People will give you stuff you need and you give them stuff, and there aren't really books kept officially, it's just an arm's length and moral view - if I took 5 dozen eggs from you this month should I give you how much ground beef or steak, or how much work helping you do whatever - and it's all just time and materials and in fantasy land this shit works. It's a value based, relatively fair, we keep some karma account of what we owe eachother and it balances out.

Not to say you shouldn't rape on garage sales, but the whole trading network with your neighbors.....I would have never imagined until I moved out of the cities. It's a tough survival out in the woods, but there are rewards in terms of how things work.

[muffin]

It sounds like you have a great wife and family there; with so many barterer and horse traders you all will be able to make your dollars stretch to the breaking point. I suggest that you each put together a list of your wants and needs. And share copies to each other. This way, when any one of you are out there on the hunt you will be the eyes and ears for each other - thus multiplying the odds of finding what you need. I even pay a finder’s fee for some items; this has made me deals and money that I otherwise would not have ever known about.


Hi, mouse's wife here. This point is a good one. I learned from a Philipino friend to always keep a list of items that are needed and any measurements in my purse at all times. Because you never know when you come across something that you could use but you don't know the size you need or etc. We were always hitting up sales or the local outdoor fleamarket (oh how I miss that place).

Also, let others know what you might be looking for, especially if they do alot more garagesaling than you do. My mom loooooves to go to estate sales and garage sales. And she is the expert bargain hunter. I tell her what I'm looking for and in about a month she has one in excellent shape for pennies on the dollar. Bless her soul, she usually just gives it to me and won't let me pay her for it because it cost her so little. Alot of the time, I just mention to her what I've been wanting and she'll say "Well, hunny, I have one of those in storage. Let me get it for you!" I have been wanting a stand mixer. I said something to her about it. She apparently got one years ago at a garage sale for $5. Albeit, it's about 30 years old but she's used it many times and it works like a charm! It's mine the next time I see her ;) I wish everyone could be blessed with a mom like her. She has been an inspiration and the best mom ever.

[agnut]

Spectrism, that silverware and goblets you got was an incredible deal. I mean incredibly good; not unbelievable. These great deals do show up from time to time; the key is that we barterer and horse traders HAVE to get out there and see what is being offered. Thanks for the photos and post. The more we all contribute to this thread, the more viewers will read and see such fantastic deals can be made. I mean fantastically good; not a fantasy. HaHa

Now in your second post you mentioned candles. I too am looking for candles; the bigger the better. Doesn’t matter if they are used or not; the weight of the wax in the candle is my focus. Why ? Well that wax may be melted down later to make candles and you never know, candles and candle wax may become hard to come by. Anybody know what the price is for a pound of candle wax ?It is like when my grandmother collected scraps of cloth and balls of string. She lived through the last depression and the times must have been so scarring/dramatic that for the rest of her life she continued this and other frugalities.

Through the many conversations with Ponce I have learned a lot and have begun to collect things in multiples that I will need or have for sale when they become expensive or otherwise unavailable. Put on a scale, they would weigh over a ton by now and I am still picking up whatever I can. Fortunately, I have the room to do this with a large barn and outbuildings.

Your Wagner cast iron fry pan was a bargain. Check on Ebay for relative selling prices. I also have several types of cast iron pieces and am still looking for more. That German meat cleaver would come in handy for processing beef and pork; also good for a home defense weapon (although I prefer a short machete, honed like a razor).

Keep collecting the nails, especially the 40 and 50 pound boxes like Home Depot sells. I have gotten several boxes for from $1 to $3 a box at garage sales. Ponce has told me that a straight nail in Cuba is worth a dollar because they are so scarce. And forget buying sheets of plywood at any price; its just not available.

The first place I go to when garage sailing is the free stuff. Copper, brass, aluminum, wiring and lots more. This free stuff will often pay for your gas to get there in the first place.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Here’s an article about bartering; it seems to be in the process of being more written about as this so called economy unwinds.

In a Tight Holiday Season, Some Turn to Barter


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/science/earth/23swap.html?_r=2&hpw

[agnut]

Have been doing well on the bartering aspect as well. We gave out a lot of extra garden produce in the summer and have been giving extra eggs to the neighbors (There is about....5 neighbors within half-mile). We aren't looking for paybacks in particular, but more to judge the basic state of the neighbors. We got thank-you's on almost all of the produce. We started getting eggs from our chickens, more than we could use by far, and started just sending some around the immediate area.

It's all good. We keep sending out eggs to a few of the neighbors and with the veggies and so-forth all the sudden we have helpers if we need to do something, we have some regular egg customers that trade in beef or future favors with brush-hogging or wood cutting or whatever.

We are newbs at this stuff and people are trading eggs and veggies and labor favors. All the other stuff will fit right in there - you need a tool? Your stove has a crack in it? You need your truck fixed? Around here, at least real close around here, about 50% is let's put in and work together, trade together, and more I am realizing these folks are thinking defending together.

Bartering and horse trading is a very worthwhile outlet. It might not make sense to the city people, but out here people barter and trade all the time for everything, and it's just a way of living. People will give you stuff you need and you give them stuff, and there aren't really books kept officially, it's just an arm's length and moral view - if I took 5 dozen eggs from you this month should I give you how much ground beef or steak, or how much work helping you do whatever - and it's all just time and materials and in fantasy land this sh*t works. It's a value based, relatively fair, we keep some karma account of what we owe eachother and it balances out.

Not to say you shouldn't rape on garage sales, but the whole trading network with your neighbors.....I would have never imagined until I moved out of the cities. It's a tough survival out in the woods, but there are rewards in terms of how things work.


Hi Mouse; your generosity with your neighbors pays off in many ways. We do the same thing here with all of the fruits and vegetables we pick up from the local supermarket. Yesterday we got 26 boxes and a friend took 12 boxes for his church members last night. He will return what he can’t give away for our beefalo and chickens. It was totally unexpected but several deals have come our way as a direct result of this. I have written about generosity before as a part of bartering and horse trading. I know you don’t expect paybacks but that seems to be the way it works. Don’t refuse their returning favors; they need to return your generosity in order to sort of “balance the books” in their eyes. What goes around comes around, eh ?

In the last couple of years I have been seeing sellers advertising that they will take something of value from the buyer. Tools, guns, antiques, etc. Just another sign of the times we are in (and heading into). With the skills and type of neighbors you have, you and your family should be able to weather and even prosper in hard times. I feel much safer living in the country as I’m sure you would agree. I cannot imagine what city life would be like after a collapse what with the gangs, ghettoes, law enforcement, food delivery, etc.

Always remember that not everyone suffered in the last depression. Having needed work skills as well as bartering skills will carry you through most any adversities.

As for “raping and pillaging” at garage sales, I have long ago written about this. It is better than buying at a store because there is no sales tax, used items are a mere fraction of their new price, prices are negotiable, lots of unexpected surprises, and more. Deals are consummated in a framework of free will with no coercion as prices are negotiated. If the seller will not sell at a particular price, the counteroffer is next in the buyer‘s court. And so on until an agreement is made. It may seem that you as the buyer “skinned the seller” and made off with a screaming steal. But have you considered what the seller got out of this deal ? Who knows if the seller really needed the money or the item you had that you were bartering with ? Theoretically since there is no coercion and free will agreement, there should be no anger or resentment. Of course, as long as the goods traded were as advertised. No deception, lies or misrepresentations.

Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.P. Mouse, I will respond to your wife’s post as soon as time permits (you lucky son of a gun).

[Spectrism]

Great advice Agnut.

Mouse- I like the soft touch and summary Agnut gave and that you are using. Neighbors are like friends within the walls of the castle that you all may need to defend together. That is not the place to strike the best bargains but rather an easy exchange of value.

In yard sales, you are shopping among strangers (mostly) and for all you know, the item that they sell to you for $10 they may have bought last week for $5. I like to be a complete unknown when I buy- whether its silver, supplies or ammo.

In the neighborhood, you share your capabilities in a more communal cooperation. If you have reasonable neighbors, you have much wealth there.

[Book]

Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.



Treat everyone as your neighbor.

:oo-->

[Spectrism]

Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.



Treat everyone as your neighbor.

:oo-->


While that sounds good, I firmly believe that some people you educate and some you don't. When someone wants to sell me a $300 tool for $10, I don't always tell them that they should ask more. I give them $10 and say thankyou. If it is a nearby neighbor or family, I ask why they are selling.

[Book]

When someone wants to sell me a $300 tool for $10, I don't always tell them that they should ask more. I give them $10 and say thank you.



Mouse summarized it best:




...we keep some karma account of what we owe each other and it balances out.

[MNeagle]

How to Find the Hidden Cash in Your Attic


As certainly as your kids will wake up at 5 a.m. on Christmas, sometime during your annual holiday pilgrimage home, your mother will say, "I do wish you'd go through those boxes in the attic." Maybe this year, you shouldn't fight her. In fact, help her sell all that stuff -- it could be lucrative.

With thrifty consumers on the lookout for quality used goods, they're hitting estate sales -- and spending more money. Bargain hunters are spending about 15 to 25% more at estate sales now, compared to a year ago, estimates Caring Transitions, a company that manages estate sales and relocation around the country. Nationwide Estate Sales, a similar company, pegs the increase at around 10 to 15%, or more. Buyers are paying more per item, says John Buckles, president of Caring Transitions, and if they have to return to collect their first purchase, they often buy more. "We hadn't really seen that before," he said.

Good timing. And not just because it's family pilgrimage time. There are 2.1 million baby boomers with a house on the market today, according to the National Association of Realtors, making up 40% of all home sellers. Many are selling a family home in favor of smaller, more manageable abodes -- which means they have years worth of furniture, books, games and knick-knacks to divest.

Of course, it can be hard to tell what's worth the effort, and unless your childhood home was a trove of fine art and rare books, this process won't make you rich. Consider: Even the prized possessions presented on PBS' "Antiques Roadshow" are typically valued at less than $500, says Marsha Bemko, executive producer of the show. And many of the items that were hot a few years ago -- like shabby chic furniture and Beanie Babies -- won't fetch the kind of cash they once commanded. Still, done properly, an estate sale could cover the cost of a move and then some: A typical sale might yield up to $7,000, says Lori Tucci, an appraiser at Los-Angeles-based Estate Sale Angels.

SmartMoney asked the experts how down-sizers can make the most money -- when they should bargain hard, when they should take the best offer they can get, and what items to give away. Here's what we found in four popular categories:

Furniture

Bargain hard: Mid-century modern furniture from the '50s and '60s is especially popular, says Tucci. A mid-century modern buffet that sold for $75 or $100 earlier this decade, for example, could now sell for $300 to $400, adds Christine Acosta, who co-founded Key Estate Sales, a Chicago-based estate sale company, with her husband.

Take the best offer: Everyday furniture like couches, chairs and coffee tables may sell, especially if the pieces are light wood, aren't chunky and less than five years old. A couch in good condition might fetch a few hundred dollars through a site like Craigslist -- more if its leather.

Free with purchase: Wall-mounted televisions have rendered most entertainment centers obsolete, and mattresses and bedding have never sold well, experts agree. And clunky, dark-wood pieces like traditional dining and bedroom sets just aren't in style right now.

Clothing

Bargain hard: Expect high prices for couture brands like Chanel and Gucci - especially vintage pieces -- as well as other high-quality vintage from the 40s and 60s. Buyers have also been snapping up finely made vintage fur capes this season, which can fetch up to $500, says Lauren Houdlett, founder of accessories label Fat Baby Deer.

Take the best offer: Even if your pieces don't meet the quality standards of an exacting vintage connoisseur, clothing in good condition from retro-hip eras like the '40s, '60s, or '80s will still sell, says Brian Elenson, owner of 2MuchStuff4Me, a New York-based estate- and garage-sale company. And Native-American style pieces are popular too, Houdlett says -- for now.

Free with purchase: Mass-produced items from large chain stores like GAP or L.L. Bean are usually destined for Goodwill, or the smock-box at a local school. Same goes for anything heavily stained, sweatshirts, or sweatpants.

Books and Records

Bargain hard: If you have first- or limited-edition books, or copies signed by the author, have them appraised before you put them on a table with the Prince of Tides. Something like a limited edition, leather-bound book of Tennessee Williams plays could bring in hundreds, as can leather-bound series, especially Franklin Library books -- the company produced collector-edition books, often of classics. For LPs, look for things like more obscure Rolling Stones and Beatles records in their original sleeve and un-scratched, says Tucci. You could sell one of these for about $500.

Take the best offer: Individual leather-bound books, especially of the classics, are often worth your time to sell. So are LPs by jazz greats or by bands that were popular in the 60s, as long as they're in good condition and in their original sleeve.

Free with purchase: Most paperbacks fetch about a dollar or less and mass-produced hardbacks sell for a few bucks -- if they're not damaged. LPs that are heavily scratched or aren't in their original sleeve likely won't get more than a few bucks, if anything. Your old cassettes and CDs are a tough sell these days too, as digital music downloads have taken off.

Collectibles

Bargain hard: Porcelain dolls, tin toys made between the '20s and '40s, and many toys popular with the baby boomers -- a complete Lionel train set, say, or Mattel's Herman Munster doll -- can be lucrative, says Acosta. Also hot: Vintage movie posters; coin collections, ; and vintage cameras in good condition made by companies like Carl Zeiss and Leica from the turn of the century until aboutthe 1970s.

Take the best offer: Even baby boomer toys in imperfect condition are worth selling, as are complete coin collections, especially those that feature gold coins even those that aren't especially rare, because of their nostalgia factor. Contemporary art is popular right now, as is local art, so a painting that features an iconic building or landmark in your community may sell well in your area.

Free with purchase: Buyers don't care much for most collectors plates with dates -- the kind where you'd get a plate each month in the mail with a date on it -- especially if the collection is incomplete, says Tucci. And the kitsch bloom has worn off velvet paintings or 80s pastel, floral and landscape paintings and prints.

And Don't Forget About ...

Family snapshots and video: Stock photography and film companies may buy home movies -- 8mm, super-8mm and 16mm versions -- and photos that include an iconic event or a famous person -- even if your grandma is in the photo, too. "You can sometimes make hundreds of dollars from these things," says Tucci.

Silverware and china: With the price of silver at historic levels, sterling silver flatware is extra valuable right now. But "even silver-plate and stainless flatware will sell simply because it is an item that everyone can use," says Acosta says. Most silver-plate flatware sets sell for $40 to $75; sterling flatware sets for $500 to $1200 or more.

Items from the garage: Tools sell particularly well, says Elenson, because they're easy for buyers to carry home and pricey when purchased new. Old bicycles are in high demand, and that old three-speed cruiser in particular: In good condition, you could sell it for $100 or more.

link (http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/111654/how-to-find-hidden-cash-in-your-attic?mod=fidelity-buildingwealth&cat=fidelity_2010_building_wealth)


especially those that feature gold coins Gee, you think??

[Spectrism]

Bad advice in that last one. That market does not exist around me.



Silverware and china: With the price of silver at historic levels, sterling silver flatware is extra valuable right now. But "even silver-plate and stainless flatware will sell simply because it is an item that everyone can use," says Acosta says. Most silver-plate flatware sets sell for $40 to $75; sterling flatware sets for $500 to $1200 or more.

Plated silver is practically thrown away. Some of it has copper underneath so I value those by copper weight. Some is nickel. If someone is asking full price of sterling, I am probably not going to buy.




Items from the garage: Tools sell particularly well, says Elenson, because they're easy for buyers to carry home and pricey when purchased new. Old bicycles are in high demand, and that old three-speed cruiser in particular: In good condition, you could sell it for $100 or more.

I find 10 & 15 speed bikes in excellent condition for $40. Tools are real steal deals... 10% of new retail cost.

[Answer2me]

Ok Agnut,

lots of good deals and interesting finds since the last time i checked in with you! :o

For starters i just had my first kid, born last week. I made a list of everything i think she will need for the next 3 years and went garage sailing this past summer before she was born. My wife and i made a game out of it. I cleaned this lady out of 64 cloth diapers and inserts for $100, didnt even bargain as it was already a good deal. Dont know if you realize these cloth diapers are about $15-$20 a piece. It would cost me over $1200 a year just for disposables. Bought her a nice used crib 3 years old for $40, checked it at babiesrus and they still sell the same model for $250. Also picked up a nice all in one car seat and stroller for $40, sells at cosco for $300. spent about another $50 on cloths that will last her until the age of three. Baby items are so abundant and cheep at garage sales i dont know why more people dont take advantage. My wife made a bunch of washable rags from old shirts, we also make are own spray to clean her ass. My wifes milk came in so i dont have to worry about food for at least a year. Our goal is to spend as little on "things" for her as possible, this will allow us to continue to save 50%-60% of our income.

Here are my thoughts on this. I have noticed a lot of first time parents with brand new everything, this is where pride comes into play. My kid is better than your kid, BS! My child will not remember the gucci she wore at the age of 2 or 3, however she will remember the good times, and good times she will have.

Over the years, i have found the best way to garage sale for the home is to make a list of things you need on a weekly or monthly bases. When the weekend roles around search craigslist for the specific items that you are looking for instead of hitting random sales. Like pellets for the winter, i always try to buy as many as i can in the summer and often get them for $2 a bag, thats half off. At times i have even found food like lentils ect.. If you are determined enough, almost all of ones shopping can be done like this. We live in a convenience based world, take a little convenience out and you can save lots of $$$$

Good to see your around!

Cheers

[muffin]

Yeah I never understood why ppl would buy brand new anything for babies. I used to laugh when my science teacher in HS would buy little Air Jordans for his 2 month old. Then he would have to buy new ones in a few months when he grew out of the old ones. Some ppl have more money than they know what to do with.

Near our home in L.A. there was a second-hand baby/child store. All things were for kids 0 - 5y/o. It was in a pretty nice neighborhood. There were brand new cribs and nursery furniture for less than $50! I always thought, if we had gotten pregnant while living there, I'd be set as far as having to buy anything for the baby or it's room. That place was awesome! LOTS of new stuff for cheeeap.... Like garagesale cheap. They even had nice maternity clothes for the mom!

[agnut]

It sounds like you have a great wife and family there; with so many barterer and horse traders you all will be able to make your dollars stretch to the breaking point. I suggest that you each put together a list of your wants and needs. And share copies to each other. This way, when any one of you are out there on the hunt you will be the eyes and ears for each other - thus multiplying the odds of finding what you need. I even pay a finder’s fee for some items; this has made me deals and money that I otherwise would not have ever known about.


Hi, mouse's wife here. This point is a good one. I learned from a Philipino friend to always keep a list of items that are needed and any measurements in my purse at all times. Because you never know when you come across something that you could use but you don't know the size you need or etc. We were always hitting up sales or the local outdoor fleamarket (oh how I miss that place).

Also, let others know what you might be looking for, especially if they do alot more garagesaling than you do. My mom loooooves to go to estate sales and garage sales. And she is the expert bargain hunter. I tell her what I'm looking for and in about a month she has one in excellent shape for pennies on the dollar. Bless her soul, she usually just gives it to me and won't let me pay her for it because it cost her so little. Alot of the time, I just mention to her what I've been wanting and she'll say "Well, hunny, I have one of those in storage. Let me get it for you!" I have been wanting a stand mixer. I said something to her about it. She apparently got one years ago at a garage sale for $5. Albeit, it's about 30 years old but she's used it many times and it works like a charm! It's mine the next time I see her ;) I wish everyone could be blessed with a mom like her. She has been an inspiration and the best mom ever.




Hi muffin and welcome. You and Mouse are the first husband wife team here on this thread. A force to be reckoned with when swooping down on a garage or estate sale. I think that a husband wife team who garage and estate sale is one of the best things to cement a relationship. Always something happening new and unexpected, so that the many years of marriage are kept alive and vibrant. Not everything but just another facet of the gem of a brilliant marriage. Boy, I am getting to wax poetical here. Better stop before members label me a “metrosexual”. HaHa

Good idea on the measurements list. I take a 6 foot tape measure with me as well as a magnifying glass for reading small words like “sterling silver” or “14 K”.

Like you I also have a list of things that my friends and family are looking for. A few months ago my sister said that she wanted an entryway bench for putting on and taking off shoes. Can you believe that the very next time I was out garage sailing, a short church pew showed up. It was made of solid hardwood and in perfect condition (no hearts and initials carved into it). The seller wanted $150; I offered $50 and he didn’t even haggle but accepted my offer. I took it over to my sister’s house and she was (and still is) thrilled with it.

I believe that there is more to this deal making than meets the eye, much more valuable than the deal itself. Sure, my sister got a bench that she probably otherwise would have not found. That’s a given but every time she looks at that bench she may think of me and my helping her attain a desire. Can you put a value on helping another ? Of course you can; but the heart doesn’t measure in dollars and cents. The heart measures in care and love shared.

I wrote of this in my last post :

“Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together. “

Life is chock full of uncertainties; to solve some of these uncertainties for others is one of the most satisfying activities we can do. What goes around comes around. I don’t expect rewards in return; the act of helping others is its own reward. However, don’t be surprised when you do receive wonderful things coming around to you ! That’s just the way it works as I’ve discovered. This is probably the greatest benefit of bartering and horse trading. Sure, I write of the deals I make but this is only to illustrate the fabulous (not gay here) amounts of money saved and to encourage others to do likewise.

Folks who a become deeply immersed in bartering and horse trading should take full advantage of this looking for items for friends and family. For example, a friend’s favorite actor is Jack Nicholson and his favorite movie is “The Shining”. Several months ago I was out garage sailing and spotted a hardbound edition of The Shining; I got it for 50 cents. My friend was happily surprised; it made my day. So what is 50 cents in the whole scheme of life ? It’s like getting two bargains at the same time ! HaHa

When I reflect on my past years of dealings, the ones I remember best are the ones where I made someone happy. Not only friends or family but also those who I bought from and sold to. As I have written in the past, bartering and horse trading is a way of life. My hope is that others will understand the fullness of it and become as pleased with it as I have.

Muffin, sounds like your mom has been doing the above for some time. Shows heart and caring for you, doesn’t it ? And that can’t be quantified or bought with mere money.

I have made some deals since I last posted and will write of them soon. To me, its like Christmas morning happening throughout the year.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I like your avatar. I could spin you a yarn but I’m sure your husband surely wouldn’t want to trade it for his tools.

Children were what parents watched before there was television.
agnut

[agnut]

Great advice Agnut.

Mouse- I like the soft touch and summary Agnut gave and that you are using. Neighbors are like friends within the walls of the castle that you all may need to defend together. That is not the place to strike the best bargains but rather an easy exchange of value.

In yard sales, you are shopping among strangers (mostly) and for all you know, the item that they sell to you for $10 they may have bought last week for $5. I like to be a complete unknown when I buy- whether its silver, supplies or ammo.

In the neighborhood, you share your capabilities in a more communal cooperation. If you have reasonable neighbors, you have much wealth there.


Hi spectrism, I responded to muffin about these personal relationships and how the “profits” are different than dealing with strangers.

As an aside, here’s the year 2010 record precious metal performance as posted by Vronsky of the Gold-Eagle website :

Palladium.......................+96%
Silver..........................+83%
Gold............................+30%
Platinum........................+20%
Dow Stocks Index................+11%

“Expect something similar in 2011.”
Vronsky

I have been thinking about the great rise in silver spot prices and what it means for us who hold physical silver.

Should we sell some of our silver now that it has increased so much lately ?

Perhaps a flagon of Shakespeare would set a pace for our consideration :

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action. - Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.



To sell or not to sell……That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the minds of men…blah, blah, blah.

Forget “suffering the slings and arrows” of critics of your actions; we all will come to the point wherein we seriously consider whether we would be better off in the long run to sell some of our silver for physical assets. Don’t think so ? Well, what if silver were to rise to $200 per ounce amid an environment of falling prices for cars, houses, land, etc ?

This most assuredly is not a simple decision and it will dramatically affect one’s future. Many factors would be involved such as the need for the physical items, their potential for growth in future value, the relative amount of ounces of silver someone has, perception of further silver price increases relative to purchasing power, and so on.

And I’m not just talking about silver here; this thinking covers ALL items over which we have possession/ownership. For instance, a spare pickup truck may be sold in order to buy silver right now at about $30 per ounce. That is, if we have confidence that silver prices will soon increase in purchasing power. Or we may decide to buy a high miles per gallon car in anticipation of skyrocketing fuel prices. There are many decisions to make (even not selling any silver is a decision in itself). If I had bought silver in 2000 for $5 per ounce with the current price at $30 (a 500% profit), I would not sell now unless I had no other alternative. Lately there have been articles predicting $200 and $500 per ounce silver. That’s a nice thought but what if a loaf of bread costs $50 at that same time in the future ?

The same thing holds true for my thousands of vinyl records. Even though I may be able to sell them for $1 each now, I am waiting for them to become more in demand which will drive their price up. Like so many collectables, there is a time in which they have almost no demand and therefore no value. This is the time to buy and enjoy them and wait. At an average purchase price of about 10 cents each, I don’t have much invested. Some catalog out as high as $100 but I only use that as an indicator of their relative demand and scarcity.

So what deals have I made lately ?

My son told me about a 1981 Datsun diesel pickup truck that was on Craigslist. It was only a few miles away so I called him and immediately went over for a looksee. The body had some rust on a door and a sheet metal front lower panel but the rest looked okay. It hadn’t been started in 6 months so the owner put a charged battery in it and it fired up the first try. You can’t do that with a gas car as gas will gum up the carburetor or injectors and will turn to varnish if allowed to sit for 6 months.

My son and I took it for a drive and the engine was smooth running as well as the 5 speed transmission. All the lights work as well as the clutch and brakes. He wanted $600 but agreed on my offer of $400 without quibbling. It is now parked by the orchard and currently registered, waiting until I have time to service it and insure it.

It’s a bit ugly but I have learned to not care as long as it does the job for me. I’m not out to impress anybody. Not really true; I’m out to impress readers with my practicality over costly ego driven decisions. I hope you will think about this when you make future decisions.

I have had two of these Datsun diesel pickup trucks in the past and they have always been reliable and gotten great miles per gallon.

Years ago I wrote that we are in the process of moving from form to function. So forget the sleek form of a new car and get the most functional transportation you can find. Leave your ego at the door; it has no place in the future. After all, who would you be impressing with a new car or big house ? Financial morons, that’s who !

Anyhoo, I really like these early Datsun diesel pickup trucks. They are very cheap, run just about forever, get great MPG, and the diesel fuel can be stored for a long time.

Next deal was for 24 deep cycle Trojan T-105 6 volt batteries. They cost about $170 new with tax. I bargained for them and got them for $40 each. The seller threw in the battery connectors and Zener diode charge balancers, worth about $300. My problem is that I put the cart before the horse; I don’t have a charger to keep them in shape and don’t know what to buy to keep the whole bank up and running until I find the inverter and build a place for them. Maybe a large roll around cart would work for now. The batteries weigh 1,500 pounds total. So I have spent almost $1,000 and now have to get all the other gadgets to make them run my household. I told Ponce about this deal and he said that it was a deal I couldn’t refuse at that price. Oh well, I’ll let you know as I muddle through with this project.

By the way, I may not get an array of solar panels but rather run a diesel generator to recharge the batteries. However, a couple of solar panels may be necessary to keep them topped off. If I am right, a diesel generator run with mostly used engine oil would be very cost efficient.

Best wishes,

agnut

P.S.
Here’s a word to the wise from LoupGarou of timebomb2000 website :

GO GRAY,
DRESS DOWN,
DON'T
STICK OUT!


Do NOT wear anything that looks more expensive than the LOWER 50% of the population of the places that you are going. In fact, the LOWER you can go BELOW that point, the less chance that ANYBODY will bother you. Times are bad, REAL BAD. Some people may not realize that (like this person), and will pay the price for it. I know that many people are believing the pablum BS that the news media is spewing out that says that things are getting better and everything is OK. DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT. In normal times, dressing down is a good idea. Now it is probably what is going to save your life.

These people that are going to start resorting more and more to crime are "the entitled", whether on welfare, or have been a small time criminal, or was a person that lived WELL past their means and is now in serious trouble. This will only get worse, as more and more people fall into one of these three groups and believe that they are "entitled" to other's wealth. And it's going to get worse exponentially.

Get prepped, get smart, and practice SA harder and harder, and make SURE that you always dress down. And if all you have is higher end cars, you might want to think about getting "a beater" to drive into town on. $500 buys you a good one, and it will get you past places that are going to get worse and worse.

Welcome to "Hope and Change"...

Loup

[MNeagle]

and practice SA harder and harder

What is practicing SA?

[MNeagle]

Wondering if it's "Situational Awareness"??

[agnut]

Wondering if it's "Situational Awareness"??


Hi MNeagle and thanks. I was wondering myself. You can’t believe all the Stupid Ass things I came up with.

Best wishes,

Agnut

By the way, I’m trying my best (such as it is) to answer posts in the order in which they are received.

For some reason in the last couple of months I’ve been inundated with an overload of events happening around the world and daily tasks here on the “ranch“. So my apologies for not having written.

Lately I’ve seen a lot of infighting between members here and it saddens me. I take the viewpoint that we members are here to learn as well as teach. I am doing my best to bring to the table what skills I have. We at GS-US have a constant flow of new readers and potential members and they are forming their opinions of what we are and have to offer them. When posting, we should always be mindful of that. Are we building up or tearing down ? Are we inviting new members and readers or scaring them away ?

Always remember that we have history on our side of what is and what is NOT money. This should be our focal point around which all other actions and reactions revolve.

This “experiment” of worldwide fiat currency will fail as it has failed hundreds of times in the past. It has NEVER succeeded once and this time it will be the mother of all failures since fiat currency is a worldwide phenomenon for the first time in history !

[MNeagle]

Well welcome back Agnut, your wisdom has been greatly missed.

Post when you're able.

[agnut]

Hi and thanks Mneagle for your post #60. Lots of good advice there. I would add that all of these items will vary by condition and desirability, both now and in the future.

For instance, I am a vinyl record collector as you must know by now. If somebody has a load of records for sale at a bargain price, I’m heading there as soon as I can get my pants on. I have been thinking about where the deals may be in the years to come as well as what the records will be worth and who would be buying them.

Quote:
“For LPs, look for things like more obscure Rolling Stones and Beatles records in their original sleeve and un-scratched, says Tucci. You could sell one of these for about $500.”

That is a nice thought but I have learned that rare is rarely found. The high dollar vinyl records are rarely found in my experience. I have yet to find any records valued in the Goldmine catalogs for over $100 and have only two at that price. However, I do have many valued at $40 and $50 each. I especially look for old jazz and early rock and roll. Because they are so old, 50 or 60 years, most are scratched or the jackets are worn badly.

I was in the local thrift store the other day and looked at several hundred records but bought one box set of classical piano music. There were 9 records in the set and all in perfect condition. I paid 98 cents with sales tax, typical of my 10 cents per record average. I didn’t buy for a later profit but for my own pleasure. Maybe I will make a profit someday but just playing them with my sons once will be profit enough for me.

Who owned the rock and roll records and who owned the jazz and classical records ? Easy to conclude which records look like they have been dragged down a gravel road and which have been treated with love and care. I would say that if you can find an older collector who has a large lifetime’s collection, you may well have a bargain there from a condition standpoint. This is critically important since even a rare record which is all scratched up will be worth practically nothing.

As in all things when bartering and horse trading, it requires us to think on the fly. We have to be alert when dealing. Not for the dull witted, drugged out, drunks or lazy. That probably leaves out most of the population which is actually to our advantage.

The season will begin in earnest as the weather warms up. So now is the time to get organized and have maps, cash, newspaper subscriptions, etc ready. And if you are like me, you haven’t even gone through all the goodies you bought last season.

I wrote this yesterday :

“Next deal was for 24 deep cycle Trojan T-105 6 volt batteries. They cost about $170 new with tax. I bargained for them and got them for $40 each. The seller threw in the battery connectors and Zener diode charge balancers, worth about $300. My problem is that I put the cart before the horse; I don’t have a charger to keep them in shape and don’t know what to buy to keep the whole bank up and running until I find the inverter and build a place for them. Maybe a large roll around cart would work for now. The batteries weigh 1,500 pounds total. So I have spent almost $1,000 and now have to get all the other gadgets to make them run my household. I told Ponce about this deal and he said that it was a deal I couldn’t refuse at that price. Oh well, I’ll let you know as I muddle through with this project.

By the way, I may not get an array of solar panels but rather run a diesel generator to recharge the batteries. However, a couple of solar panels may be necessary to keep them topped off. If I am right, a diesel generator run with mostly used engine oil would be very cost efficient.”

So what happened right after that ? A friend came over to pick up a truckload of fruits and vegetables for his church members and I showed him the 24 batteries. He said that he will help me put the home power system together and said that it would be simple. He is giving me rubber mats for the batteries and a book to study on different power systems. He also said that he has a couple of solar panels he would give me to charge the batteries. I know it sounds too good to be true but what have I got to lose ?

See ? Sometimes problems will work themselves out if you will let them. Telling friends and asking often opens doors. You never know until you try.

Best wishes,

agnut

[agnut]

Ok Agnut,

lots of good deals and interesting finds since the last time i checked in with you! :o

For starters i just had my first kid, born last week. I made a list of everything i think she will need for the next 3 years and went garage sailing this past summer before she was born. My wife and i made a game out of it. I cleaned this lady out of 64 cloth diapers and inserts for $100, didnt even bargain as it was already a good deal. Dont know if you realize these cloth diapers are about $15-$20 a piece. It would cost me over $1200 a year just for disposables. Bought her a nice used crib 3 years old for $40, checked it at babiesrus and they still sell the same model for $250. Also picked up a nice all in one car seat and stroller for $40, sells at cosco for $300. spent about another $50 on cloths that will last her until the age of three. Baby items are so abundant and cheep at garage sales i dont know why more people dont take advantage. My wife made a bunch of washable rags from old shirts, we also make are own spray to clean her ass. My wifes milk came in so i dont have to worry about food for at least a year. Our goal is to spend as little on "things" for her as possible, this will allow us to continue to save 50%-60% of our income.

Here are my thoughts on this. I have noticed a lot of first time parents with brand new everything, this is where pride comes into play. My kid is better than your kid, BS! My child will not remember the gucci she wore at the age of 2 or 3, however she will remember the good times, and good times she will have.

Over the years, i have found the best way to garage sale for the home is to make a list of things you need on a weekly or monthly bases. When the weekend roles around search craigslist for the specific items that you are looking for instead of hitting random sales. Like pellets for the winter, i always try to buy as many as i can in the summer and often get them for $2 a bag, thats half off. At times i have even found food like lentils ect.. If you are determined enough, almost all of ones shopping can be done like this. We live in a convenience based world, take a little convenience out and you can save lots of $$$$

Good to see your around!

Cheers


Hi answer2me, congratulations on the new daughter. Sounds like you have got things under control with the baby clothes, diapers, crib and nursing. My 4 children are all grown now but I can remember the early years and you know the secret of what is important to the child. And what will be remembered through the years. Playing with them.

Might I suggest that you begin to play ball with your daughter from as early an age as possible. It has been shown that simply sitting down on the floor and rolling a ball to a small child and having them roll it back somehow encourages early mental development. I did it with my sons when they were little and continued it through the years into playing soccer and baseball and basketball. I also blew bubbles for them and they delighted in popping them. I firmly believe that these connections we make with our children are the cement which connects them to us for the rest of their and our lives. Have a blast with your children; I did and it is still paying off in ways that nothing else could.

Things given to children are usually forgotten unless we as parents use these things to share ourselves and our time with them. I read to my children and sang them to sleep when they were little.

Sounds like your buying stove pellets out of season saved you a bunch. Reminds me of the 130 bales of hay I bought last summer for $3.50 per. Now they are $14 at the local feed store. Luckily I heard that the hay crop was in trouble and bought as soon as I could. Raising cattle isn’t very profitable in the first place but could have been a big loser for us if we hadn’t stockpiled the hay early.

Answer2me, I especially liked your last line, “We live in a convenience based world, take a little convenience out and you can save lots of $$$$”. It made me chuckle.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Children are what parents watched before there was television.
Agnut

[Mouse]

This post needs a bump.

We are currently working with our neighbors on various barter things. We are the eggs for the neighborhood. We are most of the vegetables. They are in charge of hundreds of cows. We are working together on beef = eggs = veggies = coordinating cuttin and splitting wood = fishing = helping with fencing and other property things = livestock and ways to keep it = meat that we who worked it will have a piece of = not having to buy it = not having to pay for it = not having to spend 50% of my time paying some bankster tribute.

It goes on and on. We have fuel. We have guns and ammo. We have food the likes would lay you to waste. We have almost everything but freedom. It is time soon. There is little need for the fake money, other than fuel and the taxes.

$1 that you spend with the beast in terms of your spending in fiat after tax, is $1.75 or $2.00 that you would have to earn. If my neighbor delivers to me a pound of beef and I give him 3 dozen eggs, does there exist a taxing authority?

I say no.

Cut the beast out of your system, and your system will bloom with rewards.

[agnut]

Beautifully said and done mouse. Much of the following I wrote before reading your post. HaHa. Looks like you could have written it from experience before I even could type it. Where we are heading has much to do with how we need to react and that has been my interest for a long time. That is why I began my post here with what I call hyperstagflation. So here goes :


Hyperinflation ? Try Hyperstagflation !

I wrote about hyperstagflation years ago and warned of its insidious nature. It is not like Germany’s hyperinflation primarily because wages do not keep up with rising prices. Rather it is a process which first escapes the masses’ attention until it becomes clear too late to do anything about it. Essentially, prices going up while wages go nowhere or even falling. Gold and silver are the best antidotes for this cancerous disease. Food preps are also wise, especially in view of Japan’s current woes. Remember that Japan controls huge growing areas in southern California and now they will need them more than ever. We in the US get their secondary quality fruits and vegetables but now we may not even get that. So watch for prices to get a further increase as demand accelerates. This is on top of inflation and a growing world demand.

Here is what stillprepping posted from Carver and I wrote back in 6/16/2009 :

“Originally Posted by Carver
Nothing is 100% certain. Yes, there are inflationary forces at work but there are also deflationary forces at work.

obviously there will be both occurring and so the controversy *never* seems to get settled. indeed, it never will as long as nobody is specific about which things will be affected - so let everyone who believes one or the other make a list of exactly what items they believe will inflate/deflate. i'll begin with my short list:

inflate: oil, gas, propane, food, med bills, med insurance, higher education, taxes, gold & silver (?).

deflate: property, autos/trucks, wages, computers and other elect gizmos.
still prepping
================================================== =================
Good post still prepping. Thanks.

Several writers have stated that things you have will go down while things you need will go up. Your inflate/deflate lists are accurate.

However, what are the ramifications to us Joe lunchbuckets at ground level ? I wrote about this scenario a couple of years ago and the best way I could describe it then was to call it hyperstagflation.

The way I see hyperstagflation is a stealthy process of terrible unemployment amidst rising costs of the things we have come to accept as necessities.

Your inflate list includes oil, gas, propane, food, med bills, med insurance, higher education, taxes, and possibly gold & silver. Each item has different values to different people.

For instance, oil, gas and propane are heavily used and relied upon by a multitude living in first world countries. But the third world only uses a per capita fraction of that. The third world uses smaller, more efficient transportation means as well as public transportation , bicycles and walking.

Agnut”

The overview is that through “globalization”, we in the US by having had our manufacturing shipped overseas are in the process of becoming a banana republic without the bananas. Our horrendous foreign trade deficit stands in mute testimony of that fact.

So what can we do other than what we have already done in prepping ?

1. Get rid of all unnecessary things we have. Sell them and invest in further prepping whether food, precious metals, nickels, or whatever floats your boat (think Noah). This is easy to advise but not easy to put into action. I know; I have lots of things I should sell but can’t seem to get it in gear. I just hope you are better than me at this.

2. Make a concerted effort to hold on to what you do have. The funding for the future to protect this is most important. I don’t like dollars any more that you but I consider it a necessity for paying ongoing living expenses, even as the dollar continues to lose purchasing power. This is because it is the only recognized currency at this time. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even if some of the eggs are approaching their “use by” date. Hell, I know the dollar will fall in time; every fiat currency has collapsed throughout history. But we all need to get from now to a future when/if the world wakes up to the truth of real money.

3. Finish your prepping since time is becoming short and you may not be able to get some of the things you will need later. I’m looking at inverters for my 24 batteries right now. It would be nice to have at least some electricity when either the power fails or becomes prohibitively expensive. I’m even considering a steam engine to power a generator for my batteries since it can run on wood or anything that will burn. Maybe a bit extreme but we are facing extreme times.

Be aware and open to possibilities you may have missed. Water storage, caches of hidden preps, neighbors, etc.

4. Ponce said that meats will become expensive in the future but he will always be able to get some with his silver. Sounds like the movie “Soylent Green”. As long as we have over 6 billion population with a couple of billion living on less than $2 a day we will have incredible food demand pressure. This is why I expect a massive die off in the coming years. It could happen rapidly as in worldwide crop failures or slowly as demand outstrips supply. It is and has been happening to the poorest marginal survivors for many years now but we don’t hear about it much because those starving are at the lowest poverty levels and don’t get much press. It is ridiculous that we in the US have been turning corn into fuel rather than food. Fuelish ? You betcha.

Whey protein is about $30 for 6 pounds at Costco. A major protein supplement in hard times. It may be a good item for long term storage too; I’ll have to look into it.

5. Make connections now for what you will need in the future. Maybe a local farmer or rancher. Neighbors, family and friends.

6. Develop some skills that will be in demand after the shit hits the fan. Bartering and horse trading are the mental skills for transacting deals wisely but they are not the items being traded themselves. The advantage is that these skills are renewable and ever present at your beck and call.

I have been an automotive mechanic for 40 years and believe this will be of some use. A stick welder, MIG welder and an acetylene torch may come in handy. Also a vertical mill and lathe. Valve refacing and grinding equipment. Drills and saws. But always be mindful of the need for the materials you will need in order to complete the job at hand. A shoe smith needs leather and other materials; where will he get them in the years ahead unless he has a source or a big stockpile ? Think renewable resources. That’s why I am thinking about a steam engine; it can run with wood fuel which is renewable and easily available all around me. Your situation may be very different. You may live in the desert where a solar system would be appropriate. See, we all have to think for ourselves. Fun, ain’t it ?

7. Through all the above, remember Ponce’s sage advice, “Prepare today for how you want to live tomorrow”.

Yogi Berra said “The future ain’t what it used to be”.

Hyperstagflation decimates the middle class so that we end up like so many dictator countries. The elite and the poor with few remaining in the middle class.

Don’t compare the future with the last depression in the 1930s; it will be far different in many ways. We who are prepared will have to think on our feet as well as in a compassionate manner. Either we take care of each other or war against each other. I have my mental list of people I will be looking after. How about you ? It is a responsibility which we should joyfully carry; not a burden but rather a badge of courage and humanity. It gives one a sense great purpose in life. As I have written long ago, we are our brothers’ keepers.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Had to get that off my chest first.

The only deal lately has come to me. A family member showed me a govt. surplus metal storage container that is about 4’x4’x6’ with doors at either end for $67 each. I will use one for my battery pack and inverter and another container for my diesel or steam generator. We’ll see; so many things are fluid right now so I have to go with the flow.

By the way, I spoke with someone who has repaired many inverters through the years and he said that what usually goes out is the diode and is cheap and easy to repair. Since a good inverter can run up to $1,500, I have been looking for a 3,000 to 5,000 watt inverter that doesn’t work. There were some on Ebay a while back for about $50 plus shipping but nothing lately. I had hoped to buy a few and have them repaired and have a primary one and a backup and sell the rest to pay for the inverters I kept for my own use. Oh well, maybe only a dream. See ? My mind is always working, looking for a better way to get what I want or need. And yours should be too !

Spring is here and the coming months should offer a wide and huge amount of potential deals. I predict one of the best ever buying and selling seasons.

Local garage sales are already springing up around here; this is earlier than in past years. People are moving away, selling for needed cash or passing on. Remember to look for and attend estate sales, moving sales and garage sales in that order.

Bulletin boards, local papers and Craigslist. Ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find.

The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for. -Dostoyevsky

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. -Helen Keller

[Spectrism]

My finds for this weekend:

Flexible Flyer 55J sled that looks like it was in somebody's garage for the last 40 years- barely used. $10.

A box of kitchen utencils which had a 2 oz Sterling cake server. $5.

[agnut]

My finds for this weekend:

Flexible Flyer 55J sled that looks like it was in somebody's garage for the last 40 years- barely used. $10.

A box of kitchen utencils which had a 2 oz Sterling cake server. $5.


Hi Spectrism, nice deals. Did the sled have rosebud printed on it ?

That 2 ounce sterling cake server is probably worth about $60; a 12 bagger there. Congrats. I personally haven’t seen any sterling silver for sale. I asked a couple of times if they had any sterling silver and they said that it was not around any more; meaning that they were wistfully remembering when sterling silver was part of our American lives.

Apparently, it’s getting vacuumed up by the gold and silver buyers and coin shops. Every weekend we have these huge signs advertising buyers for gold and silver; they are at several of the major crossroads. It gives me an eerie feeling; I’m beginning to suspect that there may not be ANY precious metals left in private hands if this tight economy continues for too long. And we all know that things sure ain’t gonna get better for a loooong time.

Makes me wonder if someday a one ounce silver round will be so valuable that the sellers may not have change for goods purchased. That is why I have some 90% Mercury dimes; for change. Who knows how much it will cost for a roll of toilet paper ? A roll of toilet paper is currently about 25 cents while a 90% silver dime is worth about $2.60. So a dime would buy about 10 rolls of toilet paper.

However, I wouldn’t ask Ponce. I believe that he will be selling by the sheet !

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Hello all. I apologize for having taken so long to write. Life has been hectic for far too long. Business has fallen off the cliff but at least I had anticipated that possibility and prepared for it. Not as well as I had found necessary but I managed through it without too much discomfort. And that’s the name of the game, isn’t it ? To be prepared for what comes our way.

Lately I’ve been hitting the garage, moving and estate sales and there are some great bargains out there. Here are a few items I found with their final prices paid :

An electric salmon smoker (used twice) for $30

A Craftsman floor model band saw for $25

Two truck tires (almost new) with 8 lug rims for $5 each

5 American Racing mag 8 lug truck wheels for free

DVDs for 50 cents

A large Stress Ease chair and ottoman for $200 (about $1400 new)

An upright freezer for $25

A Pasta Express machine for $5

A tomato sauce machine for $2

Lots of early 33 1/3 vinyl records for 25 and 50 cents.

A complete Black and Decker valve seat grinding center for $25

A 3 burner barbecue with 2 propane bottles for $5

An Arrow nail gun (new) for $25

A pair of solid wood swivel bar stools for $25.

Loads of kitchen items for a few pennies on the dollar.


We are still picking up about a ton of fruits and vegetables from the local market every week. We are eating better than we ever have in the past. Mainly because we hate to see all of this great stuff going to waste. By the waist, I have lost 25 pounds in the last couple of months. Probably due to the change of diet and more activity. So this isn’t just about the money saved (I’d guess at least a couple thousand bucks per year), our health has been greatly improved.

Some gets canned, some dehydrated, some gets frozen (our freezers are stuffed full), some goes to our beefalo, some donated for free, some goes to friends. And lots gets eaten by my family. Now this fruit and veggie pickup must be going on all over the US; why hadn’t I heard about it before last year ? Because I hadn’t run across anyone doing it, that’s why.

Is anyone reading this also picking up from their local market ? Am I the only one ? Hey, somebody has to get the ripe fruit and veggies out the back door; it might as well be you !

The summer lies ahead like a banquet for those who know where to seek and find. In the next few months there will be deals made throughout the US; millions and millions of deals. For goodness sake, get out there and claim your share.

Best wishes,

agnut

[Spectrism]

My finds for this weekend:

Flexible Flyer 55J sled that looks like it was in somebody's garage for the last 40 years- barely used. $10.

A box of kitchen utencils which had a 2 oz Sterling cake server. $5.


Hi Spectrism, nice deals. Did the sled have rosebud printed on it ?

That 2 ounce sterling cake server is probably worth about $60; a 12 bagger there. Congrats. I personally haven’t seen any sterling silver for sale. I asked a couple of times if they had any sterling silver and they said that it was not around any more; meaning that they were wistfully remembering when sterling silver was part of our American lives.

Apparently, it’s getting vacuumed up by the gold and silver buyers and coin shops. Every weekend we have these huge signs advertising buyers for gold and silver; they are at several of the major crossroads. It gives me an eerie feeling; I’m beginning to suspect that there may not be ANY precious metals left in private hands if this tight economy continues for too long. And we all know that things sure ain’t gonna get better for a loooong time.

Makes me wonder if someday a one ounce silver round will be so valuable that the sellers may not have change for goods purchased. That is why I have some 90% Mercury dimes; for change. Who knows how much it will cost for a roll of toilet paper ? A roll of toilet paper is currently about 25 cents while a 90% silver dime is worth about $2.60. So a dime would buy about 10 rolls of toilet paper.

However, I wouldn’t ask Ponce. I believe that he will be selling by the sheet !

Best wishes,

Agnut



I ask exactly this: "Do you have any old coins or silverware that you would like to sell?"

I don't say "Sterling"... but they sometimes ask that. I have had more success when they bring out junk forks & spoons and there among the junk is the treasure. I play it very low key. If they start to look anxious, I quickly divert off to another topic, before honing in. I will ask if they have any pots for sale. Or maybe yard tools. And after they settled, any old forks and spoons.

But I ask 50 times and get one good answer. It is like sales... you must be able to let the "rejection" flow off your back. If they don't have what you want, quickly move on. And if your area is dry, try another. My best success has been with the moderately wealthy and average families. Very poor never had it and the very rich never give it up.

On the sled...no "Rosebud". She died.


btw- I did pick up a second food dehydrator a couple months back for $5. I expect to use it as you described- when the fruits & veggies are cheap and plentiful.

[MNeagle]

Great show tonight Agnut!! Kudos to you, well done!

[agnut]

Good advice there Spectrism. I used your advice the other day at a garage sale. The lady replied with “Do you mean sterling silver ?” She had a funny look on her face like if she had any sterling silver or 90% coins, she would not be selling them. It was just a feeling but I think I read her correctly. People are wising up and as things become tighter financially, they will begin to search for ways to make up their income shortfalls.

Already we have been seeing folks pulling back on discretionary spending (since it fell off a cliff). Next, they focused on food and paying their bills. Then came selling what they didn’t need. Now some are forced by circumstances of their own making to sell things they so need. This last situation drives down the prices of just about everything folks have to sell. In other words, a buyers’ market.

But we who have prepared, it is a two edged sword. While bargains are out there in the context of the present, what will those same items be selling for in the future ? Should we keep our powder dry and hold off buying in anticipation of future further price drops ? I am thinking about this all the time as I buy items.

That valve seat grinding center I got for $25 a while back would cost perhaps $600 if new. Did I need it ? No, I already have two other valve grinding centers. The first I paid $500 for and the second I paid $300 for. So why did I buy it if I don’t need it ?

In the first place, it was dirt cheap. What is $25 now in the scheme of things ? I could even sell it for a profit right now.

In the second place, it is a tool set which can make money rebuilding cylinder heads. And the way things are going, any new work abilities I can add may make the difference in future income between swimming and slowly drowning. It may make only $100 now and then but that $100 may well be key to financial survival.

In the third place, this particular valve seat grinding center is set up for small engine cylinder head rebuilding. Something my other ones don’t have. So I am now more diverse than before. I believe that in time, folks will be repairing small engines (and car engines too) rather than throwing them away. Our throwaway society will in time resemble places like Cuba where everything that can be of use is in high demand. Ponce says that the trash heaps of today will be the “gold mines” of tomorrow.

In the fourth place, I follow Ponce’s saying “have a plan behind the plan behind the plan”. In other words, backups. The other day our wide 4 slice toaster went on the fritz so I pulled out one I had earlier gotten for a dollar at a garage sale. Now I will be looking for another used toaster at garage sales in order to maintain my backup inventory. The toaster we are now using would cost at least $40; it is a deluxe model not normally seen except by the upper crust.

Where do I find the best merchandise ? In the best neighborhoods of course. I have maps of the local area and know exactly where these neighborhoods are. In fact, there are wealthy areas about an hour away that I have had great success. Problem is, I’m so busy that I have to really plan for such a venture.

It is important to know that the items we now take for granted will likely be very expensive, or worse unavailable, in the future. So the solution to the conflict of spending money now for backup items later is simply to find items at garage, moving and estate sales. For pennies on the dollar of course.

I tell ya Spectrism, this economy’s devolution is like having a vise tightening on your private parts. Or more politely, your wallet. I always like to exaggerate effects/consequences in order to hammer my point home. HaHa

Even physical gold and silver sometimes have a higher and better use than holding them as insurance for the future. This statement may seem anathema to this website but let me explain before y’all get out the ropes and thumbscrews.

Say silver is at $35 per ounce and the economy is on shaky ground. Hey, it is right now, isn’t it ? So an opportunity to buy a used car comes up and you don’t have the cash. You put down a deposit to hold the car and sell some silver. For instance, if the car is $1,000, 30 ounces of silver would cover the deal. And say it takes two months to fix and sell the car for about $2,000, thus making a net profit of $1,000; doubling your money. Lots of variables here, all of which must be considered beforehand.

Will silver cost $70 in the next two months ? If so, you have worked for no profit.

Will the car be finished and sold in the time allocated ? If not, the risk increases.

Is 30 ounces all of your silver holdings or only 1% of your holdings. The percent of your silver you are willing to risk is important; the lower, the better.

The car example is what we call a one bagger; doubling your money. But I have done 10 and 20 baggers. It goes without saying that the higher the return percentage, the better the deal as well as providing a higher safety margin in case final results are not as good as originally calculated.

Making fiat money from which you sold physical silver or gold in order to later accumulate real wealth (gold and silver) is a calculated risk. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you really know what you are doing. Those who can accurately figure their risk/reward ratios can make some good money. I know, I have done it. My problem when I was much younger was that I did not know how to keep the money or even know that only gold and silver are money as J.P. Morgan said.

Well, enough running on at the mouth. The bottom line here is that we are sort of flying by the seat of our pants with much of this bartering and horse trading. Personally, I can not find anything that gives me so much pleasure and challenges while in the process of saving and making money.

Best wishes,

agnut

[agnut]

Hi MNeagle and thanks. Tn…Andy and RichG were great hosts; it was like we were sitting around a country store’s pot belly stove, discussing the problems of OUR country. That’s what my grandfather did and what my father grew up seeing. That was their world then and this is our world now; so different.

After the show I realized that with our mass media, a speaker can give opinions to large numbers of listeners and we have lost the one on one personal back and forth conversations of our forefathers. What I mean to say is that opinions are much easier to impress on others while not demanding responses. And therefore listeners are not required to think deeply about what is going on. And personal involvement is diminished. Something gained but I feel that something greater has been lost. Perhaps this is why Americans appear to be doing nothing about the many things which are besieging their personal lives such as finance, crime, housing, employment, Wall Street, politics, banking and so on.

I really enjoyed doing the show and the hour flew by too fast; so much to talk about.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[Spectrism]

Shopping at tag sales is a numbers game. I get many misses for one good hit.

Last week I stopped at a place where it looked like someone was moving. I picked up a box of assorted knives for $3. Besides the long-life diamond seraded edge kitchen knives, I got 6 or 7 pocket & switchblade knives. At that kind of price, you don't worry about losing them.... and one might be a life-saver one day.

These sales are a prepper's dream store.

[Spectrism]

Not a super successful hunt this weekend. I did manage to pick up a TASCO 3-9 x40 scope with mounts for $10. A pair of candle holders with glass chimneys for $1. Two 10-speed bikes for $4 each.

One cheery older fellow thought he had some sterling silver for me and brought me into his basement to look at it. It was all plated.... but a very nice effort. Keep hunting!

[Mouse]

I hit up some sales here recently and it's all crap. Just complete junk. I was lucky on the first hit found a bunch of gun stuff for sale. I picked up a cheap red-dot, a less cheap red-green dot, a pistol 7*32 illuminated scope (I have a neos it's now mounted on), a sks piccatiny rail cover, and a nice outdoor connection websling with swivels for $50. I actually wanted all this stuff but didn't want to pay full price. Internet tells me this stuff was worth about 230-270 if I had bought "new". Red-dot sights are awesome by the way. My first experience with them :)

[agnut]

Hi again Spectrism. Good deal on the knives. I pick up kitchen knives that are US made and the German and Swedish steel quality whenever I find them.

Your two posts show that there are times when you strike out and other times when you make a killing. So patience and steadfastness are the key. By the way, have you ever calculated the percentage of buying times that are great against the times when you struck out ? I seem to have about a 80-90 percent success rate.

I have written a long post but have to type it up and post it when time permits.

I’ve done so much buying in the last few weeks here that I am still catching up with putting it all away.

We are anxiously waiting for 24 black copper chicks being hatched. I could hold 5 in the palm of my hand; they are so tiny when we get them. We’ll be raising them in the house like we did the last ones. This breed of chickens lay a dark brown egg that is considered by chefs to be gourmet (and I hear that they charge accordingly). Oh well, I’m not a connoisseur. More like a kind-of-sewer; everything goes down me.

Will post as soon as I have time. Not only have I been buying lots of stuff but have been learning valuable lessons along the way.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[Dogman]

Black Copper Marans in the U.S. (http://blackcoppermarans.org/)

The Black Copper Marans is one of the rarest breeds of chicken in the United States. It is a fascinating breed of laying chicken; producing one of the darkest chocolate-brown eggs known. It is one of the rarest breeds in this country due to the import ban on fowl in the US. They are quite common in France.
Black Copper Marans eggs are prized by French chefs. They are also the favorite egg of James Bond. Using them for eating in the United States is almost unheard of, as they are so rare and prized. A three-egg omlet would cost more than $30; wholesale.
One of the difficulties faced by breeders of the Black Copper Marans in the US is the lack of genetic diversity. Much of the breeding stock left in this country 10 years ago was of the English variety; with smooth, unfeathered legs. The French standard calls for lightly feathered legs. There are only a few breeders that have been able to produce Marans stock that comes close to the French standard.
This site is dedicated to encouraging the pursuit of the French standard in US Black Copper Marans stock.
Keep in mind that the overarching goal of this pursuit is the production of a gourmet egg. Eventually, the cost for birds and eggs of the black copper marans breed will be closer to that of less rare heritage breeds. This isn’t something to fear or hurry to beat, it is inevitable. Don’t enter the breeding market of marans with the thought of making big money on these now-valuable birds. Get involved with the eventual thought of more valuable eggs for sale to discrimitating buyers such as chefs and higher income consumers. Rushing as many birds and eggs to the breeding market before the values drop will only futher the downfall of the breed rather than the building of it.




http://blackcoppermarans.org/

[Spectrism]

Good to hear from you Agnut.


Hi again Spectrism. Good deal on the knives. I pick up kitchen knives that are US made and the German and Swedish steel quality whenever I find them.

Your two posts show that there are times when you strike out and other times when you make a killing. So patience and steadfastness are the key. By the way, have you ever calculated the percentage of buying times that are great against the times when you struck out ? I seem to have about a 80-90 percent success rate.

Yes- it is good to look for quality and sometimes that means older items that are being discarded due to estate sale, a move or just house-cleaning.

It is hard to judge a success rate because it is subjective. I consider this past weekend a non-success, but I was able to pick up some interesting things. An old clock for $2, brass candleabra for $10, free tennis rackets & basketball. I consider it a failure because I used 4 hours in my search and went to about a dozen sales. The weather was not the best, so the sales were spread out.

Overall, I would say that I need to visit 20 sales to find a real treasure. But I usually find some decent value in less than 5. So, I guess I would say my success rate is typically around 20% per visit... but I usually find something good every Saturday morning.




I have written a long post but have to type it up and post it when time permits.

I’ve done so much buying in the last few weeks here that I am still catching up with putting it all away.


I'd love to hear what you bought.




We are anxiously waiting for 24 black copper chicks being hatched. I could hold 5 in the palm of my hand; they are so tiny when we get them. We’ll be raising them in the house like we did the last ones. This breed of chickens lay a dark brown egg that is considered by chefs to be gourmet (and I hear that they charge accordingly). Oh well, I’m not a connoisseur. More like a kind-of-sewer; everything goes down me.

Will post as soon as I have time. Not only have I been buying lots of stuff but have been learning valuable lessons along the way.

Best wishes,

Agnut


Are the eggs smaller from these chicks? I had an unfortunate event this week with my new chicks..... see "Hawk Attack" in livestock thread/subforum. I lost 17 birds.... have 20 new ones left. A new breed I have (some still left) are the dark cornish chicks. I had high hopes for these... and attempting a mixed breed.

146

[agnut]

Hi Mouse; good to hear from you. Yeah, a lot of crap out there but at least it works as a distraction to the nondiscriminating eyes. I don’t waste time with the junk but treat a sale like you would be at a Chinese buffet. I pick out what I want, pile it in a corner and when my plate is full I call over the seller for a group price.

Looks like you got a 5 bagger with the gun accessories. That’s what I’m talking about !

I have to thank Dogman for his post and then am off to writing about the recent deals I’ve found.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Good to hear from you Agnut.



Yes- it is good to look for quality and sometimes that means older items that are being discarded due to estate sale, a move or just house-cleaning.

It is hard to judge a success rate because it is subjective. I consider this past weekend a non-success, but I was able to pick up some interesting things. An old clock for $2, brass candleabra for $10, free tennis rackets & basketball. I consider it a failure because I used 4 hours in my search and went to about a dozen sales. The weather was not the best, so the sales were spread out.

Overall, I would say that I need to visit 20 sales to find a real treasure. But I usually find some decent value in less than 5. So, I guess I would say my success rate is typically around 20% per visit... but I usually find something good every Saturday morning.




I'd love to hear what you bought.




Are the eggs smaller from these chicks? I had an unfortunate event this week with my new chicks..... see "Hawk Attack" in livestock thread/subforum. I lost 17 birds.... have 20 new ones left. A new breed I have (some still left) are the dark cornish chicks. I had high hopes for these... and attempting a mixed breed.

146

Hi again spectrism. You are well aware that each of us is unique and sees everything through our own eyes and mind filter. Some of the things I pick up would be passed by others. Perhaps that is why I can attend a sale hours after it had begun and still be able to acquire some bargains.

A seemingly small purchase had a lesson attached which I didn’t think of until it was all over. There was a man buying a 5 gallon pail of tools for $20. But there was oil in the bottom of the bucket. This man took most of the tools out and put them in a clean bucket, leaving the oil at the bottom. After he had left I went over to the bucket and tilted it to see what was left in the oil. I asked the seller what he would want for what was left and he said $2. So I emptied the bucket of its contents and found 15 brand new American punches and drifts, 2 ½”drive sockets, needle nose pliers, a chain saw file, large Allen wrenches and a long drill bit.

Doesn’t sound like much but if I had to buy the above items new, they would have cost many times the $2 I paid. And American punches don’t come cheap; because they last longer that the pot metal Asian crap !

I got a roll of galvanized wire (about 80 pounds) for $20. More than I wanted to pay but we need it and there was no sales tax.

A huge pressure cooker for $2. The aluminum scrap is worth more than that.

2 bronze propellers for a Mercury outboard for $30. Don’t know what they are worth but we have a couple of Mercs in the family.

96 Ball and Kerr canning jars for $40.

A flight suit with a zillion zippers all over it. A buck.

A couple hundred pounds of heavy chain for $5. Probably $2-300 if new.

A 5 gallon bucket full of clevises and other fittings for $15.

A hay bale moisture checker for $50 for my son. Still had the receipt from new and was over $400. It made me proud when the first thing my son said was that not only can we check our hay but can also check others’ hay bale stacks. Fire hazard, ya know.

Several sets of new hinges and latches for free.

A Hallicraffter shortwave radio for $5. It made a static sound and I got it on the chance I could make it work.

The next garage sale had a riding mower that needed the shifter fixed. It ran and cut well. He wanted $50 and I got it for $40. The Briggs and Stratton engine was worth more than I was paying so if I couldn’t get it running economically I could at least get value from the engine. Who knows, maybe this or some other engine will be set up to run on gasified wood for recharging the 24 batteries I recently connected for off the grid power.

When I got it home my son repaired the shifter in a short while and now we have a backup riding mower. When my other riding mower broke a drive housing a few weeks ago, it was down for several days and I wasn’t looking forward to having to mow all of our grass with a walk behind mower. So this $40 riding mower will give me some peace of mind. I suppose I could sell it for a profit but I need it more than I need the money.

By the way, the electrical cable double ends were over $10 each from a supplier I found on the internet. However, a local NAPA parts house had two singles which would serve the same purpose for $4.36. So I saved over $100 by buying locally. I know, usually its cheaper to buy from the internet. But not this time.

The spare riding mower is like Ponce’s advice to have a plan behind a plan behind a plan. This advice is not to be taken lightly and as more time passes I am becoming more mindful of this when out there buying. Thanks again Ponce.

While I was at the riding mower sale I spied a motorcycle in the corner of the garage with a not for sale sign. I asked the seller and his wife about it and he said that it was found in a field of high weeds and th4e owner gave it to him for free. The seller had been lugging it around for years and dreamed of restoring it but hadn’t the time. By the way, it was a 1965 BMW R60/2; I don’t know if I will get it but am illustrating here that persistence can pay off in a big way. Our conversation had made him consider selling the bike and I have his phone number to call later. A couple of important points here to note. First, he paid nothing for the bike so I knew that his only attachment was sentimental and actually this worked in my favor since all he saw was a pure cash income deal. And since I had learned that they were moving soon, he and his wife may be motivated to leave it behind, aka sell it to me. His asking price should be low also since he has nothing invested. Second point is this type of deal gives me the time to look up the model and year to see what it is worth and if it is worth the investment.

Got a nice Panasonic microwave for $5. Just in case our other microwave craps out.

Got a 1987 VW Scirocco that I had originally acquired for free a few years earlier. I sold it to my son a few months ago for $300 and now that I had the rebuilt diesel engine and rebuilt special ratio transmission, I had a very special need for the aerodynamic Scirocco. I bought it back for $500 but since I had netted $300 earlier, I really had only $200 out of pocket cost. Straight body and nice interior. I would be happy to talk about car deals if anyone is interested. After all, they loom large in the average budget and shouldn’t be ignored.

Take away from the above deal what you may. There is a method to my madness; it is just part of my ever changing needs within a floating valuation environment. Point is, I am very happy with the deal and my son has more money in his pocket. Who knows; this could lead to diesel conversions of more Sciroccos in the future. As far as I know, the VW factory never offered a diesel engine in the Scirocco.

I must add that I recently bought another Scirocco; it was a series I type and extremely hard to find. It is just sitting there waiting until I have the time. Funny but at my age I am still like a kid when it comes to fixing up cars.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Spectrism, I believe that the black copper Moran eggs are full sized. Won’t know for sure for a long time. Sorry to hear of your hawk attack. We recently lost a Rhode Island Red to a hawk.

[Spectrism]

Enjoyable read Agnut.

Your galvanized wire reminded me of a deal I encountered. A fella was selling old tools that were really beaten and too high of a price.... and there was nothing I particularly needed. I saw a large roll of 3-conductor exterior grade(insulated) copper wire. I did not know the value. He was asking $30. I hemmed and hawwed... trying to figure if this was a good deal. He said it was almost a full roll- I think 200 feet was the length, and he said it cost more than $50 new. I learned not to trust what they say values are.

In a circumstance like this, I think of two things: practical uses and scrap value. My mind went blank on copper value and I could not exactly weigh the wire either. I figured I might use the wire more effectively than scrap it.... so I bought it.

It is a little more than 23 pounds. Copper is just over $4/pound. So the scrap value alone is more than $90. So now I feel silly even questioning the buy.

At another location, I found a guy selling copper .999 bars. I actually paid about $5/pound for these, and broke even on a whole shoebox full of copper pennies.


You are right.... everyone sees things differently - and that makes this fun. Everyone can win- in their own minds.

[Spectrism]

Not much this past week. I did pick up another flat Wagner cast iron pan. $2. The surface is very smooth on these old pans unlike the gritty cheap casts made now.

When I see candles at bargain prices, I snap them up. I got about 5 pounds of candles for a buck. Found a gram-kilogram scale in good working order $15. And some 3/8" plastic reinforced pressure hose- very long roll... maybe 100feet, for $10.

I stopped at a place on my way home... saw a yard sale sign. Old man had junk on tables in his garage. I asked him if he had any old coins or silverware for sale. He said he had some Eisenhower coins, but he couldn't get to them. I asked if he had a silver server set. He said he did have a sterling 24pc set. But again- couldn't get to them. His plan is to sell the junk from his front rooms and work his way back. Holy-moley. He must have so much junk piled into the rooms that you can't even get into the good stuff. Same thing for his barn and many old tools. Guess where I am stopping by every weekend. At some point he has got to make some headway... and the early bird gets the silver.

[agnut]

Enjoyable read Agnut.

Your galvanized wire reminded me of a deal I encountered. A fella was selling old tools that were really beaten and too high of a price.... and there was nothing I particularly needed. I saw a large roll of 3-conductor exterior grade(insulated) copper wire. I did not know the value. He was asking $30. I hemmed and hawwed... trying to figure if this was a good deal. He said it was almost a full roll- I think 200 feet was the length, and he said it cost more than $50 new. I learned not to trust what they say values are.

In a circumstance like this, I think of two things: practical uses and scrap value. My mind went blank on copper value and I could not exactly weigh the wire either. I figured I might use the wire more effectively than scrap it.... so I bought it.

It is a little more than 23 pounds. Copper is just over $4/pound. So the scrap value alone is more than $90. So now I feel silly even questioning the buy.

At another location, I found a guy selling copper .999 bars. I actually paid about $5/pound for these, and broke even on a whole shoebox full of copper pennies.


You are right.... everyone sees things differently - and that makes this fun. Everyone can win- in their own minds.

Hi Spectrism. I have also bought copper wiring and didn’t know exactly what it was worth but made a best guess at the stripped copper weight. However, I only buy it if it is so cheap that I can’t lose. If too high, I bargain it down until it is a steal or I won‘t buy it. It is almost embarrassing to relate how little I paid sometimes. I suspect that those days may come to an end as the economy gets tighter/worse. Don’t miss acquiring scrap aluminum either Spectrism. Old barbecues are usually made of it and when the steel rusts out, they are thrown or given away. We get 75 cents a pound for clean scrap aluminum.

People are waking up to values of things that they had thrown away in the past. For instance I went to a garage sale yesterday that was in a upper price neighborhood; the seller had books for $5 and $7 each. I usually pay from 25 cents to no more than a dollar. I ended up buying nothing and went home empty. That was a first for me. Three weeks ago I was at a garage sale and picked up about 15 hardbound books for free. There was about 200 books there but I got to pick out some I great stuff for my overflowing library. My library; what a joke. Hundreds of books are in boxes and on shelves in the barn and I can’t even get to many of them.

That same afternoon I had to go to town to pick up boxes of fruits and veggies out back of the local supermarket. On the way home I saw a couple of garage sale signs and followed them to where I got ;

A 72” projection TV screen for $20; still in the box and never used. I don’t have a projection TV but one will probably turn up one of these days. Hopefully before my Samsung DLP TV gives up the ghost.

A set of 4 mag wheels for $5 total and a spare rim and tire for a Honda for $1.

A cold weather outfit from a US submarine for a couple of bucks. Ponce says that they cost $150; new or used I don’t know.

A cold weather jacket from the same sub for a couple of bucks (for me).

A pair of stereo speakers for $5.

A car theft lock for the emergency brake for $1

That was it for just a few minutes while I was already in town.

Last weekend I got several items but the two compound bows I got for $7.50 each was about the best score. I could sell them but this is one of the advantages of bartering and horse trading; my son and I have been talking about setting up an archery range but didn’t want to spend the bucks for all the equipment. So last week these two bows come up out of nowhere. The only expense now is to find a set of arrows; I’m sorry to say that I may to have to buy them new because I’ve never seen any arrows for sale at any garage sales. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to change my motto; “the only thing I buy new is socks and underwear”.

Last week one of my sons was with me garage sailing and he spotted a couple of water tanks with a for sale sign beside the road we were traveling. I jotted down the number and later called the seller. He said they were 3,200 gallons each and wanted $2,000 for them. I haggled him down on the phone no less and we agreed on $1,200. I checked out the prices of the two tanks and they cost $3,500 each new so $1,200 for the pair wasn’t too bad a deal.

But here’s the kicker; he said that I could have everything in the adjoining well house for free. There was a pair of ozone generators which retail for $1,000 each and three bladder tanks which retail for $864 each. There was also a booster pump which must cost at least a few hundred dollars. And outside there was a 300 gallon heavy wall steel tank for diesel fuel or whatever I may need. Also lots of fittings, piping and several relay boxes and controllers I haven’t yet identified. Now I don’t know what I can sell the well equipment for but it was there, as they say, for the taking.

My only problem now is getting the two water tanks moved. They are 10 foot in diameter and weigh about 800 pounds each.

As I look back at my last few posts I may sound like I’m bragging. But I’m not; I’m showing what can be found out there with a bit of initiative. A sort of friendly kick in the ass, if you will.

Tonight we had the parents of a friend visit. Some great country folks and real characters. My favorite kind of people. We loaded them up with a couple of boxes of fruits and veggies. I mentioned that we were looking for some railroad ties. They said that they knew someone who had a pile of them for free and promised to call us later. They also have decades of experience in canning and will help us in the future. We must have talked continuously for a couple of hours as it grew dark. So much to share.

Starting to see how networking grows exponentially ? I’m living it and having the time of my life. I wish the same for all of you who are reading this.

On a serious note, we know (or should know by now) that we are heading into some rough times. These connections we make will benefit us as well as others. I believe that we are doing what our parents, grandparents and generations before them did with each other. It was a sense of community; of being there for each other. And I hope and believe that we will have that again someday in the not too distant future. Funny thing is, it is so easy to do and natural.

Best wishes,

agnut

Children are what parents watched before there was television.

[Canadian-guerilla]

People are waking up to values of things that they had thrown away in the past .

another quote for my GSUS quotes file


while i always have time for garage sales, i've never been one to buy clothes
but this weekend i picked up two 100% wool tops for a total of $5
couldn't let those two pass buy, even in 90 degree heat

[agnut]

Not much this past week. I did pick up another flat Wagner cast iron pan. $2. The surface is very smooth on these old pans unlike the gritty cheap casts made now.

When I see candles at bargain prices, I snap them up. I got about 5 pounds of candles for a buck. Found a gram-kilogram scale in good working order $15. And some 3/8" plastic reinforced pressure hose- very long roll... maybe 100feet, for $10.

I stopped at a place on my way home... saw a yard sale sign. Old man had junk on tables in his garage. I asked him if he had any old coins or silverware for sale. He said he had some Eisenhower coins, but he couldn't get to them. I asked if he had a silver server set. He said he did have a sterling 24pc set. But again- couldn't get to them. His plan is to sell the junk from his front rooms and work his way back. Holy-moley. He must have so much junk piled into the rooms that you can't even get into the good stuff. Same thing for his barn and many old tools. Guess where I am stopping by every weekend. At some point he has got to make some headway... and the early bird gets the silver.

HaHa Spectrism; I have been collecting Wagner cast iron cookware for years. Also have been collecting wax candles by the pound. Have you seen the prices for candles in the stores lately ?

Thanks for writing about your old man with a pile he couldn’t get to. Your patience is critical to bartering and horse trading; a sort of force multiplier. Also remember to have a notebook in which to list dates with phone numbers and what happened that day. Who, what, where, when, why and how are foundational to good journalism and will also apply to wise deal making. This notebook will prove to be invaluable for some deals that need to mature for a time. Not every deal is made on the spot but due to finances and circumstances with either buyer or seller, deals can be made even months later when the time is right. Very, very important.

Off topic but Ponce and I were discussing storing salt and sugar and Ponce made me realize that sugar was a better prep item to accumulate. Why ? Because salt is relatively easy to make while sugar requires a lengthy operation of growing and processing. We do need salt but sugar is needed in so many cooking recipes that to not have sugar would put such a halt to so many of the foods we eat. White gold ? Maybe someday; but I am planning to get at least a couple hundred more pounds to put away into the 4 gallon square buckets I get from a local bakery for 50 cents each. Is there a lesson here ? I hope so.

I have to tell you that when I got the first 60 plastic buckets with lids that I thought that I had too many buckets. But on further reflection, I decided to get all of the buckets I could find. Two reasons; first, I am using the heck out of these buckets. Food storage and many, many other uses. And second, at 50 cents each they are a screaming steal. They are a petroleum product and with peak oil production and a coming devaluation/collapse of the dollar, these plastic buckets will only rise in price. In a few years, what will be the price of a plastic storage bucket ? They cost about $6-7 retail right now but again ask yourself what they will be worth as trading material. Starting to get the picture of how we may be bartering and horse trading in the future ? Also realize that right now, these plastic buckets are a great deal. So, where is the downside of accumulating as many as you can find ? Except for the room needed to stack them, I see none. I would love to have over a thousand buckets 9 have about 250 now) but they are being used almost as fast as they are being replaced.

By the way, I’m also getting steel buckets with lids from the same source. At first I didn’t know what I would do with them but realized that I can use them for food storage in the barn which has mice/rats that cannot chew through steel. They already chewed through a plastic container so I had a dilemma with my garage already packed with food preps. So my problem solved itself. My point here is that sometimes we get items that we don’t know what to do with and only later an epiphany (brain fart really) hits us upside the head.

In my area there are a lot of old timers with acreage ( I’ve unwittingly become one too !) who sometimes have barns full of items packed away that I bet they haven’t looked at for decades. When they either decide to get rid of their lifetime accumulations or their heirs sell them at an estate sale, it is only a matter of time. So I watch the local paper classified ads and have my feelers out. I feel like a Moray eel relaxing in my cave, waiting for appetizing morsels to drift by. But as I wrote in the past, it is not wise to bite off more than you can chew. So far I have been able to buy whatever bargains I found. The aforementioned two 3,200 water storage tanks were about as much as I can take on at this time. I have to get on the phone and find someone willing to move them for me. Wide load signs and a moving permit ? I don’t know yet. Wish me luck. HaHa. Hey ! Maybe I can turn them on their side and roll them home. Definitely a brain fart there.

Best wishes,

agnut



"When a man is aware, and by aware I mean honest with himself, he inevitably suffers the pain of being certain while the rest of the world enjoys the bliss of false assumptions." - Brandon Smith

[Spectrism]

Thanks for more insights Agnut!

I will check in with local bakeries and see if they dispose of containers/buckets.

I stored up some sugar. My wife says we have enough. Not even close. Sugar can also be used to make ethanol. The best deal I found was buying sugar at the local Mormon distribution center. I heard that some won't sell to non-members, but I did not have any problem.

Another thing to get is baking soda. Walmart sells large plastic bags for swimming pools. It increases the pH. This stuff is very useful for many things.

BTW- I haven't priced candles in the stores. I have been buying them on instinct. If there is no electric power, I see a week's worth of candles for $1 to be a good bargain.

Oh... just remembered another bargain I found. A case of sterno cans- 32 in a milk crate, for $10. I don't know the store cost, but I figured 50 cents each is decent value. Food & fuel are good targets to hunt.

[Spectrism]

Scored a couple little things today.

First, I got a box of candles for $2. To buy these new in the store would be in the $20 range.

Next, I happened to see some silverware spoons in a bag. Seller didn't even know they were there. I pulled them out and notice "COIN" stamped on one and my finger silver sensor alerted. (my fingers twitch around silver) I have never found coin silverware before. I asked what she wanted.... $1. Sold! When I got home, there were about 10 of these... total more than 5 tozs. Metal value- $180.

Then I found a little moving sale... nothing good on display. So I asked. Ended up with 4 sterling silver spoons for $2. Sold.
I weighed those at 3 tozs. Metal value- $111.

So $3 bought me $291 worth of silver. Almost a 100 bagger.


At one stop, as I looked over the barbeque tools, I listened to the conversation between a shopper and sellers. The shopper was educating the sheep on silver values. One thing he said that got my BS detector up for a moment was that junk silver will have increased numismatic value because so much is being melted down. I never heard that before. He did tell them that silver was around $40 per ounce and the value of junk silver coins.

The smart man said that he only had 16 of the Kenedy halfs left and did not want to sell them. He followed that with: "If I had 100 of them I would sell them."
And then the woman talks about how she took all her silver spoons to a local (rip-off) joint and got 16 whole dollars for them. No dealer would buy plated spoons so they had to be sterling. To verify her good move she said 16 dollars is better than throwing the spoons out. LOL... sure. Some sheep should not be educated... it will hurt their feelings. I bought the new barbeque utensils for $1 and kept my mouth shut.


Getting there first is VERY important most of the time. I have had numerous failures too. One place I went to- about an hour too late, I saw an antique dealer loading up what he just bought. He had a lot of junk... real junk that I would never touch. But amidst the junk was a silver kettle or creamer. Nothing fancy, but had to be about 10 tozs. Everything there that the sheeple was selling was around a dollar. So I learned a lesson on prioritizing visits.

Best places to hit first and early: estate sales, house contents sales.
Then- moving sales... and always ask for the goos stuff. It is usually hidden away.

[agnut]

another quote for my GSUS quotes file


while i always have time for garage sales, i've never been one to buy clothes
but this weekend i picked up two 100% wool tops for a total of $5
couldn't let those two pass buy, even in 90 degree heat

Hi Canadian-guerilla, good to hear from you. Ponce has always said that the trash dumps of today will be the goldmines of tomorrow.

Out of season clothing buying is smart and soooo easy. The hotter the weather the more are for sale and cheaper. You’d think that people hadn’t learned that the seasons return with regularity.

You have jogged my memory of something that I have been wanting to write about for a long time.

These screaming bargains that we find can be perceived in more than one way.

First, they are money saved for the things we need. No duh.

Second, they can be held for the future and used for bartering material.

Third, they can be an investment which increases in value through time. The plastic buckets in my last post are a good example. Quality tools such as power drills, saws - as well as boxes of nails and screws, chains, etc. ; these items and many others may not be available in a few years. Building material and clothing are a couple more that come to mind.

Fourth, and here is my main point. Some bargain items bought now have the capacity to increase as much as or even more that gold and silver at current prices. Now let me explain before I get banned as a shill for the fiat money crowd. This is a complex situation and not to be entered into without deeply considering all the ramifications.

An example might best be provided to show the sequence of events in order to understand the need for this change in perception.

Say Joe has 10,000 ounces of physical silver. And he has preps for a couple years. His home is fully paid for and he has social security, stocks, Treasury bonds and a 401K account coming in that is sufficient to pay all of his bills including property taxes. Looking pretty good, isn’t he ?

Yes, he is well prepared. FOR THE PRESENT, THAT IS.

However, within a couple of years the financial and social landscape will have radically transformed into a war scenario; a financial war, that is. Civil rights have been trampled and when society fell apart due to the collapse of the dollar, social security lost relevance; worthless. Most all stocks and bonds also became borderline worthless. The 401K accounts had earlier been confiscated by the government with broken promises to continue payouts (remember Social Security and what they did ?). Besides, the dollar itself had become practically worthless; no matter if the payouts continued if the currency was only good for toilet paper. Ironic as well as tragic that almost all citizens had believed the government all the way to their bitter end.

So now Joe, a couple of years later, finds himself and his family with no means to pay bills except his 10,000 ounces of physical silver. Silver, their salvation in a desperate situation ? Not hardly, because the government had ordered high taxation on precious metal “profits”. What a sick joke since purchasing power of precious metals had increased half of most folks thought through the years. Why ? Because the dollar had fallen in purchasing power.

Additionally, there was confiscation of all gold and silver bullion with a huge fine and 5 years prison sentence. Sound familiar ? Well, most folks who would remember the lesser Depression are either dead or in rest homes. They would remember; they lived through it.

Property rights fly out the window when government is against the wall. They will forcibly take anything you have in order to continue their power position. This has been true throughout history and I can see no reason that it won’t happen again. Do you really believe that those in power will relinquish their power willingly ? When have you ever seen this happen ? Sorry but my squashing old misconceptions is the only way to get through to changing to this different way of thinking.

Now this scenario didn’t unfold all at once but rather through a gradual process of tightening the noose upon the unsuspecting public. Alternate thinking might perceive that we have already been in a collapse for some years; it is a process through time rather than a head on collision. Alternate thinkers have learned to foresee trends’ end game. They also prepare in anticipation of where they want to be in this Slave New World.

Next is Don and his family. Don also had 10,000 ounces of silver. I said HAD, as in he sold 1,000 of his silver at an intermediate peak price. He had bought silver long ago at $5 per ounce and sold some at $40 per ounce, an 8 time increase. An incredible profit, wouldn’t you say ? Well, this 8 times increase must be viewed in the context of the relative values of the dollar between when Don bought his silver and when he sold it. The fiat dollar, actually any fiat currency, is dropped into the bowl and floats around until flushed by good sense and an operational olfactory system. But it has not really flushed yet. Why, you ask ? Because those who have their hands on the lever are still in control. Or think they are. With the European Union unraveling, the dollar is looking relatively strong. But its been said that fiat currencies don’t float but rather sink at different rates.

Now Don has $40,000 in fiat dollars and 10% less physical silver. What to do, what to do. You’d think that he had a sort of delicious dilemma of what “toys” to buy. But not Don; for he has been reading on the internet for several years and like Saint Nick, making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s been naughty or nice. Or rather foolish or wise.

If Don had bought his silver about 10 years ago at $5 per ounce and recently sold some at $40 per ounce with the fiat dollar losing say, half of its purchasing power, Don really “only” increased the value of his silver four times rather than the eight times many assume.

So what could be bought now that would keep up with silver’s price rise in the same time period ?

Tough question; one I have been pondering for some time.

In Don’s case, he had decided that he was too heavy in precious metals and too light in preps and other physical investments. A rebalancing of his portfolio was in order.

More preps was the first thing Don did. And not just food but also backup equipment for what he already had. This is where estate and garage sales comes in. A $30- $40 deluxe toaster may be bought for a dollar or two at a garage sale. I know, I have done it a few times myself. I have one toaster in my kitchen and three backups in storage, all used but in working condition. Extra shovels, rakes, tools, lumber, nails and a myriad of other items that Don may need himself as well as desirable bartering material for the future. Granted, these are small items which can be bought for a pittance at estate and garage sales and therefore would take time to accumulate. However, there are some large items that can quickly gobble up most of Don’s $40,000 cash wad.

Things like cars. People need to get around and with gasoline becoming more expensive through time, a small high mile per gallon backup car seems like a good idea. In fact, I just bought a Chevrolet Sprint. Don’t laugh but it has a three cylinder Suzuki engine and is only 1,000 ccs, as in a one liter engine. However, it gets over 50 MPG and is cheap to maintain. A friend had one and modified it to run lean; he was getting over 100 MPG until he burned up the motor. Went a but too far with the leaning of the fuel while not water injecting it to keep it running cool. I don’t intend to go this far but hope to tweak the carburetor a bit to get 70 MPG. By the way, this little car has a 30,000 mile engine just installed and I only paid $100 for the car ! I did pay a $50 finder’s fee and another $50 to have it towed to my place. To me, finder’s fees are a financial thank you and a happy circumstance where both parties win. I recommend it highly. The $50 towing I didn’t have to pay since the friend was doing it for free. It came as a surprise to him and was an investment of sorts for future dealings. Generosity and fairness rules here in bartering and horse trading.

By the way, I’m in the middle of converting a 1987 VW Scirocco gas car into a diesel for higher miles per gallon ( the gas version gets about 30-35 MPG). I thought I was the first to do so but recently talked to a man who has done just that. He is getting 65 MPG and this is without a modified gear ratio transmission which I have built for my own car. I think 70 MPG will be easily attainable without any engine modifications. I chose the VW Scirocco because it is far more aerodynamic that other Volkswagens of the same vintage.

So what am I going to do with this diesel VW Scirocco ? Drive it for a while and then perhaps put it on Ebay at a high price to see how much demand there may be out there. If this were to pan out, I would find other VW Sciroccos to convert. Could be quite profitable. I just don’t know at this time; especially feeling that we are at the threshold of a collapse of the dollar. And even if the dollar were to not collapse, I would still have an extremely high MPG car for the future. A win-win in my eyes.

These VW Sciroccos are getting scarce and I have been reluctant to write about their potential since I don’t want others to read what I’m doing and scoop the ones that are still out there. It is more important to share this in particular as an example of the way I think than to keep silent in order for future gain. Besides, not many people read this thread and even fewer will actually buy one of these cars and convert it. A while ago I saw a VW diesel pickup truck sell for $12,000 on Ebay. It was cosmetically excellent with a new paint job and interior but neither the engine nor the 5 speed transmission were rebuilt. The person who bought it could well have found himself in a few months on the side of the road with a blown engine. But he would still have a pristine car - hanging at the end of the hook of the tow truck !

People buy the sizzle without realizing the sound of that sizzle is their own fat frying.

As I have written many times, we as a society are moving from form to function. In other words, getting to work in a Mercedes is no better than arriving in a high MPG car. It takes about the same time but one is far, far more expensive than the other. And expensive can no longer be continued. Here is a great article that explains a great part of why and how we are in the current predicament :

Peacock Syndrome - America’s Fatal Disease

http://www.theburningplatform.com/?p=18895

There are almost 100 commentaries that follow which will give you some idea of what intelligent folks are thinking.

Everybody talks about how much money they are making but nobody talks about how much they are saving for their future. Oh yeah, some talk about how much money they have in their 401K, their pension, stocks, bonds and bank accounts. But can’t you see the fatal flaw here ? Yep, it is all paper and electronic promises. And they don’t physically hold it either. If that doesn’t scare the Hell out of you, I don’t know what will.

The Social Security checks are being used as the carrot and stick by those wanting to further increase government spending. Disgusting beyond description. These are the same guys who robbed the SS trust fund of over 2 trillion dollars and put in its place a nonnegotiable promissory note. And who is responsible for that promissory note ? Us, the same ones who paid into the SS fund in the first place. In some bizarre world, doesn’t this mean that we are paying twice for the same thing ?

So what do you think they will do in the near future with your other paper and electronic promises ?

If you didn’t really hold it, do you think you really ever owned it ? Something we will hear in the future.

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one."
John MacKay “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds”

So please, please think of where you are and how you want to be living in the future. Sure, it is uncertain but at least we can see the trends of the last few decades and where we are heading.

Enough of my tirade for now. I have more to post as soon as I can type it all up. Yesterday was a totally unexpected wild day at garage sales.

Best wishes,

Agnut

“America is living off the fiat of the land”

[agnut]

Wow Spectrism, those are some great posts and deals . Lots to learn here.

I have to realize that those reading the bartering and horse trading thread who have never actively gone out seeking steal deals at garage and estate sales, well, they are probably skeptical that we are telling the truth. After all, I am sometimes amazed at the deals I have found. Even today I look at my commercial Stihl weed whacker that costs about $400 new and I got it at a garage sale for $5 and am stilh amazed.

Your almost 100 bagger in sterling silver is …. What can I say but AMAZING ? I have never had such a silver deal… EVER. I don’t get jealous of other’s success but you have pushed me to the edge. HaHa

Moving on to the candles you got. Well, I got that topped as of last Saturday. I’ll post the gory details below.

I’m also adding to my sugar preps. Have a couple of hundred pounds now and feel horribly naked in that area. I don’t know if 500 pounds would be enough. Costco seems to have the best prices but I rarely get over to where they are located.

Now it’s my turn; tell me what you think.

Last Saturday I awoke at 8:30, not realizing at first that it was Saturday. My only thing on my to do list was to get a couple of cartridges for my HP printer. I was still fuzzy headed when I pulled up my local paper’s garage sale ads. I looked through 10 or so ads and spied one that was a community yearly garage sale. It was only 3 miles away in a fancy neighborhood that I had been to a few times. I called my nephew to see if he was interested in going. He was at my house in a few minutes and we headed out. On the way there I noticed a sign that said there was also a community garage sale going on a couple of miles further.

We hit about 10 garage sales in fast order, the first few were discouraging. At that point I wondered if people were running out of good items to sell but the next few sales allayed my fears. It just kept getting better the more we looked.

By now we had the SUV half loaded and hadn’t even gotten over to the next area. I had been there several times over the years and knew its potential. Houses ranged from $300,000 and up. An older quality neighborhood with lots of toys, big boy toys, that is.

Knowing your neighborhoods and allocating your time accordingly is crucial to increasing your success. I can’t emphasize this enough.

Here is a list of what I got, prices and why I bought them :

2 VW hubcaps for 25 cents each. I have several VWs and am a VW nut anyhow; been working on them for almost 40 years…so far.

A board game called Therapy for 75 cents. My sister has a degree in psychology and it might be fun to psych her out.

A brand new veggie steamer for $2. I already have a couple of them but you will find a common thread with me in that I am always looking for backups in multiples. What is enough ? I really don’t know.

A fruit dehydrator for $2. One of ours recently went south so a replacement was in order.

Two berry juice extractors for 25 cents each. One was a wooden handled antique. Couldn’t pass them up at that price.

A Craftsman wood splitter maul with fiberglass handle for $2. Probably costs over $30 new and it was like new. Also, the fiberglass handle types don’t break as far as I’ve seen.

A plastic gas can for $1. Can’t seem to get enough of these.

A long tree branch lopper with cutting blade attachment for $2. They rarely ever show up at garage sales and we have a new orchard.

A power orange juicer for $1. They cost about $33 new with tax. I already have 2 but a friend who picks up our fruits and veggies had asked me to keep my eyes peeled for one. And he had asked only a couple of weeks ago. Can’t wait till he shows up.

A power can opener for $1. Hey, I’m a bit lazy and someday I’ll be able to tell the young ’uns I had a can opener that works on e-lektricity.

A brand spanking new Black and Decker 14 piece drill bit set for $1.

A mixmaster with bowl and stand for $1

A set of like new heavy duty jumper cables for $2. This type lasts almost forever and can handle heavy amperage like for my Dodge diesel truck.

A Remington power nail driver with shot loads and nails for $2. Costs about $40 at Home Depot. Also a backup.

Large Vise Grips brand for 50 cents. Can’t get enough of this top quality tool.

A French made cork installer for 50 cents. Ya never know when I’ll want to make a couple of cases of wine since I bought a wine making outfit at another garage sale a few years back.

31 patio candles for 50 cents. Not such a hot deal but I was there and they were there and…

A Bushnell rifle scope for $1. Too cheap to pass up.

75 pounds of candle wax with 2 large boxes of candle making molds, aromas, dyes, other equipment, loads of wicks for $20. I’ve been picking up cheap wax for a long time and now this whole candle making setup shows up. What could I do ? I was helpless.

For future reference, I just now found prices for candle wax. Straight paraffin would cost $99.15 for 75 pounds and wax blend would cost $116.75 for 75 pounds. Plus shipping. YMMV.

That candle equipment and wax deal is looking better all the time.

A Craftsman floor model radial arm saw with several attachments still in their boxes, radial arm saw books, a carbide blade, a dado cutter still in the package and it all looks almost new. All for $50.

And I’ve saved the best for last. I spied a couple of HP printer cartridges sitting on a HP Photosmart 1100 copier. I started to ask the seller what he wanted for the two cartridges and before I could get the whole question out of my mouth, my nephew interrupted me and said to look at the price tag on the copier. I couldn’t believe it. It said $1! The seller was selling the two cartridges still in their sealed boxes WITH the copier for a buck. And there were two used cartridges already in the machine (Don’t know if they work, just a bonus).

Remember at the beginning of this post I wrote that the only thing on my to do list was to get a couple of cartridges ? Do you know how many types of cartridges there are out there ? And to find the exact two that I was going to buy anyway ? And new ones at a garage sale for crying out loud ? What are the odds ?

Voltaire said “God is a comedian playing to an audience that is too afraid to laugh.” Well, I’m laughing.

Those cartridges alone would have cost me $100 with tax. My total for all of the garage sailing was $102.50. Do you see where I’m going with this ? Yeah, as Mae West said “I can resist most anything but temptation.” So did I spend only $3.50 ($2.50 out of pocket plus $1 for the copier machine and two cartridges) for all of the aforementioned items ? I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I like that way.

Looking back on that Saturday outing, we had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs and saved a lot of money. By the way, what are you doing next Saturday ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

[Spectrism]

Excellent! Thanks for the adventure. It is always a special joy to find just an item you were thinking about buying anyway... and getting it at bargain basement pricing. Yes- there are hundreds of printer cartridges... and they are costly.

The idea about neighborhoods.... yes some are so down and out that you are not likely to find anything good unless its stolen. It was a very nice neighborhood where I got the sterling silverware set last year for $30. Most of my finds are in average neighborhoods.... just because that's where the sales are.

Yeah- I can see how someone might think these are just fish stories. I will try to upload a couple pics.

505
506

The 4 spoons on the left are the Sterling. Another red flag for silver is its make. Some are very high end quality silversmithery, but some are rather thin. If you find a silverbowl, it might even be dented or out of round because it is made with as little silver as possible. The thick stuff I usually find is plated. When I see something "soft" or thin, then I get interested quick. It is cheap and easy to plate thick base metal, so a silver thin bowl (or utensil) is not likely plated.

I have actually thought about not telling what I learn, but we are so spread apart and there are so many opportunities, I would rather see like-minded people here gain the advantage. We are all looking for different things. It is funny what you see some people buy like it is the best treasure, yet you wouldn't want it for free. I am sure others think that about my finds. The variety at these sales is tremendous.

A couple weeks ago I bought some OLD wheat cutting tools.... don't even know what you call them. Large scythes? I got three of them for $2 each. Very sharp and cut cleanly. Wood is a bit weathered but I could replace that with formed maple if needed.

I have been drawn to candles, fuels, storage tools (dehydrators/ canning jars), cast iron pots/pans, jewelry (gold/ silver/ stones-SP), hand tools, hoses, scrap metals and wire... and more things. The quality wool clothing is a smart thing to grab. BTW- thanks for the valuation on parafin wax... it gives me an idea of what I should be looking for in these deals.

This thread should be the most popular one on this forum.
There are treasures in your neighborhood.

[agnut]

Hi again Spectrism. The last thing you stated was “This thread should be the most popular one on this forum. “ I had to laugh; for you see, the fact that so many do not look at this thread is an indication that most would rather read of events than make events. It seems that you and I are currently carrying the bartering and horse trading thread. Welcome.

I am glad to hear that you are willing to share your knowledge and experiences. They accumulate over time and hopefully build a repertoire of abilities which aren’t found elsewhere. Deal making can become a fine art and after so many years of doing so, I’m still continually learning.

Funny that you mentioned the OLD wheat cutting tools. Coincidentally, last Friday I found a very old scythe for $20. Wooden handles and shaft. It was in such good condition for its age that I had to buy it. It will go with my one horse plow as yard decorations. Your scythes sound like a screaming bargaining in comparison to mine.

A week ago I was out with my son and ran across a set of the four seasons done in mother of pearl. They were made in China about 25 years ago but could be older. They are exquisite and will hang in my bedroom. There are different gradations in quality of workmanship and these are the highest, done in 3-D and therefore delicate and under glass. If you appreciate fine art and workmanship, these are the top quality I can envision. I’m no art expert but probably because of my love of art of all types, I have always been successful in what art I do acquire.

I looked on Ebay and saw one similar mother of pearl piece that was being offered for $1,000. It was only 1 panel and not as well done as mine. I liked it but wouldn’t have paid more than a couple of hundred for it. So what did I pay for all of the four seasons panels. Try $50 total at a garage sale. I still can’t believe it. They aren’t for sale now; I have to get to know them. Maybe it’s love.

Yesterday I got a cement mixer for $50 (hmmm… from love to a cement mixer; quite a jump). Anyway, it was an older type with a steel tumbler and belt driven electric motor. Perfect for when we put in the patio out back.

Picked up 20 or so 33 1/3 record albums for 50 cents each. In the group there was a Lenny Bruce album cataloging at $100. Maybe no big deal but this tells me that it is relatively scarce. And I collect humor of all types. Picked up 10 or 12 British humor DVDs and videotapes for 50 cents each. Hard to find here in the U.S., at least at garage sales. Almost forgot; the record seller gave me a box of over 100 45 records for free. Many are out of the 50s and early 60s.

Got a convection oven for $15. Will do a small turkey, I’m told. Well, I’ve wanted to play with one for a while and this fell in my lap. I love art but only like appliances. Sorry.

Funny thing happened with that convection oven. The seller wanted $15 and I offered $10 which she accepted. I paid and put it in the truck when I looked closely at it; she said that it costs $35 new and was worth more than the $15 she was asking. It was a heavy unit made of glass mostly and had the manual with it. Didn’t look like a $35 machine new, looked a lot more expensive. So for some reason, not guilt, I went back to her and gave her the extra $5 and told her that I had looked it over more closely and realized what I had. She smiled like I had made her day. Ya never know.


Some things I buy are for reselling later, some are for use around the home, some are for fun until I tire of them and some are just curiosity items. When buying them I always have in mind what they are worth and what I may have to resell them for someday. Why ? Because I’m just passing through….

The other day my son pulled out a couple of RC helicopters that I had given him last Christmas. They are small and not sophisticated like the big ones but they are amazing for what they can do. We chased each other around as the cows and dog watched with rapt fascination. It was almost as much fun watching the animals as the choppers.

Toys, toys and more toys. This is an important sideline of bartering and horse trading. Gotta have fun with what we buy; otherwise we may begin to feel that we are working (ugh). Keep it light, keep it fun and you won’t grow tired of bartering and horse trading.

Orson Wells said, “If I had a hobby that didn’t bring me money, I would find another hobby“. I would add that if I didn’t have a hobby that was fun also, I would look elsewhere. I’m not in it just for the money, ya know.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I am beginning to suspect that these screaming deals at garage and estate sales will not in the future be so easily available. It is a process that we are in the middle of right now. I would guess that the prices will firm up sometime next summer. Have you ever been to a garage sale that had prices so high that you wondered if these prices were what they cost new ? I have been to a couple and this may be a sign of firming prices; don’t know but will be watching for more signs.

You have but to sit back and imagine a scenario from what you have been reading about the last few years here on the internet. Go ahead; let your imagination run wild. There are several possible ways for the cards to fall. I have my ideas and others have theirs, perhaps most are valid at this time; that is as it should be. But the future picks the winner.

The world is rapidly changing. We can only hope for the best while we prepare for the worst. Einstein said that a simple, unassuming life was the best. I agree but I can’t seem to follow his advice at this time in history.

We can own nothing in this world but only have use of it for a time, for we are mortal.

In other words, don’t get attached to things; get attached to people.

What we will someday call money and how we will feel about it is not central to deal making. Money is only an intermediary which facilitates the speed of an agreement being made. In our modern high speed world with over 6 billion souls we absolutely must have money that has a reliable value over time. The dollar has lost something like 96% of its purchasing power since the Federal Reserve was established in 1913. Is this 96% loss the price we must pay for an intermediary, a facilitator ?

[Spectrism]

This past week was almost a total bust. I did pick up an army hip plastic canteen in case and on a web belt for $5. I really was more interested in the web belt.

I also found out I have a sharpshooter in my area. I stopped at one place right at 8:30am... and asked about coins & silver. She said someone came through 2 hours before asking the same thing.

One place, the guy was expecting his brother to bring 2 silverware sets from his grandmother's things. He got cold feet.

Another place, a girl was to sell me some silver dollars for $25 each and about 20 old quarters for $7 each. She had them at home... and she never called me. We will see if that ever happens.

Some places I find do have high prices. I see them as semi-professionals, trying to get the most for their wares. They buy & sell. I have never found any good bargains at those places. As I get to know who is "in the biz" I avoid returning to those. An ignorant seller is my best bargain source. If I don't get the deal on impulse immediately, they never follow up.... as if they begin to educate themselves and learn what value they have.... or go to a coin dealer and give their stuff away there. I think that whoever has the cash in front of them, while they have there items in hand, will get the deal. I have given my phone number out about 10 times and NEVER got a good call "when they found" the item. One place I returned to said that they sold it the next week on a tag sale instead of calling me. This shows the mentality of the ignorant seller.

In trading, most times you don't give away your hard-earned education.

Future- assets will be the value traded. I wonder if anyone will have cash to be able to buy things. If we go to a full blown depression without the fake system, bartering will be the way to aquire things. Whether a bucket or a shovel is more valuable to you today, will determine how good of a deal you got.

[horseshoe3]

I was at an auction to see a trencher sell. I noticed that a local machinery manufacturer had brought some surplus stuff. I have some machines from that company so I went over to see what they had. Turns out they had several pallets of press wheels for my planter - all new. The bearings on these press wheels go out routinely and they are $20 each. I bought 97 press wheels with new bearings for $150. If I use 8 of them - and I will - I will come out ahead. As an added bonus, I don't have to disassemble the press wheel and replace the bearing, I can just bolt on a new assembly and go. Saves time and money.

[MNeagle]

10 Dos and Don’ts of a Successful Garage Sale

http://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/10-dos-and-donts-of-a-successful-garage-sale-pa.jpg

Who doesn’t want to get rid of clutter and make some money at the same time? A garage sale (aka estate sale, tag sale, or yard sale, depending on where you live and how great your stuff is) could be just the thing to do both. Here are ten tips you may not know — from J. D. Roth (who writes for Time’s Moneyland blog), yardsalequeen.com (http://yardsalequeen.com/), and blog.movebuilder.com (http://blog.movebuilder.com/):
Dos

A group sale will draw more lookers than a one-family sale.


“Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them?” asks Roth. Price items accordingly.


Go to yardsalequeen.com (http://yardsalequeen.com/) for ideas about lettering, sign placement, and free ways to advertise your sale. (The site suggests using a brown paper bag, filling it with rocks, and taping it shut. But use big, fat, thick lettering — definitely no wispy ballpoint pen.)

Non-holiday weekends after local paydays are the best time to schedule a sale.


Put the nice stuff closer to the road. Place tools and gadgets out front, too, to draw men who might otherwise try to overrule their wives about stopping at your sale.


In general, ask for 25 to 33 percent of the item’s original cost. Be less flexible about price at the beginning of the sale and more flexible at the end.
Don’ts

Don’t let strangers into your house to try on clothes or use the restroom.


Don’t keep money in a shoebox. Wear a fanny pack. Keep all the money in it, along with a cell phone just in case.


No helpful calculations from customers, thanks just the same. You tote up the prices on what they’re buying.


Don’t take your eyes off of your customers. Beware of people who switch tags. Beware of people who tell you they gave you a $20 bill when they gave you a $10. Beware of people who take things out of boxes, put them under their clothes, and leave the empty boxes behind.
http://www.rd.com/home/the-10-dos-and-donts-of-a-successful-garage-sale/

[Spectrism]

I was a little bummed out today with only about 5 tag sales listed. On my start, I saw a sign for a barn sale. Well, it wasn't really a barn sale- more like garage. Nothing I could use.... but got talking with the people about solar energy and got some good tips. They had a "free" pile.... picked up a nice big tarp and electricl standards book.

At another place I got an electric smoker for $1.

Another place- I got a box of maybe 100 polished rocks for $1.

Then I saw a little sign- a place not advertised. I had been there before and there was mostly junk there, but now the sign said: everything must go. Those are the key words to look for bargains: EVERYTHING MUST GO or MOVING SALE.

Nothing I could use out there. There was some furniture inside. I walked the house and saw kind of a trash and untouched area with some old canned foods in the basement. Checking dates, I saw that most expired over the last 3-5 years. I asked what they were doing with the canned foods. Answer: pitching it. I took it for free... about 200 pounds of it. 3 bins, one milk crate and one cardboard box. Good emergency supply. Some I will keep and some goes out. They were just glad they did not have to haul it out the the trash themselves.

Anyway- I found almost nothing that I was looking for (just one Sterling-handled knife for $1), and a few things I had no intention of directly seeking.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism; I haven’t been up to posting lately. So many things to do that I have slowed down considerably; so this is what burnout feels like. And tons of garage and estate sales tugging at me and my wallet.

I have been fortunate to have been to some estate sales at which I cleaned up. But about you and your ventures first.

Your recent experiences with sterling silver and 90% silver coins has been similar with me too. Take it a sign of the times. People are wising up as to the values of things, particularly gold and silver .

I seldom give out my phone number for a future buy. However, I do take their number for something they want to sell. This works only sometimes. You are right; if the deal can’t be made on the spot, it most likely won’t be made later. They almost never call. Also, I usually carry more cash than I need on the chance that I will come across a big deal.

You wrote that in the future “assets will be the value traded”. This is one reason that I have been buying multiples of some items such as cooking gear, gardening tools, 4 gallon buckets and Tupperware to name a few. Someday these items will be expensive and/or unavailable. Just the other day I bought a set of Wolfgang Puck cooking ware. They are expensive and look it; I paid $10 and put them away into long term storage. The Tupperware lasts forever and is dirt cheap in relation to its usefulness. Also, it is expensive if bought new. I picked up about 20 pieces with lids for a total of about $3.

And as you wrote, the deals we make now will be judged in the future whether they were wisely made or not. A smart observation there, Spectrism.

In your second post you wrote about free items at garage sales. I have found it 10 times better at estate and moving sales; the sellers are motivated by not wanting to have to haul their junk to the dump or their next home. Fencing, aluminum, copper wiring and 4’X8’ new sheets of pressed board are but a few of the free items I have picked up lately.

Your 200 pounds of free canned food was a great catch. Of course, it will need to be put first in line for consumption. Hey, did you or anybody try the free produce pickups ? I am still getting about a ton per week and I only pickup three times per week. Easy work and it saves at least a couple thousand dollars per year off the old food bill. Our four steers love it and stand by the fence like hungry puppies. Not to mention all the wonderful connections we have made in giving out this produce. This is something I had not anticipated.

It still feels strange to go into our local supermarket and totally bypass the produce section.

I am wondering just how long we will be able to find these under priced items at estate and garage sales. Remember that as time passes, the extra items folks have to sell will diminish as they are sold and worn out. So if folks can’t afford new items from the stores and used items are being bought up, where will the future items come from ? I would guess that we have maybe a year or two until many prices of used items increase significantly, perhaps approaching the new prices. Its all supply-demand dynamics. In fact, I was at two or three garage sales where the prices were almost as high as the prices in the stores. Heck, maybe it is already beginning to happen.

Picked up a set of thee four seasons Chinese mother of pearl artworks. They are three dimensional and under glass frames. Saw a single one on Ebay for a buy it now price of $1,000. I didn’t like it as much as the four I have. Value ? I don’t know but a gut feeling caused me to buy them. Price ? How about $50 total for all four ?

This was a month ago and buying this Chinese art has opened my eyes to other art bargains. Last week I found another Chinese piece of art measuring 33” X 54”, including frame. Hard to describe; it is extremely fine embriodery on white silk. An incredibly detailed grouping of about 100 exotic birds. The oriental lady who sold it to me said that she had bought it in Asia 25 years ago and had paid $500 for it then. It was so artistic and labor intensive in creation that $100 seemed a bargain. But with all art, the beauty is in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder.

In past years I have written about other art that I bought and later sold for a higher price. Sometimes double or triple. I hadn’t originally bought with this intention but by not getting overly emotional when buying, the later selling usually comes out well. Art that was $500 some 25 years ago and is now being offered for $100 may turn out to have been a great investment someday. It is the “someday” that I am concerned about; what if the currency collapses and/or we have a greater depression ? What is the value of art then ? This is why I buy hardly any art any more. The $150 I spent on art in the last months will not put a burden on my future finances. It is all a matter of proportions to our total financial picture.

An Asian lady told me to collect Chinese and Japanese art. I think that their economies have changed to such a great extent in the last couple of decades that much of their older fine art is no longer being made like it once was. Also the older arts are not being taught to the younger generations as in the past.

The highest quality older art is not being created today. I learned this through years of collecting Italian micro mosaic and pietra dura pieces. Later I collected enamel on copper paintings and learned the same rule applies. Better to have one high quality piece than ten mediocre pieces.

It may sound like rationalization but buying art or an item that pleases can be beyond monetary gain. A sort of backdoor rule applies here; If someone bought an item because they loved it, there will most probably be another who will also love it. And buy it.

Quality art and other items have the capacity to be handed from one owner to another many, many times. They are a currency of sorts in that that are valued by the perception of the buyer.

I have been to many garage sales and a few estate sales lately. The estate sales are spoiling me; there is so much to choose from and all at one location too. And prices can be dirt cheap. I picked up 189 towels, washcloths and hand towels for a total price of $5 ! They were all washed and folded. They are to be stored away for a future in which they may not be cheap or available.

There was a lady holding the estate sale and she twisted her ankle and was on crutches, My son and I helped her and she thanked us and gave us four rolls of fencing and a couple of camper kits still in their original boxes. I did have to buy a Coleman two burner stove for $10 however. She also gave us two 4X8 sheets of pressed board. Don’t know what I will use them for but I’m sure they will find a place in time. Also given a roll around cart for hauling stuff from the barn to the house.

I recently picked up 170 canning jars for a total price of $5. I don’t think I will need this many additional jars but at this price and with the storage room I have, it seems like a good idea.

I almost got a player piano for free but the mover was there and wanted $220 to haul it to my house. It needed work but was cosmetically in excellent ( originally typed excrement; damn spellchecker) condition. I turned it down. Why ? Well, I would be $220 in the hole. It is bulky. It would need work and therefore more expense. I don’t know what it would sell for in our depressed market. Too many negatives.

Lately I got a complete pipe thread cutting setup with vise. I don’t need it right now but equipment that can be used in different trades in order to have something to offer others. A small part time business; who knows. It cost me $100 and still seems like a bargain.

My son got a forge with two antique hand cranked blowers; practically a giveaway. When do you ever see a forge for sale ? This is the first one I have ever seen and I found it in the local newspaper garage sale. My son had been asking about a forge and this showed up a few weeks later. I know, it sounds unbelievable but this has been happening enough that it is almost spooky.

Okay, another surprise was finding a pair of new oak handles that fit an antique plow. Mine were original and had broken a few weeks ago. Just one coincidence after another.

And another thing. Don’t bypass the little items. A Swing-A-Way can opener can cost $7 or $8 bucks new plus tax. I have 3 and paid only a total of 50 cents; the first one was 50 cents and the others were free. So about $24 to $28 after tax money would be about $32 to $36 before taxes someone would have to earn. It doesn’t take many little items together to make a big deal.

Best wishes,
Agnut

P.S. I saw a chart yesterday comparing discretionary income with wages. This discretionary income disappeared in 2007-8, about the same time I wrote that I had seen it disappear in my dealings. And from 2007-8, the discretionary spending line went under the wages line. This means that deficit spending was becoming common nationwide. Can’t run a country or business this way and can’t run personal finances this way either. There will be an end to this deficit spending soon and when it happens, millions will discover that they have met their own financial event horizon.

The uncertainty of how this will all play out shouldn’t dissuade us from acting to protect and prepare ourselves for this future. Diversification is required here.

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
Robert A. Heinlein

I would add the skill of bartering and horse trading.

[Spectrism]

Sounds like you have been doing very well Agnut!

All those towels for a few bucks! Nice.... and the canning jars...

The ability to buy fine art when it is out of season is not to be shunned- I agree. Fine workmanship will only be neglected for a while.


The old canned food I found was sorted. There were some questionable things I pitched out. I also got to see how canned items age. In all of our stores, we need to watch for discoloration of the labels at the seams. Also, any seam that has rust, even rust from the outside, needs to be questioned. Be in the habit of checking all canned items you open. My best guess is: first do a visual and sniff test. If it smells "off", throw it out. Empty the contents and look at the condition inside the can. If corrosion is seen, throw it out. Cooking the canned item to a boil with the heat thoroughly mixed through all the contents should be considered.


Yes- it seems that those trying to move are giving away what they don't want to carry with them. Those are excellent deal places. Estate sales often are the children just trying to clean out the house for a sale.

Also, my experience of leaving a phone number has been confirmed again. NO CALLS. The sale must be immediate... impulse sales. If you don't get it on sight, it will go to the next person who is there with cash.

[Spectrism]

A few little bargains-

-a 1.7oz Sterling fork for $1.
-a box of light bulbs, 2 spools of 14AWG wire, 2 spools of lead solder for $10.
-a grape crusher for wine-making for free.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. I’ve been busy getting ready for hunkering down this winter and not only for inclement weather. Cars to fix, shelves and platforms to build, summer and fall garage and estate items to box up and store away. Oh, and I almost forgot. I still have two 3,500 gallon water containers that I have to clean out, have moved, set up and filled. But before they can be moved, I have to design a hopper and connection to remove the many gallons of earth in the bottom. This is something we should consider before buying a large item. I feel like Br’er Rabbit stuck in the tarbaby. So I am still learning and making mistakes; it goes with the territory.

There is another reason for us to get set up for the months ahead; things could deteriorate greatly, thus disrupting normal commerce as we know and expect it. This Occupy Wall Street movement is so far a relatively peaceful situation which could turn violent at any time. The people have said ‘Enough is enough. Straighten things out or else”. I don’t think TPTB could straighten things out even if they wanted to. So I believe that we will come to a day of reckoning.

But I digress. On to some of the items I’ve picked up in the last few weeks. By the way I give these with prices in order to give readers some reference as to what they should be paying. The prices can vary greatly; it is each of our own decision as to the item’s value to your own lifestyle. Me ? I am a hopeless art lover and sometimes pick up something just because it has touched me somehow. Not a for profit deal but some things draw me to them. I know; I shouldn’t overdo it but who is to say what the “profit” is in an item acquired ? Profits come in different ways. Could be a piece of incredible art. Could be for a profitable sale later. Could be a gift for a loved one. Could be for a donation to a homeless shelter. There must be other reasons; that’s for all of us to discover.

I’m going to take a minute here and write about something that has been on my mind lately.

There has been a great increase in garage sale and estate sale attendance since the economy has degraded in the last couple of years. Actually I noticed it in July 2007 while holding a garage sale at my sister’s home. Several people coming by but almost no one buying anything except items for a dollar or less. The only item I sold was a collector fishing reel for $100. It was beautiful and came in a hard case. I didn’t even have it displayed but a man asked me if I had any fishing gear. He bought it on the spot with no haggling; it may have been worth a lot more but I couldn’t find a relative value in searching the internet. I had acquired it as a thank you for helping someone with an estate sale. The son who was holding the sale talked with me and I brought the conversation around to precious metals and I told him the silver story. I gave him a silver round which I was in the habit of carrying around. He had this amazed look on his face while looking at the silver round in his hand; it was like a new world opening up to him. Afterwards he took out this fishing reel and gave it to me as a thanks for the help and silver round. That was about 9 years ago and I had been carrying this reel around for some time. Point is, when selling some things that have a personal attachment, take your time before parting with these things. You may never be able to replace them.

On the other hand, there is a time to part with personal items. And it is just that; personal. Just like when we buy items for resale and calculate their resale value, items with a personal attachment should be weighed against their loss of possession with a partial consideration of what we may be able to do with the money. For instance, I have a French Limoges enamel on copper painting which measures only 4 ½ “ by 3”. I’ve had it for about 10 years and am still amazed at its quality. It is one of the only enamels that is so detailed that from 2 foot away appears to be a photograph. And with this perfectionism I can feel some connection to the artist and the times in which he lived, almost 100 years ago in Limoges France. A different world indeed and to have something from that era is a treasure beyond what money it may fetch. I suppose there is a price I would part with it but it is far beyond for what I could sell it right now.

So I felt I should make you aware of some of the emotional feeling you may have while out there buying in a world of different items, many of which you may have never before seen or even knew existed. Things like toasters out of the 1950s or a juicer from the 1960s or a piece of art or even music from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. I can’t help but be grateful for all of the fascinating encounters with the people selling as well as some of their items for sale. It has been a rich education like no other.

I’ll close here and write of the items recently found in my next post.

Best wishes (and happy hunting),

Agnut

[agnut]

Okay, here’s some of the recent finds :

Craftsman router $25
19 new router bits $25
2 French fry slicers $2 each
Weber charcoal BBQ $5
Pool pump with hoses $10
Ethan Allen maple dining room table with 4 chairs and 2 leaves $60
Black and Decker cut saw $5
4 new stereo speakers $20
Stihl chain saw with hard case $25
2 2’X2” floor fans $1 each
Stant cooling system pressure tester $5
Proto ½ “ ratchet with ¾ Craftsman socket $1
Proto compression gauge with detachable flex hose $2
Sioux ½ “ drill $2
50 foot extension cord $2
100 foot extension cord $5
Huge collection Mother Earth News free
25 drawer bin rack with over 500 electrical connectors $5
50 drawer bin rack full of misc bolts, washers, etc. $10
50 Disney videotapes 25 cents each
Shovel $2
25 DVD movies 50 cents each
Italian leather sport jacket, brand new $2

There is also a lot more odds and ends that I have been picking up for 5 to 10 cents on the dollar compared to store prices.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Thanks Mneagle for your post #103. I had missed responding to it in my confused state.

That is some really wise advice when you are holding a garage sale. In the last year I have been noticing more “professional” garage sale buyers who are reselling at their own garage sales. A big sigh of the times.

[MNeagle]

I am curious Agnut,

if you ever have sales yourself; or are you just stocking these items (screaming deals I'll admit!).

AND, if you do have some sales, do you agree to haggling on prices?

[ximmy]

I need 2 French fry slicers... ::)

[agnut]

Hi Mneagle. For now I’m accumulating items that I will need in the future AND items that will become good trading/selling material.

I will haggle on price but with the knowledge of what I paid for the item and its value at that time as well as an estimate of its value in the future. Sounds a bit complicated but after so many years of bartering and horse trading, it comes naturally.

Here is a list of items I bought at the last estate sale. By the way, this was the only sale I have attended in the last few weeks and it was so huge that I am still absorbing its impact.

3 - 100 foot extension cords for $1, $2, $3. Light to heavy
2 large carpentry squares 10 cents each
Toilet plunger free
Tow receiver $1
Tow chain with big hooks at the ends $1
Backpacking foam sleeping pad free
40 hose clamps - used American made. In stainless steel container $1
Dorcy rear bicycle rack with reflector. Looks to be old and collectable $1
3 soldering guns with 9 rolls solder and flux in metal box $2
6 nylon tie down straps in bucket $1
Sears airless paint spray compressor $2
Paint gun - new $2
2 grease guns with 5 tubes grease, 5 oil filter removal tools, 7 funnels, 2 sandpaper holders, small misc. $5
New Craftsman scroller saw with 32 blades in hard case $2
3 aluminum levels $1 total
172 sheets sandpaper $1
Plumbing box . Shower heads sink basket, etc. electric timer, 100 pieces $1
2 Straitline chalk reels, 100’ Stanley tape measure, 2 small carpenter’s squares, roofer’s hatchet, steel wool $1 total
New Craftsman heavy duty staple gun with 5,000 staples $2
Swingline staple gun with 8,000 staples $1
Milwaukee electric drill $2
Skil reversible electric drill $1
1 7/8 “ Draw-Tite trailer ball new free
Box of used candles 10 cents
Hacksaw - Stanley 10 cents
3 new sets rawhide 72” shoestrings free
50’ 3/8 new nylon rope free
100’ 3/16 new nylon rope free
Huge Igloo cooler chest $1
CD, FM, Casetts portable player $1
3 tire pressure gauges free
300’ Stihl nylon trimmer line $1
Box with hundreds of nuts, bolts, screws $1
Hammer with wooden handle, hammer and hatchet with steel handles $1 total
Large suitcase free
Aluminum 6’ easel $1
5 gallon propane tank $1
8 kitchen floor mats in huge plastic container $1
5 adjustable workshop lamps with clamping bases $4
1 high intensity reading lamp $1

6 horsepower Craftsman air compressor, looks brand new $125. I was willing to pay this much because I need a backup and it would have cost $400 at the Sears store.

The first thing you may notice is that the prices are far below what a normal garage sale may ask. There is a reason that we should focus upon this. This was an ESTATE SALE; big difference from a garage sale or even a moving sale. You see, with a garage sale, the seller is getting rid of things he doesn’t need. And a moving sale has items that the seller doesn’t want to take with him.

However, an estate sale implies several characteristics we should never forget.

First, an estate sale means that the seller is not the one who owned the items for sale. The saying that “You can’t take it with you” should be obvious. The widow or children are selling the items and therefore have no or little personal attachment to the items. There may be sentimental value and there may be utility value but nowhere near what the deceased had for the items now for sale.

Second, an estate sale usually precedes the selling of the house and therefore implies that the estate sale items are small hindrances in the way of selling the big asset, the house. You will find all kinds of variables on this theme but here you will find tremendous motivation behind divesting of the items for sale.

Third, at estate sales you will find items for sale at prices far below normal garage sale prices and the prices can be more flexible.

Fourth, estate sales occur throughout the year. Unlike garage sales or moving sales, which mainly occur during the months of May through October.

With the fall season upon us and winter ahead, the volume of regular garage sales has dropped immensely. I felt that this is a good time to redirect your attention to where to find the bargains in the months ahead. Not to be insensitive but estate sales occur because someone died. And folks dieing is not as seasonal as the weather. So their possessions still have to be sold come rain or shine or hot or snow. Always remember that the main purpose of an estate sale is usually to clear out the property which is to be sold next. These items are really in the way of the biggest item to be sold, the real estate. Think like your seller and you will gain some insight as to how to deal with them.

This estate sale was a bit unusual in that the wife is remaining in the house until the spring. Her son said that he will sell me the Stihl weed whacker and log splitter in the spring when they no longer need them. I have their address and phone number and they have mine when the time is appropriate.

The son also said that there would be a huge sale in the spring when the 6000 square foot house contents would be sold. He said that it is full of antiques, fine art and household goods. These are wealthy and prominent people and a sheer pleasure to deal with.

So where will we find estate sales ? Local newspapers, estate auctioneers, Craig’s List. That’s all I know right now and it is more that I can handle.

Another deal came up since the above estate sale and I’ll write about it soon. Small in $ comparison but big in learning.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

I need 2 French fry slicers... ::)

Hi ximmy, sorry the French fry slicers are not for sale. Only have one for use and one for backup. I hope that you are also getting out there finding the bargains.

Sometimes I wonder just how low prices will get before either used items will dry up or prices due to high inflation rise dramatically. Seems that right now items are dirt cheap with hardly anyone having money to buy with. Could prices fall in the coming months ? I don’t see how since some items are close to free in price. I get the feeling that I’m buying items right in the middle of a depression. A couple of sellers told me that I had been their biggest buyer all day and they thanked me. I got a chill running down my spine, wondering if we could fall to a state where desirable items now could be thrown away in a much worse scenario. And I was wasting money now when I should be saving for better buying in the future. On the other hand, what am I doing valuing fiat paper dollars against desirable items ? I tell you, it’s a madhouse out there with a world of bargains amidst a shaky currency. Remember, the trillions of relief money did not go to the people but to Wall Street and the bankers. Probably why few have any discretionary money to spend right now.

I know that I had just posted that I would be focusing on estate sales and then a few hours later on the way home from picking up a load of free fruits and veggies I saw a sign for a garage sale. So being the consummate bargain hunter, I was helpless. My son and I dropped by since it was only a couple of minutes out of the way. Glad we did too. He said that he had forgotten to take down the signs and was closed but would let us look. He also said that there was a lot more for sale when he had opened in the morning.

Got :
AM FM Cassette CD stereo with speakers (everything works)
New in the bag factory floor mats for my Dodge Truck
Tupperware
5 DVD movies
Plastic tool box
Fluorescent light with spare bulb
All for $3

Also a AM FM CD/DVD 5 disc player with 5 speakers, surround sound system with remote and manuals for $10

Total spent $13. I wonder what I had missed by only showing up at his closing time. Oh well, I’ll never know. The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.

His wife came out and I gave her a bag of grapes and a couple of cantaloupes. Our cows will never know the difference anyway although they are like pigs with horns. Also seller and I exchanged phone numbers. His father has a record collection from the 40s, 50s and 60s he wants to sell. I should hear back soon.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[big country]

Agnut,
I love reading these write ups on screaming deals. I never get to go to "prime" yard sale time due to work (I can only go on saturdays because of work...seems like everyone opens up on thursdays). I feel that I always miss the deals, but I have gotten some stuff I was pleased with. I have posted some of the deals I got in my own thread here on GSUS.

I can't help but picture your house like something out of hoarders though....sorry! haha, Where do you put all of this stuff you buy?

Also, I have found that if you stumble upon a "hoaders" yard sale you might as well just turn around and leave. There will be NO deals, they seem to be only able to let things go if they are really making a lot of money on the items. They have too much emotional attachment to their stuff to sell it. I found one sale where I could barely walk through the aisles of the house...I asked about 10 or so items and he wanted retail minus $5 or so for the items. For example, Wrist Rocket slingshot he said he wanted $20 for it, VHS tapes @ $8 each, Large trailer mounted come along (rusty, but functional...needed work) he wanted $70 for it, used Stihl chainsaw (WELL used, needed a new muffler) asking $150 for...The only thing I bought there was a bag of Lincoln Logs for my children for $5. I asked if they had any real silverware and he said yes but he didn't know where it was in his stuff, he said he would sell it if I could find it (yeah right!). I asked about guns and he said he had some but none were for sale...

I tried to haggle him on the comealong down but he wouldn't move. He had a story about every item, he recounted how he bought it for $150 and used it all the time when he was reselling cars (to get the on the trailer I presume) and that it had done so much work that it was "worth" his price. Too much emotional attachment...

[agnut]

Alaska Man Cited For Illegal Bartering: “I Need Some Firewood and I’m Willing to Trade Some Moose Meat”

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/alaska-man-cited-for-illegal-bartering-i-need-some-firewood-and-im-willing-to-trade-some-moose-meat_01202012

Interesting precedent here that we all need to know how to deal with. The last part of the article makes good sense.

“The lesson here is that if you plan on bartering, illegal or not, keep it a private matter. Government minions, whether on the Federal level, or local law enforcement, have nothing better to do than to interfere in the business of private individuals.”

The reader comments are revealing as to how folks are unhappy with all the laws and regulations.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[MNeagle]

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

[mightymanx]

Not to side track this, but are you the Trans American Trail agut?

[Road Runner]

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

You can hardly ever go wrong buying denim, it is so rewarding when a person finds the deals. I love second hand, nearly all of my clothing is second hand. We live so far out of town that we can't drive special for a sale but whenever I go I hit those places and every now and then I find like you did $1 racks!!

[agnut]

Agnut,
I love reading these write ups on screaming deals. I never get to go to "prime" yard sale time due to work (I can only go on saturdays because of work...seems like everyone opens up on thursdays). I feel that I always miss the deals, but I have gotten some stuff I was pleased with. I have posted some of the deals I got in my own thread here on GSUS.

I can't help but picture your house like something out of hoarders though....sorry! haha, Where do you put all of this stuff you buy?

Also, I have found that if you stumble upon a "hoaders" yard sale you might as well just turn around and leave. There will be NO deals, they seem to be only able to let things go if they are really making a lot of money on the items. They have too much emotional attachment to their stuff to sell it. I found one sale where I could barely walk through the aisles of the house...I asked about 10 or so items and he wanted retail minus $5 or so for the items. For example, Wrist Rocket slingshot he said he wanted $20 for it, VHS tapes @ $8 each, Large trailer mounted come along (rusty, but functional...needed work) he wanted $70 for it, used Stihl chainsaw (WELL used, needed a new muffler) asking $150 for...The only thing I bought there was a bag of Lincoln Logs for my children for $5. I asked if they had any real silverware and he said yes but he didn't know where it was in his stuff, he said he would sell it if I could find it (yeah right!). I asked about guns and he said he had some but none were for sale...

I tried to haggle him on the comealong down but he wouldn't move. He had a story about every item, he recounted how he bought it for $150 and used it all the time when he was reselling cars (to get the on the trailer I presume) and that it had done so much work that it was "worth" his price. Too much emotional attachment...

Hi Big Country, sorry to not respond for so long. Your inability to attend garage sales on first days can be an advantage in that the last day of a sale may be the best time to bargain for lower prices. I’m sometimes surprised at good deals overlooked until the last hour of the last day of a sale.

Do you have anyone who may be able to attend sales while you are at work ? They could call you and describe what is available. I have seen other buyers taking photos and sending them to someone else for evaluation. Maybe this could work for you too.

I probably do look like a hoarder but my motivation is to collect things that my family and I will need as well as for future trading material. For example, last Friday I got a mix of 5 gallon steel and 4 gallon plastic food grade containers. There were 63 in total, each one had a lid too. I paid 50 cents each delivered to my door. We use them for many things and stockpile the rest for future use or trading. Bakeries either sell them or give them away.

As you stated, buying from hoarders is frustrating. Their attachment to items may be sentimental and that is hard to overcome; they will sell only when they are ready to sell and not one minute sooner. I went to such a sale a few weeks ago. All of the items were priced at nearly what they could be bought in a store. There must have been over 60 people at this sale and by the time I left, no one had bought anything !

Best wishes,

agnut

[agnut]

Hi Agnut,
Great to see you revive this classic thread, I for one, enjoy each & every post and all the wisdom you so graciously offer!

I've been trying to find neighborhood kids to pass along clothes that have been outgrown. I can't believe how tough it is!

While out on errands today, I remembered the local "Once Upon A Child" shop (like a Goodwill for kids clothing & toys) was having their semi-annual clearance sale. All clearance items were $1!!

We weren't there until about noon, & I thought for sure it would be picked clean. Wrong. A lot of clothes and choices/sizes still left. I'm trying to find jeans & basic tops in a few 'upcoming' sizes for future use. I was especially happy to find heavy-quality demin jeans, in the very basic timeless style. So many of the new jeans are thin, junky & 'distressed' looking on purpose, with an astronimical price tag. They are a total waste of money, & the knees wear out almost immediately.

Iron-on patches are easily $4 for two, so it's not even cost-effective to repair them. I just save those for cut off shorts.

Please keep adding your insights as you can!

Thanks Mneagle. Here is a listing of recent buys in the last couple of months. This is posted to give prices and availability although I never know what I will find until I actually get out there and to paraphrase Ponce’s famous saying, “If you don’t hold it, you may never own it”. So bartering and horse trading is not for the lazy, uncourageous or unimaginative.

10 piece Thorsen metric wrench set $2
Vise Grip welder’s style $1
Set of horseshoes $4
20 jigsaw blades 25 cents total
30 drill bits $5
Hammer with fiberglass handle $1
Large (as in, you could kill a bull with this monster) Stilson wrench $1
KAL brand ½ inch ratchet
Shovel with fiberglass handle $1
Proto brand crescent wrench $1
New Britain crescent wrench $1
2 filet knives, 1 paring knife $1total
Trowel $1
Craftsman radial saw manual 10 cents
3 ½ gallons of 80-90 weight transmission fluid $3 total
1 gallon of hydraulic fluid $1
4 Craftsman screwdrivers $1total

Next sale :

Set of Craftsman tools in plastic travel case $5
Baking pan (new), cookie tray, rolling pin $1total

I needed the tool kit for my truck and it has sockets, wrenches and screwdrivers that I would most commonly need for simple repairs if stuck on the road. By the way, Ponce just reminded me that he has spare belts and water hoses that he carries in his vehicles. That is besides tools and an extensive bug out bag. I don’t do all of this myself now but know that I should.

The last purchase came from a Craigslist ad. It was for a Lister 12K diesel generator. It is a three cylinder unit and with the accessories would cost about $7,000 new. He was asking $2,000 which I gladly paid. My son and I had to travel over 80 miles each way over twisting roads with a small trailer. The whole unit is mounted on I beams, adding greatly to the total weight. Included is a 100 gallon fuel tank. The seller was a most fascinating person with a second home (bugout home) in south Alaska. We were there for hours as he shared his experiences. He even gave us some canned chicken that his wife had recently put up. It was delicious. I can’t begin to tell of all the things we learned that day but as I have said, getting out there and meeting people and communicating with them is often fascinating and highly educational.

Let me back up and share something that made this diesel generator possible because I know that many deals fail to come true if the first contact isn’t handled with forethought. And I definitely do NOT mean that I am manipulating sellers or others. Your communications must come from within; You are “on stage“, as Shakespeare said.

I called this man and began talking with him about the diesel generator first. Our conversation led to other topics and we must have talked for an hour. I gave him my name and phone number. I then asked him to hold the generator until I could get over there and I would pay the price he was asking in cash. He agreed and I called him as the time to meet him approached. See, this communication is very important in that almost all potential buyers do not talk to the seller as time passes. This communication tells the seller that I am a genuine buyer and will reliably show up as I have promised. If you have sold items in the past you can quickly recognize that someone was unsure or flaky. In such circumstances, particularly larger deals, the above method of dealing will put you ahead of other potential buyers.

Another point is that I tell the seller that I have cash and do not appreciate dealing with flaky buyers when I am selling my own items. This does two things. One, it should relieve the seller regarding my reliability and honesty. And secondly, it puts the seller in a bind to wait for my appearance; if he has agreed to wait for me and hold off other potential buyers until I am done dealing with him. I even tell this seller that he perhaps should take the phone numbers of other callers and tell them that he is dealing with a cash buyer right now and will call them if the dealing with me falls through. By now, the seller is intrigued with my buying approach and waiting in anticipation. You see, most people aren’t deeply experienced in selling items and can be easily dealt with by setting the stage for imminent negotiations.

I have even told buyers that I would pay more than the asking price if they would hold the item until I could get there to look at it. This puts me ahead of all other potential buyers who may be closer to the seller. Do you now see how this can put you in control of the situation ? Who cares if a seller is asking $500 for an item and I were to offer to pay $550 if the seller will let me have first chance ? Of course, this is a particular situation where I know that the item in question is something that I really need/want and the asking price is already a bargain.

By the way, the seller of this diesel generator told me that he had several people waiting to buy the generator of I did not. So he was holding off other buyers while my son and I were in transit. I had been looking for this particular diesel generator for years and it was well worth the wait. It is a 12K size and the largest one I had previously seen for sale was an 8K.

An old saying is “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. Well, the above is a way of obtaining the “two in the bush” by merely going one step further by offering a bit more than the seller is asking.

I haven’t posted for a long time. I could say that I have been busy but that would be a lie as an excuse. Granted, I have been busy but I could have taken the time to have at least respond to recent posts. I don’t know why I didn’t post; not laziness or lack of concern. I just don’t know myself. I didn’t have much of significance to offer. Maybe it was my subconscious demanding a much needed vacation. Writer’s block ? Yeah, that must have been it.

It is now the 19th of February and only a couple of months until the spring moving sales. The winter estate sales have been happening but they are few and far between. I did attend an estate sale and two garage sales yesterday and will post about them soon.

Best wishes,

agnut

[MNeagle]

Here's an interesting read of events in the car world that you foretold years ago agnut:


What's Your Favorite "On the Ground" Recession Indicator? (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-whats-your-favorite-ground-recession-indicator?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedg e+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+fo r+everyone+drops+to+zero%29)

[agnut]

Hi all. This post is in response to General Of Darkness‘ thread “Cars running at 70 mpg BANNED in the US by Fed Gvmt”.


I have a 1990 Dodge 1 ton truck with the Cummins diesel engine and 5 speed manual transmission. It just rolled over 250K miles and besides regular 3,000 mile oil changes, I have only replaced an alternator, master cylinder and universal joints. I’ve had it for about 3 years now and couldn’t be happier with the 24-26 MPG highway and 18-20 MPG city driving. It pulls my double axle trailer with 100 bales of hay like it doesn’t notice the load. Also just got over 200 bales of hay for free; they had been lightly rained on and now not good for horses but okay for cows.

Ponce says that there will be a demand in the future for someone who has a truck and trailer that can move goods from one area to another. Not necessarily long distance but from town to town. I agree with this and see having this truck and trailer as a future income potential. Down the road, of course.

Next I have a Ford 550 diesel backhoe. Haven’t used it much yet but it will come in handy for the heavy jobs.

Next I have a Lister 12K diesel generator. I have run it but don’t have it hooked up to the house and battery pack. Hopefully this summer (maybe my last chance; who knows ?). Got a deal in the works for heavy cables.

Next is the 1987 VW Scirocco. It never was offered from the factory with a diesel engine. So I asked, Why not ? I installed a 1600cc normally aspirated diesel engine from a 1984 Rabbit and a stretched out 5 speed manual transmission. I rebuilt them last year and had them in a VW Caddy pickup truck that no one would buy for a fair price so I removed them and sold the pickup truck without an engine or transmission. The transmission I rebuilt has a 3.67 ring and pinion, a .91 fourth gear and a .71 fifth gear which are the most stretched out ratios the VW factory offered in this type of transmission. This yields the lowest RPM possible on the freeway driving which everyone uses as a standard for high MPG. City driving is subject to too many traffic variables as to be reliable. Not a bad yardstick but somewhat rubbery in my opinion.

I thought I was the first to convert a Scirocco to a diesel engine but I ran across someone in Oregon who had done this. He said that he is getting 65 MPG on the freeway. And he has a stock diesel transmission which has closer gear ratios than mine. This is why I believe that I may have some chance at getting around 70 MPG. In retrospect, perhaps not worth the effort and expense to obtain the extra few miles per gallon.

About now you may be wondering how much all this costs. Although I got the VW Scirocco for free at a garage sale, a normal price may be guesstimated at $600 to $1,500, depending on condition. These are not common Vws like the Jetta or Golf but they are available to the patient buyer.

The diesel engine can be rebuilt for about $1,000 to $1,500 in parts and machining. If I were not a professional mechanic I would probably find a good running diesel engine and install it with a specific 5 speed transmission and have the 5th gear changed out to a .71 gear ratio. Only problem here is that the 4th gear would have to be a 1.03 gear ratio and not the .91 gear ratio I recommend which provides a smooth transition between the 4th gear and the 5th gear rather than a large gap in RPM. A rebuilt transmission would cost about $1,400 outright and I am recommending a good used transmission with a changed out .71 5th gear ratio. By the way, this .71 gear ratio is getting harder and harder to find.

And if you are content with getting 65 MPG, finding a stock 1983 through 1989 VW diesel car shouldn’t be too difficult. Either a rust bucket or a wreck should cost under a grand.

For about $3,000 and some elbow grease you can have a 65 MPG diesel car that carries 4 or 5 and has a rear hatch for groceries. Compare that to a new diesel car at 10 times the price. Oh, that’s right, we can only compare IN THEORY since our government won’t allow us Americans to own such a high MPG automobile.

What I am doing is building a manual fuel injected diesel auto that is light and aerodynamic. There are lighter chassis around but the VW Scirocco gas to diesel conversion is the easiest I know of.

So why am I all diesel with my equipment ? Well, diesel fuel stores better and longer than gasoline. My opinion from years of experience.

When you have seen a car on the side of the road in flames, has it ever been a diesel car ? Nope, always a gas car. My father was fuel officer on the Valley Forge aircraft carrier and he always told me that you could throw a match in diesel fuel and it would put the match out but a match in gas would blow the place up. I feel a lot better having a couple hundred gallons of diesel or veggie oil around than an equal amount of gasoline.

Diesel engines can run on a variety of fuels. Right now I am in the process of investigating converted cooking oil. I bought a diesel VW from a man nearby who does this and says that his cost is 49 cents per gallon. Right now, diesel at the pump is about $4 a gallon. Or 8 times what processed cooking oil costs. By the way, this cooking oil doesn’t have to be heated or treated differently that regular diesel fuel. Just pour it into your tank and hit the road. He has been doing just this with his 2002 Dodge diesel truck for years without a problem. Apparently his method of prepping the cooking oil is different than what I had read of in the past.

The earlier Dodge and VW diesel cars have manual fuel injection. So no problem with a solar flare or EMP. Also, the manual fuel injection system is simpler and cheaper to maintain than an electronic fuel system. Used injection pumps are available at reasonable prices. I have several spares for the future.

If fuel prices shoot through the roof or become largely unavailable I plan to have a lot stored in advance. Right now I am vulnerable to a fuel shock but hope to be ready in time (whenever that is). You see, we don’t know when or how intense the future will be affecting our lives. We can only guess and take our best shot. What I am acting upon first priority is some items that will benefit me and my family whether or not things fall apart.

This is an important point not to be lost in all of our preparing. What is the benefit to me right now ? Food preps benefit from future price increases whether a crisis happens or not. Similarly, diesel fuel preps benefit from future price increases as well as the option to make cooking oil diesel or biofuel diesel. This is true right now; it will be immensely more valuable should a fuel crisis hit in the future. Imagine fuel rationing when you have fuel stored away as well as the ability to make fuel from other sources.

I haven’t forgotten wood gasification. It is just on the back burner right now. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an electric generator that ran on wood ?

Should we be collecting plastic in anticipation of future conversion into fuel ? Maybe too soon but maybe not. What do you think ? Remember when old cooking oil used to be free out back of restaurants ?

With a probable resource war in the future, doesn’t it make sense to think of what commodities that are available now that will be sucked up in the future ? As Ponce says, “The trash dumps of today will be the gold mines of tomorrow”. Or something close to that.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Just picked up a propane cabin stove for $50. It is about 50 years old, has 4 top burners and a fair size oven. Sometimes I don’t know why I acquire something but it still seems too good an item to pass up. When looking at a dubious item I always try to imagine a future in which it would have been a wise idea to have put away for an uncertain future. And who knows; I may someday build a cabin like Ponce has and want such a small stove.

[Canadian-guerilla]

As Ponce says, “The trash dumps of today will be the gold mines of tomorrow”

i'll add that to my Ponce quotes file . . .

[agnut]

Hi Canadian-guerilla, good to hear from you. I also copied your two quotes from your post. I collect quotes and have literally thousands to draw from. Where my own wisdom fails me, my quotes uplift me.

Here’s something I wrote up this morning. It’s a bit crude but should show my thinking (such as it is). Anyhow, works for me. Hope you like the quotes.

Gimme Credit

I work hard and spend frugally in order to save up money so that I may buy things. I have no credit rating. Only a debit card which means that I must have the money in the bank before using it. However I also have no debt. All I have are assets which I own. Gimme credit for that.

I buy used cars instead of new since they are affordable and therefore can be purchased with cash paid in full. I have a 1 ton truck that I paid one twentieth of the new price and it has performed beautifully since I bought it three years ago. Gimme credit for that.

I read that things are becoming so tight that some folks are buying food with credit cards because they do not have the money to pay cash. I buy food on deep sales and stockpile extra for future uncertainties. Gimme credit for that.

I buy clothes and household necessities at estate and garage sales rather than paying 10 to 20 times more at the local stores. The only clothes I buy new are socks and underwear. Gimme credit for that.

I pick up free items that I may later use or trade with others. Gimme credit for that.

I also pick up items that I know or believe that others may need. Gimme credit for that.

I don’t have an ego like others that requires constant feeding in the form of enviable new purchases. My pride is in seeking the most cost efficient and practical solutions to my and others’ needs. Gimme credit for that.

I keep only a minimum amount in my bank accounts. The rest is in cash, change and bricks of nickels. Any silver I have is in physical form and in my possession. If I am robbed I want to see who is robbing me and not some distant investment broker and judge. I want to be able to get my hands around a thief’s throat and defend what is mine and for my family’s future. Gimme credit for that.


I have bought a $2 lottery ticket only once in my life and you know what ? I didn’t win. Now I spend the money on other things rather than on a one in a 50 million chance to be a millionaire. I have been a millionaire more than once and it never made me happy. Rather, it caused many problems. Now I don’t try to get rich in dollars but rich in sense. Gimme credit for that.

So now I go to the local Indian casino, give them $20 for $30 on my card and I play a particular slot machine until I win or get too close to my original $20 I laid out. Entertainment only; not gambling. Gimme credit for that.

Most importantly, I have learned what is most important to me. Family and friends. This is where I invest my time and efforts. I wasted too many years in pursuit of the brass ring. What is rich can only be determined by what is your yardstick. If your yardstick is money, most everyone will acknowledge wealth. But if it is friends and family, it may be known only to you. Gimme credit for that.

I write this bartering and horse trading thread to share my perspective on how to take control of one’s finances. I risk being called cheap and low class by buying used items. Well, what is the opposite of cheap ? Extravagant ? How is that working out for the “extravagant” Madison Avenue brainwashed masses out there ? Gimme credit for that.


Do you watch TV and buy some of the items advertised ? Or are the ads a mere distraction until the show reappears ? A commercial break to shut off the sound and converse without interference or to go to the bathroom ? Personally I cannot recollect when I ever bought something that Madison Avenue tried to tell me that I must have. A new car ? Don’t make me laugh. The only car I really wanted was the C111 Mercedes but the factory decided to not produce it. When I was at the factory museum in Stuttgart the rep said that it was going to be manufactured next year at the price of $25,000. I thought of it as an incredible investment. What other car in 1974 could go from 0-60 in 3 seconds and also go 200 MPH ? And had gullwing doors. It was decades before its time.

Most Americans never gave a thought of what stress is created by living in a world in which prices for everything are much, much higher since payment in full is not required but rather a relatively small installment payment. I deeply resent that I have had to compete all my life against all the credit whores out there who would not save first and spend later. This drives prices up to the point where a buyer asks “What is the monthly payment ?” instead of “What is the total price out the door ?”.

Americans, can’t you see the myriad of ways you have been misled ? Acknowledge that and the who, what, where, when, why and how of the deceptions may become your passionate hobby. Only then will you be afforded the opportunity to become a patriot in the spirit of our founding fathers.

Lots written on the internet about a coming revolution. It could be a peaceful one but I believe that people in general are not wise enough to pull it off. Perhaps someday. Perhaps 12/21/2012 ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.*
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest. -Benjamin Franklin

Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite. -Charles Spurgeon

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.
Daniel Webster

“The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” Ron Paul

"The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it." -- Woodrow Wilson Speech in New York, September 9, 1912

Wise men are instructed by reason;
Men of less understanding, by experience;
The most ignorant, by necessity;
The beasts by nature.
Letters to Atticus[?], Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Constitutional governments and aristocracies are commonly overthrown owing to some deviation from justice…the rich, if the constitution gives them power, are apt to be insolent and avaricious… In all well-attempered governments there is nothing which should be more jealously maintained than the spirit of obedience to law, more especially in small matters; for transgression creeps in unperceived and at last ruins the state, just as the constant recurrence of small expenses in time eats up a fortune.” – Aristotle, Politics, Book V. 350 B.C.E.

"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword.. The other is by debt."
-John Adams 1826

"It is the usurer's game to hurl the savage against the civilized opponent"--Ezra Pound

"Youth is in danger until it learns to look upon debts as furies." Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"I keep picturing a stranger from outer space. He lands on my farm and wants me to tell him about our world. I try to put the best face on things that I can, but he keeps going back to the monetary system: 'You use what for money?' I'm so embarrassed I want to dig a hole and crawl in." - Franklin Sanders, in The Money Changer

“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.... We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.” -? Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago

"Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave." -- Frederick Douglass

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Charles Darwin

[mick silver]

at yard sales i alway look for hand tools . the way i look at it is , everyone will need a garden hoe . i have more garden stuff then my whole family will need to live off the land . here in my state there already started digging up old sink holes and removing the metals to sell . thanks agnuts and all who have posted here .

[agnut]

at yard sales i alway look for hand tools . the way i look at it is , everyone will need a garden hoe . i have more garden stuff then my whole family will need to live off the land . here in my state there already started digging up old sink holes and removing the metals to sell . thanks agnuts and all who have posted here .

Hi Mick Silver. Yeah, tools are top priority with me too. Here is a possible money making sideline for you :

Back in the late 1980s a neighbor was acquiring old shovels, hoes and rakes that had broken wooden handles. He would clean them up and weld hollow steel tubes on them and sell them for a healthy profit. He got most of these used items for free since the owners didn’t want to bother with buying a new wooden handle and fixing it themselves. Besides, have you priced these new wooden handles at Home Depot and other places ? Almost as much as a complete shovel, rake or hoe.

This may be a good little business for the future; one in which quality and longevity will be crucial. I would still have the steel shaft tools that I had bought from this guy but lost all of them in the divorce. I miss them more than….. Well, let’s just say that some things are more breakable than others.

Anyway Mick, keep buying quality hand tools like hammers, drills, saws, wrenches, sockets, Vise Grips, pliers, pipe wrenches, and a great number of other associated items. Also, buy only quality brand used tools such as Snap-On, Proto, Stanley, Plumb, Skil Craftsman and others. You will have to be discriminating since some of the more recently manufactured are now foreign made and therefore questionable.

And don’t forget the boxes of nuts, bolts, screws and other fittings that we take for granted now. Will they be available in the future ? Don’t most of them come from overseas ? Hmmm…

Both Ponce and I have multiples of the above tools; some for backup and some for trading material. Ponce has a new machinist’s lathe for possible work income if ever needed. I would like to get a vertical mill and metal lathe for the same purpose but may have to sell some silver in order to pay for it. That’s the reason I haven’t acted yet; not sure if it is the wisest thing at this point of time in history. And make no mistake; we are in historical times which those in the future will study and make judgments about how we individuals behaved.

Gotta go for now; my son is working in the shop and wants some company while he works.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Recently went to a garage sale in a storage company’s lot. I bought a 6 piece set of sterling spoons for $14 , went home and weighed them and they are worth about $150 in silver content. Not too shabby for a few minutes scrounging around. You never know what you will find so keep an open mind and the deals will fall in. HaHa

[Spectrism]

I have not been going out to tag sales as much but went today. I was able to pick up a display case of mini-Sterling silver ingots for $50. When I got home, I weighed them up to 6.6 toz.

6.6 x .925 x $30/oz = $183 value


I was too late to another location- old woman selling coins. When I got there she only had left a bundle (maybe 60) dollar silver certificates and a box of steel pennies. I got the steel pennies for a dollar.

At another location I found a bird (chicken) watering container.
this one here--
3580

Value: $43. My cost: $5.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism; glad to hear that you are doing so well. I know that I am in the extreme minority with favoring 90% “junk” silver coins and sterling silver over silver bullion coins and silver eagles. However, the future is ever changing and we would be wise to also ever adapt in order to be at the right place at the right time. The reason I mention this is that of late, there has been even more mention of future confiscation of gold and silver if their prices were to rise dramatically. I agree, the govt. temptation would be great to either outright confiscate or heavily tax the “windfall profits”. Pathetic and quite disgusting, I will grant you, but the reality of this unfolding would be devastating to precious metal holders who hold entirely bullion.

The govt going so far as confiscating or taxing sterling silverware, jewelry and 90% coins would have to be an extreme extension of precious metal confiscation. Roosevelt did not go this far in the 1930s but this is no guarantee but only a possibility in our favor. It may be instructive to imagine such a scenario in order to appreciate the difficulty in enacting such a draconian measure. I believe that 1/3 in bullion rounds, 1/3 in sterling silver and 1/3 in 90% silver coins may be the best defensive positioning.

Having said that Spectrism, I applaud your sterling find.

Your steel penny purchase made me laugh. I have a small bag of war nickels that I must have bought many years ago and I come across them occasionally and also laugh to muse what the govt must have been thinking at that time. Your steel pennies and my partial silver war nickels were both minted in order to save the copper content for brass shell casings for the war effort.

And how times change. In WWII, brass was needed more than silver and nowadays silver is crucial for cruise missiles.

Your chicken watering container also made me laugh. I had recently also bought one for our 25 chickens but I paid $10. So you did twice as good as me. HaHa

Okay, here is a story about my last garage sale dealings.

It was a Friday and I was cruising through the ads in my local newspaper and Craig’s List when one ad jumped out and practically hit me on the head. It was someone moving and selling most everything. But the kicker was that it was so close to home that I could have ridden a bicycle over there. The sale started at 8:00 so I threw on my clothes, jumped in the truck and blasted over there. You see, I was lounging around in my jimmies, drinking milk with cookies. I had planned to lay around that day with absolutely no intention of financial raping and pillaging. But this ad had me by the throat. What could I do ? Ignore it and never know what I may find ? Yeah, right !

As I arrived at the sale, there were no other cars in front of the house. My suspicions were turning into disappointment when I saw the homeowner up the hill gesturing to me. I rolled down the window and he said that he was sick and decided to not hold the sale and that he had taken down the signs beside the road. My heart skipped a beat. But a funny thing happened next; he said to come up and look around. So I parked the truck down the hill and hiked up the steep gravel driveway. We shook hands and began conversing. He was moving far away and didn’t want to have to haul the tons of belongings.

The first thing I saw was a small Snap-On roll around tool box with a 7 drawer Mac top box. They were in sad shape so I wasn’t excited. Well, not until I opened the top box to discover that it was chock full of tools. And not just tools but brands like Proto, Snap-On, Craftsman and other American made tools. I counted 115 sockets, 7 ratchets, 20 extensions, 45 wrenches, 10 punches, over 100 small items, 3 hammers, loads of miscellaneous connectors and parts. Now that was just the top box. The bottom box had 2 C clamps, 2 trailer balls, a professional wire stripper (I didn’t have one and they are fast and efficient but not cheap), a Craftsman vernier and a T level, a hatchet, sheet metal shears, impact driver tool, 25 new hacksaw blades, 20 electrical splicers, 5 large wrenches, 50 22 caliber bullets, and several small tools.

Total price for all of the above ? Try $50 and that was what he told me he wanted for it. Sometimes it doesn’t pay either financially or morally to haggle.

Moving on to his other items was a wood burning stove with the name “Monarch Malleable” on the front. It wasn’t in very good condition with the chrome work bad and chips in some of the porcelain. But it had the water jacket on the side for heating water while cooking. This is something I was specifically looking for. Complete and functional for $50 ! Who could say no ? Only problem is that it weighs more that any two men should wrestle with.

Next were two aluminum ladders made by Werner and Gorilla. Price for both was $15.

Next was a solid oak armoire with glass mirrors. It was huge and very heavy. Owner said that he paid well over $1,000 for it. I got it for $125.

Next was a round dining room table with 4 chairs and an internal leaf for making larger. It was so unusual and in perfect condition that I had to have it. I paid $50 but don’t know if I will even use it since I already have a table and chairs. Maybe a mistake but I follow my gut feelings and may sell it in the future.

Next was a Milwaukee angle hole drill in its metal box for $20. I don’t need it right now but like the table above, I may either need it or sell it later for a profit. Quality tools at bargain prices should not be ignored but respected; they helped make this country what it is.

A 5 drawer chest; cheap material but the drawers all worked smoothly. $10

A porch glider for two with cushions for $20

And last but not least was a new 100 foot roll of 4 lead copper wire for 220 volt for my 12 K Lister diesel generator. The seller said that he had bought it many years ago before the copper price had gone sky high. It weighs a little over 40 pounds. He had paid $50 plus tax and would sell it to me for $50. No room to haggle here, especially since this wiring is exactly what I need to hook the generator to my house. All I need now is a good electrician since I am devoid of knowledge in this area (in other words, ignorant as all getout).

It took my 1 ton truck two trips, one with a trailer, to haul all of the goodies home. As the seller, my younger son and I were loading the last of the items on the trailer, a man drove up in a truck. He apparently knew the seller and began trying to buy the items I had already loaded on the trailer and truck. Funny but I didn’t notice that all the time I was buying, negotiating and loading everything, nobody showed up. This was an upscale neighborhood with “million dollar views”. It was eerily quiet. Usually there would have been 10 or 20 cars parked around the sale. Weird is all I can say.

Oh, by the way, almost forgot. There was a side by side refrigerator/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser. The owner said that he already had one upstairs in the kitchen but it was not as nice as this one in the garage but he didn’t want to expend the energy in swapping them. I asked how much and he said that I could have it for free.

Looking back, that was one sale; the only one I attended that day. This has happened to me before but it is not often. Fortunately I was ready for it with the money, time, truck and trailer, place to store it, and the knowledge of what these items were worth (both new price and resale price). Sometimes you can swoop in and clean out the seller before anyone even shows up.

Hope this helps with your deal making.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[Spectrism]

Thanks for the news Agnut!! You did very well. While I would love to have that kind of fortune, I have no place to put everything. Treasures in ugly boxes- that is what I thought about when you mentioned the tools.

Yesterday I encountered an older fellow moving to Florida. The sale was not advertised anywhere and I happened to drive by (and had to turn around) the sign by his driveway.

There I picked up a vacuum sealer for $5. He sold me a Weller soldering gun and 2 rolls of solder for $25. He had these old butcher scales- one he said was used by his grandmother.... I got 4 of them for $20. They are similar to this pic-

http://www.greatplanestrading.com/FULLER/INDY3010.jpg


This fella was an old-time prepper but was giving it all up. He had 3 big boxes of mason jars that I got for $15. He had shelves full of tomato sauce he made up. He was getting too old to do these things anymore and his children & grandchildren seemed not to care.

I spotted copper wire... not unlike your find.... but this wire was 2 AWG.... yes 2. It is a stranded wire about 9mm in diameter with black insulation over the single conducter. He said he got his stuff cleaning out an old mill. The copper wire 3 bundles of 80 ft each bundle, weighed about 50 pounds. He asked $50, but took $30. I was thinking about this for hooking up batteries for solar power.

He had much more, but I am getting filled to the gills with stuff.... and need more room.


I almost forgot one other thing I got there.... 2 tow chains for $15. One is 10 feet long , the other 20 feet. These are heavy duty welded links with hooks at either end.


If I had knowledge of things, he had a cutting torch set and bins of welding rods. Another person I ran into was selling an arc welding unit for $300..... but since I knew little aabout them, did not even pursue. When we lack knowledge - I am certain we miss out. If you know values and uses, you can drive the deal how it needs to go.

[agnut]

Some great deals there spectrism. Please keep sharing your good fortunes. I loved your quote :

“When we lack knowledge - I am certain we miss out. If you know values and uses, you can drive the deal how it needs to go.”

And will put it in my quote collection.


Well, well, well…. So agnut is still alive and kickin’. Who’da thunk ?

It has been a very long time since my last post. Life has been greatly accelerated around here of late. Taking care of chickens, steers, family peccadilloes, tragedies, fruits and veggies by the ton, deals, competition, business slowdown, money tightness, lots of cold and rain, mud, and much more. I thought retirement was a time in which I could sit back and suck up mint juleps on the veranda. Boy was I wrong ! I may have to go back to work to slow down.

But there have also been new friendships, new opportunities, new ways of looking at things, expansion of mind (at least I like to think).

I’ve been buying books, tools, appliances, clothes, barb wire and lots of other stuff. Since it turned cold and rainy there have been only a couple of estate/garage sales locally per week. But that hasn’t stopped me. I do have to be there before opening time. In the first place, the competition is fierce with as many as 50 cars showing up. And in the second place, it is wise to be there ½ hour early because the sellers will open earlier than their posted time. If I was only on time, most of the items would be already sold.

I attribute this high activity to the economy; everybody is looking for a deal to save more of their dwindling so called discretionary money. They are wising up to what I’ve known for years. And that is that fiat dollars are best gotten rid of in favor of real three dimensional items. Remember the hyperinflation of 1922-23 Germany. They were even trading German Marks for brass doorknobs in order to have something that would rise in price as time passed. That was at the end of the hyperinflationary period, just before the new currency was issued. Well, what we have here and now is the same thing but in slow motion. Things I bought 5 years ago have risen in price beyond inflation.

“The treasury’s bare,”
“The country’s bankrupt, they won’t admit it, and that’s why there’s so much anger and frustration, because it’s hard to divvy up loot when there’s none to divvy up.”
Ron Paul in an interview on Fox news December 17, 2012.

Now I don’t know how things will play out in that we could either experience high inflation or there being too little currency around to buy things. Or, gulp, BOTH ! Having no dollars saved could be very difficult in either case. So even though I hate having dollars around with possible high inflation looming, I cannot leave myself financially naked. I guess it is a matter of where I would be most comfortable, even with all the uncertainty. Who knows, maybe having many bricks of nickels and a bathtub full of change like the story of the lady in 1922-23 Germany would ride me through safely as it did her. Ponce is a firm believer in keeping lots of change for this possibility of a dollar devaluation. It takes little to imagine coins disappearing from the public when that happens. Gresham’s Law and all that.

Okay, here are some of my purchases which I so shamelessly present for your perusal ( don’t hate me because I am beautiful because I’m not. You could envy me because I find so many great deals) :

Near new Maytag washer and propane dryer for $250. Just what I was looking for as I’m changing from an electric dryer to propane; also the oven and hot water heater. Should cut my electric bills down as well put less strain on my backup battery and inverter system. Still haven’t hooked up the Lister 12K diesel generator because still looking for a good electrician.

Chest freezer for $50. It would cost about $400 if new.

20 pounds of insulated single strand copper wire for $5. Heavy ground wire type.

4 85 pound rolls of barb wire with 4 loose partial rolls for $20 total. The store price with tax is about $440.
I need it to fence off our property. Next I need a couple of hundred metal posts. I heard that Craig’s list has them offered, since I’m not going to spend $1,400 for new fence posts (about $7 each).

12 power saw blades $2 total. I probably have about 60 spare blades now.

Lufkin 100’ tape measure for $1.

7 round files and holder for chain saw sharpening for $1.

3 near new 13 inch tires on rims for $10 total.

Electric coffee bean grinder for $2.

3 drawer secretary, dovetailed drawers and all solid wood in excellent condition for $25. I already have one but it is considerably smaller and I am selling it to a friend for her daughter‘s room for $25. Trading up to what you really need/want can sometimes be a most satisfying side benefit of bartering and horse trading.

A box with 57 dies from 1 3/8” down to 6X20 (tiny), 95 taps from ¾” down to very small, 8 tap handles all for $10. The largest die alone is $55 new. Got the whole box for $10.

Over the last several months I must have purchased a hundred smaller items that were 5 to 10 percent of their new price. Things I need or will need as well as things others will need.

Now I know that there are two types of folks reading this; the first who are also out there buying and finding deals like me and happy for me and the second who are not and thinking just who is this SOB agnut who has the audacity to throw these deals in our face. So let’s ALL get out there and kick some financial butt !



Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Tomorrow a couple of new friends are coming over to hang out for the day and dinner. Beefalo crock potted with carrots, onions and potatoes. Just melts in your mouth. I met them at a garage sale recently and they stood out as fascinating and especially nice people. Can’t think of a better benefit from bartering and horse trading.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Some great deals there spectrism. Please keep sharing your good fortunes. I loved your quote :

“When we lack knowledge - I am certain we miss out. If you know values and uses, you can drive the deal how it needs to go.”

And will put it in my quote collection.


Well, well, well…. So agnut is still alive and kickin’. Who’da thunk ?

It has been a very long time since my last post. Life has been greatly accelerated around here of late. Taking care of chickens, steers, family peccadilloes, tragedies, fruits and veggies by the ton, deals, competition, business slowdown, money tightness, lots of cold and rain, mud, and much more. I thought retirement was a time in which I could sit back and suck up mint juleps on the veranda. Boy was I wrong ! I may have to go back to work to slow down.

But there have also been new friendships, new opportunities, new ways of looking at things, expansion of mind (at least I like to think).

I’ve been buying books, tools, appliances, clothes, barb wire and lots of other stuff. Since it turned cold and rainy there have been only a couple of estate/garage sales locally per week. But that hasn’t stopped me. I do have to be there before opening time. In the first place, the competition is fierce with as many as 50 cars showing up. And in the second place, it is wise to be there ½ hour early because the sellers will open earlier than their posted time. If I was only on time, most of the items would be already sold.

I attribute this high activity to the economy; everybody is looking for a deal to save more of their dwindling so called discretionary money. They are wising up to what I’ve known for years. And that is that fiat dollars are best gotten rid of in favor of real three dimensional items. Remember the hyperinflation of 1922-23 Germany. They were even trading German Marks for brass doorknobs in order to have something that would rise in price as time passed. That was at the end of the hyperinflationary period, just before the new currency was issued. Well, what we have here and now is the same thing but in slow motion. Things I bought 5 years ago have risen in price beyond inflation.

“The treasury’s bare,”
“The country’s bankrupt, they won’t admit it, and that’s why there’s so much anger and frustration, because it’s hard to divvy up loot when there’s none to divvy up.”
Ron Paul in an interview on Fox news December 17, 2012.

Now I don’t know how things will play out in that we could either experience high inflation or there being too little currency around to buy things. Or, gulp, BOTH ! Having no dollars saved could be very difficult in either case. So even though I hate having dollars around with possible high inflation looming, I cannot leave myself financially naked. I guess it is a matter of where I would be most comfortable, even with all the uncertainty. Who knows, maybe having many bricks of nickels and a bathtub full of change like the story of the lady in 1922-23 Germany would ride me through safely as it did her. Ponce is a firm believer in keeping lots of change for this possibility of a dollar devaluation. It takes little to imagine coins disappearing from the public when that happens. Gresham’s Law and all that.

Okay, here are some of my purchases which I so shamelessly present for your perusal ( don’t hate me because I am beautiful because I’m not. You could envy me because I find so many great deals) :

Near new Maytag washer and propane dryer for $250. Just what I was looking for as I’m changing from an electric dryer to propane; also the oven and hot water heater. Should cut my electric bills down as well put less strain on my backup battery and inverter system. Still haven’t hooked up the Lister 12K diesel generator because still looking for a good electrician.

Chest freezer for $50. It would cost about $400 if new.

20 pounds of insulated single strand copper wire for $5. Heavy ground wire type.

4 85 pound rolls of barb wire with 4 loose partial rolls for $20 total. The store price with tax is about $440.
I need it to fence off our property. Next I need a couple of hundred metal posts. I heard that Craig’s list has them offered, since I’m not going to spend $1,400 for new fence posts (about $7 each).

12 power saw blades $2 total. I probably have about 60 spare blades now.

Lufkin 100’ tape measure for $1.

7 round files and holder for chain saw sharpening for $1.

3 near new 13 inch tires on rims for $10 total.

Electric coffee bean grinder for $2.

3 drawer secretary, dovetailed drawers and all solid wood in excellent condition for $25. I already have one but it is considerably smaller and I am selling it to a friend for her daughter‘s room for $25. Trading up to what you really need/want can sometimes be a most satisfying side benefit of bartering and horse trading.

A box with 57 dies from 1 3/8” down to 6X20 (tiny), 95 taps from ¾” down to very small, 8 tap handles all for $10. The largest die alone is $55 new. Got the whole box for $10.

Over the last several months I must have purchased a hundred smaller items that were 5 to 10 percent of their new price. Things I need or will need as well as things others will need.

Now I know that there are two types of folks reading this; the first who are also out there buying and finding deals like me and happy for me and the second who are not and thinking just who is this SOB agnut who has the audacity to throw these deals in our face. So let’s ALL get out there and kick some financial butt !



Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Tomorrow a couple of new friends are coming over to hang out for the day and dinner. Beefalo crock potted with carrots, onions and potatoes. Just melts in your mouth. I met them at a garage sale recently and they stood out as fascinating and especially nice people. Can’t think of a better benefit from bartering and horse trading.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[gunDriller]

old stuff is useful.

people throw away half-broken things like they have no use.

i got a large microwave oven with a broken dish-that-rotates.

great for heating water ... and you can do a LOT with hot water.


also the power supply in a microwave oven is the exact size/spec for a DC-to-AC inverter, great gift for do-it-yourself-ers.

AND most scrap places will pay scrap steel price for an used microwave. 5.5 to 10 cents a pound, depending.

[govcheetos]

Good to hear from you again Agnut. I hope life smooths out for you soon. I always enjoy this thread and the wife and I have become avid yard salers. I think I'll start posting up some of my finds on a weekly basis. The game has definantly changed in the last year or so. A lot more people have started to become aware of what some things are worth both monetarily and in the event of hard times. Still a lot of good deals to be had for literally pennies on the dollar.

A couple of techniques I'll share:

First off I tend to compare the price of things to the price of gas and the price of a budweiser in a bar. Both currently in the 3-4 dollar range depending. Remember though that both of these things are something that you consume and then no longer have. If i can find something for the price of a beer that is a quality tangible item that was built before everything came from china, its probably a good deal.

Secondly, wait to discuss prices until you're done shopping and have everything in a big pile. Most people having a sale are looking more to get rid of stuff than to make a lot of money. I'm sometimes bad about seeing something I like and asking the price and then paying it. My wife gets on me about it. She piles up the good stuff and when she's done asks the price. Some sales have prices marked and the seller will add everything up and expect the full price with little negotiation. Others willing negotiate with no problem. Some can't add and say "Uh,... I don't know, just give me 5 bucks and take it." The last one is where we really clean up getting stuff for 10-20 percent of what their price was not to mention how much off retail we saved.

[agnut]

old stuff is useful.

people throw away half-broken things like they have no use.

i got a large microwave oven with a broken dish-that-rotates.

great for heating water ... and you can do a LOT with hot water.


also the power supply in a microwave oven is the exact size/spec for a DC-to-AC inverter, great gift for do-it-yourself-ers.

AND most scrap places will pay scrap steel price for an used microwave. 5.5 to 10 cents a pound, depending.

Hi gunDriller, thanks for the microwave idea. A canned food or many food items can be heated in a bowl of hot water. Sounds simple but useful at times.

You mentioned the scrap value of an old microwave oven. I wonder about the scrap value of an old washer, dryer, freezer or refrigerator. I have a friend who professionally bought and sold scrap metals for years. She is really sharp on what metals are worth and where and when to get the best prices. She said that sometimes an auction for pallets of scrap truck differentials would be bid for almost nothing. She could buy them and the same day run them across the scales for a healthy profit. Quick profits.

One time she saw pallet loads of used bricks that a company was going to throw away because they still had cement on them and were judged as too laborious to clean. She got them for free and took them to another place that paid her over $1,000.

The key is that you have to know the real value of items and what to do with these items. As encouragement, I will say that the more times you do this, the easier it gets. Also, connections increase and therefore more options avail themselves.

And lastly you mentioned DC-to-AC inverters inside the microwaves. I would have to check into their specifications and if they are suitable for a small electrical system for emergencies. If they did pan out, it may be wise to get old microwaves and strip the inverters out before scrapping them. I wonder what they would be worth in a power outage system. A good friend is an electronics genius and if I think of it, I will ask him about this.

I have a 24 battery pack with two 3000 watt inverters and am still investigating how I may want to recharge them.

Yesterday I was on eBay looking at steam engines since they can be run on a wood heated boiler. Imagine being able to heat your house and recharge your batteries at the same time. And with wood too; great if fuel prices go through the roof or are scarce. We live on 10 wooded acres too. Kinda retro thinking but sometimes unusual times beget unusual solutions. I need a steam engine that puts out about 3-5 HP. At least this is what I am shooting for.

I recently purchased a 3 HP diesel engine for hooking up to an alternator for recharging. I don’t know when I may get around to it with so much to do around here. My 12K Lister diesel is for whole household use and running the well pump and recharging the batteries at the same time. But the little 3 HP diesel would use lots less fuel than the Lister and be used only for battery charging.

Yesterday a couple of friends dropped by and brought a guest who had installed solar systems. Wow ! Another connection. He said that the Solendra system generated twice the electricity at 130% of the cost of other systems. Also that the Solendra system was designed to last for 30 years against 20 years design for the other systems. I will have to check into this.

For a guy who wrote a short post, you sure said a lot. Thanks again.

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Good to hear from you again Agnut. I hope life smooths out for you soon. I always enjoy this thread and the wife and I have become avid yard salers. I think I'll start posting up some of my finds on a weekly basis. The game has definantly changed in the last year or so. A lot more people have started to become aware of what some things are worth both monetarily and in the event of hard times. Still a lot of good deals to be had for literally pennies on the dollar.

A couple of techniques I'll share:

First off I tend to compare the price of things to the price of gas and the price of a budweiser in a bar. Both currently in the 3-4 dollar range depending. Remember though that both of these things are something that you consume and then no longer have. If i can find something for the price of a beer that is a quality tangible item that was built before everything came from china, its probably a good deal.

Secondly, wait to discuss prices until you're done shopping and have everything in a big pile. Most people having a sale are looking more to get rid of stuff than to make a lot of money. I'm sometimes bad about seeing something I like and asking the price and then paying it. My wife gets on me about it. She piles up the good stuff and when she's done asks the price. Some sales have prices marked and the seller will add everything up and expect the full price with little negotiation. Others willing negotiate with no problem. Some can't add and say "Uh,... I don't know, just give me 5 bucks and take it." The last one is where we really clean up getting stuff for 10-20 percent of what their price was not to mention how much off retail we saved.

Hi govcheetos. I have finally come to the conclusion that life will never smooth out for me. Everywhere I look, there are projects to finish and people to deal with. And looking back over my life, it has mostly been extremely busy in comparison with others around me. That’s how I roll. But time is catching up with me; I’ll be 66 next week and am feeling my age. After loading a chest freezer I got at an estate sale, I slipped and fell off of the tailgate and clobbered my right leg. It is still a bit swollen and sore but getting better.

The lesson here is to pace yourself when working hard. And have your wits about you at all times. I just wasn’t thinking of where I was and preoccupied with other deals still to be finalized.

Glad to hear that you and your wife are both avid garage salers. Nothing like having a partner to share your joys with. I would greatly appreciate your posting of your deals made.

And yes, the playing field has changed in the last year or so. In the past I have written about the descending hordes of 50 buyers at a garage sale. And they arrive in late cars and well dressed. Didn’t used to be this way. Also, I recommend arriving ½ hour earlier than the opening time and patiently waiting for the seller to give the okay. This has become VERY important because most sellers are not professionals and will often let you in early. Of course, this is where you get the first grab at all the goodies.

I believe that there will be a lot of sellers this year what with the economy being so bad. All of the new money the govt created out of thin air went to the bankers, Wall street and govt spending. The only “trickle down” was on our heads and I don’t mean water. So money never got to us little guys. I would advise to keep a considerable amount of cash in case a flood of deals suddenly appear. I collect $1, $5 and $10 bills for sales. This is to back up larger sums for the really big deals. There have even been times where I traded rolled coins (bricks of nickels especially) with my son for dollar bills. Later I traded back for the coins since I believe, as Ponce does, that coins may well become much more valuable in the future.

I buy things I may need as well as some things I want as well as spare backups for things I use. At the same time I’m looking for anything that is a steal and I may be able to sell later for more. A few days ago I went to an estate sale; when I drove up the seller said that everything had been sold. Undeterred, I saw several items still out there for sale. I got a large plastic bin with about 20 gardening tools and an electric drill for a package price of $3. There were 4 large Pioneer speakers in excellent condition I got for $1 each. I don’t need them but they were so cheap that I couldn’t resist. Some young person will probably want them for their house or garage. Even if I sell them for only $20, that will be a 5x profit. Not much cash but I believe that a future garage sale I hold should have a wide variety of items. After buying and not selling for the past 6 years, I have a humongous pile of items that I can sell.

Something that Ponce always tells me is that I should hold onto everything because it will be gold in the future. His experience with Cuba and how everything is scarce is where he is coming from. Perhaps after we no longer are importing goods from around the world we will be in the same predicament as Cuba. The times they are a changin’. Gotta go with the flow.

So your $3 to $4 Budweiser and gasoline rule of thumb sounds, well….sound. The little items may not seem like much but a pile of them can also add up to a pile of money. And in this economy, the little items should sell easily. Remember, you don’t make the money selling the item; you make the money buying the item. Because no matter how hard you try, you won’t make a profit if you paid too much.

The technique I use is to gather up in a pile all of the items I want and ask the seller to give me a package price for everything. This is a bit aggressive even though it may not sound like it is. I have served my offer and expectation to the seller and it is now in his/her court. This way, they have to add up (as you say) and usually offer a healthy discount. So rather than asking the price for a pile of items, ask for a “package price”. This has almost always worked for me.

I drive to sales in an old 1990 Dodge pickup truck, unwashed. And I wear an old pair of pants and a worn out jacket. Appearances are important. Sometimes I ask the seller if they have plenty of $1 bills because I have a wad of them. This softens them up as well as relieves them; a personal touch. Doesn’t cost anything and shows you are considerate of their situation.

Glad to see you here posting; this website is made of many special people who are most willing to share their wisdom and advice. We are like a family; even better in some ways.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[govcheetos]

Didn't go to any sales today due to crappy weather for the weekend plus only one being advertized. The one advertised was somewhat far and didn't list anything I would be interested in. I always check craigslist the night before for advertised sales and compile a list in the order I want to go to them. The list obviously goes by start time, most at 8 am but some at 7 am. I also compile the list according to listed items that interest me. If one ad lists "lots of tools" i'm going to that one over one that lists mostly bookshelves, tv's, and baby clothes. I also go by what area of town they are in. Some areas have been built more recently and these people generally have accumulated less good stuff. If there is an estate sale in the older neighborhoods it is usually a gold mine of old stuff that was quality built a few to several decades ago. This is just what im interested in though. For example, I don't have kids, but if I did it would be great shopping for them at garage sales. Especially baby clothes and toys. Most of this stuff was bought for the kid by the moms friends at a baby shower and a lot of it still has the tags on it. No way would I pay retail for anything baby or kid related. I tell some of my friends with young children and they kind of turn up their nose at the idea. Oh well. If I'm at a sale and they don't have anything I'm interested in I always ask if they have any tools or "guy stuff". Sometimes this works to bring out something. I always keep in mind of other sales going on too. Don't waste your time chit chatting too much if there is nothing you want because somewhere at the next sale someone is buying the deal of the century.

Just to give some non garage salers an idea of whats out there I'll post up some of my more memorable recent finds:

5 hp push lawnmower--$5. Lady said it didn't run and she didn't know why. I took it home and put gas in it, runs like a brand new one!

Silver bracelet made by Tiffany Co.--25 cents! Was in with a bunch of junk costume jewelery.

(4) 1 gallon jugs of Mercury Quicksilver tcw-3 outboard oil--$2 each. This stuff retails for $20 plus and doesn't go bad.

14 foot utility/landscape trailer with wood deck, steel mesh loading ramp and 15 inch good year tires and rims includes a spare tire too--$300 This trailer would retail for $1500-$1700 and sell used for $800-$1200. Trailer wasn't even for sale, I got it because I asked about it and they said to make them an offer. Probably could have gotten it for a little less, but I'm careful not to embarrass myself or insult someone with crazy low ball offers.

(2) plastic gun cases--$1 each One holds two rifles and one holds only one.

Echo 305 chainsaw--$15 runs like a champ when you put gas in it! I had to put a new chain on it which costs more than I paid for the saw.

Deep well Husky brand socket set--$1 Was missing 1 socket.

Garden tractor with 25 hp Kohler Command engine and Hydrostatic transmission--$100. Had to put a $15 walmart battery in it and replace the seat with a $10 one out of the junk pile at the lawn mower store. If you look in the Northern Tools catalog just the engine new costs over $1800! This tractor is great around the yard and I've pulled trailers weighing a tad over 5000lbs with it.

Not every deal is as good as these, but i rarely buy anything for more than 20-30 percent of value, if not pennies on the dollar.

That's all for now good luck out there!

[govcheetos]

Not too many sales today due to cold weather. This time of year is usually slow anyway and will pick up with springtime approaching. Did find a couple deals though.

Got a pair of Motorola FR50 2 way radios--$5. Had to put some AA batteries in them. These are selling retail on the internet for up to $189.00! Used ones are going for $20-$40. These things have a 2 mile range and 14 channels.

Worked out a deal for a FREE load of scrap mahogony lumber for helping a friend move a large mechanics tool chest. I don't know anything about the price other than its expensive, but already have it going to a friend of two mutual friends who uses it on boats and high end street rods. It's good to "pay it forward" once in a while. He's driving 50+ miles to come pick it up and is tickled to death to be getting it for free, and I feel it will all come back to me eventually anyhow.

Did see a guy trying to sell circulated Morgans for $45! Spot price for silver today is $28.68 which would make Morgans worth about $22 and change. I hope he gets his price, just won't be from me!

That's all for now.

Good luck everyone!

[agnut]

Hi again govcheetos. Great post. Thanks.

After reading your post I had to laugh; it was the first time I had felt admiration bordering on envy. Now I know how some of my readers may feel at times from all of the deals I write about. Of course, the beauty of writing on the internet is that showing off with a big ego is obvious and misplaced. Often I am surprised at the deals I get and have to pinch myself. Why isn’t everyone doing this ? Well, I realize that I am merely ahead of the masses by many years. Bartering and horse trading became my way of life many years ago and I am so immersed in it that I have to sometimes catch myself when talking with others. My motivation is not bragging but rather trying to encourage others to see the light and take control of their financial lives. Besides, it is more exciting than most anything else I can imagine. Money saved is money earned.

Your qualifying and organizing the garage sales beforehand is what separates the looky loos from the pros.

Last Thursday I went to a moving sale that had many hundreds of items. Problem was that the sellers had priced most everything way too high. I did manage to get a 9’ breakdown fishing rod with a Penn reel for $20. Just what I’d been looking for. Also got a propane heater with a large full propane bottle for $35.

This morning I’m going to a moving sale that has a few items I am looking for if the price is right. It starts at 9:00 but I will be there at 8:30. I was 15 minutes early at the Thursday moving sale but the sellers had opened earlier and there were buyers walking out with items as I was going in. Not cool but we have to accept that this happens, especially in this economy. There were about 15 cars there when I arrived. Gotta change with the times.

In the past it had been sufficient to show up 15 minutes early and stand behind the ropes looking at what would be offered, licking our chops in anticipation. Nowadays we must be creative and possibly arrive as much as an hour early. In the past I have arrived early and offered to help in setting out their items and this has paid off well. Just a thought.

Someone told me that they buy an old power mower and cut the front metal out between the wheels and use it for clearing brush. Sounds potentially dangerous but I may try it.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Get ready for the months ahead as the weather changes; I expect more garage, moving and estate sales than ever. Don’t be in a hurry but calmly make a pile of items you want before anyone else has the chance. Unless the prices are outrageous, items are selling quickly. And even big ticket items if they are a steal. Many people still have money but are more discriminating than in the past. Tight money means tight buyers. A fool and his money have been parted long ago.

[freespirit]

Agnut-


"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

...that is fantastic.

[govcheetos]

Went to pick up my free wood and it turns out it's African Sapele not mahogony. Still an awesome deal considering all I had to do is help a friend move a HEAVY tool chest. Plus as we were loading it he found another pile of smaller scraps under some junk in his garage. All together it fills an 8 ft pick up bed by about 1/3. The deals I listed above are recent deals over the last 6-8 months, definantly not all in one day of shopping. It still amazes me how so many people will pay full retail price for something just to sell it for literally pennies on the dollar to total strangers. Its borderline sinful the disrespect some of these people have for quality tools and equipment they either paid full price for with their money or their fathers or grandfathers bought and used and cared for properly. Agnut I agree about your statement about talking to others about your deals. Some smile and shake their head in amazement, others think you're outright BS-ing them.

Things work in a cycle and sometimes I think I'm so far behind the times that I'm actually ahead of the times. which reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw a while ago that said simply:

"The last human being on Earth will be a hunter gatherer."

[Spectrism]

Keep up the bragging.... I mean good posts. I love reading about the deals. I agree- Ag... sometimes you have to fight to keep the smile off your face when dealing with sellers. There have been times where I had to fight from rolling into a full-blown guffaw laughter. Wearing old beat up clothes also makes you look regular and not a good candidate to fight over price.

We have not gotten into yard sale season yet in CT.... but I am ready to hit the road looking. Another month or so for the snow and cool weather to clear.

Alternate sources of electric power is my hot target now. Looking for anything that may come in handy. A full solar system the way I would like it is still a bit outside my price range. I may have to figure a way to do it incrementally.

BTW- any electric motors you see are loaded with copper. Even if you cannot use the motor, think of the copper weight. I have been figuring $3/pound for copper as a break even and if I can get it 50% or cheaper, that is a good deal.

In this strange year ahead, may God bless you all in your journeys and good hunting!

[govcheetos]

Went to about 10 sales today, but didn't come home with much. Did buy a set of magnetic tow lights for when you're towing a vehicle for 10 bucks. They were new in the box and the original price was $29.95 + tax.

http://image.usedvictoria.com/photos/03/26/29178726_614.jpg

Ran into a friend who asked if $30 was a good price for silver dollars. Told him he could do better.

Traded a 48 inch Craftsman riding mower with a 18 hp briggs commercial v-twin engine for two Stihl chainsaws. One is a 250 and the other is a 024 wood boss. One of them is missing the carb, can't remember which. I didn't need the riding mower and don't really need the chainsaws, but they take up less space and I feel are easier to sell/trade down the road.

The 14 ft trailer I mentioned earlier I'm letting a friend borrow to help move. This is the 3rd person I've helped with it. Saves them the money from having to rent a Uhaul, and I dont have to help them with one of my trucks! Even let them borrow a hand truck i got at a sale for 10 bucks. The first guy I let borrow it put new wheel bearings and buddy bearings in it for me letting him borrow it. That saved me the money for the parts plus I didn't have to get all greasy changing out the bearings!

Hope ya'll find some deals out there!

[woodman]

You know, one man's garbage is another man's treasure. My barn fills up with stuff that I bring home, from jobs, the side of the road, yard sales, etc. I have to clean it out occasionally of the stuff that really isn't that usefull to me. The hell of it is, I usually end up needing the stuff I get rid of. I will put stuff out by the road if I feel it is not worth the effort of selling it.

I set a wood furnace that I didn't want any more, out by the road and was planning on selling it. Well, some locals came by that same night before I had the chance to put a for sale sign on it and it disappeared. My mistake. Funny story: A friend of mine tells me he knows how to get rid of old tires without any effort. He puts them out by the main road and puts a for sale sign on them and they always end up dissapearing over night.

I have a huge steel vice, a large shop model that is so heavy I could hardly carry it. $5 at a yard sale. Scrap value would be higher by far. I tear out gym floors and save the wood and usually can get some money for it and maybe a price for installing it into the bargain. Sometimes I cut the maple out in large sections, about 4' x 8' and if it is a floating floor it has 1" of plywood beneath the maple. So it is 1 3/4" thick. This stuff makes the most awesome shop work tables. Very solid. I am very much into wood stoves and have purchased many at yard sales and second hand through the paper over the years. You can still pick up these models called Volcanos sometimes. They were made in Michigan and are fantastic woodstoves. I heated my home with a Volcano for many years. $100

Old windows and doors can be found all the time for free. They make excellent shed parts. The stuff that gets thrown out in this country must amaze people who come here from India or Pakistan. Just the wood laying around for the taking must be something they are not used to. This is a rich country still. I've seen articles and pictures of how it is in India, women gathering sticks all day on a mountain side and strapping them to their backs just so they can have a cook fire. Must suck. We are lucky to live in this land of plenty, even though the bankers have us all enslaved.

I wish I was good at barter. I have never practiced it and don't know how usefull it would be to me. It seems like you need a lot of luck to find the right person with the right item at the right time. I would particularly like to barter my wood flooring or carpenter skills to get my home insulated and the electric service updated.

[zap]

I am wanting to down size, because I am getting older... I need to be able to drive my tractor around to keep the brush / weeds down, when I get a list I am going to put it up here first , so much crap....I really just want to have the Mexicans load it up and take it to the dump, a tractor, a log splitter , various tools. Just stuff !!!!

But see I don't want anyone up here so I have to haul it out.

[govcheetos]

I am wanting to down size, because I am getting older... I need to be able to drive my tractor around to keep the brush / weeds down, when I get a list I am going to put it up here first , so much crap....I really just want to have the Mexicans load it up and take it to the dump, a tractor, a log splitter , various tools. Just stuff !!!!

But see I don't want anyone up here so I have to haul it out.


Zap you really should post up what you have here for people who would appreciate some of the stuff you probably have. I have a high reverence for stuff like tools that usually never go bad if cared for properly. Anything you would be willing to sell would benefit you with additional funds for an unused/unwanted item plus save the purchaser from buying something more expensive that is probably made from chinese parts these days. I think about when I get older I'm gonna give certain things to close family and friends ahead of time to ease the burden on my wife, plus to make sure it goes to someone I want it to without them having to deal with all the crap that goes with dividing up an estate.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism, good idea on the electric motors/copper. I thought about either melting down the copper in a commercial crucible and pouring off the copper as long as the steel parts have a higher melting temperature. Another idea would be an unwinding machine to unwind the copper wiring. But what do I know; I’m just a picker. There should be some way to make a fortune there. Also there are starters, generators and alternators from old cars; not to mention all the copper wiring in wrecks.

Saturday before last I went to a moving sale that I had been anticipating from the ad in the local newspaper. It started at 9:00 but I was there at 8:25 and the first to arrive. The next door neighbor was there with his wife just socializing. I sized them up and saw that they didn’t have much interest in the items. He did buy a pick for $8, the newer type with the yellow fiberglass handle; I had paid $2 for an identical pick and have 4 of them at home. So no great loss.

What I was specifically looking for was the surround sound amplifier he had advertised. Turns out it was a Yamaha model HTR 5460 surround sound 5 channel receiver. That’s all the ad said; nothing about the speakers or if there were any for sale at all. Turned out that the 5 speakers were all Cerwin Vega brand; a LS 6C, two LS 5, and two LS 12. I got them home and looked them up on eBay The speakers were offered used for $690 plus some shipping.

The Yamaha receiver I couldn’t find a used price but new it is anywhere from $675 to $850. Also came with Monster wiring for everything.

Not too shabby for a total price of $125. If I had to buy it on eBay, the price would have been about $1,000 with shipping. I have been wanting a surround sound system for the big screen in the den and here it practically fell into my lap.

Also got a new car cover for $3.

As I left I had to turn around and went up a side street where there was a gooseneck flatbed trailer loaded with used bricks. My sister had been looking for them for a patio she wanted to build. I told her about them and she went over and checked them out. She may not do anything but this was on her wish list. Later I was at the thrift store where I drop off fruits and vegetables and they had just gotten in a nice queen box spring and mattress set. My sister also had this on her wish list so I called her and she hustled down there and got them for $25. My point is that I am not just buying for myself but also am being eyes and ears for family and friends. This can be a tremendous advantage in relationships. It can be like being Santa Clause sometimes.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. Prices are going up at the various sales. But not all of them. I guess the motivation of the seller as well as their lack of knowledge are wild cards. In other words, ya never know.

Your trade for the 2 Stihl chain saws sounds like you made out. I have 3 Stihl chain saws, a Stihl hedge trimmer and a commercial Stihl weed trimmer. The best as far as I am concerned. I might suggest that you talk to your local Stihl dealer about the price for a new carburetor and if it is upgraded from the original one. My weed trimmer wouldn’t stay running so I rebuilt the carb and it wasn‘t much better. A friend who ran the local Stihl dealership got a new carb for me which was the upgraded type and it has worked perfectly since.

My trailer is out on loan to my nephew right now. So I know what you are talking about. Lots of furniture to move PLUS three cement deer, two of which weigh about 400 pounds apiece ! I’m hoping to not get too involved with their moving. My back will pay deerly.

Last week I got a Dyson Ball vacuum cleaner; I have wanted one because I have heard of its superior performance and I have never seen one and was curious about how it was constructed. Just the frustrated mechanical engineer tendency in me. I got it for $45. I knew that it was expensive new but $500 with tax ? Sometimes even a cursory knowledge can yield a good score. I didn’t know much about the Dyson Ball but was a winner anyway. Part gut instinct too. I couldn’t wait to get it home and try it out. I cleaned it up and proceeded to vacuum the carpets which had been serviced by a newer Hoover vacuum. The Dyson Ball practically sucked the padding from beneath the carpet!

Although today is Saturday I’m not going out garage sailing. Why ? First, there is nothing advertised and second because I was at two estate sales yesterday. The first was the largest I have ever attended. I know the lady who was presiding over the sale and have been to a couple of her previous estate sales. The first one I filled a truck and trailer load twice with bargains. Remember the 160 towels and washcloths I got for a total of $5 a couple of years ago ? Yep, that was her sale. It helps to remember past deals and where and from whom you got them. By the way, the sale started at 9:00 but I arrived at 7:30. I was there to help while looking over the items. I was asked to drive this riding mower around to the front of the house. As I did, the huge crowd of buyers parted like Moses and the Red sea. HaHa I knew many of them and they looked surprised to see me helping out.

My overview here was to see what would happen if I showed up very early and helped. It was just for an experiment. This technique may help sometimes. I could have bought many things but only hand picked out a few. A Super Scrabble game, a couple of sets of Dominoes and some cooking gear. I did pick up a Milwaukee cut saw in the metal case. As I was carrying it around, a man said that that was what he was looking for. I said, “You want it ?” and passed it to him. I already have two cut saws. Perhaps a mistake because I could have sold it for a healthy profit later but sometimes it pays to be generous and the look of surprise on his face was payment enough.

Now the second estate sale wasn’t the madhouse like the first. I picked up a Dremel drill set for $15, lots and lots of Tupperware for 50 cents to a dollar, a set of German steel drill bits for $3, four baking pans for a quarter apiece, a box of used and new drill bits for a dollar, two sawhorse sets for $4, a large pipe wrench and crescent wrench for $2 each (both American made; important ), a car battery cart for $3 and a couple of heavy duty extension cords for a dollar each. Not a big haul but some things I can use as well as sell or trade in the future.

And while I am on the subject of the future, I would like to share with you that I have been buying items in my area for several years and have noticed that the prices of things I had bought long ago are increasing lately. Ponce and I talked about this just this morning. It is important that we all realize that “the future ain’t what it used to be” , as Yogi Berra was known to have said. The future that Ponce predicts is going to be like what happened in Cuba; everything will be needed and valuable. Good as gold.

With that said, I further expect items of quality we acquire now will be powerful trading material in the future. Gold and silver bullion have their place as foundational wealth. However, a wide variety of items will also greatly increase their own value and utility in the future.

For example, yesterday I got a call from a man who delivers 4 gallon plastic and 5 gallon metal containers with lids that were used for bulk food basics from a bakery. I pay him 50 cents each. He delivered 65 plastic and 15 metal ones. I stacked them in shelves high in my barn. I have hundreds now and have a standing order with him for more. Now he gets them for free. So why don’t I just cut him out of the picture and get them myself ? In the first place, he passes by the bakery in his travels. This bakery is 25 miles away and I would have to drive there myself and spend the time, fuel and wear and tear on my truck. He delivers these containers and unloads them. Most important, it is out of respect for this nice man that I want to continue dealing with him. He found the deal in the first place and offered it to me. It is bad business to not share with others; everybody involved needs to get a share of the benefits. I know that he has recently bought a house and is not making a lot of money so I look out for him. If a deal that comes my way that I think he can benefit from I will tell him of it. Not all deals involve dollars; some involve banking on good relationships.

I just got a call from the thrift store and they said that they had just gotten in two large chest freezers, one for $25 and another for $15. I called where the container guy worked but he was off so I told another guy there of the good deal and he said that he would call a friend who needed a freezer. Sometimes we will never know how these things turn out but must be content with having done our part.

There are givers, sharers and takers in this world. Know who you are dealing with as well as yourself.

Long ago I learned that the more I give away, the more that comes back to me.

So what am I doing in acquiring all of these plastic and metal containers ? If it takes a cup of petroleum to make just one flimsy plastic grocery bag, how much petroleum does it take to make one of my 4 gallon plastic containers with lids ? I have checked on the plastic containers new price and they cost about $7 with lids.

And the metal containers ? Rat proof food containers as well as anything that you don’t want rats chewing on. They will chew on anything except steel; perhaps its to sharpen their teeth. Or perhaps they see how we are running this world and they are nervous wrecks.

Supposing the dollar takes a 50% haircut (or is that scalping); what would be the new price for these plastic containers ? Since they are made from petroleum, the new price may double. And having bought them for 50 cents each begins to look a bit more appetizing.

Other items for future trading materials may include nails, pipe fittings, lumber, clothing and many other items needed in the future which may become too high priced or even unavailable.

Warren Buffett once said “It is only when the tide goes out that you discover who is not wearing swimsuits“.

We all need to ask ourselves if we will be adequately covered when the tide goes out. Will gold and silver be enough without trading material ? This is why I am diversified.

Oh, here is something that I have been thinking about for a long time. Socks, lots of socks. New ones, of course. In the past I have bought socks at Wal-Mart for less than a dollar per pair. They are imported of course (we don’t make much here any more but babies and bullets and I’m not sure for how long the latter). Socks are the one thing that wear out on a regular basis. Good for trading material, in my opinion. You never see used socks at a garage or estate sale do you ? And who would want them anyway ? At least buy enough socks for yourself for as long as you expect to need socks. Because we don’t know how long until the much anticipated collapse occurs. Or how many years it may last.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Hi woodman. Sounds like you are doing some great deals already.

I don’t understand your saying “I wish I was good at barter. I have never practiced it and don't know how useful it would be to me. It seems like you need a lot of luck to find the right person with the right item at the right time. I would particularly like to barter my wood flooring or carpenter skills to get my home insulated and the electric service updated. “

In my way of understanding, bartering can be either trading one item for another or it could be trading an item for dollars and then trading those dollars for something you want. The former type occurs much less often than the latter. Why ? Because the dollar is being used as the intermediary between what you have and what you want and therefore requires little time or negotiating skills. However, when (not if) the dollar goes bye-bye, the old time direct bartering will take center stage if there is not a reliable replacement for the dollar. Why are the central banks buying up all the gold they can ? Because they know that the replacement currency must be backed with something of enduring recognizable intrinsic value in order to be considered a reliable replacement. And gold, silver and copper have fulfilled that task for thousands of years. Without individual physical ownership of gold, we will be vulnerable to yet another currency collapse because the so called new paper gold certificate would have no real intrinsic value. Only physical gold or silver in the hands of the people is money; all other is illusion. [ rant off ]

In current parlance you are bartering and have been bartering with dollars as the intermediary. It is the hope that mankind would return to honest money that motivates many, many financial writers. And looking at the overview of what China and Russia are doing with regard to their gold buying, we may see the return of honest money in our lifetimes. But just a hope that I don’t expect to come true. Mankind has too many dishonest and greedy individuals in financial power to let that happen without a fight to the death, aka war.

So real bartering, or trading for another item, will remain a small part of our dealings. I suppose that if we were transported back to the 1700s or 1800s we would be doing much more of this type of bartering. In the last depression I read many times of people trading their skills or items directly for another (a goat for 12 chickens or a chair for two hours of labor). Life moved much slower in those days; needs were met on a glacial pace in comparison to the instant gratification pace of what we do today. Along the way we lost something of our humanity in interpersonal dealings.

My advice would be to seek a bartering group and offer your services. I don’t know myself but this may be your cup of tea.

Have you considered taking old hardwoods from furniture and flooring and doors and running them through a plane in order to expose the new surfaces ? Perhaps you could sell it to hobbyists and cabinetmakers. I have a wood plane I bought a couple of years ago for that express purpose. It has always seemed like a good possibility to try. I know that good aged hardwoods are getting more expensive and furniture made from reclaimed (recycled) old wood may be a new specialty for the future.

Best wishes and I hope this helps,

Agnut

The filthiest four letter word in the English language is debt.

[woodman]

Hi Agnut. Yes, I should have specified that I am a no good with direct barter, having never practiced such. Trading labor/skills I think would be fairly straight forward. As far as older wood items go, it is hard to find wood of the quality that our ancestors had to work with. I was able to purchase some large timbers from a local fellow for $10 apiece. They are from a centuries old pickle or wine vat, not sure which anymore, and are about 6" x16", some about 14' long. Cypress. The annullar rings are amazing because they are so close together. In some spots so close that they are hard to count with the naked eye, even on a polished piece. I am ashamed to say that I used one as a ridge board on an addition to my home. The wood is too fine for such a purpose and pine would have served. I was impoverished (both time and money) at the time though. The guy who sold them to me had used many as deck boards on a back deck he built.

I found a huge burl on an oak tree and cut it out. It is almost too heavy to lift. I've been thinking about taking it to a craft/art festival downstate and seeing if one of the artisans would be interested. I am too busy to use it. Plus no shop as yet. I work out of my old hay barn and that is getting to be a drag.

I really like the saying you have "The filthiest four letter word in the English language is debt." I will add it to my quotes file. Is it from you?

[agnut]

Hi woodman. You are way ahead of me in knowing the various types of hardwoods. If I had your knowledge I would begin to check out the market potential for this “recycled lumber”. You never know what you may discover if you look deeper. In the next town there is a specialist who restores a certain type of Italian coffee roaster. He makes a good living and seems to have plenty of cash to buy any deals he finds. You got me thinking about fixing up my wood plane but I am so busy that I may not get to it for a long time.

Yes, that quote is mine. I made it up to convey the extreme disgust I have for debt as well as the extreme dangers of debt. And look at where the world is now with the end game of too much debt to continue paying even the interest on the said debt; this end game results in another ugly word, “austerity”, which may sound rather innocent but the implementation of austerity means societal misery spanning decades.

Debt is a hole dug of future earnings which become almost impossible to refill throughout the same future‘s progress through time. It is like digging one’s own financial grave. Debt is giving to lenders ones future freedom. Debt is a lifestyle without style.

Penny pinching, frugal, cheap, tightwad and other words whose negative connotations have misdirected most of the populace.

There is a time for everyone to sit down and think of what they are doing with their finances and dreams. And that time has always been yesterday. For what we realize and redirect now will have great implications for the future that lies ahead. Robert Frost wrote a poem that has always stuck with me :

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


Why pay interest ? Why ? Is it an out of control ego that drives one ? Is it envy for others who appear to have things we want now but do not have the savings to buy cash on the barrel head ? Or is it rationalization that everyone else is also borrowing and it must be the way to go ? If everybody was jumping in the fire why don’t you ?

Has fluoride in the drinking water dulled everyone’s senses ? Have we become a people like in the movie “Idiocracy” ? No, not necessarily; personal financial management comes from what we have learned from our parents and peer group. My parents were frugal and bought everything with cash except their houses. And why did they have to borrow in order to buy a house ? Because the system was in place before they were adults. A house cost far beyond what a working man could save in decades. However, in the distant past, it was considered a disgrace to have a mortgage on one’s house. Back then, a working man could clear the land and build his home from surrounding trees. First log cabins and later sawmilled lumber. Later came electricity and all of the so called modern conveniences. See the transition and resulting stranglehold the lenders attained through the decades ? So modernization has its prices to pay. There is no free ride.

Best wishes,

Agnut

My other quotes :

Nature : The first tell a vision

Children were what parents watched before there was television

The unbridled lust for money and power is an as yet unrecognized form of mental illness.

[agnut]

Hi Zap. I can sure relate with your getting older; I have to think long and hard before taking on any more projects.

It is enough to be buying at garage and estate sales. And the season is just getting started.

I am not ready to hold a sale myself and don’t want to have loads of buyers showing up with parking problems and a long single lane road into my property. The last time I wanted to get rid of items I took them over to my sister’s house when she was holding a sale. Maybe you have a friend or family who could help you in this way.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[govcheetos]

I agree about the projects Agnut, I'm still fairly young, but have started to realize I can't fix up and keep every good deal I run across. My yard sometimes starts to look like the Beverly Hillbillies meets Sanford and Son.

Something I have a real soft spot for is old boats. I keep a look out for old derelict ones in peoples yards and on craigslist. I almost always get them for free. Keep in mind these are not seaworthy, but a project that may need a new transom or deck, almost always an engine, and the trailer almost always has flat and dry rotted tires. I have a stack of decent trailer wheels and tires to get them home on, though I have been known to drag them home on flats before for short distances.:cool: (Just so ya'll know the top recommended speed for flat trailer tires is 29 mph, over that they tend to disinigrate:o:o:o). When I get them home I shovel out the years of leaves and debris and strip them of any decent parts for sale on craigslist or to put in my stock pile of parts for use or trade for later. Depending on the condition of the trailer I may switch trailers to sell it with a cheaper trailer and keep the good one or sell it individually. Parts i strip are props, helms, engine controls, engines, stainless hardware and fittings etc. Again these get sold on craigslist. The old boat gets a good scrub and a bleach bath and parked in the yard for sale. I can usually get 200-300 for a boat and cheap trailer and usually get just about the same for a decent trailer by itself. Unless its a really desirable hull, its really hard to sell a boat without a trailer due to most people not having a spare trailer available, so I'm always on the lookout for cheap trailers to get rid of an old hull with. If I advertise on craigslist I can usually get rid of one in 24-48 hours, just parked in the yard may take a week. I don't have anything invested except some time to clean them up and to talk to tire kicker shoppers in the yard. I've run across some real deals. One old boat had a 15 hp Mariner engine laying in it the guy said was frozen up. Turns out in was just shifted in gear and had great compression. I let a friend of mine rebuild the carb and traded it to a neighbor for an old 21' Donzi with and aluminum trailer. My neighbor had been trying to sell the Donzi for years and it was in really bad shape, decks and stringers rotted out almost completely, missing the engine, had an old obsolete cobra outdrive on it ( Cobras aren't very desirable, but if you have one this was a gold mine of spareparts). It had Donzi written on the side so I knew someone would jump on it. Sold it to another boat trader guy like me off craigslist for 400 and kept the trailer. Used the 400 to fix up the trailer to be road worthy and use it if I ever need to drag an old hull out of the weeds that doesn't have a trailer with it. Most boats are a collossal waste of money in financial terms, but you can come out ahead at the bottom of the barrel with the ones I'm dealing with.

[govcheetos]

Garage sailing this week didn't yield any huge deals, but I still did pretty good price wise.

Here's what I came home with....

Pair of heavy duty 50 ft extension cords: $2 each

Cement rooster yard statue and cement donkey pulling a cart: $2 for all! This kind of stuff is getting pretty expensive due to china buying up cement. Not really a great SHTF item but I think they look cool.

2 Commercial grade lawn sprinklers: $1 each

Which reminds me, I put in a shallow well to water the lawn and garden. The pump I'm using is a 1 hp flo-tech model I got from a friend just for cutting his grass. This pump sells at walmart for $263!!!

Hope ya'll find some deals this weekend!

[govcheetos]

Did alright today at the sales, in fact, pretty good.

Picked up two desktop scanners,

First one is a Realistic pro-2006 400 channel model
Here's a link to some reviews on it (notice msrp :) )
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/861

Second one is a Radio Shack Pro 2035 1000 channel model.

Here's a youtube link I found for it:
http://youtu.be/IdS03gFkWP0

Both seem to me to be very similar with the Pro-2035 being an updated version of the highly regarded Pro-2006 model.

My price? Try $15 FOR BOTH! Not each, BOTH!

Next sale Had a bunch of stuff, Picked up two 5.70-8 trailer tires with galvinized rims and a 1500 lbs trailer tongue jack $10 for all. The tires are in great shape, no dry rot at all and don't seem like they've even been used. Usually these sell for 60-70 a piece or so and the jack goes for an easy $40-50 new. Went back and bought a galvinized boat trailer winch post and trailer leaf spring for $5 for both.

I'd say I did alright.

Hope ya'll find some quality goods for pennies on the dollar. Good Luck!

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. You sure are active in bartering and horse trading. Those are some killer deals. I haven’t even gone out to any sales because there are so few lately but the most important reason is that I have so much to clear away on the property. Pruning the orchard, moving cars and previous deals have me tied up for now. But if a juicy sale appears I won’t be able to resist. Mae West once said that she could resist most anything but temptation.

In the process of organizing I have been uncovering boxes of items I bought long ago. Although it feels a bit like Christmas morning I have to face reality and get things put away and labeled where they are for future reference. I have over 100 boxes that Dole bananas came in and use them to store a lot of the items I have acquired. With a label on one end I can quickly find what I am looking for. Another way of using free things that are just laying around. You know, there is an overabundance of material just laying around here in America that we can get for simply asking and hauling it away. A friend told me about a pile of used bricks that were free. She loaded them up and took them over to another place that needed them and sold them for over a thousand dollars. We are limited by our imagination. More apropos is that we limit ourselves by our NOT using our imaginations.

By your posts I can see that you are using your imagination and surrounding resources. Many years ago I paid a retired Harvard business professor for some of his thoughts. What stuck with me was that he said to not think of dealing in your town or your county or state or country but to think worldwide and work backwards from there. And you know what ? I did that some years later and made a fortune in international deals.

Another lesson I never forgot was that a German parts dealer told me that is the same work to do a $100 deal as it is to do a $10,000 deal. I found this to be largely true. So some of you who are reading this may want to think of larger deals if you feel that you can handle it.

Hey, I’m just an old kid who started out with nothing and built from there. I had nowhere to go but up. I am fond of that saying “I’ve done so much with so little for so long that now I can do anything with nothing.” Just a way of laughing at myself in looking back through the decades and where I have traveled.

I wish I had your skills at boat deals. There’s lots of them in my local area. Your Donzi boat reminds me of the first time I went water skiing on the intercostals waterways in Miami. Must have been over 40 years ago and I hadn’t thought of it until just now. A couple of wild party hearty guys invited me and we went under bridges where I thought I would have to duck. But that was several decades ago. Good times. Oh, well, water under the bridge.

The more we get out there and do things the more our brains connect to the real world. And the more we can grow as sentient beings. Bartering and horse trading is one of the best ways to meet people; they are being themselves and watching them as they go through a sale tells a lot about them. Many times I will volunteer a comment about something they are looking at and will strike up a conversation. I know several people through this method. And who knows, you may find a lifetime friend or even a soul mate.

A couple of friends came by earlier today and invited my son and I to go fishing. I had met them through my dropping off veggies and now they are becoming closer to us. She is a gourmet chef and he is an independent buyer and seller of high end items. They are planning a garage sale this weekend and will call me when ready. Lots of old tools and a pair of Altec Lansing speakers for $50 which I told him I was interested in. I’ll let you know what happens.

Another couple I met at a garage sale and now they drop by often. Speaking of drop, I fell off the tailgate of my truck and he caught my head before it hit the concrete floor. My right knee to ankle was black and blue but has since recovered. You might say that we now have a bond of some sort. Also very interesting folks and good hearted.

Well, that’s enough for one post.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Thanks to GS-US website I have two close friends. One is Ponce and Randymatt I met years ago at the old GIM website. Ya never know…until ya try.

[govcheetos]

Went to several sales today. Bought a few things, but passed on a lot of stuff due to already having several of some items. Hopefully someone else who is in the know and can use them will snatch them up. Picked up a wire fence stretcher for $5. I know a few people with farms that could probably use it more than me, so it might be a Christmas gift. Got two 20lbs propane gas cylinders for $1 each. When buying these make sure they have the new style valve if that's the one you need. The places that trade them out for full ones a lot of times won't exchange the old style valves. If you are into coupons, my wife prints them off the computer and gets me $3 off an exchange at our grocery store. Also picked up a pair of the smaller coleman stove type cylinders for $1. If you need a coleman camp stove don't buy a new one, these can be had at a sale for $3-$5 usually. I had 5 or 6 at one point but scaled back to the two nicest ones and gave the others to friends.

Speaking of Christmas, My family started a new tradition last year with a thing called Second Hand Christmas. The idea is everything you get for someone must be from garage sales, Goodwill/Salvation Army, re-gifted items you no longer need, but someone else does, or my personal favorite: Found on the side of the road! This last year was a great start and everyone enjoyed it. You keep an eye out year long for possible items that remind you of different family members. Everyone saves a bundle vs buying some new made in china crap, and everyone avoids the Christmas rush with all the commercial materialism. I bet I didn't spend more than $50 for my entire family last year and everyone had a blast. Everyone seemed more into finding out what everyone else received and hearing the story about where it came from too. If you do receive something you're not really crazy about it's no big deal and you don't have to return it and nobody is really offended. So far my sister has told she has two things for me already, "Found on the side of the road". I can't wait.

Hope ya'll find some deals!

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos, some good buys there and also some good down to earth advice. I have about 10 propane cylinders picked up through garage sales. Also have four or five Coleman camp stoves, some of which I had bought new for Y2K (remember that fiasco ?). When we had a local power outage I was able to loan an elderly neighbor a Coleman stove, a propane heater and a Coleman lantern. They were all spares and I was the only one in the neighborhood with a generator for saving our freezer contents. The outage lasted for almost a week.

I recently learned a new angle for acquiring items. I need well over 400 “T” posts for fencing off our acreage and I have been looking for them for a long time. A friend who also has acreage and cattle has a lot of these T posts stacked around. I asked him where he got his and he told me that looking in the local paper or Craigslist could yield some results but the best way he found was to keep an eye for what he needed as he drove around. He would stop at various farms and ranches that either had material laying around OR if the place looked neglected like the owner had no need for the fencing material.

What struck me was that he said that looking in the papers or internet was nowhere as good as directly dealing with neighbors and the surrounding community. He said that the fence posts he had bought for 25 to 50 cents each; this is much better than the $1 apiece I had been buying them. By the way, new T posts are about $5 to $6. So spending $2,000 to $2,400 on T posts is out of the question. It doesn’t matter whether someone is rich or not but whether these posts can be found for under a dollar. In fact, every purchase can be thought of like this. Sometimes I feel that people think I have a lot of money but since I buy most everything for 5 to 10 cents on the dollar, I have 10 to 20 times the items had I been foolish to have bought them new. Not to denigrate the masses of new buyers because without their buying I wouldn’t have the opportunities to buy their used items. For a song, of course.

The other day a previous neighbor called me and asked if I or someone I knew would be interested in 5 sliding windows with frames, storm windows and screens. At first I didn’t know what to do with them; if I had a place to store them for a long while. I later called him back and will be picking them up in a few days. I may want them for a greenhouse I have been accumulating material for. So some items can be for free. Ya never know.

I had a conversation with Ponce this morning and he advised me to sell what art and non necessities as soon as feasible. I agree that art and other dust collectors will probably be hard if not impossible to get rid of in the future and the cash now could be thought of as working capital for more deals or items that I may need in the coming years. Say I found a spectacular piece of art for $100 and it was worth $300 or more. Will I at some future time regret not having sold it and bought something that I would absolutely need in the Brave New World ? Or would the pleasure of viewing it outweigh the lost opportunities ? I could rationalize and say to myself that I paid only $100 rather than thinking clearly regarding what I may have done with the $300 or more. Items that have sentimental value are another matter. They have to be weighed partially with the emotional attachment.

A member at Timebomb2000 stated that he was collecting all the shovels, rakes, axes, hoes and any other gardening tools that he could find. This may prove to be a very wise investment but only time will tell. Personally, I collect any tools or materials like drills, chain, saws, fencing, barb wire, plywood, 2x4s, nails and so on. The key is to find quality items; American or European manufactured in most cases.

Not much around here in garage or estate sales. I’m just organizing before the spring/summer/fall buying season. I may sell some bigger ticket items and have just purchased a Nikon digital camera for photographing for Ebay and Craigslist ads.

Gotta go now to pick up another truckload of free fruits and veggies.

Best wishes,

Agnut

No one has to change, but if they don't, they must be willing to accept that things will pass them by.

Nature - the first tell a vision

[Spectrism]

Thanks Agnut.... I will need to pick up more yard tools. I have a large collection of cast iron pans. They store easy and may be a good barter item.

I like how you buy things for a few pennies on the dollar. It makes great sense. It leverages your buying power.

I saw a video on YouTube about making a welder from your old microwave. I wish I had seen it before I threw out the remaining parts of my microwave. I did not know how to access the transformer or the ring magnets. Now I am on the look-out for throw-away microwaves. And I will buy up any welding rods I can find. Need some welding goggles too.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. Your comment about cast iron pans made me laugh. I thought I was the only one collecting cast iron; well, like a madman anyway. I have several cooking pans, a Dutch oven and a cast iron double burner for cooking over a wood fire. The cast iron pans that have the words Erie or Wagner on the underside are desirable. Oh, I also have an antique wood stove that has a water heater on the side. Lots of cast iron in that sucker. Is there no end to this insanity ? Maybe my subconscious is beckoning me back to the future. My grandparents’ future, that is. I can still see my grandma’s washing machine; it was gas run and kick started like an old Harley.

Your microwave welder sounds like an interesting idea. I wonder how many amps it can put out and how much the amperage is variable. The YouTube I have been interested in lately is about wood gasification and being able to run an electric generator with wood. Additionally, one could use the heat generated to warm a house in the winter.

I have been wondering this seemingly simple question : what is rich ?

Is rich having more money than we need ? And what is enough for our needs ? Ponce says that there is need and there is greed. How true.

Is rich having power over others ? And to what extent ? And why ? Is it to be a servant for the people or a slave master ? And where does this power come from ? And if misused, how can it be taken away ?

Is rich being free from restrictions and interference ? And from whose restrictions and interferences ?

Is rich living a life of security and without want ? How secure ? And for how long ? And what are the wants anyway ?

Is rich having a loving family with all its twists and turns and interactions ?

Is rich living a life in helping others in their own journey through life ? Is this help financial, emotional or spiritual ? Is this help motivated by collecting accolades to oneself or is it done out of sharing the overwhelming appreciation for the gift of living in such a world as we do ?

It seems that human nature yearns for more even though people have what many would consider more than enough. What is enough anyway ?

We as Americans are inundated with marketing ploys to create demand for a cornucopia of “things” that will somehow satisfy our ego. My son and I watch TV and sometimes laugh when we realize that we rarely buy anything advertised. I think that we are literally immune from their influence. Perhaps this is why we have absolutely no hesitation in buying used items rather than new items. In fact, it is this “gotta have new” belief that allows us to pick up bargains all over the place. I was not kidding in my last post that buying used items at 5 to 10 percent of the new price allows us to live far beyond others who “gotta have new”. Yesterday I got a pair of JBL LXE990 speakers for $50. They are listed new at $860 for a pair (plus tax and possibly shipping). That’s 5.8% of the new price. Or what we call almost a 20 bagger.

Growth in a human is being willing to consider old beliefs and determine if they are working in their life. We too often become like automatons following early programming. Breaking from these false beliefs can be a freeing experience which, if done, can lead to more freeing up other aspect of ones life. Much like a frozen river breaks free in the spring and begins to flow.

I have owned hundreds of cars and have never owned a new car. When I was young the cost of a new car was out of reach but when I was older and had the funds to buy a new car I realized that there was nothing positive about losing thousands of dollars the minute I drove a new car off the dealership lot. I guess that Madison Avenue’s powerful marketing had failed, at least in my life. And so my way of looking at buying items stood me in good stead through the decades as the economy went through good times and bad. The only two times I financed a vehicle was when I bought a 1987 Ford pickup truck because I didn’t have enough for the cash price. I tired of the monthly bills and paid it off 6 months later. The other vehicle was a Ferrari 246GTS where my love for mechanical excellence got the best of me. It had no radio; the sound of the engine was my symphony. It was a sheer joy to drive but I didn’t like all the attention it received so I would take it out into the winding country roads where there were few people and I could experience its performance. Later, a wrist pin bushing began making noise and although I was a mechanic I took it to the local Ferrari dealer where they took it apart and it sat for several months, all the while as I was making payments. I later found out that the dealer was trying the old squeeze play and waiting for me to sell them the Ferrari in a basket. For a low price of course. I heard that they even had a buyer waiting to buy the Ferrari from them as soon as I sold it to the dealer. I had to threaten them with news exposure to get them to release the car. I later sold the car apart for 50% more than they had offered me and washed my hands of owning a car that I could not own by cash on the barrelhead. An expensive lesson learned.

I hope this little story helps readers to fully consider what they are getting into when they buy anything. It could even be something as small as a box of nails or a toaster. My old boss used to say “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”. This is why I write this thread, to share my good fortune and understanding. I realize that I am not perfect by any means but even with the mistakes I have made and personal shortcomings, I am still successful beyond my dreams. This fact alone says to me that there is room for making mistakes on the way to sharpening ones skills at bartering and horse trading.

It has been said that we learn three ways. First by listening to others. Second by reading and studying. And third, that some have to pee on the electric barb wire fence to get the message. I have experienced all three ways and believe me, the third way is not anything but shocking and painful.

Well, the garage, moving and estate sales should be coming on strong as the weather warms up. This should be a most interesting year. Some more well off folks will be offering items that they need to sell in order to continue their lifestyles. I would be especially careful with high ticket items in this economy. Late model cars at below bluebook prices may seem a bargain now but what will they be in a year or two ? Expensive furniture is both large in size and cost. What will they be in a collapsed economy. Perhaps better to get items bought and sold quickly since we do not know just how soon the wheels may fall off the economy. I believe that any day the music can stop and if not careful, we can be left without a place to sit. What are you holding right now that you may regret still holding after a currency collapse or other catastrophe ? My art and a few mechanical machines are my focus to sell soon.

The world is going through a transition to a lower standard of living. Learning bartering and horse trading now will become a treasure. Here is a good article :

Changing Times
By Richard Russell
Dow Theory Letters

http://www.321gold.com/editorials/russell/russell041613.html

Best wishes,

Agnut

[govcheetos]

Agnut, Thank You for the truth and wisdom in your posts, especially the one above.

It's funny, while reading it I have several stories or personal experiences that can relate to many of your points. Like when you ask "What is Rich?". I actually prefer the term "Wealth" much more. I could have all the money and land in the world and wouldn't consider myself "Rich". It's funny riding in the truck with the wife while we're going garage sailing and saying "This next one should be good it's in the rich neighborhood." when in reality I'd put my own wealth up against many of the people we're buying from, although by looking at us you'd never know.

I like the point about watching the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves. This is very true, anything you can save a little on adds up to a much greater whole at the end of the month, year, decade, and especially lifetime. My grandfather passed away when I was 10, but I wish he and I could have known each other when I was more mature. My mom says she sees and hears a lot of him in me. He never owed anybody a dime. Worked hard and paid cash for everything including houses, never owned a credit card in his life, never drove a new car. I remember one Christmas when I was little I got my first wallet. He pulled me to the side in the other room after we were done opening presents and showed me how to keep the bills in order and properly faced and told me, "If you take care of your money, your money will take care of you." That has stuck with me ever since.

I've heard that Ferrari's spend more time in the shop than they do driving. They are beautiful cars though. I always compare women to cars. Ferrri's are red and racy and the only thing their really good for is going fast and showing off to other guys, kinda like some high maintainence women. I'd rather have a lower price woman and car that I can get more mileage, dependability, easy to work on, and one that might be able to help carry a load if I need her to. Speaking of new cars, you don't have to drive the car off the lot to depreciate it. The second it is titled it becomes a used car and worth less in the used market even if it's never been driven a foot. Some on here have some opinions on titles that I find very interesting. Something to study.

I book marked the link you shared, a lot of truth. The economy is kinda like an engine in many ways and both seem to run the best just before they lean out. The world is going through a change and it will be hard on many. Good or bad though I don't really mind because I feel confident in my abilities to weather the storms. I'm more worried about others who become jealous of my abilities and forethought or a regime who deems it to be "unfair".


Enough of all that feel good stuff though, here's some deals I ran across:

-Picked up a tupperware box full of screwdrivers, pliers, and a small crescent wrench for $4. Most are kinda cheap like stanley or popular mechanics brand, but one is an almost brand new craftsman. I have a ton of tools, but I will stash a few in more commonly needed locations instead of having to trek to the toolbox or truck to get one. Because they are kinda cheap and I have hardly anything in them If they get misplaced or a little rusty being out in a shed or something I won't feel so bad.

-Got another one pound coleman style propane cylinder for 25 cents. Can't go wrong there.

-Got yet another battery charger/starter for $5. This one goes up to 50 amps. I keep one in the garage, one in the shop, and now have one for just about all my vehicles!

-The wife picked up a pair of sterling silver earrings and a sterling silver necklace for 50 cents. These were from some "Rich" people LOL!

-I missed out by 30 minutes on a sweet deal on a 4' x5' utilility trailer with a spare for only $10! All I would have had to do is put on a new plywood deck, and I could use it to sell smaller items out in the yard and tow it back behind the gate at night with my garden tractor. You could even mount an engine stand to it to sell old outboards. Oh well, definantly pays to be early. Gave the guy my name and number in case the buyer didn't show to pick it up.

Hope everybody finds some deals!

Happiness isn't having what you want, but wanting what you have.

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos, thanks for the great posts. I think that you are a natural writer as well as an ass kicking barter and horse trader. If you lived in my neighborhood, the competition would be fierce. HaHa (just kidding…. Maybe) .

I have led a rich life while rarely being what some would call wealthy. I grew up with a father in the Navy who came up in the ranks. The military didn’t pay much in those days but we always seemed to get by. We didn’t have a lot of clothes or anything fancy but looking back now I believe that this made us closer and more creative. I have always felt that the struggling years were the best. I made up a quote that has stood me in good stead through the years :

We can own nothing in this world but only have use of it for a time, for we are mortal.

This puts my life in perspective when I sometimes think of all the things I have had in the past. Someday I’ll be gone but these things will still be here.

As for silver and gold being good investments in the short term, here is an article that I’m sure many precious metal investors will take exception to. We are at a juncture in which the precious metals could either take off or fall down. Not for the faint of heart. I have some silver as only part of my preparations for the future. Food, some dollars, a way to protect my family, water storage, and other preps also figure into the whole picture. I sometimes tell Ponce that he is like Noah’s Ark, needing nothing from the outside world. And he is; I’m just trying to get my own Ark outfitted as best and fast as possible.

Gold Market Update
By Clive Maund

http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_12/maund042213.html

Govcheetos, your post made me recall how fortunate I was to have been able to spend the summers on my grandfather’s cattle ranch. I was a boy then but much of what I saw and learned is still with me. My grandfather was tough to the core and fearless. As A young man, he had had an eye shot out from a hunting accident. My father said that one time he was with his father and a man pulled a gun on him. My grandfather called him every name in the book and stepped forward and took the gun out of this man’s hand wherein this man broke down and cried and apologized and said that my father could have the house. You see, this man had agreed to sell my father a house and then backed out for a higher offer from another buyer. By the way, he was a Baptist minister. Not such a good example for his flock, eh ? We did get that house and it became home base as we traveled to the various Naval duty stations throughout the United States. My grandfather had been the local sheriff at some time in his life; not sure how long before this incident. He didn’t wear a gun but other men respected him for his strength of character. Hw was tough as nails but gentle and patient with us children.

Because my father was in the Navy, we moved every year or two as I was growing up. It was a strange life but filled with new adventures and places to explore. A rich life, you might say. The past has made me much of what I am today. Depending on how we teach our children, especially by example, they will go forth into the world equipped to handle whatever comes their way.

You may have others envious of your possessions in the future. I dispel this by sharing and finding items for family and friends. I’m always on the lookout for things they may want or need; it is as if I am Christmas shopping throughout the year as I go garage sailing. And everything I have is for sale or trade so if someone wants what I have I am willing to deal or help them find what they want. I’m retired but still “working” if you want to call it that. I’m working at having fun; often it pays more in profit than when I had my businesses. And it always pays off in fun; I can’t wait to get out there and see what is up for sale. Sometimes items that I did not know existed.

In fact, I have a couple of friends who are having a garage sale in a couple of weeks and they want me to come over the day before the sale to buy anything I want. I got to know them through the fruits and veggies I distribute (still getting about a ton per week). So you see, one good thing leads to another… and another… and another. My life is so filled with fun things happening that I have to take a day off now and then to catch my breath.

Right now I’m fixing two riding mowers for the grass growing season. I have a couple more that I can’t get to but a new friend is helping me get things in order around the place. He was the fellow who caught my head before it hit the concrete. I was at a garage sale and fell of the tailgate of my truck. I’m 66 and getting a bit slower but can still wear out young men (but only sometimes now).

The point of the above paragraphs is that this bartering and horse trading is so broad that I cannot convey all the things that happen in doing so. Sometimes it is finding new friends.

I just got a Jack LaLanne juicer; it is a heavy monster and the only one with a large opening. Retail price is somewhere between $100 and $130. I got it for $13.50. And if you are looking for a professional juicer, you might look at the Champion juicer. I have one and it is great. I’m buying a second one next week from a friend. Gotta have a backup, behind a backup as Ponce says. By the way, I don’t think anyone on our website knows just how fortunate I am to have Ponce as a friend. He is a riot on the phone and so incredibly knowledgeable. We talk most days, often for over an hour. Invest into your family and friends; that will make you truly rich. Something the government can’t get a percentage of. I especially like that.

Govcheetos, I again had to laugh when you wrote about the Tupperware box full of screwdrivers, pliers, and a small crescent wrench for $4. I had just bought a Tupperware box with several tire gauges, an air nozzle, and several air fittings for $5. I think your deal was better than mine but both were a bargain. And the little things like your propane bottle for a quarter is putting into action the saying that a lot of little things add up to a big deal. Also, remember that if you had to buy these items new, you would pay many times the price AND sales tax to boot (you in the butt). The convenience of having these tools around is hard to calculate but if you had to drive to the hardware store every time you needed a new tool, your wear and tear and gas and time would add up to plenty.

Gotta stop before I embarrass myself; getting’ too giddy with the good times.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.*************
— Oscar Wilde


The Second Amendment is all about goon control
Agnut

[govcheetos]

Picked up some deals this week.

Tore down a section of fence in a lady's yard an kept most of the usable wood. Built a fence in my neighbor's yard with the wood and made $400 in an afternoon.

A friend moved away to find work in his field and has had to let the bank take his house. He told me to go over and take anything out of the yard and shed that I wanted or thought I could make money on. Ended up with several things: Several pressure treated 2x4's, a few cinder blocks, several pieces of re-bar, a pair of sturdy pressure treated saw horses, a draw tite receiver hitch, removable 55 gallon drum lid and clasp, some chains, a block and tackle set up, some 4 ft wide garage shelving, and $61 of scrap metal. I thought about taking the shed too, but it's not really the size I want, and could probably do better putting my efforts into something I can really use.

Garage sailing this weekend I picked up a large live animal trap for $7. A friend of mine has the same one and had to pay $69 retail. This is good for catching coons (4 legged, not the 2 legged kind) or possums, or feral cats.

Picked up yet ANOTHER dolly/handtruck for $5. Selling one of these for so cheap really makes no sense at all to me.

Bought a pair of the big clamp style vise grips for $1, and a 10' crescent wrench for $1.

Finally helped a good friend clean out his warehouse. American Pickers could do a whole season at his house. For helping him move a bunch of stuff from one ware house to another for a couple hours he gave me just what I needed: an appliance/refrigerator dolly! The strap mechanism is a little shot so I may be able to fix it or just use a large rachet strap.

If anyone wants a dolly/hand truck let me know, I've got 5 LOL!

Hope the rest of ya'll find something for nothing!

[Spectrism]

Although chilly in the morns still, hunting season (that is- yard sale hunting) is officially opened in CT. So far slim pickins.

On my way home from work on Friday I saw a barn sale in MA. Bought a bucket of old tools: large hand power drill bits, files, lock vice grip pliers, and a bunch of miscellaneous hardware- $10. I asked if they had any solder... not necessarily silver solder as I am looking for electrical solder. He came out with 4 pounds... another $10. I wonder what I missed because I wasn't there first thing in the morning.

I stopped at a yard sale on Saturday... hand tools for 50 cents each.... Craftsman & Snap-On. I got 6 good pieces.

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos, smart dealings there. With the future being what it is, your using all kinds of used material is way ahead of the game. Ponce says to collect everything you can for it will be like Cuba here someday. People ask me why I buy so much stuff and want to know if I have been selling these items. I tell them that I haven’t sold anything yet but will someday. What I do not tell them that I am collecting items that will be in demand in the future. Things like 2x4s, plastic 4 gallon containers, steel 5 gallon containers, power saws and drills, boxes of nails and screws, electrical connectors, copper wiring, extension cords, and a whole lot of other items.

I will be selling some art and furniture and cars and specialty tools that I don’t expect to ever need. These items I believe will fall in price and demand in the future. The money will go into more items that I believe will have a greater demand and value in the future.

Because of the dollar’s demise (collapse if you may), we may become isolated and therefore very little will be coming into the U.S. Therefore, what we have here now will be needed desperately. Just like what has been happening in Cuba for decades. Can you blame the rest of the world if/when this isolation were to happen ? The dollar is the reserve currency for the world and it appears to me that it has been enforced by our military. This doesn’t make friends either. So the rest of the world will probably cheer our downfall. So the potential for isolation; shunning would perhaps be a better description.

I don’t care what you are picking up; it is all good. If you think it has value to you, it also has value to others. This may be a time to take out a notebook and jot down things you have seen in your traveling around. There is stuff laying around all over the place. Some for scrap value, some for personal use, some for future bartering and some for reselling as soon as possible.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty of perceiving a value of an item is that it results in a profit somewhere in the future. I’ll bet that 99% of folks who would look in my barn and storage sheds and house would think I am a hoarder. Good for them; I hope that they keep on thinking that way; it just makes it easier for me to acquire items so cheap.

By the way, the hoarder shows I have seen always have stacks of newspapers and useless junk probably picked up for free; things that have a minimal value at best and a rat’s nest and fire trap at worst. What I am saying is that there is a total difference between what most folks think a hoarder is and what we are doing.

When things do collapse, America will get cleaned out of useable items. But not cleaned up because there may not be a Depression style Conservation Corps but instead a conversation corpse. Lots of talk but not much action. Little strained there but you get the picture.

And the beautiful thing about what you are doing govcheetos is that you will be experienced and well connected for the way things will work in the future. For bartering and horse trading is a special kind of prep; it is renewable on a daily basis. Unlike having a lot of food preps put away; they will be exhausted in time. Nothing wrong there; I just wanted to make that distinction clear. Ben Franklin said to put all your money into education; it’s the one thing they can’t take away from you.

Last Saturday I picked up a small anvil for $10, a nice fishing rod and reel for $5, a vise for $10, three Rigid pipe cutters like new for a total of $14, 15 blue glasses from France for $5 and a few small items for spares. I have been looking for those French glasses for a long time; the right shape and size. I knew that they would turn up if I was patient. My experience is that eventually, most everything I want shows up.

Tomorrow or the day after I have to go to a couple of friends’ garage and estate sale. They are letting me go in a day early and pick out all the things I want. I’ve been waiting for this for about a month. I’ll let you know how it works out; nothing is sure until afterwards.

Gotta go; another truckload of fruits and veggies to pick up. Still getting about a ton a week. I have been kicking myself because I have yet to learn canning and have about 800 Mason jars and all the equipment. Oh well, there aren’t enough hours in the day as it is.

Best wishes,

Agnut

The Second Amendment is all about goon control
Agnut

“A civilization that expects to be ignorant and free, expects what never was and never will be”.
Thomas Jefferson

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. Your buys touched me deeply (somewhere between admiration and envy; flip a coin) what with my being a career mechanic. Do you know what Snap-On tools cost today ? Might as well be a commodity right along with gold and silver.

The old farm barns sales are often goldmines. Not only are the prices usually great but these old barns can hold a generation or more of antique tools, etc. American Pickers is an interesting show; the guys seem to spend a majority of their time in old barns and sheds that haven’t been molested for decades. And the items that they come up with are fascinating.

And Spectrism, you are so right in that you will never know what you have missed by showing up late. The only thing that is worse is arriving late only to see other buyers walking out with treasures in their hands. I cannot emphasize enough that, especially in today’s financial environment, we need to arrive early rather than when the ad says they will be open. Lately I have been arriving early and the sellers have been only too happy to let me in. Many times I have been the first one there and by the time other are arriving, I am scooting out the door with a load of goodies.

My first stop was at a friend’s garage/estate sale today and I picked up the following items :

A Champion juicer for $50. They are from $235 to $300 new plus shipping. I already have one and this is for a backup. I have read that this juicer can break down the fruits and veggies finer than other types and a greater food value can be derived.

A solar battery charger new in the package for $40. Ponce told me that it wasn’t such a good deal and I agreed; the new price is about $70 but I didn’t want to drive two hours to get one or to order one from the internet.

2 bike hoist kits for $30. I want to hang bikes from the rafters in the barn in order to make more room. More room for more garage sale items, that is.

A mosquito zapper still in the box with extras for $15. The price on the box was $100 new.

8 spring loaded ratcheting woodworking clamps for $8.

A socket set with 20 sockets, a ratchet and extensions for $3. Made in Taiwan but useable for emergency tools in the trunk of a car.

A box of copper fittings and tools for $8.

A pair of speaker stands for $20. I really need them and here they showed up.

A Sears battery charger for $5; it has a 50 amp switch for car starting. I had owned one many years ago and it was always reliable so I bought it. I wonder what the new price would be today.

2 rolls of roofing tarpaper for $10. On the way home I dropped in to a thrift store that specializes in construction materials. The manager is a friend and when I showed him the 2 rolls I had and what I paid, he smiled and took me into a sea container that had 4 rolls of roofing tarpaper and sold all of them to me for a total of $6. While I was there I found a pair of US made fisherman’s hip waders for $5.

After leaving my friend’s garage sale I saw a sign for another garage sale, two sales in fact. I turned off and after a long drive down a winding road I found the place. I had missed the last sign and had resigned myself to heading home. After I turned around I saw the last sign and pulled off. The first seller had a pair of US made rubber boots for $5; they looked like new. Next door another seller had the aforementioned two rolls of roofing tarpaper and a battery charger for $2. This charger didn’t look like much but it worked and was so cheap.

If I hadn’t bought the 2 roofing tarpaper rolls I wouldn’t have ended up with the four rolls later because I wouldn’t have had them to show to my friend. Sometimes one thing leads to another in various ways. This is only part of the wonderful world of bartering and horse trading.

I often mention where the items are made; it is so important what with so much imported items that break almost as soon as you use them. Chinese goods are sometimes a real bargain but items like socket wrenches and electrical tools are inferior in my experience.

Today’s garage sailing was a blast but I’m worn out and rather than chase more deals will spend the weekend with family and friends.

Best wishes,

Agnut

The Second Amendment is all about goon control
Agnut

"guns kill like spoons make you fat".

Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.
Plato.

“You can have everything in life you want, if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.” Some people might hear that and focus on the “have” part, but what Zig Ziglar really meant was that when you choose to serve others first, everything else follows from there.

[govcheetos]

Hey ya'll,

Agnut, the deal you got on the battery charger was a good one. My Northern Tools catalog has a Schumacher brand charger similar to yours listed at 50 dollars plus tax. I keep my 50 amp charger in the diesel truck for the extra amperage needed for the larger high compression engine plus dual battery set up.

Today's sales yielded a few finds.

Picked up a brand new never used pair of 24" bolt cutters for 5 bucks. I keep a set in each truck cause you never know when you might need to cut a bolt, some chain, cable, wire fence etc. For SHTF or just regular everyday reasons.

Bought two heavy duty tie down chains and chain binders for 20 bucks. I've been on the lookout for these for a while to use on a flat bed trailer I have to use for transporting vehicles and other heavy items. I didn't want to buy new because the chains go for about 50 bucks each retail and the binders are about 20 bucks each.

Picked up an authenic Hawaiian dash board Hula girl still in the box for my truck. I asked the lady how much and she said "50 cents, she'll do the hula on your dash." I said tongue in cheek "Hell, last time I paid for that it cost a lot more than 50 cents!" and bought her. It's good to have a little fun and positive in your life you know.

I missed out by 1 minute on a Hi-Lift jack, price : 20 dollars. Pays to be early. Maybe next time.

Forgot to mention a couple weeks ago I picked up everybody's favorite "Blacks' Law Dictionary" for 3 dollars at a thrift store. Hardcover sixth edition unused.

I mentioned this before, but it stands out in my mind how inexpensive some of these things are compared to the current price of gasoline, diesel, or a bottle of budweiser in a bar. I never let my tank go below half for a few reasons. It's good to be prepared, sudden price spikes, plus it just makes me want to cry if I fill anything up that's on empty!

Spending the weekend with family and friends is the best deal you got in my opinion. In the end that's all we ever really have anyway.

[Spectrism]

Perhaps my biggest problem is organizing too many things in too little space.

That could take much spare time. Still... I procrastinate. I guess my subconscious reasoning is that if I lose my job or some other SHTF scenario develops, organizing may be the new job.

Regardless, as I search for SMALL deals, there are bound to be steals in larger packages. I keep reminding myself of space limits. So far, most pickings are pretty meagher.

A couple weeks ago, on a Monday, I was heading out to a work site. I saw what appeared to be tools in front of a house with a FREE sign. Somehow those 4 letters (even barely visible, badly painted on a plywood board) did not go unnoticed by me. I couldn't stop as I had to get to work. I planned to drive the same way home later on. And I did. Sure enough.... stuff still there. I picked up a couple iron rakes, a square shovel and assorted glass plates and a double layer insulated window. I had visions of using the window for my daughter's tree house- perfect fit and the glass for basement windows.


Today I visited many sales. Mostly junk. I found one neighborhood that was "uppity" and loudly advertised by the residents as jewish. It struck me funny that 5 places had their sale on the same day and they all brazenly made it clear by words and manners of being jewish- in a modern and snobby American sense. Where I am this is very unusual and reminded me of dealings in NYC. No big deal, but an interesting "New Jersey Housewives" kind of environment.

One place was over-priced in what they had tagged so I didn't even ask them about things that were mildly interesting. Next place- same thing. No bargains. Then I saw a place with old tool boxes.... old machinist special tool boxes. The specialty tools were old and neglected in the sense that it was clear nobody had an interest in them... and usually I wouldn't either. But I noticed some good things- many kinds of specialty files, clamps, cutting drills, saw baldes- hack & round, measuring gages.... enough stuff that I saw value.

My approach is to find out if they are trying to make money or just clean out the house and get rid of stuff. I asked the man what the tool boxes were. He said his wife's father was a machinist. Right there, I could read his body language that he couldn't care less about them. He told me he wanted $25 for each box. I offered $40 for both and he took it. He hesitated for a moment. Maybe I could have gotten them for less. The two weigh about 80 pounds. Some of the files in there with their curved and pointed shapes I have never seen before. I have no idea how I will ever use some of this stuff.

[agnut]

Hi Govcheetos. Yeah the battery charger was a good deal. You made me think about how going around to all these sales, the acts of driving to, meeting the sellers, looking at their items, negotiating; these are acts which demand thought of the mind. We too infrequently challenge our minds to awaken and be creative. In my experience, bartering and horse trading contains all the elements to keep one happily occupied for the rest of one’s life. It is a personal search and at the end we find ourselves.

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Voltaire

Who have we bought from ?

What have we bought ?

Where have we bought ?

When have we bought ?

Why have we bought ?

How have we bought ?

The old journalism “who, what, where, when, why, and how” seems to apply in reporting our bartering and horse trading deals.

Your statement, “I mentioned this before, but it stands out in my mind how inexpensive some of these things are compared to the current price of gasoline, diesel, or a bottle of Budweiser in a bar”, was another way of value comparison. Very perceptive. We all too often do not think in such a manner and fritter away our future wealth. While compound interest used to become a fortune in time, that is all dead now with low interest and high risk we face today. I still feel that this garage sale and estate sale business will save a huge amount now, the accumulated items that we do set aside will be worth a fortune in a shtf scenario.

Your bolt cutter deal was smart; I have a couple of pairs myself and had bought them long ago before I needed them. By the way, are you outfitting a country place with acreage ? Sounds like it. A country boy can survive. Wish I could find some chain binders myself for the hay we have to haul. You should see the way we have to bind with rope 100 bales on my trailer. Scary.

And the Hula girl was a rare find; I lived on the channel that led into Pearl Harbor for two years. Good times. By the way, I was born in Key West and have been looking for a set of plastic Flamingoes for years. Don’t know why but they might make a interesting conversation starter. Or… somebody in the mental health industry may become alerted as to my “collecting”.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I haven’t gone to garage sales last or this weekend. Too many other deals to finish up with folks I have met in the last 6 months. This is a side benefit if you know to collect phone numbers and names and what they have laying around or for sale.

I‘ll answer Spectrism’s meaty post as soon as I have time. Just mowed the lawns and it is 7:30 here.
I’m beat !

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism and thank you for your thoughtful and detailed post. I know, it is hard to accumulate items with little storage room. Perhaps small items such as jewelry or some antiques would fit into your dealings. I have many enamel on copper paintings and some hang on the walls while the rest are boxed up in storage. Some items that you buy could be used as decoration in your home while you are offering them on eBay. This way you can enjoy them while you have them. But I will warn you that you, like me, may become attached to them and will not want to sell them. Now two things come into play here. The advantage is your enjoyment while at the same time pricing them higher due to this attachment. This higher price means more profit while you are in no hurry to sell these items. You see the mindset here and how it can work to your advantage ?

You mentioned organizing your purchases. HaHa. That is my big challenge since I have thousands of items I have accumulated through the last 15 or so years. And most of these items are still stored in the same boxes and buckets as the day I bought them. So when I open a box to find what is inside, it is like Christmas morning again and again. Many items I have forgotten that I bought them. I may have a huge garage sale some day but what holds me back is that I agree with Ponce who often tells me that what we accumulate will someday be like gold. Can you imagine what it would be like if we in America became isolated from the rest of the world like Cuba has for the last several decades ?

The machinist tools sound like a great buy. Their value may surprise you. I also have a chest of machinist tools that I paid $150 for last year, I think. The machinist box they came in alone is worth a good deal of money. If I ever sell the tools I will photograph them individually and put them on Craigslist or eBay. Machinist tools are specialized and we must appeal to the people who appreciate them and their true value.

You also mentioned reading “body language” (there is an excellent short book by that name; I recommend it highly), something that is so important in dealings. The more you communicate, the more you will know how to deal with each individual person. We humans are comprised of many similar traits sprinkled with idiosyncratic ones. Our sharpened ability to listen to what the other person is saying in body and word will increase the success of our dealings. A upbeat attitude and a sense of humor go a long way but must be honest and heartfelt. There is nothing phony here but is merely the unleashing of what is inside of you. Genuineness.

Recently I bought a couple of boxes of copper pipe fittings and tools. I didn’t need them but just looking in the boxes I knew that they were worth far more than $10 each. I didn’t even haggle; the seller and I have been dealing for a while and he finds good deals quite often.

A couple of years ago I met a man working in a non profit thrift store and he is now manager of the new branch store which specializes in building materials. The stuff comes in and goes out really fast, so I need to be vigilant. I got 4 rolls of roofing paper for $1.50 each, a 8 foot 4x6 treated post for $2 for the 12-14 foot gate for the fish pond I want to put in. I still haven’t found the gate but it will show up. It costs over $200 at Home Depot; too mucho for me.

My sister had over 350 decorative bricks in her yard and wanted them outta there. I’m picking up the last 100 next week. They cost $1.50 each at Home Depot so that’s about $500 I won’t have to spend when I plow out the circular drive and lay the brick border. Free construction materials can be had if we will keep our eyes and ears open. Last week I picked up 6 double pane sliding windows with frames for free. I need 10 or 15 more sliding doors for the greenhouse I want to build. I’m in no hurry; they will show up.

Oh, I also got 17 cement pyramids for a foundation; they weigh about 40 pounds each. By the way, I paid $2.50 each for them as a result of the seller saying that he was told that they cost $12 each at Home Depot. I checked later and found that they are about $2.50 each. I will tell him the next time I see him and he will adjust the price on the next time I buy some items from him. This way we keep things straight and I don’t have him refunding money to me. Better this way to continue our relationship. I am mentioning this transaction to show what can be done when there are discrepancies in understanding. We should always be cognizant of how we are continually building relationships, for through time, this becomes a larger proportion of our dealings.

Piece by piece I am gathering the materials I figure I will need. Some items are hard to find and must either be purchased new or requested in a wanted advertisement, either in the local papers or on the bulletin board of the local feed store. For instance, I’m looking for a couple hundred T posts for fencing around the acreage. I haven’t been able to find them except a few at a time at sales. Now this method can be used for most anything you are looking for.

Last year I bought a 24 foot double axle trailer for hauling hay for our cattle. I also thought it could be used if I were to place an ad in the papers offering to buy whole estates or business inventories. Just something I thought I’d throw out there for you entrepreneurs’ consideration.

Gotta go; lots of weed whacking to be done to feed the cattle.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[govcheetos]

Hey ya'll,

Agnut I don't live on a farm, but did grow up on one. Know all about pitching and stacking those hay bails you mentioned. Since I was young I've always had a problem asking for help from others. I've always strived to be self-sufficeint and able to take care of my business or affairs all on my own. I amassed the large amount of tools, equipment, vehicles, etc. out of a need or a potential need in the future, or they are potential money makers either by owning them or reselling them to a buyer who has a need for them. I've also always had an appreciation for older, ruggedly built items that served a real purpose vs all the disposable crap they sell us now. I know what you mean about the relationship thing. I try to know someone on a first name basis in most career fields. People almost daily sometimes will ask if I know a certain kind of mechanic, plumber, HVAC guy etc. I tell them to tell the person that I sent them. I find that blue collar business owners really appreciate me and the favor gets returned in one way or another. No offense to anyone, but doctor and lawyer types always seem to think they had it coming anyway. Except for one lawyer I know, he's a great guy especially for a lawyer! lol

Spectrism, You can't go wrong with free tools ever. Keep them if the are useful to you, sell them if the aren't and have value, keep and trade them for something you can use, or give them to friends or family that could use them. I like tools, but certain specialty ones that aren't of use to me get traded or sold. Check out ebay or craigslist and see what they are selling for first so you don't give them away.

I decided to not go to sales last week due to so few being advertised, plus needing to catch up on some sleep and a few things around the place. The week before yielded a few finds though. I picked up a brand new galvinized trailer tire and rim for $15. Northern tools sells these for $119 and West Marine sells them for $142 plus tax on both. This tire will be used as a spare on one of my trailers. It is brand new and still has the nipples on the tread. I found a small 1/4 inch drive craftsman socket set with a metal case for $2. I have a ton of sockets, but for the price I'll probably keep it in the shed or somewhere handy where I won't have to trek back to the shop to get one if needed. I cut a friend's grass for a $40 bag of fertilizer he had laying in his garage. I only cut the front and he pays me $20, but now I'm basically $20 ahead and won't have to go to the store. This particular brand and NPK ratio is the one I use on my own yard.

Gonna hit craigslist and see whats advertised for tomorrow and hit the sack.

Hope ya'll find some deals!

[govcheetos]

Been a slow couple of weeks lately.

I missed out by 5 minutes on a 2003 VW jetta in good condition for only $1000. My brother in law works on VWs all the time so I think I could have sold it to him or easily doubled or tripled my money to a stranger.

Hope everyone else is finding some items they can use.

[Dogman]

Coming back home from Longview this morning, I stopped by a yard sale and picked up a current issue military, new looking Goretex 5 piece modular sleep system (MSS) for $ 40.00! Hell the bivi bag (s) are worth that alone. This is one of the best bugout/camping/sleeping system combos out there for all weather. Good from summer down to -60°F wearing the proper sleeping clothes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_Sleep_System


This is one of the new ones that have better ratings..

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. You sound like what I am also doing with tools and materials. Today I was picking up 35 bales of hay in a trade. Cost about $1 per bale. On the way home we stopped at that thrift construction material store to pick up some pressure treated lumber I had paid for a while ago. The guy I usually deal with wasn’t there but his helper was. After I loaded the lumber I noticed a pile of drain pipes and a cleanout box; I got all of it for $11. I plan to put in a drain for winter rain runoff and will need it.

I have an address book that has many connections as well as a business card folder that holds several professional people that I can call upon when needed. I also include the names and phone numbers and what they are capable of doing for me. Now just having this information is not enough; They also must have the qualities of honesty, fairness, competence and reliability. Paying others is expensive and I need their work to go smoothly. Sometimes I can save a considerable amount by trading with their work and/or helping set up the materials and some of the labor before they finish the job.

Your tool buying when the prices are bargains is wise. American made and German made tools will be more appreciated and valued through the years.

Last Friday I went to a few garage sales with a couple of friends. I got a large Stihl chain saw for $150; he wanted $200 but I stuck to my guns. I have 3 smaller Stihl chain saws and may sell one of them for what I paid for the large one. I may even get more; I don’t know at this time. Isn’t it wonderful to have these types of decisions to make. Trading up for something more needed and not having to pay out money is sweet indeed. When I was much younger I did that with cars, all kinds of cars.

I also got a couple of shovels, one with a fiberglass handle, for $2 each. A new in the bag pair of pajamas for $1. A dolphin musical globe and a dolphin lamp for $3 each, both for my niece. A brand new Tommy Hilfiger designer ladies wallet for free.

A friend I met through the free fruit and veggies giveaway told me about a community garage sale that is to take place a week from this Friday. About 30 homes in an upscale neighborhood will participate. Should be a goldmine.

And the middle of next month there is the annual swap meet at the town park. I already have it on my calendar.

Sorry to hear that you missed the 2003 VW Jetta for $1,000. These relatively larger deals have the potential to rocket your finances ahead in one burst. The profits from such a deal can then used to pyramid a fortune. I’ve seen it happen many times and it is like Christmas morning.

Here is a most informative thread over at Timebomb2000 :

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?429623-Ramblings-wondering-about-other-folks-Things-we-will-do-when&

Ben Franklin said that a penny saved is a penny earned. Well, with taxes taking half of our money, a penny saved is two pennies earned.

Tuesday I had our cable TV turned off; I will save $115 per month. I am keeping the high speed internet and the phone because my only alternative is satellite which has limitations. This savings will make finances easier. Also free ranging our 24 chickens which will save about $60-70 per month in feed. We will have to buy feed in the winter. But still some savings to be had there.

Longer term I am switching from electric stove, dryer and hot water heater to propane. Since I have wanted to do this for a long time, I bought a beautiful almost new gas stove for $25 and an almost new Maytag dryer for $125. The hot water heater I will probably buy new. Yesterday I was checking out a tiller for a neighbor and met a man there who was visiting who can do electric, gas lines and carpentry work. He comes highly recommended.

As you can see, I’m cutting the fat out of the budget. A cheaper per month cell phone is also a possibility.

It’s after midnight and I gotta get my beauty rest. That’s right, beauty rest because everyone says that if I don’t get enough sleep I get ugly.

Best wishes,

Agnut

The Second Amendment is all about goon control
Agnut

“A civilization that expects to be ignorant and free, expects what never was and never will be”.
Thomas Jefferson

"when you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out"

[govcheetos]

Found a few deals today after a brief slow spell.

Picked up a Kim Lighting 400 watt flood light for $5. This thing is HUGE and probably weighs 60 lbs, the housing is made of aluminum, and is made to mount high up on a pole. It uses a 400 watt high pressure sodium bulb and will be used to light up part of my property. If it doesn't work, I could probably make my money back at the scrap yard.

Picked up a 7 piece boxed end wrench set for $2. It was missing the 7/16 wrench, but a buddy of mine found one laying in the street last week and gave to me so now it's a complete set. Funny how God works sometimes.

Found a shovel with a fiberglass handle. The guy had it marked for $7 which is a good deal already. My wife bought a stack of coloring books for her niece for a $1 and paid with a five. The guy joked that he didn't have change and that she'd have to buy something else to make up the difference. I said how about this shovel for $4 and he said deal!

Saw a few generators for sale, more than usual. All were priced too high for me, $300-375. I have three already so I'm not really in the need for one, but if I find a decent one for less than $200 I will buy it. You can resell them on craigslist for $350-$400 usually. I've loaned one of mine out to neighbors during a 4 day power outage and you thought I saved their life! Something big enough to power up the frig, a few lamps, and a window unit a/c is all that's needed for emergency use in my opinion. I've come into three of the window units in the last few years and didn't have to pay for any of them. The one I keep for my self is a 10,000 btu unit which just about cools the house down as good as my central unit. The other two are a 5000 btu and a 6500 btu. Something to keep in mind for emergencys, you can find these for $25-$50 and stick them out in the garage, shed or attic until you need it.

Hope everybody else finds some good windfalls!

[agnut]

Hi Dogman. The Gortex military outfit sounds like an absolute steal. You know, the government spares no expense in procuring their gear (especially since it is not their money they are spending). Maybe this is a way of getting some of our tax payments back.

This morning I was going to 3 or 4 garage sales but the first one was exceptional so it was the only one I went to today. A wonderful couple who I could hardly get away from.

I got two 21 speed offroad bikes for $20 each with gel seats and the original seats new in a bag that I didn’t notice until I got home.

A dehumidifier for $25; I have been looking for one for a long time and had almost given up looking.

7 Chicago Cutlery knives for $15; I pick this brand up whenever I can.

A 6 foot long pirate ship kite with skull and crossbones all over the sails for $8. My son seemed excited when I showed it to him. Now that several hundred yards of woven kite string I got for free last year will come in handy.

And last but not least a power management system for my 12K diesel generator and 24 battery pack. I will be able to switch off the line coming in and switch to either home system (generator or battery pack) when commercial power fails. It costs about $600 new but I got it for $30.

The seller was so nice and helpful as well as extremely knowledgeable that I was overwhelmed. As I have written before, the people we meet are the real treasures and should never be overlooked. I now have an address book packed with connections in so many ways that I still can’t believe it. Since my truck was still full of fruits and veggies the seller offered to drive to my place and drop off what I had bought. I thanked him and gave him some beefalo meat, His wife even printed out a recipe for me.

I bought a lot, learned a lot and met the nicest people. What more could anyone ask for ?

Best wishes,

agnut

P.S. Now the truck is empty so we are leaving to pick up another load of fruits and veggies. The above seller likes hot peppers and I get lots of them so we will be connecting again soon. By the way, look into hot peppers for digestive health. Ever heard of a Mexican with digestive diseases ? There are some good articles on this but I can't find them right now.

[MNeagle]

agnut, your story mention of the address book reminded me of a MN native success story: Harvey Mackay (http://www.success.com/articles/849-the-people-you-know-harvey-mackay). I read many of his books in years past & his wisdom is echoed in your philosophy, especially @ the contacts/address book.

Be well & thank you.

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. That 400 watt lamp may not seem to be needed right now but if you have the space, it is always wise to sock away these items for use or trading in the future. As Ponce is fond of saying “everything will be like gold someday”.

Regarding your box end wrench set, isn’t it funny when we acquire something that the missing piece later shows up somehow ?

And you can’t have enough shovels, especially the ones with the fiberglass handles. My favorite kind. Aren’t they about 20 bucks at Home Depot ?

I’m glad to hear that you are looking at generators as a profit making potential. However, your own personal generator should be one that is made to operate for many years and continually if necessary. I have 5 generators. One is a 1K that is used on the back of a motor home. Another two are 5.5K for backup and in need of carburetor service (mea culpa). One is a weird belt driven unit on wheels that I may play with when time permits. Maybe wood gasification. And the last is the 12K Lister diesel unit to run the whole household and battery pack. Sometimes I think it is overkill but I may well need it for the 220 volt well pump.

A combination of generator, wind power and solar power may be the best combination for keeping the battery pack charged. At least that is what I would like to have for the future.

I should have taken your advice and bought this 5,000 BTU air conditioner for $40. I am looking for a 10-12,000 BTU unit to cool the house and hadn’t considered the smaller unit for the fruit and veggie building. I should call my friend and see if it is still available. By the way, he called me while he was at a garage sale and said that he saw a deep fryer, an Italian model made by DeLonghi. He picked it up for $12. I had told him that I was looking for a deep fryer a few weeks back and he remembered. It’s just like MNeagle’s post wherein she quotes :

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ~ Matthew 7:7

Huh ! Funny how that works.

A few friends were visiting yesterday and we made chicken tenders. They were by far the best I’ve ever had. One of our friends didn’t know how hot or how long to fry them so she called another friend who said that 12 minutes at 300 degrees would make them greasy. Two and a half minutes at 350 degrees and they turned out beautiful. See, it is wonderful to have a network of friends to call upon. They are coming back today to try French fries and fried sweet potatoes and whatever veggies are in the back of the truck. All the while a friend has his 4X4 Ford truck jacked up on the cement outside while taking the transmission out to replace the clutch. I’m just trying to show a little of what it like around the agnut household. Here is another favorite quote (ugh ! Not another quote agnut) :

"There is only one success....
to be able to spend your life in your own way."
Christopher Morley


Yesterday I went to pick up 64 Styrofoam 4 X 8 sheets. They are about 2 inches thick and will provide great insulation for the fruit and veggie building I need to have constructed. By the way, these sheets cost one dollar each; I don’t know what they cost new. I’m supposed to trade some of my backhoe work for carpenter labor in constructing this building. In the back of my mind I know that the weekly ton of fruits and veggies deal we get won’t last forever and the room could be used for storage or as a workshop. Or perhaps as a temporary shelter for someone in need. It’s all good. Having found everything else used, the only material I need is plywood. I am looking around and plywood is the only item that I may have to buy new, which is so expensive. But since there is plenty of time until I will need it, I can keep looking with the fiat paper sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Yup, paper cuts hurt. Especially the fiat kind.

In cleaning out the loft in the barn for the Styrofoam sheets I found many items that I can and should sell. I guess that’s the nature of having loads of items stored away. Reminds me of the time that friends were helping me organize the barn and one friend said “What are these ?” There was a bag with 50 antique single diner sterling salt and pepper shakers that I had been looking for for years. I had actually given up on them and written them off. So as a thanks I let her pick out a pair for herself. Coincidentally, it was her birthday. A day to be remembered.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Hi Mneagle, I appreciated your post so much that I didn’t want to respond until it had the chance to be seen by as many as possible.

I did look up Harvey MacKay and read his philosophy of collecting information on his clients. This made me look back over the decades I had owned one business or another and this is what I did on a comparatively disorganized way. The difference was that I kept all I heard and saw in my head and when a client called I had to remember all I knew about him or her. As my businesses grew it became overwhelming; I never made the wise transition that Harvey MacKay had made. And now looking back, this one thing kept me from being a great success rather than a mild success. At one time I had far more clients than I could handle and was overwhelmed.

Even in this bad economy with all the unemployment, I believe that the businesses that will sprout up and succeed will need to employ Harvey MacKay’s philosophy. An era of dealing on a personal basis is upon us. Haven’t we all experienced and read of how people are getting more rude and uncaring ? Well, in my mind, this creates a basic need. The need to be listened to and appreciated and treated like a fellow human being. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

We can only hope and pray the America returns to its Christian values and once again understands that we ARE our brothers’ keepers.

Your two biblical quotes are music to my heart. Thank you.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Isn’t it oxymoronic (emphasis on the moronic) to read of Harvey MacKay’s gathering information on his clients for success while our government gathers information for their success ?

Nobel invented dynamite. It was used to mine and open mountains for the betterment of mankind. It was also used by governments to blow up the enemy.

Nuclear energy was discovered and used for energy creation as well as a multitude of other uses. It was also used by governments in the making of nuclear bombs to blow up the enemy.

See any parallels here ?

[gunDriller]

the owner of the local metal shop gave me a lawnmower that i guess someone gave him.

it was a Lowe's cheapo Poulan/ something.

i put it in the back of my truck & took it to the local hardware store. there's a few guys there that are real knowledgeable tradespeople, but one in particular, who is also a Vietnam vet. he showed me this lever thing, a clutch/ safety thing, that gets stuck.

that's why people go through these things. you go to the Amazon website, and all the comments are about what a piece of crap it is.

all i did was to remove the spring holding the clutch, just disconnected it.

pulled the starter rope and ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR - etc. that's sort of the sound it makes.

functional lawnmower ! first time i ever cut my grass - it was getting kind of long !! :)


so all i did was to haul away someone's junk/ accepted someone's generosity.

then asked a friend for help.

BINGO ! functional el cheapo lawnmower.


problem is, i can't turn it off. so i un-plug the spark plug connector, then it stops running.

[govcheetos]

It's been a slow month on deals. I have come across a few though. Picked up another come along at a sale for $3. Got a garden cart with pneumatic tires for $10, this thing was probably $100-150 retail. Was given a Toro mower for FREE. The previous owner said the self propelled tranny went out and would cost $250 to fix. I took it apart and found it had a wood chip stuck between the belt and the tranny pulley. This mower was easily $300 when new. I then gave one of my other mowers to a friend going through hard times who's lawn mower had recently died. Always good to pay it forward when you can.

Hope everyone is doing well with their endeavors!

[Spectrism]

Hasn't been too good here. I have gotten a bit discouraged by the poor deals.

I did manage to get a box of (8) 60W incandescent spot lights for $1. Same place that was selling a whole bunch of silver a few weeks back. As we were talking over the price she pulled everything off the table and got cold feet about selling. A moving sale. She had a bag of junk silver from father in law.... and told me she turned down an offer of $500. I added up what she had and told her that wasn't a bad offer.

She also had a couple bags of silver bars .999. These were older so I did not suspect fakes. She could not decide what to do and ended up holding onto them. She did have another bag of foreign coins which I knew almost nothing about. Some looked like silver... and I bought that for $40. Turns out it is probably not worth even $20. After I got home I gave myself an education on foreign coins. Those cheap bastards were using crap metals in most countries long before the US. Sometimes you lose.... when you don't know what you are doing.


I got (free) what appears to be a lightweight coin silver spoon. The only markings on it are: G.F.F. & CO
It is very much like (look, feel, sound) of some coin silver spoons I acquired a few years ago. Coin silver is 90%.

Went to an auction today. Prices were all too high. Too many high rollers showed up and bid top dollar for everything. Sterling silver items went for more than $20 + 10% commission. This put the sale price in the range of $25 per ounce of silver on the cheaper deals. Some went in the $30 range. It was amazing to see people bid hundreds of $$ for tattered old rugs. I left much early as too much time was already wasted here.

This little bit was after visiting dozens of sales over the last few weeks. That is why I have to say it has been discouraging. Hitting it nice is a numbers game. Most of these sales are junk. Gotta have a good junk screen as you vacuum up value.

[govcheetos]

^ I agree about the auctions. People have been watching too much TV and thinking their on some auction show and gonna flip whatever their bidding on which a lot of times is nothing but a lot of junk. On the other hand I've noticed with cars and boats nobody wants to give anything. I always price things more than fair and will still allow some wiggle room on a price, and people think they can offer half or even less than half. I love it when they try to low ball me on the phone before they have even seen anything.

A lot of other people don't have ANY money to speak of either. I mean they are gonna lose it all if they even stub their toe. But everyone has the latest and greatest cell phone and cable tv package. I find I have about zero in common with most people I encounter on a day to day basis.

[agnut]

Good deal gun Driller (post #179) ! I also recently picked up a free lawn mower. The lady at the garage sale said that it would not idle so I took the carburetor off and cleaned out the jets and it is now a working beast. By the way, someone told me that they cut out the front of the deck between the front wheels and they use it as a brush hog, cutting out the thick blackberry bushes near the roots. I would caution you that this sounds a bit dangerous and to wear eye and clothing protection.

I’ve been away from writing for a while because there are so many things to do around the property that I am still overwhelmed.

However, like the mailman, neither sleet nor snow will keep me from doing my job of picking over the GEMs (that is garage, estate and moving sales).

At one sale I got :
5 hats,
2 sombreros.
a pair of overalls,
a new Giant bicycle seat,
a leather carry bag,
and two garden hoses.
All for $5 ! Oh, and that’s not all. Also included were two GE battery chargers with 8 rechargeable D cell batteries and two rechargeable 9 volt batteries. That five fiat paper bucks I spent looks pretty powerful now, doesn’t it ? Well, you’ll figure where the power is. HaHa

And at the next sale the same day I got :
2 DVDs,
2 Cds in cases,
20 Cds in carry case,
a Playstation 2 game,
2 military overcoats with zip in liners,
a Nike jogging jacket,
20 rolls gift paper and set of Christman cards in a storage basket,
a Winnie The Pooh flower vase from FTC,
6 Disney videotapes
and a Trim brand manicure set.
Again, all for $5 ! Yeah, I know, sounds like BS but you had to be there. In fact, if you are skeptical, you are reading this rather than getting your butt out there and finding treasures yourself. The GEMs are there; you just have to pick out what you want. By the way, some of the bargains I find are passed on to friends, family and even some folks I hardly know. The lady I bought all this from had a baby in her arms and I offered the fruits and veggies I had just picked up from the local market. She picked through my truck and hauled off two large bags; that seemed to balance out the deal in my mind. What comes around goes around.

Yesterday I saw a garage sale sign for a community sale. Lately I haven’t been paying much attention to Craigslist ads and local newspaper ads. Call me lazy; I won’t mind because even with such serendipitous spotty buying I still am picking up almost too many bargains. I said ALMOST. Anyhoo, I spent only $6.50 and got :
A large cutting board for the kitchen,
A salmon poacher,
33 sockets in a metal box,
3 cookbooks,
An Audubon birds of North America book,
And a Oster blender

One seller has a large Stihl chain saw that is almost new; he wanted $200 for it and even threw in a smaller chain saw for branches. I offered $150 and if he doesn’t sell it today he will sell it to me. Maybe I should have paid the $200 as it was stihl a bargain but I already have 4 Stihl chain saws. But I don’t have one as big as this monster. Oh well, time will tell.

As if that weren’t enough I was on the way back from picking up yet another load of fruits and veggies and another sign caught my eye. My son was with me and I asked if it was okay with him if I investigated. The sign was especially interesting because it said that this was a moving sale. Was I salivating ? Perhaps. Turns out that the seller was moving back east and had tables laid out with reloading equipment. I hadn’t ever reloaded any ammo but still inquired. Seems every guy I know is interested in such goods. It was specifically for competition shooting and making a tighter target pattern at 300 to 400 yards. All one caliber of 22-250 I think. So I passed on that since I know so little about it. However, in the shed to the left (door #2) I saw rolls of cattle fencing and lots of other material. I asked the seller if he had any T posts for my cattle fencing. He said that he had some but might need it. I did buy the fencing, about 120 foot of it, and some other rigid fencing for a total of $30. I didn’t even have to price it; it was a bargain. When I returned to pick up the second half of the load I asked the seller if he knew anyone who might have some T posts. He thought about it and said that I could have 10 posts for $10. They cost about $7 new. So I saved a chunk of money right there. My persistence paid off.

That’s all for now. Happy GEM hunting !

Agnut

P.S. ON Timebomb2000 there are a couple of important threads you might want to look at :

Attention, shoppers: U.S. needs you to spend


http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?433140-Attention-shoppers-U.S.-needs-you-to-spend&

I especially liked Snipe Hunter’s post number 5

BROKE - WHAT CAN WE DO?!!! (Original post 8/30/2006)

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?210064-BROKE-WHAT-CAN-WE-DO-!!!-%28Original-post-8-30-2006%29&

Some great advice here. A penny saved is two pennies earned.

[gunDriller]

i like those antique aluminum bowls that are carved or forged or engraved.

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/0/1/5/5/1/9/webimg/300149668_tp.jpg

the few i have bought, i paid about the value of the aluminum scrap. i think they're worth a heck of a lot more than that, and also are easily gold or silver plated.

but i have too much CRAP, i need to organize and get some stuff to the dump before i collect any more.

[Santa]

I occasionally help an elderly gentleman do estate sales. He pays me. Talk about a fun job, digging through everything. Searching for potentially valuable and interesting stuff.
The one we're doing right now is the estate of a somewhat famous ceramics sculptor. Lot's of artwork. Bronze sculptures. Antiques. We've barely dug in to the 4 bedroom home.
We've concluded that the woman of the house must have been a kleptomaniac, since there has to be at least a bushel basket full of costume jewelry and small fem accs. that had never even had the display labels removed.

[govcheetos]

Been as while since anyone has posted in one of my favorite threads. Ran a cross a few deals lately. Bought a 1/8" to 2" pipe cutter for $5, a couple of large craftsman flat head screwdrivers for 25 cents, a couple of field guides plus a book written by a local author detailing the history of my immediate local area going back to pre revolutionary war times, all for 25 cents each. Picked up an old school poulan electric chainsaw for $5 and was able to fix it with parts off an old poulan gas chainsaw I found on the side of the road in someones trash a few months back. A friend gave me an electric pole saw, almost brand new condition. I now have 9 chainsaws! Probably time to sell a few, but sometimes I think about waiting until after a hurricane.... although Mr nice guy here will probably just loan them out for free to friends and neighbors if it ever happens. Seems like a lot of people don't even want to be bothered with selling something so they just give it away. Also I'm hearing about more and more people on some kind of .gov assistance including people I know. Just continues to reinforce lazy behavior in my opinion instead of get out and bust your ass to make something happen. I hope everyone else is doing well and finding some deals on useful things that can improve your life as we continue to cruise in the express lane on the highway to hell. I think things are going to be coming to a head soon and the .govs won't be able to keep the lid on for much longer. Good time to get right with God and your inner conciousness too.

Thanks to all who contribute and help in the many different ways.

[agnut]

Govcheetos, your post was one of the most uplifting ones I have read for some time. Pay It Forward is what I try to do as much as possible. It always comes back in spades. We ARE our brothers’ keepers. If everyone would do this we could have a society working together like a huge family. I blame a lot of the discord we see on the unreliable currency that we are forced to use. Fiat currency printed beyond good sense begets fear and greed. As Ponce says, there is need and then there is greed. But with the dollar losing purchasing power, how are we to tell the difference between need and greed ? We are sort of pulled into the Matrix if we are not at least partially invested in real money such as gold and silver. Heck, even copper has intrinsic value for making small change. But notice that since 1982 our pennies have been zinc flash coated with copper to create the illusion that things are okey dokey.

The other day I mentioned to Ponce that I should hold a garage sale in which there would be no money exchanged but all buyers should bring items they wanted to trade. I wonder how the govt. would think of that ! How could they tax someone trading a toaster for a blender ? Who knows with all the computer memory that they could have categorized all the things we possess. It seems to be heading in that direction with carbon taxing (air) and rainwater collection laws on our own properties and all the laws restricting our every activity. I don’t mean to be a downer but I am pissed that things have gotten this far along in controlling what used to be a free people. Who pays for all these laws and restriction anyway ? WE DO !!

It’s like the old Beatles’ song Tax Man.


Let me tell you how it will be,
There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

(If you drive a car ), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit ), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold ), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk ), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.

‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Haha! Mister Wilson!)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Haha! Mister Heath!),
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)
‘Cause I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
(Taxman).

There will be no retirement for the baby boomers; at least not what they expected. However a small percentage who have prepared should fare well. How well ? Yogi Berra said “The future ain’t what it used to be.” His comedic quote has taken on dark and disturbing implications of late.

And so we can Pay It Forward in a move in faith that mankind may someday wake up and see the light.

Any forced diminution in mankind’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is what I long ago labeled as “actuarial murder”. Take away any of these rights and it would be as if a candle were to be starved of oxygen. The light fades until it dies and darkness overwhelms all. The Dark Ages once again.

The Statue of Liberty in New York was a gift to America from the French people who had gone through a revolution of their own. I wonder what they think of us today. No, I have a pretty good idea and it ain’t pretty.

What this bartering and horse trading thread is about is seeking and finding the best value for our money. One has to first get over all the commercial hype first. Who cares if they have a new car or a big fancy house ? The only one who should care is YOU. And what your needs are in accordance to your income. Designer jeans, Nike shoes, and other high line clothing are the result of marketing illusions. I guess they are advertised with the subconscious desire to appear successful. But you and I know that success is carried within; it is a personal statement for each of us. Me ? I don’t care what others may think about my choices. I think that the world has gone mad anyway; so why should I entertain their line of thinking ?

These new cars and fancy houses are as much a facade as a Hollywood set; there is no real working substance behind the appearance presented. It is all illusions. Think about it; do these people who buy these fancy cars and houses actually own them ? Or are they owned by the banks ? Marionettes on strings ?

The filthiest four letter word in the English language is DEBT.

If you can understand that quote and act upon it, you are above and beyond the brainwashing that the masses have accepted. And your life will become more free and in your own control.

If you were to see my place and how I operate it, you might think that I am a hoarder (not to mention a disorganized disaster). Not true (at least the first part) since the thousands of things I have all have some value. Now this value may not be right now but in the future many things I have may be either hard to find or expensive. What is expensive anyway ? Maybe the increased value in relation to the dollar ? No, there is a higher value since the dollar is a dying currency with a catastrophic future. We are facing the end game for the dollar. How will it all turn out nobody knows all the details but anyone who has been studying here on the internet has a general understanding that our future is about to take a gut wrenching departure from the high speed chaotic life we see all around us (the movie Koyaanisqatsi comes to mind). This is one reason that I have always tended toward the rural life for myself and my family.

I was up at 4:30 this morning looking at the stars and realizing how insignificant I am to the whole scheme of the universe. On the other hand I am all that I have and must make the best of what gifts I have been given. It is an obligation of sorts; a thank you for my being in this fascinating world. Hypertiger writes that the “taking more than you give” world eventually collapses. You can’t cut down more trees than you plant to replace them and not end up with a naked future.

Govcheetos, your Pay It Forward statement reminds me of a Stephen Wright joke. He was walking down the street and someone noted that he was mismatched with a green sock and a red one. He replied that he was not since he went by thickness. It all depends on your yardstick. So what is wealth ? Money or people you care about ? It has been said that love with no money will get you through time better than money will get you through time with no love. In other words, generosity is a form of paying it forward and I have seen it weaving through the tapestry of my life like a golden thread.

Gotta go; was called to pick up an extra day of fruits and veggies. What a bonus ! Some friends have already been called to select their goodies this afternoon. I’ll write soon to share some of the recent acquisitions. And not just Gems (that’s garage, estate and moving sales) but other deals.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. Yeah, I know that sometimes we seem to strike out. But it is always a learning experience in that perhaps we were at the wrong place at the right time. I have looked at GEM sales in the papers and on Craigslist and weeded them out for one reason or another. I don’t need baby clothes and items. And sometimes there isn’t anything good for sale. At least not enough to go there and look around. I do have to admit that I have scored big time at some seemingly uninteresting sales by asking if they have something I am looking for (and I do have a list). Just look at the other buyers attending the sale and think of what you can do that will give you an edge.

Get there early

Ask questions

Have a list of wants

Take notes

Get phone numbers if necessary

Qualify sales ads

Map out your sales and their starting times to be more efficient

Joke with sellers

Be positive

Be open minded for unexpected possibilities

I haven’t had much luck in acquiring sterling or coin silver either. It does happen once in a while. I have learned to look at it this way : silver and gold are real money and their price will rarely be discounted. So what to do, what to do. I’ve got it ! Buy and sell lots of other items and turn that profit into physical silver. I’m not being facetious here; I really mean it. We here on the GS-US website should know better than most anyone that physical silver is fast becoming extinct. Maybe by the year 2020 as the US Geological Survey said.

In fact Spectrism, the same thing happened to me where sterling silver was advertised but the sellers changed their minds when I got over there. I think that there is a common motivation going on here in both your experience and mine and it is this. Because silver prices fluctuate so much and sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver and sometimes the hallmarks stating the silver content can be complicated, the seller is facing several factors that may cause a great loss. In other words, they are PM challenged (a nice way to say financially retarded). Always remember that gold and silver are real money as well as concentrated wealth and to be treated with respect.

When we are confronted by a challenge, we can go over, under, around, through or even turn away and say it wasn’t worth the effort. Tenacious and creative comes to mind.

Lately I have been attending some GEM sales as well as thrift stores. Some of the best deals have been in the thrift stores. One of my stores has 50% off sales a couple of times a month. I also hit a store by the dump that sells used building material and a whole warehouse of odds and ends. I bought 60 sheets of 4x8 hard insulation foam for $l a sheet. I was in Home Depot yesterday and they were $23 a sheet. I don’t know when I will use them but I sure wouldn’t want to have paid $1,380 retail.

I got a new convection oven for $10 (don’t think the microwave oven is a good idea for our food). Also got a new George Foreman contact roasting machine that will do a 12 pound turkey; also for $10. It’s $150 retail.

Also got a Krups blender, a wide mouth toaster and an onion machine for deep fried onions like the restaurants offer for a total price of $8. Even the little buys add up after a while. The blender I will give away or barter since I have 3 others and only want to have two.

I have been reading lately that,due to the failure of the dollar, we will be “marginalized” in time, meaning that imports won’t be coming in in the future. If so, we will truly be isolated like Cuba has been for several decades. I wonder what used imports will be worth after that happens. If you are doing any work that requires imported parts, now may be a good time to stock up rather than have to shut down. Just sayin’

I was at a huge garage sale a few weeks ago and met the most interesting couple. I noticed a boat and trailer and asked if it was for sale. He said it was. I worked out a horse trade with some of the things I had that I didn’t need or had too much of and will be getting the boat next week. No cash deal. He waxed it and cleaned it up and is having the impeller replaced by a friend who does boat repair professionally. Since he is in construction he knows many specialists, ones I need for several projects at home. He said that there are many who are at the top of their game but don’t have the work lately and would appreciate the work. Propane lines, electricians and water pump specialists.

So what started out as a simple sale has progressed to the opening of a lot of doors. And he and his girlfriend seem like such nice people, some of the nicest I could ask for. They live only about 2 miles away. She made a dessert for us that I can’t describe but it was delicious. He gave me some of his smoked salmon and has offered to teach me how he does it. Oh, a couple of days ago another guy dropped off 30 pounds of silver salmon for free and now I have something to smoke. His freezer is full and he doesn’t know what to do with his catches for the rest of the season (I suppose that he could quit fishing but If I told him that, he would look at me like I was out of my mind. A real fishin‘ fool. HaHa). I told him that I would trade him out for his humpback salmon and he got quite excited (almost as much as me). I have other family members and some friends here locally and I’m sure they would want their freezers filled too. Well, time will tell.

The reason I say “time will tell” is that a deal has been put into play and only time will indicate what the final out come will be. I know, sounds simple minded but the key is the putting the deal into play. I have other deals in the works right now. One thing I have learned about having patience is to have several deals in the works at the same time. That way, some deals are coming to fruition continually so I don’t have time to sit around and mope.

I wrote a while back that I was waiting to get a Stihl chain saw and a little saw for $150. Well, the deal didn’t come through. But lo and behold, another person sold me another Stihl chain saw for $60. A better deal came through out of the blue. Go figure

Best wishes,

Agnut

[gunDriller]

I haven’t had much luck in acquiring sterling or coin silver either. It does happen once in a while. I have learned to look at it this way : silver and gold are real money and their price will rarely be discounted. So what to do, what to do. I’ve got it ! Buy and sell lots of other items and turn that profit into physical silver. I’m not being facetious here; I really mean it. We here on the GS-US website should know better than most anyone that physical silver is fast becoming extinct. Maybe by the year 2020 as the US Geological Survey said.

Agnut


so far out of about 500 garage sales i found one Sterling Silver knife for 25 cents, mixed in with a bunch of Silver plated stuff.

also other Solid Silver things, e.g. a horse brush with a top veneer of Silver.


there is a lot of Silver plate out there. i have some gold-trimmed China with silver plated silverware. actually, most of the dishes i have are from that box of China.

BUT my dishwasher is broken so until i get that fixed ...


http://GoldRefiningForum.com

/\ a good forum with much knowledge sharing. members recovering Gold from e-Scrap and Silver from Sterling.

the consensus there is that recovering silver from silver plate is not worth the trouble, until you are REAL GOOD at chemistry. there are a lot of different metals that complicate the precipitation of Silver from the dissolved silver.

still interesting though !

[govcheetos]

A lot of sales lately, but only a few deals. Got a few books I had been looking for for cheap. A couple more "used one time" shovels for $3 each. Still have the stickers on the blade. I've got enough shovels I could start my own chain gang. I scored with a 6 x 12 enclosed cargo trailer with double barn doors on the back and a side door for only $500! This thing has hardly any use on it and the seller told me he bought it just to evacuate for a hurricane. Retail these range from $1995-$2400. Traded a set of old truck wheels and tires for a pair of 1 ton rear leaf springs for my 1/2 ton truck. Something I needed plus frees up some more space where the tires were.

Hope ya'll are stacking up some good deals. Always think of what you might need down the road one day that will become scarce or really expensive as we travel further down the "Road".

[Spectrism]

I didn't go out last week but I did the week before. I was able to buy 3 small propane tanks (backyard grill type) for $5 each. When I got home, found one was full. I picked up a paint can of odd things for $5- I saw a couple large lag bolts in there that I needed. Also, there are is a brass tubing nipple adaptor and assorted bolts/screw. I saw what I wanted and the value in it. All the rest will be a gift-wrapped present when I dig to the bottom.

I got a call back from a contact I made long ago. Normally leaving a phone number does not work well. Anyway, this fella was going to find a silverware set for me. Although it was not said, the implication was that it was sterling. Over the phone he wanted $30. When I got there, I saw a good condition old plated set. To keep the friendship, I gave him what he wanted and he said he had some "odd" pieces he would look for. I told him I like old ugly and sometimes unmatched silverware. He was surprised that I didn't want polished clean stuff. So, I took the loss on that plated stuff as a calculated investment. He then told me it was his sisters that he bought for $30 figuring he would be able to get that much. I helped him keep his pride and did his sister a favor. He has a picker's dream back yard. I just don't have the place to store all the stuff.

Agnut said something key- build relationships in your dealings. Good advice. Sometimes you have to give. Other times, beware of the scaplers. Seek to make deals where everyone wins.

[agnut]

Hi govchetos, in response to your posts 182 and 186, Thanks. I agree that most people have a distorted view of the opportunities out there. This is to our advantage, we who know the score. Someone once said that Americans know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Ponce and I have had several conversations about what Cuba has been like through the last several decades. Building materials are unavailable at any price. They just aren’t there. Demand with no supply; what is the price ? Immaterial

What would be the price of a rebuilt transmission if the parts to rebuild it were unavailable ? Imagine if you had a car that the transmission began making bearing noises. You would check the local transmission shops to no avail. Next, the wrecking yards and they wouldn’t have any good running used transmissions. Without any sources your car would have to sit until somehow the parts became available or someone wrecked the same year and model vehicle as yours. This is just one example of what happens when a nation becomes isolated from the rest of the world. Will this happen to us in America ? Look, I have been rebuilding manual transmissions for 40 years and observed parts supply restrictions more than once. Most people don’t have a clue as to how precarious our lifeline is in regards to the sustainability of their lifestyles. And this applies to a myriad of conveniences and outright necessities we take for granted.

I won’t get into automatic transmissions except to tell you that since about 1990 many manufacturers changed their transmissions to include electronic controls of one sort or another, including computers to run them. Not only much more expensive to maintain but much more complicated to repair and diagnose. This is why I have older vehicles with manual transmissions and mostly diesel since they run on compression rather than spark plugs.

I am astounded at observing what the general public thinks is the best for them. The newest vehicles, high payments, high insurance and high maintenance. Also, the new as well as used parts for these new cars are much higher priced than for older vehicles. No wonder they are all broke and in debt.

Sometimes I am driving locally, going 50 to 55 MPH in a 50 MPH zone and someone behind me in a late car flies around me like they are having a hospital emergency. A few miles later I pull up behind them at the stop sign and wonder what the Hell they must have been thinking. Not to mention the high speed tailgaters; what are they to accomplish ? Making me go faster to satisfy them ? Yeah, right !

My point is that we should go at the pace that suits us and respect others’ pace as long as it is reasonable. Maybe I am being unreasonable in expecting others to be reasonable. HaHa

But I digress…

This thread is about finding good to great values in the things we need and will need in the future.

I haven’t been going to garage sales lately as they are winding down for the fall and winter. Recently I picked up a nice boat for my son; traded an old rifle, a couple of bikes and an air compressor. Straight trade. He was happy and I was happy.

Later this week I’m towing my log splitter to a new friend’s place where we will split a pile of rounds. He is giving me a truckload in exchange. I really like this couple and this is as much about helping as it is about building relationships. If you want a friend, first be a friend. Pay it forward.

Govcheetos, always remember that you are a sane person living in an insane world. Don’t let it get to you but learn to work around it lest it drive you mad. Sometimes I have to shake my head and wonder in amazement.

You are right; things are about to get real interesting. Do you know that 96% of financial transactions are electronic ? That means that only 4% are cash sales. What if the electric grid or the internet goes down ? Do you know that the average household only has $50 in cash ? Something to think about and act upon.

I need to top off my propane, gas and diesel. Maybe nothing will happen in the next couple of months but better to have and not need than to need and not have. Additionally, future price rises would yield tax free interest if necessities were bought now. Heck, I even stockpile various jars of preserves since some are seasonal like cherry, blueberry and apricot. And with a ton of wheat berries for homemade bread, I need something to slather on our toast. Reminds me of that scene in Soylent Green where Charlton Heston gives a spoon of strawberry jam to Edward G. Robinson. That movie was made in 1973 and depicted life in 2022, predicting almost 50 years into the future. Seems to be headed in that direction what with the Japanese experimenting with human waste hamburgers.

The problem I see is long term. Propane, gas and diesel are non renewable resources in a crisis situation. Perhaps a wood gassifier generator would be a good answer. There is always lots of renewable wood around. One thing I like about a wood gassifier is that almost nobody has one so wood won’t be consumed on a massive scale. Not any more than it is now with wood fireplaces. Another idea is to have a water jacketed outside wood burner that could both run a generator as well as heat water to be piped into a storage tank to be used to heat a home in the winter. You could even cook food at the same time.

Every activity we do is in furtherance of preparing for the future. This is why I write about so many aspects of our lives.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Hi gun driller. Once in a while I see those aluminum plates offered at garage sales. Were they made in the 1950s or 1960s ? I remember aluminum drinking cups when I was a kid. I got a set of beautiful handmade heavy copper plates a while back for $20; they were made by an arts teacher living near a copper mine. Part art and part intrinsic metal value.

I have too much “crap” too but am saving everything that might have utility and value in the future. Ponce says that the dumps of today will be the goldmines of the future. Things we save now like building materials, dinnerware, small appliances, string, rope, chain and a multitude of items may well be like gold in the future. Not right away but in the coming years.

Right now I have a huge load of scrap aluminum transmission cases and have made a deal with a friend to split the sale for their removing the steel parts. This way I get some cash and lots of room for more “crap”. She even wants me to collect all the steel scrap too because she has a big truck that can carry 5 tons at a time. She is one of the people who regularly pick up our fruits and veggies. See how one thing leads to another ? I have so many interlocking deals going on that it almost seems like a job in keeping it all straight. But it is a job that I enjoy immensely.

Recently someone called me to see if I had some transmission parts he needed. Since I save everything I told him that I had many such parts. I sold a couple of parts for $40 with shipping. Not much profit there. But the next time he called he needed more parts; lots more. I sold him 6 differentials with accessories for $600 plus shipping. These parts were for his race cars and haven’t been manufactured since 1992. These parts would have been thrown away for scrap steel in a normal repair shop. But I am not normal. Two points here; a little sale can lead to a big sale and things saved for the future can indeed turn to gold.

Best wishes and good to see you posting here gun driller. I have been reading your posts for years and all I can say is keep up the good work. It is important.

Agnut

[agnut]

I occasionally help an elderly gentleman do estate sales. He pays me. Talk about a fun job, digging through everything. Searching for potentially valuable and interesting stuff.
The one we're doing right now is the estate of a somewhat famous ceramics sculptor. Lot's of artwork. Bronze sculptures. Antiques. We've barely dug in to the 4 bedroom home.
We've concluded that the woman of the house must have been a kleptomaniac, since there has to be at least a bushel basket full of costume jewelry and small fem accs. that had never even had the display labels removed.

Hi Santa and welcome here. Sounds like you are an American Picker”. Isn’t it fun to never know what you will find ? This uncertainty is one of the things that motivate me to get up early and head out the door.

Check out that costume jewelry closely. An old friend who was a gem cutter told me that some of the old costume jewelry has semiprecious stones and is valuable. And some of the jewelry may have platinum or palladium (look for the stamps PT or PALL or PD, not sure but get familiar with these marks; they could pay off big if you run across an old platinum watch).

If this jewelry isn’t old I suppose it could be displayed and sold at a swap meet or garage sale. Having the tags still on the jewelry should help sales. I do see a lot of costume jewelry for sale but haven’t taken the time to check it out thoroughly. I would be interested in finding a whole box of old jewelry at an estate sale indiscriminately thrown together. The older the better. This might be a good specialty for someone.

Regarding art work; this economy is so bad what with so many folks not having enough money for the necessities, much less money for discretionary items such as art that I can’t see prices for art holding up in the future. I have several paintings, European and American, for sale and they are hardly selling. They were hot a few years ago but not nowadays.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. I’ve lost count of how many shovels, rakes, hoes and other yard equipment I have. But I will still buy more if they are a steal and in good condition.

Some people make a living selling books. I checked out a 1939 first edition of The Grapes Of Wrath; it was for sale on ABEbooks.com for about $250. I paid a dime if I recall. I do have several hundred books but haven’t researched their value. Maybe a goldmine but I can’t even get to them right now. My bad.

The enclosed trailer sounds like a hot deal. I haven’t ever run across one for sale cheap like you just did.

Lately have been picking up small appliances at the local thrift store. I give them to friends and use for trading material. You might say I get good will from the Goodwill.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[govcheetos]

Gundriller and Spectrism, check out replacments.com for your old silver plated stuff. If someone needs to buy only a piece or two they surely have to pay. Replacements might buy silverplate from individuals, I'm not sure.

Santa, check out that costume jewerly closely. My wife picked up a silver Tiffany Co. bracelet for 25 cents once. There is a local lady we see out garage sailing that is always buying jewelery for resale so there must be some deals out there.

Agnut, I agree with what you're saying about holding on to stuff. It seems every time I sell something just to get rid of it either i end up needing it or someone I know is looking for one and paying cash. Been trying to move some things around to have better storage and move on things on that take up too much space for little value.

Thanks for everyone's contributions!

[govcheetos]

Agnut, yes that trailer was a steal! $500 was the guys asking price too, I didn't even barter with him.. I only owned it for 18 hours though. I gave it to a close friend and mentor of mine. This man has taught me a lot of what I know about a lot of things especially financial and making deals. He'd been looking for one for a couple of years and I knew I'd never find one for the price he wanted to pay until this one came along. When I gave it to him you'd think he'd just won the lottery.

[agnut]

I didn't go out last week but I did the week before. I was able to buy 3 small propane tanks (backyard grill type) for $5 each. When I got home, found one was full. I picked up a paint can of odd things for $5- I saw a couple large lag bolts in there that I needed. Also, there are is a brass tubing nipple adaptor and assorted bolts/screw. I saw what I wanted and the value in it. All the rest will be a gift-wrapped present when I dig to the bottom.

I got a call back from a contact I made long ago. Normally leaving a phone number does not work well. Anyway, this fella was going to find a silverware set for me. Although it was not said, the implication was that it was sterling. Over the phone he wanted $30. When I got there, I saw a good condition old plated set. To keep the friendship, I gave him what he wanted and he said he had some "odd" pieces he would look for. I told him I like old ugly and sometimes unmatched silverware. He was surprised that I didn't want polished clean stuff. So, I took the loss on that plated stuff as a calculated investment. He then told me it was his sisters that he bought for $30 figuring he would be able to get that much. I helped him keep his pride and did his sister a favor. He has a picker's dream back yard. I just don't have the place to store all the stuff.

Agnut said something key- build relationships in your dealings. Good advice. Sometimes you have to give. Other times, beware of the scaplers. Seek to make deals where everyone wins.


Hi Spectrism. I also have lots of propane bottles; good idea for the future. One to five gallon gas containers are also a good idea; I probably have 30 already. Bought most of them for one dollar.

Funny that you mention the contact with the silverware that turned out to be silver plate. I had a similar thing happen to me a couple of months ago. A friend found a large boxed set of what he thought was sterling silver for $30 or $50 I think. He brought it over and I had to tell him that it was actually silver plate. He was very disappointed. I told him that he should use it for his personal dinnerware since the silver plate was as good as sterling silver for his health. When he didn’t seem too interested in this I offered to buy the dinner set from him; he refused. I hope that he is using it for his health.

I noticed that you said you got a call from a contact. Yep, that’s one way of building a network. You never know what this contact will bring in in the future, so good that you paid him to keep the flow going.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[gunDriller]

Hi gun driller. Once in a while I see those aluminum plates offered at garage sales. Were they made in the 1950s or 1960s ? I remember aluminum drinking cups when I was a kid. I got a set of beautiful handmade heavy copper plates a while back for $20; they were made by an arts teacher living near a copper mine. Part art and part intrinsic metal value.

I have too much “crap” too but am saving everything that might have utility and value in the future. Ponce says that the dumps of today will be the goldmines of the future. Things we save now like building materials, dinnerware, small appliances, string, rope, chain and a multitude of items may well be like gold in the future. Not right away but in the coming years.

Right now I have a huge load of scrap aluminum transmission cases and have made a deal with a friend to split the sale for their removing the steel parts. This way I get some cash and lots of room for more “crap”. She even wants me to collect all the steel scrap too because she has a big truck that can carry 5 tons at a time. She is one of the people who regularly pick up our fruits and veggies. See how one thing leads to another ? I have so many interlocking deals going on that it almost seems like a job in keeping it all straight. But it is a job that I enjoy immensely.

https://www.google.com/#q=aluminum+foundry+washington

https://www.google.com/#q=aluminum+foundry+oregon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlpduLAQg18

that last one is a shop class at EOU (Eastern Oregon University). they buy their aluminum somewhere.

i tried to find the price.

http://www.atlasmetal.com/pdf/catalog.pdf

interesting info about A356 - there's a fair chance your transmission casings are A356.


getting the best price might be related to determining the exact alloy.


that aluminum is worth DINERO ! the Atlas Metal catalog doesn't have their price, i guess it's spot + a percentage.

since scrap places rarely pay more than 65% of spot even for a higher grade of aluminum (extruded), and since it's only 79 cents a pound today at Kitco Metals, i find selling aluminum for scrap is almost always disappointing these days.

Agnut, Do you have access to a band saw ? that might be very helpful to get paid Spot+ for those castings. if you have, literally, a big pile (e.g. 1000 pounds+) of clean cast aluminum (the transmission castings etc.), it would increase its utility to a potential buyer to cut it up into 'bite-size' pieces that are easy to shovel into the crucible or whatever they use to melt the aluminum.

on the other hand, 79 cents a pound does not reflect the true utility of this metal.


castings in the backyard = money in the bank.


what i need is a Roomba that picks up chicken turds. :)

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. I just wrote about some transmission parts I have been holding for several years and sold them for a handsome profit. However, it is sometimes hard to tell if an item will ever be sold. I have literally tons of old transmission parts that have to be inspected before they are either scrapped out or put away for the future.

Your generosity with the enclosed trailer was both pay it back AND pay it forward. And the reaction from your friend cannot be measured in dollars. A huge win-win all around. I’m proud of you !

These goodies we find in our travels can be very rewarding as gifts to family and friends. The new friend I mentioned earlier has a daughter who moved here recently and is setting up a household. So far I’ve given him a few kitchen appliances and am waiting to take him through my barn. You wouldn’t believe the shelves full of kitchen items I have accumulated through the last 6 years. Whenever I saw a blender, toaster, rotisserie, crock pot, Tupperware, mixer, juicer and some other items I can’t think the name of, I buy them and put them away. Many of the items cost new as much as $60; I get them for as little as $2. This buying and then gifting items is best considered a different kind of deal making, one above and beyond mere dollars and cents. These are what I call deals of the heart; the most valuable of all. This type of deal can be made any time but it is easiest when we have experience and know the rate of flow through of such items. I do buy some appliances that are rarely found and keep them for our own kitchen. When I have an extra backup appliance I can gift or sell the next one I find. This way I am not ever without our own necessities as well as backups. Easy peasy.

The other day I was in my favorite thrift store and spotted a Belgian waffle machine. My sister has been wanting one for at least two years. I had never seen one but recognized it from her description. An odd looking machine that flips the waffle over while cooking (why I don’t have a clue. Hey, I‘m a mechanic, not a chef). The reason my sister hasn’t bought a new Belgian waffle machine is that it is too expensive. I picked it up for $6. I looked up the model and it retails for $120. The next time my sister was visiting I set the waffle machine out in plain view. You know, thinking that she would spot it and go nuts. I finally had to point it out and then she went nuts. Now looking back I realize that the reason she didn’t see it just 6 feet away is that I have the house so crammed with items that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I am both proud and ashamed at the same time.

Even a small item gifted can result in a big reaction. But your enclosed trailer gift is the kind that will be remembered and appreciated for a lifetime.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

“Anything that you have today will become your treasure tomorrow......being from Cuba I know what I am talking about, in Cuba to find a straight nail on the floor is like finding a dollar bill here in the states.....collect all the nick knacks that you can afford and simply put it away and forget about it.....they will be your salvation tomorrow....right Agnut?”
Ponce

That’s right Ponce. With every action there should be a well informed and well considered reasoning behind it.

Not everything is going to become valuable; only things that people will need and cannot either afford new or find. This does cover many, many items but some of them will not be highly valued until they have been largely consumed. When I think about it, these things except home grown food are non renewable resources. They will get consumed and then what ? Increasing scarcity with a continued demand yields higher prices.

And some items should be sold and the money obtained should be reinvested. For example, art. I had 30 paintings on eBay recently and only two of them sold. I did get some ridiculously low offers but I would rather keep them, come Hell or high water. I have been watching the art market for many years and have come to the conclusion that the prices will continue to fall as our economy worsens. In the past, some investors bought art for its potential but I don’t think that it will be wise in our current environment as well as for the future. One way or the other we will continue the slide into third world status. We are becoming a banana republic without the bananas. No export, no recovery. This time it is truly different and therefore we will be in uncharted waters. Probably explains all the anguish in making even the best calculated prep decisions.

So why am I writing such grim news in a bartering and horse trading thread ? Well, we must realize that even some of the things we may buy now that are considered a bargain will be offered at even better prices in a collapse. That is, if our society holds together so that we would be comfortable in dealing out there in the public. If things do fall apart, bartering may become difficult for a while.

Right now our local thrift store is having a new type of sale in which a bag of hard bound books is $7 and a bag of softbound books is $5. I bought 3 bags yesterday and am heading back with one of my sons to buy more. How to books and the classics will be our focus. Yesterday I got a mint copy of the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson for about 50 cents. Many of the books are normally priced at $5 to $10 each. They are having this sale because they are receiving so many donations that they are overstocked. So I would have to pay as much as $100 individually but only $7 in a sale bag.

Is this still a bargain with the view of a future collapse ? Only time will tell; and perhaps a long time at that.

What is going to be valuable in the future ? Building materials, clothing, tools, toilet paper (you’re welcome Ponce), food, fuels, tires, and many other items we cannot or will not do without.

In the past several months, items for sale have not been moving. Nobody has much or even any discretionary money. If they see a great bargain they may have to pass on it in order to buy something more important, say something like food to feed their family or gas to get around.

Now with this Obamacare “Affordable Care”, I believe that there will be a shock wave the likes of which we have never experienced in our lives. Let me explain this and what I have been pondering for some time.

Say Obamacare has been implemented and we are all forced to pay an average of $250 per month for our health insurance. What about the $14,000 deductible before they pay for a medical cost ? How can anyone manage to save that contingency money with the way the economy is, even now ?

But that is only the tip of the turdberg floating around in the punchbowl. With most everyone paying out this approximately $250 per month, who will be buying things other that paying for food, gas, housing, utilities ? Can you imagine the multitude of stores that would suddenly find themselves with a disastrous drop in sales ? Would anyone go to the Hallmark store to buy a birthday card for $5 ? Or to the clothing store for designer clothing ? Or to the shoe store ? Movie theatres ? Sporting goods ? Fuggetaboutit !

Are you getting the picture of just how devastating the added costs of Obamacare will be to your local community as well as throughout the whole nation ?

McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, all other fast food outlets ? And what about all the middle class sit down restaurants and upper scale fine dining places ?

Who could afford a vacation to Hawaii or to visit a distant relative ? Are the airlines going to do better or much worse ? A no brainer, huh ?

We are talking about tearing some $3,000 off the yearly take home pay of the American worker or retired person. And from what I have been reading, it may be much higher in some financial situations.

What to do, what to do.

Well, since we are being herded into what has been described as “austerity”, we should make the best of it. Why drive ourselves crazy to “get ahead” ? Why buy a new car rather than fix the old one ? Why remodel the kitchen instead of keep the one we have in tip top condition ? Why buy new clothes when we have a closet full of used clothing ?

In fact, why spend any money for anything new except socks and underwear (and some other personal necessities that even I am too squeamish about mentioning) ?

What do you think I have been doing for years ? I drive a 23 year old truck that I bought for $2600. Paid cash so no interest payments and have only liability insurance. I buy my clothes at garage sales and thrift stores. I drive diesel and other high MPG cars and then only use them when absolutely needed. I rarely eat out. I buy most all food on sale and stock up enough until the next sale. And several other cost cutting habits.

On the other hand I do buy used books, records, CDs, DVDs and videotapes. That is my big extravagance; I cut out cable TV a few months ago and except for an occasional nature show and this season’s Big Bang Theory series I do not miss TV. I save $120 a month and this allows me to accumulate a library of entertainment far better than what the TV has to offer. Also I own a copy of it that I can watch any time I want or loan it to a friend or even sell it and get my money back for the next purchase. It is empowering. Oh; and no more commercials either. Take that Madison Avenue !

Also I barter for hay for our cattle. We get all kinds of fruits and veggies for free just by picking them up. Once in a while I get a car for free; sure it needs work but I am a mechanic and can fix it for my labor and parts at wholesale.

With the way I do all these things I have more time to do what I want when I want. I’m not saying I have lots of free time because I am busy every day. The key is I am getting to do what I want to do, not forced to do. Although I may not have a lot of money, I have never felt so rich in my life. Depends on what one defines as being rich. I’ve been financially rich and I’ve been happy but I have never been financially rich and happy at the same time. I guess it’s just not for me.

My family has been living in the future we perceive; this way the transition’s shock will hopefully be lessened.

In closing, does anyone in their right mind think that this Obamacare will be good for America’s future ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

[woodman]

Hi Agnut. I always enjoy your posts. Your thinking rings true to my Yankee instincts. To answer your question about Obama Care or Zero Care as it should be called; I agree that it is the absolute worst thing that could possibly be implemented, or attempted, because I believe it will be an enormous fiasco. I will not comply. I will eschew it for religious reasons if that is what it takes. I will not be forced to buy a product I do not want and feel is dangerous to my very existence.

'Land of the Free' my ass!

[agnut]

Hi gun driller, thanks, your post #199 made me think. Aluminum prices will rise as the dollar falls but if such a situation unfolds, will there be demand for scrap aluminum ? Seems like we are on the cusp of tremendous financial changes and I can’t envision a great revival of industrial activity. Rather the contrary. I feel that we have long ago passed below our having discretionary money to a level of day to day survival. This is what I see all around me, at least in my local area. And from what I read, other areas are experiencing the same or worse. I am not a gloomster but feel that I must face the facts as I see them and ACT accordingly.

With that said, I haven’t been going garage sailing for several weeks. In the first place, the pickings have been mighty slim with low volume of sales as well as high prices asked for goods. It seems to me that sellers perspective has changed from getting rid of unwanted items to trying to get the highest price they can. Behind this change may be a sense of desperation in their outlook for their future. It must have become obvious to even the most brain dead that things are bad and getting worse. There comes a time when the herd senses danger and stampedes.

This post is to put us all on notification that things have changed regarding bartering and horse trading. And we must understand the changes and their implications and adapt accordingly.

It has only been a few months since I ceased going to garage, estate and moving sales. First, they have been gradually getting less rewarding. Second, they have been getting less in number which would require my traveling much further distances in order to find good deals. More time and fuel burned always have to be considered.

So what to do, what to do.

Well, we are moving into the winter months when things traditionally slow down. So seasonality must be taken into account. However, last summer I noticed several garage sales in which there were ladies with small children selling a lot of items that had almost no value. It appeared as though they were trying to get even a few dollars out of desperation. I had not seen this in previous summer sales. What this means to me is that many folks are hanging on by their nails. The big monthly expenses such as rent, food, transportation may have been covered by a steady job but ongoing price increases have been eroding purchasing power to the point that many find themselves standing at their financial precipice.

We all are facing the Christmas that wasn’t or if you prefer the winter of our discontent. Regarding Christmas presents, I have been giving away items I had purchased over the years. Some of these items that were $50 new I had gotten for $5.

A while ago I wrote that I had ended cable TV, a monthly savings of $120. Now I buy DVD movies for $1 to $2 each. No commercials and a much more entertaining evening. I could buy over 60 movies a month and have no more expenses. But I don’t find that many DVDs (maybe 30 per month) ; after a while I have a huge library of great movies that can be shared, gifted and/or sold. Also high speed internet offers more entertainment than I have time for. This is a sign to me that I shouldn’t overindulge but rather take care of business. The business of preparing for the future. Entertainment to excess is a manifestation of denial. There I said it.

I know people that sit around all day and watch the TV. It appears as though they are standing still while life’s changes are overtaking them. And lately I have seen that they are in financial difficulties. It has finally caught up to them. They have lived the good life until now and put aside no savings for emergencies. The first major expense will be like running into a brick wall. I have a lot of compassion for them since I have in the past year experienced more difficulty in maintaining stability in my own life. Even with the mental tools I have developed for dealing I have felt the recent difference. I can only imagine the desperation of those who have no abilities to adapt to the changes.

Instead of going to garage sales I have been going to thrift stores buying many items. 12 pairs of blue jeans for about $1 each. DVD movies for $1 to $2. Appliances for 5 to 10 percent of their new price. Lots of little gadgets I need or will need. Things to barter later.

I wrote that connections we make can become invaluable. The other day I was offered a Kubota diesel tractor with a Woods brush hog and a German 4 foot tiller. I jumped on it and it sits outside my front door. I don’t know how soon I can get to it but it is an asset that I can use here on the ranch. By the way, I got it for $100 plus another $100 to have it all moved.

And speaking of “the ranch”, I am planning to not replace our steers but to slowly let them decrease while building a hog enclosure. Lots less land use which may instead be for several earth berm greenhouses in the future. You see, the beef from the steers is not really profitable but the only advantage is that we know what our steers have been eating; no chemicals either. Also, raising pigs is known as a “mortgage mender”. It should greatly help expenses around here. I have checked around and piglets are spoken for long before they are ready for market (the freezer). Food, shelter, transportation and clothing. The first is food because without it, nothing else matters. What will be in demand in the future ? Raising pigs sounds like a good idea. I will let you know as I find out more. Raising pigs is a renewable resource just as raising fruits and vegetables.

By the way, you may have read that Smithfield, the largest hog raising and processing outfit, has been sold to the Chinese. Do you think that we will get the pork or the Chinese will ? Right !

We are almost finished with building a 10 by 12 foot shed for fruit and veggie storage. Many of the materials I bought in the past have gone into the shed. I have an excellent carpenter who I have been trading some woodworking equipment and some cash for his building the shed. Even the foam insulation sheets that were almost $20 new that I bought for $1 are being used. And instead of using 2x4s we are using 2x6s that I got for about 60 cents in a past deal. So it isn’t costing near as much as if I had to buy all the materials at retail. And I’m getting a much more durable building. Next year if things go as planned, this carpenter will build the pig enclosure.

With all of the threats of Nuclear war or EMP disaster, do you think that America will be destroyed with all the foreign investments here ? That would be about as intelligent a rich man blowing up his own bank. And besides if I am wrong, it won’t matter. There is nothing I can do about it except move out of country and that is just not acceptable. No, no, I think things will be very hard for those in debt (aka financial slavery) and unprepared but for those of us who prepared we will be needed and rewarded.

The filthiest four letter word in the English language is debt.

I make up these little quotes to remind myself to stay focused on the future and what kind of life I want to live. As best as I could I lived life in the way I envisioned how life would be in the future. This way the transition would be much easier for my family and me. And it hasn’t been bad along the way. An old Dodge diesel truck but no debt. Used items, more than I could afford if bought new. But no debt. Food stored away but no debt. And many prep and bartering items put away for the future. And again no debt.

I know this post has rambled on but there are some things I felt I had to say. The whole playing field is changing and we must change in order to win. The deals are out there but perhaps in different locations and different situations; you need to be resourceful in seeking them out. This is the fun of bartering and horse trading; the challenging ourselves in what we can do. I still surprise myself with all there is just laying out there waiting for someone with the imagination to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Jingling with gold and silver coins, of course.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Spectrism]

I have seen the same thing in northeast CT Agnut. Garbage being sold... little plastic toys, christmas lights, worthless things that at best could be burned for heat.

The hunt requires much travel and many visits. My hit/miss ratio has gone down so much that I stopped going out too. Also, I have little space for anything more. I hate buying things new at retail stores, but I may have to resort to a few.

Yes- the times are getting desperate. My wife wanted to chip in and help a young family. I told her to be very cautious about doing this anymore. It must be in secret and it must be assured that you are doing the right thing. Also, we are not flooded with funds... especially since we still have mortgage debt and college costs staring us in the face. I have to keep telling her... if you think there are desperate people now, you haven't seen anything yet.

No debt. That is also my mantra here. NO DEBT!

[agnut]

Thanks woodman. I noticed that you joined GS-US the same month I did but you have over 6 times the posts I do. I guess I’m more long winded. HaHa

Yeah, this Obamacare (Obama scare or Obama scar your choice) looks like a healthcare version of the Syrian attack fiasco. And now with the impending Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP for short. Sounds like we will need extra TP for the TPP), I expect another fiasco in the making.

In my last post I said that I haven’t been going to garage sales but finding other opportunities. The other day someone told me that he was wanting to get rid of all kinds of construction parts. I went over there and got thousands of nails, many new hinges, PVC pipe connectors, new stovepipes and fittings, buckets of washers, concrete nails and shot charges, and a whole lot of other odds and ends. I also got a 4 step staircase that can be modified for our new storage shed. I asked around and he also had a tractor plow blade that may be used on the Kubota tractor I just got. He said that I could have it and he would load it onto my trailer. He is really a great guy, the same one my son and I took our log splitter to his place a couple of days and helped him. What goes around comes around.

Gotta go; my carpenter friend should be coming over soon to put up the shed shelves and finish the insulation.

Don’t be concerned about the Oblamacare; it will probably be put off till after the 2016 elections when Hillary comes to bat. Just kidding (I hope).

Best wishes,
Agnut

Land of the flee and home of the slave ? Not on my watch !

[gunDriller]

when i was in college, i used to sell scrap.

i remember steel got about 1 cent a pound, and aluminum maybe 50 cents a pound - depending on the grade.

now steel gets about 5 cents a pound (dirty scrap, AKA 'baling') and aluminum - the same.


i'm not sure why steel has climbed the last 20-30 years, but not aluminum. must have something to do with mine supply & the cost of energy.


i have a neighbor who wants a "gaming computer" - but has no money. he works part time (would like more, but that's the employment situation in the US)

i'm thinking about building him one from old parts and then trading that for his TIME. heck, i'd be happy to get 3 hours out of an old Athlon system with a faster AGP graphics card.

so that may be part of the way it is in the Bush-Obama economy.

of course, i don't want him to hurt himself working for me. so i'll probably just having him carry buckets of sand uphill (up the driveway), and "bagged and tagged" (IAW Mil-STD-130, i spent 9 years of my life working somewhere where EVERY drawing had the "Bag and Tag IAW Mil-STD-130" Note on it) boxes to my storage side yard.

i have a problem with condensing humidity, so i am learning to wrap things in dry burlap (like a painting drop cloth) and then bag them.


i lost a few $1000 of machine tools to rust in 2012, actually i can use them but i couldn't sell them.


i am taking a pile of things to another neighbor who has had a permanent garage sale the last 6 weeks. he is very knowledgeable about machine tools so i am basically trying to score brownie points. some people call this 'social capital'. e.g. a set of tire chains that isn't rusty is a good thing to donate to a neighbor's garage sale. they can sell them for $20 and still save money for the buyer, who would pay $50+ for good chains.


so i guess if you can use bartered items to trade for a neighbor's labor, or to help a neighbor whom you plan on hiring a few months in the future (sounds kind of Machiavellian, i guess), well, even in a Depression-ish economy, those bartered items are still worth something.

something else i found is that some things really make an impression. one of the guys at the scrap yard, his wife likes a certain size of Christmas tree lights. so i gave him every pack of bulbs that size i had.

he, in turn, gave me 60% as a grade for copper wire, for a box of wire that his co-worker said could only get 30% (which they used to pay 60% for). 60% gets about $1 a pound, so that little change in grade makes a difference.


perhaps another example of "Barter-ology" -

http://s403998394.onlinehome.us/DSCN8302_+__.jpg
http://s403998394.onlinehome.us/DSCN8310_+_+__.jpg

... the willingness to fix things ... but don't spend too much time because there's PLENTY of work to do.


i didn't want to spend $10 to $20 on a new good USB mouse, so i fixed a broken one. took about 20 minutes.

[agnut]

Hi Spectrism. Maybe visiting the thrift stores would yield some bargains. I haven’t been to an auction for years but hear of some great deals being made there. Also, some companies closing down and liquidating inventory and furniture and shelving could be good. There is an outfit that deals in shelving only and seems to be doing well. Maybe finding a good car deal and reselling could work.

On the other hand, with winter coming, it may be a good time to organize and get ready for the after Christmas sales. I don’t mean the ones in the stores but the private sales by those who have to sell to pay for their foolish holiday buying. I think that there will be some opportunities there.

I have a VW Jetta to fix, a VW pop top camper to restore, a VW Scirocco (now diesel) to finish, a Kubota tractor to fix, eleven VW engine cases to line bore, loads of car parts, loads of other items to sell, lots of paintings to sell and so much more that I can’t keep it all in my head. Oh, loads of aluminum transmission cases to strip for a scrap load. Not to mention all the steel scrap I need to load and sell. This is only a small part of what I am looking at in the coming months. Lord have mercy !

So you see, the deals I made in the past are now accumulated so that I don’t have to search them out in the winter months. They are right here staring me in the face. This is why I haven’t written much lately; buried up to the eyeballs. And with winter coming I have to anticipate working mostly indoors and first finish several outside projects.

And yeah, the times are getting desperate. Now may be the time to appraise our connections with family and friends and how we will gather together for support and protection. As they say, there is strength in numbers. Spectrism, you told your wife to be very cautious in helping others. Almost invariably, they are in need because of the decisions they made in the past. These are lessons that have to be learned, sometimes the hard way.

I believe that so many Americans are and will be in such dire situations because they took from the future and spent it in the past and present. This is how debt is accumulated and it is manageable until it becomes unmanageable ( and therefore a horror show). Even ants and squirrels put away provisions for the winter. Says a lot about the lack of common sense among us humans, supposedly the most highly intelligent. A big double DUH goes out here.

Everything you give away will later be something that you may desperately need in the future. You may ask your wife how she or you will replace what she is thinking of giving away. Maybe getting a second job so that you could have more to give away ? You see my point ?

I don’t mean to be a curmudgeon here but there is charity and then there is giving away your own future. When I have given to others, they almost always want to give something in return. And we should let them, for it is a give and take relationship in which the books need to get balanced. It has to do with self respect and friendship. So giving without getting in return leaves the recipient feeling a lesser individual. I didn’t start out this way in my giving but through the years learned that this is the way it works.

I sometimes wonder if this huge welfare program to the gibsmedats is having a similar outcome. They feel lessened in their and others’ eyes when they cannot return the “favor”. By giving them money for no work, maybe we are saying that their work is worthless and the money is only given to keep them from hurting us. Of course this builds up tremendous resentment. Where there is no pride in one’s contribution to society there is no self respect. And where there is no self respect there is no legitimate society. Just a thought.

When I am overwhelmed with things to do, which is daily, I make a list with the date at the top. I list the things to do down the page. Next I write the numbers to the left of the thing to do in the order/priority in which they need to be done. When each one is done I draw a line through the chore. This is the best way I have found to keep my life organized and feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at the page with all the lines drawn through the chores. Sort of patting myself on the back. Also this clears my head from having to remember a multitude of details to do and I don’t forget some of the little things I have to do. At the end of the day I begin tomorrow’s page beginning with the things I didn’t get to. Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[gunDriller]

When I am overwhelmed with things to do, which is daily, I make a list with the date at the top. I list the things to do down the page. Next I write the numbers to the left of the thing to do in the order/priority in which they need to be done. When each one is done I draw a line through the chore. This is the best way I have found to keep my life organized and feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at the page with all the lines drawn through the chores. Sort of patting myself on the back. Also this clears my head from having to remember a multitude of details to do and I don’t forget some of the little things I have to do. At the end of the day I begin tomorrow’s page beginning with the things I didn’t get to. Hope this helps.


that sounds like me, although my lists are not as organized as yours.

when the lists are done, i put them in a folder labelled "clipboard overflow" (literally.)

then i date the folders, and archive them.

about a month ago i was burning some wood and threw out a year's worth of "clipboard overflow" folders - it's a lot faster than a paper shredder AND the ash contains close to 100% organic potassium.


the ash from my wood fires goes into the compost piles.

[agnut]

Hey all, I just read this thread and thought it would be good for some reflecting about our own world :

When people from Glasnost Eastern Europe first came here, they could not believe it.

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?439227-When-people-from-Glasnost-Eastern-Europe-first-came-here-they-could-not-believe-it.

One sentence especially struck me :

“We are the envy of the world and the only people who do not know it is us.”


Best wishes,

Agnut

PS I still owe a response to gundriller two posts and will respond as soon as time permits.

[agnut]

Hi gun driller, some very good ideas in your posts. The information we share can be so uplifting to others that it is impossible to estimate how much effect we are having upon others both in its enormity of impact as well as its possible wide dissemination. This is why my closing quote is what it is. Emerson lived in a time in which there was no television, radio, telephone and other distractions from truths. When everyone was not looking at their watch continually, timing all their actions like racehorses.

I cannot emphasize this enough that we MUST help others whenever and wherever we can do so. I feel that this caring for those around us and helping others is a mindset that has been largely lost in the confusion of our whirlwind lives. Relative to Emerson’s time we are like the old cowboy observation that “he is going so fast that he is passing up more than he is catching up to”. Well, we are missing so much in our haste to “get ahead” that we lose our head in the endeavors. What a funny way of imprisoning ourselves; not haha funny but odd funny.

It is 3:30 AM and I have slept only a few hours but my mind is clear ( take this with a grain of salt since my mind is telling me that my mind is clear) and I can’t refuse sharing some thoughts. First one is that earlier this evening a recent friend brought a friend of hers over to meet me. She was so excited over the phone that she wanted to come over right away and introduce this friend of hers. Well, when she arrived I was in my workshop building a transmission and when this yet to be introduced friend walked in, we both looked at each other and laughed because we already knew each other ! My new friend hesitated and then began laughing too when she got the good natured social joke as it were. Just then as we were all laughing I felt an uplifting that I can only described as pure joy.

We talked for a while and then went into the house where I began talking about colloidal silver first and then about a new personal discovery; diatomaceous earth (DE for short). I pulled up some DE websites from Google that had lists of testimonials which we read together. You see, I have been taking DE daily for 157 days and counting. My personal results have been new hair growth, 20 pounds weight loss, increased stamina, and regular bowel movements. DE carries off heavy metals which may have protective properties against aluminum poisoning which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. DE also kills all kinds of parasites such as round worms, pin worms and others. I have read that about 85 to 90 percent of folks have parasites but most don’t know it. There are many other benefits from using DE and they are found in the testimonials of the websites below. But the best I saved for last.

For the past 10 years or so I have had outbreaks on my hands which specialists diagnosed as either psoriasis or eczema. Ugly and painful is the best description. Nothing they prescribed helped. For a longtime I did not notice that my recurring bouts with my hand outbreaks had ceased after taking DE. I felt foolish to have not picked up on it earlier but the nature of healing from a malady is its absence. No more hands with sores all over them taking several weeks to go away. No more embarrassment when shopping or with friends. The only relief when afflicted was that I could hold my hands under a stream of very hot water where the relief was indescribable except to say almost orgasmic.

So if you have or a friend has either psoriasis or eczema, tell them about DE and what it can do. And don’t neglect to read of all the other benefits of using DE; they are many I haven’t covered.



I made up a couple of bottles of DE and gave them to the ladies who were now very excited to try this new potent relief.

By the way I bought my DE at the local feed store although I don’t necessarily recommend it as opposed to buying what is called human grade DE. Personally I don’t see the difference except cost. But that is for you to decide. If it is good enough for my cows, chickens, dog and cat it is good enough for me. Just do not use the swimming pool filter DE; it is very bad for you from what I have read.

As I have been writing this post I have been making side notes of who to call to tell them about DE and what it can do for their health.


http://www.earthworkshealth.com/human-use-testimonials.php

http://totalyouwellness.com/?cat=12

I know that this post isn’t exactly about bartering and horse trading in the usual sense but when I think about it, aren’t all of the interactions we have with each other a sort of trading knowledge and experiences ?

So here’s hoping that this DE post gets disseminated virally (so to speak).

Best wishes,

agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi

[agnut]

Hi again gundriller. Yeah, the price of scrap aluminum has gone nowhere for a long time. It was about 50 cents a pound 30 years ago and still is in most places. Even if it were 75 cents it would still be a joke what with all the inflation and devaluation of the dollar through those decades.

Your computer game trade for labor sounds like the labor trade I did for a bicycle a while back. I have checked back to see that the young man was still happy with the trade and he is. I believe that a trade or deal is good when everybody wins. This keeps a clean slate for all the future deals we may make as well as builds relationships and reputations.

I also have a problem with humidity and have had a few tools get surface rust. The Pacific northwest isn’t like southern California where I came from and everything has to be protected here or it turns to junk in a few years. Right now it is 29 degrees and I still need to drain the fuel out of my chain saws, mowers and other equipment as well as check for antifreeze in all vehicles before it gets so cold that it cracks engine blocks.

We don’t own anything in this world but only have use of it for a time since we are mortal. This way, I don’t get attached to things. I look at their utility and possible future use for my family when I am gone.

Your tire chain gift was wise. Giving almost always comes back, sometimes in things far beyond mere monetary gain. You might say that the act of giving is a gift you give to yourself. Just a couple of days ago I gave a Jack LaLane juicer to a friend who has 4 children. It is just sitting around not doing me any good; I already have 3 other juicers. The only reason I even had the Jack LaLane model was that it is huge and powerful and has a large opening for the fruits and veggies and I wondered if it would be something that I would want in my kitchen. So my friend will tell me if it works as well as I have wondered. And if I want one I will find it in due time. To be in no hurry is also a wise position.

Great idea on the light bulb trade for higher copper price. A slick move indeed.

And I like your neologism "Barter-ology" . It made me laugh, especially since my son and I had watched The Simpson Movie last night.

God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Voltaire

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

If your life is rich, aren’t you rich ?

[govcheetos]

Good posts all. Will look into the DE Agnut. Not too many deals lately, cleaned out a bunch of stuff to make more room for longterm tangibles. Scrap metal has definantly gone down. A year or two ago I hauled a VW golf body for my bro in law to the scrap yard and he got almost 400 bucks for it. It was totally stipped of the engine, tranny, axles, wheels, everything. We took one a couple days ago which was a VW Jetta and only got $130. This was a heavier car and still had the rear axle and two wheels attached. Shows the world economy is in the crapper with nobody building anything out of steel anyway. Something else to note about the scrap yard was there were no small time scrappers there with their trailers full of old washers and dryers, ac handlers etc. Only a few large trucks hauling for big operations. We didn't even have to wait to get weighed which usually there's at least three or four trucks ahead of us. And speaking of bartering and horse trading, for hauling the car for him he filled up my truck with diesel and bought me a 18 pack of Natty light. Not bad for 2 hours work!

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. Yep, not many deals here either. I’m occupied with doing several projects around the house, including cleaning out and organizing stuff as you mentioned.

Sadly, scrap metal prices are down. America’s demand has also been shipped to Asia along with manufacturing and jobs. And Asia is not buying scrap metals like they had in the past. As I read, China has many problems of their own. And Japan ?

The sooner we face the fact that we are becoming a “banana republic without the bananas” (perhaps with a dictator too), the sooner we can adapt to the fact that we are in a Depression.

No more fancy clothes, vacations, dinners out, joy riding, expensive toys. This includes no more additional debt. Americans are tapped out and deeply in debt. You would think that they would stop getting deeper in debt but I have read that they have been putting more on their credit cards. Insanity ! They are in a prison of their own making.

For this reason I have no debts. You see, for several years I have been living with the attitude that I am living in a Depression and have acted accordingly to the best of my understanding. I must admit that I am not that good at it; I had thought that it would be fairly easy but few have no idea how much this attitude encompasses. I was talking with my younger sister last night who said that I needed a vacation. I told her that I didn’t take vacations; too expensive and I couldn’t spare the time away from things that needed to be done at home. She doesn’t get it; not yet anyhow.

I still pick up small appliances like crock pots, blenders, mixers, toasters, microwaves and others that are good for trading as well as good will. I give most away and it usually comes back in one form or another. Lately we got two home made apple pies and 8 jars of home made preserves. You can’t buy that in the local markets.

I must have 15 to 20 extra pairs of jeans in my size; got them for anywhere from 80 cents to two bucks. My son also raids the thrift stores and has become quite the discriminating buyer. He didn’t in the past but has been watching me and seen the wisdom of what I have been doing. Sad to say that so many of the young don’t get it and are still spending when they should be saving and buying the steals that are out there. I know that ego has a lot to do with it but as I have written before, an ego to have the newest and best can be bankrupting.

With the cold weather it is easier to go to thrift stores for bargains. I got 17 great DVDs for $1.80 each. And videotapes are only 25 or 50 cents each. They are all over the place and a wide variety too. Now that’s cheap entertainment !

By the way I’ve lately seen ladies in the thrift stores buying stacks of videotapes. I take this as a sign of the worsening times. The local Blockbuster store just shut down and now there is no video store in town. With the theater at about $7 per ticket and popcorn about the same, I won’t be surprised to see them close in the future.

I also bought 19 name brand shirts from the local thrift store for a total of $8.50. It was an “all you can stuff in a bag” sale. Ponce has those sales too and now has enough clothing to open a store. Trading material for later, as he calls it.

Years ago when talking with Ponce I couldn’t envision what living in Cuba could be like here in the U.S. but it is becoming more clear to me as time passes. Look at others and what they are doing to adapt to our devolving economy. This is a process which leads to watching every penny, every action, every word. In its totality it is becoming financially defensive in order to maintain some semblance of decency and hope that what is done is sufficient to continue life with as little disruption as possible. Prepping however comes from seeing the future and preparing in advance in order to live in the manner one wants. So prep now and avoid the rush.

A last thought is that I sometimes wonder if some of the items I buy now will be much lower in price in the next year or so. But with the dollar value uncertainty and inflation, it still seems a go for now. Optional toys like jet skis will probably take a price beating in the future but basic needs will probably stay the same price or increase. I can buy used jeans and shirts but socks and underwear (imported too) must be bought new so their price will probably go up. See what I mean ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prepping now reduces regrets later.

[agnut]

In my last post I alluded to prices of items falling in the near future and wondered which items would hold their values. Here is a good article explaining what deflation would do to our futures :

Weekend Edition December 13-15, 2013
It's Closer Than You Think
The Truth About Deflation
by MIKE WHITNEY

http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/12/13/the-truth-about-deflation/

The chart of the velocity of M2 money stock shows that currently the money velocity is at the lowest level in over 50 years. Does this explain why money is so tight even though the FED is printing money like there is no tomorrow ? In this article is stated that :

“The reason for this is simple: QE does not raise inflation because QE does not increase incomes, wages or credit. The reserves that are created via QE remain in the banking system where they buoy asset prices by reducing the supply of stocks and bonds available for sale. But there is no transmission mechanism for delivering money to the real economy where it can increase activity, inflation and growth. The fact is, QE may actually be deflationary since it reduces the interest on bonds (US Treasuries) that provide income for savers and other fixed-income investors. Some analysts put the amount of potential savings lost due to QE in the neighborhood of $400 billion, which represents about half of all the money spent on Obama’s fiscal stimulus called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Naturally, the loss of this revenue has only added to the sluggishness and stagnation of the US economy.”

And there is much more in this article. I hope it will be read and considered. With all the inflation (and hyperinflation) expectations floating around the internet I wonder just where all this cheap money will come from. Furthermore, will all this cheap money get into the hands of us ordinary citizens or will it continue to flow into the hands of the bankers ? Just what is the mechanism whereby this cheap money will flow to us ordinary citizens ?

When we study the who, what, where, when, why and how of the trillions of dollars around the world we may come to the conclusion that we will be the last in line. And that means that the assets we hold will have been greatly depreciated by that time. In other words we will be paid at pennies on the dollar, like the carpetbaggers did to the south after the Civil War.

As long as gold and silver, the canaries in the coalmine, are kept at manipulated low prices, the alarms won’t go off and the game will continue. This is why it is so important to TPTB that gold and silver prices are being suppressed.

I believe that gold and silver prices will not increase appreciably until those in power have almost all of it in their control. Additionally, they may well issue laws that will strictly prevent those with physical gold and silver from freely benefiting from a great increase of their purchasing power. It’s all about control.

The people will do little since we are not organized. A case in point. When that first grader was suspended for a week for wishing his home school teacher a “Merry Christmas”, why didn’t all of the parents tell their children to wish merry Christmas to everyone at school the next day ? Would the school suspend all of the students ? Would the media even report it ?

I’m sorry; It is just that I have lost so much faith in our leadership that I feel that our representatives have morphed from servants of the people into predators of the people. My ancestors didn’t fight in the Revolutionary war, the Civil war, WWI and WWII so that we the people would be treated in such a manner. They did it for themselves and posterity. Where is our heritage, our birthright ?

And so on this 100th “anniversary of the Federal Reserve I am sickened to read of all the so called “money” being created out of thin air. When will it be realized that this “money” which is really currency which is not getting to us, the common people. An outrage beyond words may well result in revolution either by peaceful civil disobedience or violent overthrow. Only time will tell but it seems that everywhere I go, people are angry and hurt as a result of the way things are shaping up. Boy ! If they only knew what we here on the internet know. And that’s their as well as our problem too. We who know the score are far ahead of public opinion and knowledge and must patiently wait for events to unfold. It is unnerving.

Predicting the future makes fools of most. Not really; I have to commend those who have attempted this when they were going on a basis of sound historical facts.

In times of uncertainty, the only solution is to prepare for all the realistic possibilities. And even then, nothing is 100% sure.

If the banks are going to do a “bail in” against depositors, get your money out of there.

If we are to experience a 50% fall in the dollar, buy any assets which may maintain their intrinsic value. Gold and silver are but two and even they can be obtained in various forms and purity.

If we are to have a new currency issued, get bricks of nickels. They are issued by the treasury and have intrinsic value comparable to their face value. In most currency resets in the past, the coins were valued as the same fraction of the new currency. So a reset of 100 old dollars for 1 new dollar would make the coins worth 100 times more. Those in power don’t believe that anyone has any appreciable quantity of coins. All I can say is that they never met Ponce. But then again, he is unusual; almost unique.

I read that the Federal Reserve wants to issue the U.S, coinage rather than the U.S. Treasury. It seems that those in power desire to control money even down to the lowly penny. Now doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy ?

If we have martial law we need to have preps in order to go out as little as possible.

I don’t know about you but the flood of all the recent zombie movies and books makes me feel that we are being set up for some future chaotic food scenario. Actually not zombies but starving masses who are desperate. Anyway, you won’t be able to tell the difference.

The middle class seems to be the primary target. Note that the welfare crowd and poverty folks haven’t been affected much relatively. They will have their turn; they just can’t see it coming. Because after a collapse with its chaos, there will not be any reason for those in power to continue paying them sufficient purchasing power to continue their lives as they had in the past. In other words, a collapse will affect almost everyone, the poor, the middle class, even those at the top of the food chain.

I haven’t forgotten the ultra rich. It’s just that their problems will be different than the poor folks’ problems. Their problems will include buying enough security to continue their lives. Another will be their location. And another will be continuity of their network of contacts. And even these contacts may become like a group of sharks, picking off the weakest. Did you ultra rich really believe that you were dealing within a group of moral, upstanding citizens ? And what of the cheated masses of humanity out there ? Will they be happy for you ?

The problem with mankind through the ages has been their use of money as their yardstick to measure success. As with Nobel’s dynamite invention, nuclear power and other discoveries, there is always a good side and a dark side, the latter being utilized to the detriment of mankind. Now we have electronic money that could be a great leap forward in transactions but instead is being misused to take advantage of the masses. More than ever Ponce’s quote “If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it” has become an absolute byword in prepping and protecting wealth.

Best wishes,

Agnut

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

[agnut]

Learning Prepper and Barter Skills at Your Local Dump, by Neil J.

Everyone these days is trying to budget and spend their hard earned money wisely. One place I found that I was able to spend a very limited amount or get items for free is at the local dump. It is a great place to accumulate items you could use in a SHTF situation. This may relate only to individuals living in suburban or city areas. There may be one in your county; it is important to find out if there is. If you have not been to your local recycle center or dump, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Take note that there might be a yearly or daily fee associated with using the dump. If at all possible, research the requirements to use the dump by calling ahead or using the local government web site. The only thing that was required at my local dump was being a resident of the city and to purchase a twenty dollar yearly pass to the recycle center. Dropping off household appliances and tires had extra fees on top of the yearly pass. The pass included free mulch and sometimes top soil.
[JWR Adds: Consult your local laws and landfill rules. Be advised that because of their well-justified fear of liability lawsuits, many municipal dumps and contracted commercial dumps now have "no scavenging" policies.]

There is a social community at the dump and you would never believe it unless you have experienced it. During my time spent as the dump supervisor for my local town, I interacted with many people that were involved with the unique subculture of the recycle center. I would like to give the readers some suggestions what might go a long way in the type of treatment and service you receive. This helps in order to be uninterrupted in gathering items or commodities that will be useful to you. Develop a first name relationship with the attendant or attendants and even patrons. People have developed strong friendships with other individuals and families they have encountered. At your dump there might be a no scavenging policy. I was the type of person to look the other way if I knew you, or you minded your own business. A small act of bringing the recycle center workers a bottle of water or a snack will bring you leniency. The main key is to be discreet and quick. If you see an item that might be useful grab it. Having a hook like tool and small tool box will be something useful to bring with you. That way you can extend your reach into dumpsters and do small disassembles for parts if necessary.

The dump is a great place to find useful items for bartering. I gathered candles, tools, books and anything I figured could be useful in a barter or economic collapse situation. I furnished my first apartment with a lot of things I found. People throw away things still brand new in the box! I once found a $500 coffee machine unopened in the original packaging. Many residents I was friendly with would put in orders with me for items they were looking for and sometimes put up rewards for finding those items. Couples and families would make a routine of showing up and making rounds just to see if they could find anything good or what had value.

Firewood is a sought after commodity by patrons that frequent the local dump. The firewood and yard waste would go into a special area. It either came from residents doing yard work or from the forestry division of the city. It was constantly searched for spring, summer and fall. Residents would brag about how much they saved on their energy bills each month by burning firewood to heat their homes. Gathering firewood for winter was very serious business for many people. I have seen individuals go to such great lengths as to bringing their own chainsaws to make lumber pieces more manageable to carry and load into their vehicles. I often saw people collaborate to help each other. The most common occurrence was residents dropping off wood and another person that wanted the wood would arrange going directly to each other’s home to help each other. In the end both parties received what they wanted while taking less trips to the dump and conserving fuel. I have seen great friendships come about by this practice.

Another thing residents really took advantage of was the recycle center provided mulch. The mulch came from the forestry department composting of trimmings and branches. I have watched families work at least eight hours making trip after trip refilling their buckets with mulch. I was told it works very well for helping growing vegetables in the garden. With your yearly pass you were able to get unlimited amounts of mulch. That is a great deal for someone trying to be frugal with their resources. Besides the two main interest grabbers being the firewood and mulch, there is a lot more things that might be useful in times of uncertainty. There was a section at the dump for dropping off a mixture of rocks, stones, dirt and bricks. A lot of people would pick up rocks and stones and take them home. I could picture someone taking home dirt, stones, and bricks home to set up a nice root cellar. Good dirt would not last long at all at the dump. It would be taken home for a variety of home garden needs. I could also see someone using a mixture of dirt, stones, rocks and bricks to set up defenses around ones property. With these items again, I have seen people communicate interest in what someone is dropping off. They will talk with each other and work out arrangements to cooperate. That is an efficient system for both parties but best for the one picking up the items. That way they don't lose out on anything while they go home to unload to prepare for another run.

There was a special section of dumpsters to recycle lumber. It was great for getting lumber or boards to burn if there was a shortage of firewood. You would be very surprised on the amount of good boards you could find, from hardwoods such as oak or mahogany or softwoods such as pine or cedar. Even treated lumber or press board is easy to find, from 2x4 pieces of lumber to 4x4 pieces. This is a great way to practice and learn woodworking. I knew several people that would use the lumber for all sorts of projects and build different things. One’s imagination is the only limiting factor on what could be built. You might even save up lumber to board up your windows or doors during an emergency situation.

A great thing about the recycle center is the individuals and families. It is a great community to practice on your people interaction skills. This is one of the most important skills you must learn for a SHTF scenario. If you don't know how to interact with all different sorts of individuals, bartering almost seems out of the picture in a severe economic downturn. There were plenty of times where just being friendly and asking politely I received things of value without expecting to give anything in return. I will tell you about a couple examples of my personal experiences but these are just a few instances. A gentleman and I somehow got into a discussion about gardening and he was telling me about all the different types of vegetables he planted for this harvest season. Peppers were a vegetable he mentioned. I asked him if he wouldn't mind bringing some pepper seeds to give to me if he had any extra to spare. He happily obliged and the next trip he made to the dump I was greeted with a friendly smile and a zip lock bag full of pepper seeds. He also gave me a brief explanation of what worked best for him when growing the pepper seeds. There was also plenty of occasions where I would help someone shovel mulch, unload, or just have a pleasant conversation and ask if they wouldn't mind bringing me something to drink next time they came around. Believe it or not I was rarely turned down. Every so often residents even went further, once I was brought muffins and other times different types of snacks. Never be afraid to ask someone a question is one thing I learned. The worst thing someone can say to you after you ask them a question is no. There is an old saying the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. The dump is a great place to meet like minded individuals within your community and practice your communication skills.

After practicing and perfecting your people skills the next thing to work on is bartering. I would often collect lawn mowers and barter them to my supervisor for cash or alcohol. I have found snow blowers and traded them to a friend for cash. A great example of bartering was when I would find coupons and barter them to a friend for scrap metal. Bartering is an everyday occurrence at the recycle center. I have seen people trade different items they have picked often. Maybe one party throws in some dollars or another item to sweeten the deal. Often sometimes it could just be items that one party wants to trade for something that will be more useful to them. There are many more examples of bartering, but you need to get down to our own recycle center and practice. I believe the dump is one of the closest things you can get to a cash limited society.

There are all different types of ways you can practice and learn skills for a survival scenario. One of the best skills to learn and practice is to fix things that are broken. You sometimes will get lucky and find things you can use that are still working and completely functional. Often a small part in something you find useful might be broken. It’s a great skill to practice to take the item home and figure out how it works. Often you can buy replacement parts or even keep your eye out at the dump for another of that same or similar item to find the working part you need. I would often tell people it has a great return policy. Meaning you can take it home hold onto it for awhile and if it doesn't work out the way you wanted and you were unable to repair the item just bring it back to the dump and throw it back out. A huge hit at the recycle center for home repairs were lawn mowers and snow blowers. Handy people would take them home tinker around with them and repair them if possible and sell them.

Another skill worth learning is trying to make money from the items you find at the recycle center. A lot of people I knew would gather enough items of value, fix the ones not working and host a yard sale. Besides gathering items and selling them, there were a lot of people interested in gathering scrap metal. You might get lucky and someone tossed out some copper pipe, old brass faucet, or some Romex wire after doing a remodel. Some people do not know what these materials are worth or they are simply too lazy or don't have enough to make it worth their time. Learn to identify different types of metals and what they are worth. I always carried with me a wire cutter and a magnet to identify different types of metals. A magnet does not stick to copper, brass, or aluminum and those are the three main types of scrap metals you should be interested in. Be careful, it can become an addicting and fun hobby.

Besides all the barter and survival skills you can learn there is another other skill to be learned. The skill that I think everyone should learn is how to be charitable. It’s not a hard thing to learn at the dump when you are looking around. If you see an item say you might not want or could use but you know a friend could use take it and give it to them. I knew a lot of people what would stay on the lookout for items that they could give to their church to help others. I knew a father and son what would look for lightly used mattresses for women that were less fortunate. Those are just some of the instances what I have witnessed. Being charitable is also a great way to help others and reduce what goes into the landfill. Its great seeing people find useful items that find a new purpose with someone instead of being destroyed and never used again.

http://www.survivalblog.com/index.html

[govcheetos]

I could start an entire thread about going to the dump.

My neighbor across the street will pull out of his driveway and yell,

"I'm going to the dump, You need anything?"

Picked up a brand new trailer tire and rim with the nipples still on the tread at the dump just yesterday!

I used to have a GOOD connection at the dump. I got the line on all sorts of stuff, hauled several old boats and trailers out of there and stripped them of engines and other parts and then sold or traded or gave them away. Always good to be on a name basis with the people who work there. They can make or break your day. They'll let you have stuff or help you out and not hassle you when your offloading something questionable. Always important to ask before taking anything. You'll get mucho brownie points for being polite and thankful. I sometimes bring them cookies from my wife or a 6 pack of beer that I know a couple of them drink. The dump has a whole subculture of people going there, kind of like the garage sailers. There's guys into small engines/lawn mowers, one guy takes old bicycles and fixes them for poor kids for Christmas, I know a guy that mines old computer towers for parts and another who mines them for gold in the circuitry. A lot of good firewood can be had there. The dump in my area is a private contract with the county which I would LOVE to have, if for nothing else just the scrap metal that goes through there. My friend and mentor and I have talked about it and think we'll end up needing 50 acres of land to store all the stuff we pick out of there if we were ever able to land the contract.

I love the dump!!

[gunDriller]

in Silicon Valley, one of the biggest "dumps" (in a good way) is Berman's Diversified.

http://www.auctionbdi.com/

Companies give them pallets of just about anything. a year ago i noticed an HP gas chromatograph.

Berman's sells it, gives some of the money back to the company it came from, etc.

[mick silver]

thanks agnuts for all the info you give to us all . i hope more learn to be able to horse trade because there will come a time . i buy tools at sales and i mean more then one . i have more garden tools then i will ever need . but if something was to happen my family , if they can , will be making there way to my place at that point we all will be farmers . but i also buy lots of other stuff that i sale and make paper bucks from that give me more to buy other stuff i need . be safe all and thanks to all for there post here mick

[agnut]

Thanks govcheetos; great post covering yet another source of hot deals. What with Jim Willie predicting a 50% haircut of the dolorous dollar along with China buying all the gold they can get their hands on, the near future may be that we as a nation will become isolated from the other trading nations. At least, import prices will rise dramatically. Items manufactured internally will also go up since many of the components and raw materials are imported. I used to joke that the only thing made in America were babies but even that isn’t true any more.

Point is, the things that we possess that are useful will be like gold someday. An appliance repairman with a yard full of used parts could be a good career for the future. Just how long can we continue throwing away used appliances when no more are being imported, either through sky high prices or collapsed foreign trade? Ponce has told me many times that the dumps of today will be the goldmines of the future.

Our dump has two resale stores where we can find all kinds of items. One is run by the dump itself. Not bad but I have rarely bought anything there.

The other one run by a nonprofit outfit is where I spend my time. A friend runs the place and keeps me abreast of things I want when they come in. My electric stove’s oven element shorted out and I couldn’t find another one so I got an almost new Maytag oven for $45. Works great, and by the way, it has no electronic panel like the new ones. I hate those things. Simplicity for the future; things I can fix myself and get parts cheap and easily. My old stove was looking gnarly and the new one was a treat for the household.

I have gotten lumber, pipe fittings, stovepipes, vinyl records, insulation, books, and many, many small items I needed. All for about 2 to10 cents on the dollar from the retail stores‘ prices. There were three Kohler toilets for sale the last time I was there that might be a good buy for the future. I didn’t buy because I don’t need one right now but having a backup might be wise.

Regarding firewood, I used to pick up truckloads of pallets and use them for fire starters for logs but there is a lot of Alder growing on the property which burns well enough. I wrote about hauling my log splitter to a friend’s place where my son and I split many rounds. He returned the favor and gave us a cord of dry fir. We are using it now. So these trades are taking place all over. We just need to keep our eyes and minds open to the opportunities as they present themselves. This same friend was here an hour ago picking up a big box of fruits and veggies. He also measured my garage for the propane heater black pipe and exhaust pipe he would need to complete the job. He even took a copy of the parts list so that he could find some of the items around his place so that I wouldn’t have to buy them at the store. He also knows several professionals who’ll do other side work for a bargain price. What a great guy to have around. I met him at a garage sale he was holding, so as I have written in the past that you may find some real friends in places you never expected. That’s like the icing on the cake when getting out there and meeting your neighbors, both near and far.

If you will act like a good American, you will usually be treated like family. The way you carry yourself and treat others will be mirrored back to you. I have run across more relationship potentials than I could ever handle. What goes around comes around. Generosity in giving of yourself always pays off one way or another. It shouldn’t be expected but what happens afterwards is like a mystery grab bag dropped in your lap. What I am trying to say (and rather badly) is that attitude is essential to receiving the highest personal satisfaction. Govcheetos, I can see that you have this mastered. Well, as much as anyone can since it is an ongoing lifetime learning process.

We are not meant to sit around and feel sorry for all the things we either did or did not do but rather to learn from the past and grow. Because too many allow themselves to be defeated, it is easier for us to succeed. So don’t disparage others but rather be thankful for who you are. I know I am.

Govcheetos, your postings have been uplifting to me and to those reading this thread. Do you realize that we may be the “go to guys” in the future ? Another reason to accumulate all the connections we can while we can. Both you and I are rich. Our yardstick is not money but people. And when fiat money fails mankind and blows away in the coming storm, mankind will still be here. A time when want will be replaced by need. When those with the resources will be called upon to share their knowledge. And hopefully a time in which mankind will pull together in harmony and peace.

A man without a dream is either dead or in neutral gear. Makes for a boring sitcom. Is the universe watching us for entertainment; comedies, tragedies, adventures, romance, imaginations, nature ? We humans watch all of these. Well, why not a far advanced civilization ? Perhaps they don’t even have physical bodies. What a concept !

So with all of my above ramblings (musings would be a more polite term but I do know that I ramble on), what each of us do here on earth is our small contribution to what makes up the totality. Maybe it is a thank you for our very existence. I think it should be. I am thankful daily to be here appreciating all that life has to offer.

Best wishes,

Agnut


“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein

[agnut]

Hi gunDriller and thanks for the website. I’m often amazed at how much I still do not know exists out there. The older I get, the more I realize how little I know.

Through the years I have bought and sold many items on eBay. When buying I would hold off until the last few seconds to submit my bid. This is called slamming; at least one other bidder accused me of doing this. But there is nothing wrong in doing so; I have seen it happen many, many times and have no problem with it when I lost an auction. Sour grapes.

There is a fine art to selling; presentation is everything. Also when listing several similar items I would offer no additional shipping to a multiple bid winner. Funny that this seemed to increase both the number of bidders as well as the winning price. One time I had 40 items of antique Italian micromosaic jewelry. The bidding was furious and I came out much better than I had originally estimated. Of course it didn’t cost me any more to ship several pieces of jewelry in one package so it was a win-win for both the seller and the buyer. You can’t do this with large items but I use this example to illustrate that there are many possibilities only limited by the imagination.

Online auctions are relatively easy and fast as opposed to live in person auctions. They all do have their drawbacks but navigating through the maze can be extremely rewarding at times. I feel as though I am flying by the seat of my pants. I once read that that expression came from a pilot shifting weight in order to turn. Sounds like a possibility. Anyway, I like the shifty part.

When living in southern California I went to a military surplus auction. I noticed several new luxury cars in the parking lot. This was a definite sign that there was some serious money being made. I later learned that there were dental equipment specialists there as well as bearing specialists who were bidding on pallets of dental equipment and pallets of aircraft bearings. Both were out of my field of knowledge but it was fascinating and educational to watch these seasoned bidders going about their trade. Both types of bidders knew what they were bidding on, their values and where they would sell these items as soon as they won the auction. They were essentially middlemen with a entrepreneurial flair. Lots of fun to just watch the action, body language and conversation.

There are and will be lots of liquidation sales with our economy being what it is. Just know what you are buying, how much it is worth and who you will sell to before committing your hard earned cash.

Oh, and watch for egos driving bid prices through the roof. I have seen it happen and it is only comical if you are not involved.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[agnut]

Hi Mick silver. Sounds like you are already in the thick of it. As I wrote in my last post, I am still learning too (and will continue to learn as long as I live). I wonder if there are auctions in heaven. Probably not what with bidding wars and last minute slamming.

So bartering and horse trading is sort of a clearing floor for information for us all as well as from all of us. I have owned several businesses and sometimes people would ask me about a business they were considering starting. They would ask “What if I fail ?” I would tell them that the only failure was to not do what they believed, whether they made money or not. They looked at me quizzically since they had considered financial success as being the only success. Although vitally important, there is also learning success and satisfaction success. To discover that someone can act, learn and possibly succeed can be revelatory and open doors to other greater personal growth.

Funny that you mention all the gardening tools you have accumulated, for you see, I have been doing the same for years. Finding a shovel, hoe, pick and many other tools for a dollar or two is just icing on the cake when out there garage sailing. I especially look for the implements that are well made. Old American stuff. When I lived in southern California in a little town there was a guy who got broken shovels, rakes and hoes and welded metal tubes where there had been wood handles. I bought several and they lasted forever. You would have to have been a gorilla or a fool to have broken them. Why don’t they sell them in the stores ? Pretty obvious, isn’t it ?

Right now we have 3 steers, having recently thrown one in the freezer ( a cute euphemism considering the alternative). Well, really two and a half steers since AJ has only one testicle (is this a test ? ) . I call him AJ, short for Almond Joy. You know, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. I suppose I could offer him out to stud for at half off.

Anyway, the three remaining bovines will be dispensed with by next fall. AJ will go in the freezer and the two younger ones will be sold to partially pay for the next project. I have calculated that it is too expensive to raise them, even with getting a ton of fruits and veggies a week and buying hay at $1 a bale. I can buy the beef all wrapped and done for about $4.50 a pound while it costs about the same if my son and I raise them for over 2 years. This raising doesn’t include the feeding them 3 times a day, watering them, mending fences and material. Also risk must be calculated; risk of disease and liability.

The next project may be pig breeding and raising. But I have a lot of research to do first. One event that caught my eye is that Smithfield, the largest pork processor in the US, has been sold to the Chinese. Notice the recent prices of a pound of bacon ? About doubled, didn’t it ? A sign for the future ? I wrote about this a while back; maybe here but am either too lazy or stupid to find it. Hey, maybe I’m getting oldtimers’ disease. Yeah, that’s the ticket. The only positive to having oldtimers’ is that every time you hear a joke, it is new.

Mick silver, every deal you make provides more experience to make the future deals. It is having the courage and confidence in yourself that will propel you forward. I have made many mistakes in the past and expect to make more in the future. Nothing is certain in the future except that if you don’t try, you are certain to miss out.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[mick silver]

http://www.vintagetub.com/images/medium/m_CO1003A-RE-S.jpgdo you guys every see they for sale , i buy they when i can find them . i try and stay below 100bucks most of the time . i refinishs theys and make fair money on them . stay away from them if there alot of rust . body filler for cars works well for fixing them . as a kid we had one , the kicker is all the older folks are looking back and want one because of there folks having one . so you guys get what i am saying there money there if the price is right . it like old wood furnture i restore that at time for people but most of the time it for my wife , we have replace most of the stuff in are home with good solid furnture , you cant buy the stuff that was made years ago . i see you may start raising hogs to me it easer the beef . but make sure you hog pen as far away as it can be the smell but i bet you know this already . i go to alot of auctions , i have never seen land an homes so cheap as they have been in the last few years . but back to the meat what you raise will be better then anything you can buy from the store an plus it safer for you guys , well i need to go be safe and good at it mick s

[agnut]

Hi Mick silver. I’ve never seen this type of lawn furniture but have seen steel single chairs, some with ornate designs. I have a pair of cast iron and oak chairs, they are so heavy that I dread moving them. Every time I look at them I marvel at how things used to be well made here in the America. To last a lifetime. This is partly why I barter and horse trade; I collect well made items that can be enjoyed for now and passed on to my family. I used to find old metal riding toys and restore them. It was enjoyable and as a result the hours passed quickly. Not work but more a fun hobby.

I think it was Orson Wells who said that if a hobby did not bring him money, he would find another hobby. Well, there are different measures of bringing money but that has to be weighed against the pleasure derived. I have spent several years restoring my own old cars and netted far less per hour than if I had been working on customers’ cars.

Restoring some things pay well. I once met a guy who restored a specific type of coffee roaster. He bought a large sand blaster machine from me so that he could fit big pieces inside. I made money selling a tool like the gold rush merchants sold gold panning tools and Levis to the miners. That is another way of pursuing a dream and more often profitable. I guess it isn’t as exciting as finding gold nuggets but is still steady progress toward the same dream of becoming financially sound.

Nowadays I am bartering my skills in finding good deals for what others have to trade. It may be items or their particular skills I need. I’m getting older and can’t work like I used to. Besides I don’t have experience like a carpenter, plumber, electrician or computer expert. Maybe in the future we will be back (or is that really advanced) to going to the doctor or dentist and paying him with chickens or pigs or our labor. I just know that I am doing some of this trading now and it is working out well. There is always the human factor to consider; the other guy. Is he happy with the deal ? If not, I want to know and work it out. Hypertiger often writes that we take more than we give. I don’t agree with this as a blanket generalization; The best businesses and barterers will bend over backwards to satisfy their customers because it is good practice for future relations. But it goes deeper in that it is a moral issue also.

I sometimes wonder how we would treat each other if there were only a few hundred humans here on earth. I don’t like to make the analogy that if you put too many rats in a confined space, they will kill each other but I feel that in putting too many humans in close proximity, respect for each other is diminished. And with loss of respect comes crimes against one another. The phrase, “we are our brothers’ keeper”, may sound a bit corny in these times but I practice it. Believe me, it is hard to give something to someone without something coming back in one form or another. It is there; you just have to be able to recognize it.

If doing evil in this world comes back (my karma ran over your dogma), why shouldn’t doing good also come back ? It is said that no good deed goes unpunished. Yeah, sometimes good intentions go awry. But this shouldn’t deter us from doing what is right. As Gandhi said, we must be the change we want to see in the world.

I know that it is not easy to remain calm with so much happening in the world. When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, it wasn’t anything like it is today. If the dollar loses reserve currency status, all the wrongs committed will come home to roost.

We have become prisoners of our own devices. How ? By having so many comforts and conveniences, folks are in denial from fear of losing them. And denial is a mechanism to not face having to make a moral decision. So Americans complain about rising costs, unemployment, politics, crime and future uncertainty while not seeming to do much about it. I think that not until they have nothing to lose will they stand up and be counted.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. Thanks for the hog advice. I’m still gathering information and haven’t yet concluded if it is a best direction to go.

Yesterday I learned that raising organic produce has restrictions that I may not be able to meet.

[gunDriller]

I sometimes wonder how we would treat each other if there were only a few hundred humans here on earth. I don’t like to make the analogy that if you put too many rats in a confined space, they will kill each other but I feel that in putting too many humans in close proximity, respect for each other is diminished. And with loss of respect comes crimes against one another. The phrase, “we are our brothers’ keeper”, may sound a bit corny in these times but I practice it. Believe me, it is hard to give something to someone without something coming back in one form or another. It is there; you just have to be able to recognize it.



i used to raise rats. sold about $20 worth a week.

when they were fed well, they got along great.

but yes, i've heard about cases where they multiplied exponentially, e.g. in a grain silo, then ran out of food.

and then the rat cannibalism started.


i think it would be possible to use rats to generate electricity.

but it's one of those "get around to it" type of projects. :)

[mick silver]

well well i hit the jack pot last week at the sale . i pick up a bedroom suit made out of solid cedar for less than a hundred bucks . done turn down 400 on the stuff . but i will redo the furinture then sell it all . there alway nice stuff if you look for it . be safe at it mick s

[agnut]

Hi gun driller. Yeah, all too true. My son and I just watched the Hunger Games and it seemed to apply to your post. People will do almost anything to survive when cornered and put under undue stress such as hunger. We are not there yet but it could happen in a matter of days if food replenishment ceased for any reason. It is not the prepping that concerns me but the moral decisions that will have to be made. I have already made mine but I feel that so many preppers haven’t faced their coming dilemma.

I haven’t been going to garage sales because there haven’t been any for the last several weeks. Winter and everybody holes up like bears hibernating. However I’ve been picking up things at the local Blockbuster store that is going out of business. Last Thursday they began a liquidation sale; DVDs for 99 cents. I got 22 DVDs, 20 of which were foreign films which rarely show up at garage sales. I also got the 4th and 5th seasons of the TV series Weeds for 99 cents; I haven’t seen the show but heard that it was popular. If I don’t like it I could always sell it, trade it or give it away. Trading material as Ponce calls it. You know, every time I pick up an item I think about whether I would rather have the dollars or the item.

I’ve begun reading a book called Handbook To Higher Consciousness by Ken Keyes Jr. and so far it makes a lot of sense. It deals with our fears and motivations and offers solutions that we can easily use in our daily lives. It is life changing stuff. I know that I dwell upon the past and am concerned about the future too much. Sure we learn from the past and plan for the future but this is not about that. It is more about being here now and thinking in terms of preference rather than addictions. Serenity.

Today my son and I were delivering fruits and veggies to the local thrift store and I noticed that there was a bag sale on men’s clothing. It was all you could stuff in this plastic bag for $5. Well, my son and I set about methodically picking out clothes we could wear for work or dress. My son got 14 shirts and 2 pairs of pants in one bag. I got 10 pairs of pants and 9 shirts, a wide variety of dress, casual and some camo shirts. These clothing items were better quality with labels such as Dockers, Puritan, Wrangler, Bass, Clairborne, L.L.Bean, Arrow, St. Johns Bay and others. So for $5 each we have enough clothes for a long, long time.

I do realize than not everyone has a great thrift store such as we do but one should persevere and search surrounding areas for other thrift stores. Sometimes when I am traveling I will find a local thrift store and check them out. I’ve found some unusual items that I had never seen before.

I’ve been wondering about future inflation/deflation for some time and here are a couple of articles to think about :

2014 The End of the Beginning
Darryl Robert Schoon
http://www.321gold.com/editorials/schoon/schoon010914.html

When Deflation Becomes Hyperinflation
http://bullionbullscanada.com/

If we have deflation on a massive scale almost nobody will be able to pay their bills; no cash to be had. And if we have hyperinflation, the currency may not buy anything. Personally I believe that we will have what I long ago called hyperstagflation wherein prices are rising dramatically while wages are stagnant. All in a scenario of high unemployment. In fact it is going on now. Why do I bring this up ? Well, I would want to know that what I am buying now will be valuable in the future. More desirable and needed than the dollars I hold.

It seems that we have been paying higher prices while receiving lower wages for some years now. But lately we have been running out of dollars to continue on this path. How can prices fall to where we can afford things we want ? First would come an increase in unsold goods inventory but will a price drop follow ? And if a price drop did indeed follow, would manufacturers be able to stay in business ? Or would current inventories be sold out and then replaced with continued manufacturing to be sold at a loss ? What would be the sense in that ?

How can we have hyperinflation when nobody will have the bundles of dollars to pay for things ? Germany had hyperinflation in 1922-23; but the government printed money like toilet paper. Will the Fed do that ? No, it seems that they are “printing” electronic money; and it is all going to prop up the banks and Wall street. Do we personally see any of that ?

Money is like the blood coursing through the body. Not enough and the body becomes weak and near death as various organs are insufficiently fed needed materials. There are too many bloodsuckers, too many taking more than they give as Hypertiger says. The parasite has become larger than the host.

A reset is in order. But it will be complicated, painful and fraught with many dangers. I hope that we who have prepared have the skills to navigate through what is to come. About 7 years ago I began writing this bartering and horse trading thread and only lately have I realized that it as a skill will be more important than ever.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[mick silver]

went to a sale the other night . most of the stuff there was junk it look like the sales maybe coming to a end to find good stuff . i hope not ........ be safe at it all mick s

[govcheetos]

went to a sale the other night . most of the stuff there was junk it look like the sales maybe coming to a end to find good stuff . i hope not ........ be safe at it all mick s


Hang in there Mick. Winter is the slow time for sure, but every now and then you find a nugget, gotta be out there looking though. I hadn't found anything in weeks until this past weekend when I picked up a United Welding side mount truck tool box for $5, a NEW trailer tire size 205/75/15 for $5, and a 6 gallon VENTED gas can for $1. Been cruising craigslist hard lately. Sold a bunch of stuff I wasn't using or stuff I had multiple multiples of. Some prices are so high I really wonder what the seller is thinking selling items for damn near the new retail price, or selling some old raggety project for what a decent good shape useable item would cost. Gotta look through a bunch of BS to find the good stuff. I feel for people trying to sell a high priced used item today. Lots of people don't have any funds and those that do buy new, even if they do finance it. Saw a commercial for people to LEASE flatscreen tvs, not rent to own, LEASE!

Hope everyone else is doing good.

Buy low, sell for more, and hang on to the good stuff that doesn't depreciate or go bad for later.

[mick silver]

here a site so you guys can check out some of the old glider and what they are saling for , http://www.retrovintagepatio.com/unrestored-cushioned-metal-gliders.html

[mick silver]

also watch for theys old metal window fans , most young people have never seen theys , as a kid we had them in our house . i just pick up two today , pay 40 for both of them , both work great they will be going to my work shop for the summer ... i have seen they fans go as high as 300buckshttps://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNQjwB82zJ_vcbVbQ-B4QeWqf-G_2Amwn4Td1Tt4ziJdiW5MVaHQthey fans go for alot more i just knew the guy and he let me have them cheap . here a site look for theys fan . the go for alot at places that sale old homes stuff ... https://www.google.com/search?q=old+metal+window+fans&client=firefox-a&hs=g9P&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UQrrUvTGBs7eoAT5roEo&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=742#imgdii=_

[mick silver]

check out the prices for the old metal fans are going for . the more sites an most are higher . so be on the lookout for theys mick s .... http://www.ebay.com/bhp/antique-metal-fan

[agnut]

Good deal mick silver. Always an advantage if you have the storage room for large items. If I didn’t have the acreage and large barn I wouldn’t have been able to have stored cars, tractors, furniture and equipment. One problem I have is that these large items often need work and finding the time to get them ready to use or sell is difficult. But the important point is that I have these items in possession. Deals come through time and if I do not get them when offered they may not appear for years, if ever. Some items I feel that I need right away and some that I will need in the future. This is why I have a barn and other storage rooms full of items I have acquired through the years. I may be like a trading post someday, who’s to know for sure ?

I do know this for a fact. I have been trading bicycles for work or favors as well as many other items. The other day my nephew worked on my desktop and laptop computers and I thanked him with 3 pairs of jeans and a belt. I knew that he needed them and we both were happy with the deal, although it wasn’t anything formal. Heck, I would have given these items to him anyway but things just seemed to fall together at the same time. What is the word ? Serendipity, a "fortuitous happenstance" or "pleasant surprise".

This bartering and horse trading has always been serendipitous to me, a traveling about while finding the unexpected and being pleasantly surprised.

As I wrote in my last post, bartering and horse trading is a skill which will become more important in the future. Imagine what would/will happen in a monetary collapse. How would/will we get what we need ? Well, unless you are like Ponce who already has practically everything he needs for years to come you would/will need to search out and trade. It is a lot easier to do this now while there is an abundance of used items for sale. Not right now but in the coming spring and summer months.

So what is going to be in demand in the years to come ?

This is at once both easy to answer and almost impossible to answer. Ponce says that ANYTHING of use will be like gold. I believe that there will be varying degrees of demand, some items like clothing will be difficult to find as well as expensive. And many imported items will be nigh impossible to find. I just spoke with Ponce and he said that when he was in Cuba he bought some items for a local who actually cried when he gave them to him. Items like spark plugs, fan belts, radiator hoses that wear out should be stocked now for whatever cars you intend to keep running in the future.

A while back I posted a thread called “I met a Saint Today”. I heard of a lady with 8 adopted children who was struggling to hold things together. My son and I decided to help her but never did we expect anything in return. Well, things have gotten to our dropping boxes of fruits and veggies two or three times a week. She in turn has decided to be our chef. She has given us apple pies, lemon meringue pies, gallons of Texas hot chili (I’m eating some right now), gallons of split pea soup, lasagna, canned preserves, applesauce and various other cooked foods. I have to say that I am amazed and a little embarrassed to be receiving so much in return. I even have to tell her to not give us so much food although her home cooking is the best.

I’m almost 67 and have always felt that we Americans should work together to help each other. I mean this on a one to one personal basis. We enter this world naked and leave it naked. What we share with others is foundational to our being. It is not the things themselves that we share but that we are showing others that they are important to us. I don’t think prepping and then going into hiding when things collapse will work for most. Either these preppers will succeed in keeping their preps to themselves or they will lose them to overwhelming forces. In the first case I wouldn’t be proud of myself while watching families starving all around me, particularly the children who will be my focus. I would have to live with this shame the rest of my life; what I had not done while others were in dire need. And in the second case I wouldn’t feel good about being overrun and relieved of my preps.

There is a third option. But many preppers scoff at this sharing with those who did not prep. Their defense is either that others did not prep and went about life spending their money foolishly or that if preppers shared their preps that they would also be out of food in the future. Because many folks did not prep it is not fair to judge them so harshly. We preppers have been blessed with information of what to do as well as the financial wherewithal to do so.

I realize that we preppers are limited in means and therefore we fear that if we were to share what we have we will soon run out. This is the dilemma we all face and it has no easy solution. If I were a multimillionaire and could stock great quantities of food items I would still run out in time since I would be supplying to a whole community.

The best I can figure is to help the children and ask for cooperation from the adults in protecting food stocks while they are being shared. At the same time being a clearinghouse for information as to where to get food for adults as well as to what native plants and animals are in the local area. Growing food is difficult to start for a city dweller as well as time consuming. And people need food NOW, not when crops mature.

The more I think about future food shortages the more I see what an enormous task it will be in solving the problem. As I understand, our government sold out our three year grain storage and there is nothing left for the people. No wonder many suspect that America’s Fort Knox gold has also been sold out.

Do you know where some of the silver came from in coining the very first dimes in America ? George Washington’s family silverware. Did Washington make a profit ? Well, not in financial terms but rather in human and spiritual terms.

Sadly, most Americans consider rich to be in how much money and expensive assets one possesses. But there are other yardsticks by which to measure wealth and success. Helping others by sharing and teaching loom large in one’s spiritual growth.

Just this evening I had a couple of new friends drop by and they mentioned that they needed some foam insulation for one of their rooms. Well, last summer I had acquired 60 sheets of 4x8 by 2 inch thick ex- military surplus for $1 each. They cost about $20 each at Home Depot. My friends need about 18 sheets. So what to charge them…. How about nothing since they have been so good to me ? Aha, agnut, you have finally lost it ! Not really since I operate in a world in which what goes around comes around, so things will work themselves out if they already haven’t. It’s a sort of flow of goods and labor through time that intrigues me in that I only do this once in a while. Makes me wonder just how far it may be expanded in the future we face.

Can you imagine a huge place in which items are traded rather than using cash? A real trading post. The first thing that comes to mind is what the government would think taxwise. Say I had a pair of floor joist jacks and someone wanted to trade them for a pile of lumber or a quantity of frozen beef. What would be the sales tax ? What would be the income tax ? Should this enterprise be considered a nonprofit organization ?

Straight bartering is something I have to be traded for something I value equally. A fair deal entered into with free will and no coercion from either party. Where is the so called profit ? Someone and I decided that we would trade items of equal value to each of us. Is this a nonprofit transaction by its very nature ?

If I have 10 pounds of chicken and trade it for 5 pounds of fish, where does the government enter into the deal ? Is it any of their business ? Because if they were entitled to a cut, who would figure out the details ? Paid in chicken and fish ?

Suppose I gift an item to someone and he gifts an item to me. This is essentially what medical marijuana growers do in getting rid of their excess crops. It is considered a donation whether cash or an item. There is no sales or income tax involved here either.

We have B.C. which is before collapse and we have A.D. which is after disaster. Now we are living in B.C. but when we cross over into A.D., what kind of world will we have ? Hopefully a world in which, as Thoreau said, “that government is best which governs least”.

Personally I am disgusted at how we American citizens are being treated by our government. Unwanted wars, graft, lies, privileged information, onerous laws, taxation for almost every action are but a few in a long list.

At the bottom of it all has been the transformation of real money into debt currency. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Not money itself but the LOVE of money over the love of our fellow man. Greed knows no bounds figures in here also.

Money ideally is only an intermediary for trade/bartering which greatly facilitates ease of transactions. Additionally, money can be saved as we would save food for future uncertainties. Which brings to mind something. If preppers have a stock of food for the future he is disparagingly called a hoarder but if someone has a great deal of money he is admiringly called rich. Talk about an assbackward upside down world.

Best wishes,
agnut



Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" Summary and Analysis
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/thoreau-emerson-and-transcendentalism/thoreaus-civil-disobedience/summary-and-analysis

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. Yeah, the deals come in spurts and ya have to be ready for the flood as well as the drought. When things are slow like in the winter I am organizing more and buying less. Sounds like you have been busy making some great deals, especially items you can use right away.

I haven’t sold anything lately on Craigslist; I like to sell more expensive items like tillers, antiques, cars and car parts. Generally, buyers won’t drive 2 to 3 hours each way for a $20 item but will for a $500 or more item. The exception is if you have a rare item or one that is otherwise unavailable locally.

Money is tight nowadays and I believe will be getting a lot tighter what with oblamacare taking even more out of paychecks. I don’t see how we pee-ons can continue much longer without being pushed over the cliff. Yeah, like lemmings.

With that said, I again caution you all to be careful in spending money for what may look like a good deal now that may be available in the not too distant future for a pittance. I’m not sure about this but imagine what items like vinyl records, DVDs, stereos, TVs, art, jet skis, boats, and many items that people will want but not need. Need becomes everything when there is high unemployment coupled with low wages, high debt and high inflation. Toys become a luxury that few can/will afford. Food, housing and transportation are the three necessities; most everything else can be put off or negotiated.

Right now I have a VW Jetta that came with a rebuilt transmission and new clutch. I made a mistake a while back when I bought it for $1,500 for a daughter to use while visiting us. The transmission retails for $1300, the clutch is $200 and the new windshield I had put in was $300. That’s $1,800 my cost and I will be lucky to break even when I sell it. In looking back, I shouldn’t have bought the car but rather had my daughter rent a car from the airport. She will be doing just that this summer when she visits. Lesson learned.

Thrift stores around here seem to be doing very well since money is tight. Dollar store too. I recommend getting multiples of dollar store items you use regularly; I believe that the size of current items will continue to decrease as inflation gnaws away at everything like rats in a barn.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[gunDriller]

I haven’t sold anything lately on Craigslist; I like to sell more expensive items like tillers, antiques, cars and car parts. Generally, buyers won’t drive 2 to 3 hours each way for a $20 item but will for a $500 or more item. The exception is if you have a rare item or one that is otherwise unavailable locally.

Money is tight nowadays and I believe will be getting a lot tighter what with oblamacare taking even more out of paychecks. I don’t see how we pee-ons can continue much longer without being pushed over the cliff. Yeah, like lemmings.


what amazes me is the prices people will pay in Silicon Valley/ SF Bay Area.

around here pussy willows grow like weeds, but in Silly Valley people will pay $MONEY$ for that "Nature Look" in their barren high-rise apartment/ condo.

I have a piece of wood where the rings are very pronounced, with some blue copper nitrate di-hydrate crystals on top (they look like blue quartz crystals.) just one of those pretty nature-y things people put on the kitchen window-sill.

i was thinking about selling it in the SF Bay Area for some ridiculous price, $100+.

i think part of the trick of selling stuff is establishing credibility with the buyer, related to, "why should they trust you with their money".

[mick silver]

nothing really to report this last month it been so cold that i have just been working on the stuff i have and on the house . right now i am looking for stuff to build a hottub with a wood broiler to heat the water . i been looking at site to get a few ideas on how to do this so this will be my next thing to do around here . i know ponce has one i may see if he can post some picture to what his looks like .last year i got a new camping stove with oven off of Craigslist it was still in the box for 20 paper bucks it works great in our outside kitchen .... and thanks all for the undates . be good but be safe at it mick

[mick silver]

was hoping to see something from agnut , hope all is good . spring getting closer hope the sales start up soon . been a slow winter here and cold cant remember the last time it was this cold for so long , deers have been hurting for food an water with all the ice an snow on the ground for so long , be good an safe at it mick s

[mick silver]

anyone out looking for deals yet , hope all are safe an well mick

[agnut]

Hi gun driller. Yeah, there are still some folks with more money that sense. Reminds me of when a friend came over with her 16 year old son. I was telling her about the clothes I had on and what I had paid for them. The Wranglers were 50 cents, the shirt was 30 cents, the London Fog jacket was three dollars and the Phat Farm brand shoes were free. My friend agreed that this was the way to go but her son wanted what the other kids wanted. Her son was wearing a pair of those baggy long shorts that would have fitted in with the ghetto crowd. I told him to keep those shorts and look at them in 5 years and then in ten years. I furthermore said that he wouldn’t be caught dead in them by then. But hey, the young kids have such fragile egos and just HAVE to fit in with their friends (who are also clueless).

This is all about leaving your ego behind. Remember that I wrote long ago that we were moving from form to function. This is especially true with spending money on what we want and NOT what we need. I was in Kmart the other day and noted that their jeans were $20 ! So I could buy 40 pairs of almost new jeans for 1 pair of new jeans.

Some folks have wised up on their own and some other folks were forced to by financial necessity. Both of these types of folks are the reason that thrift stores and doing so well lately. The first folks have been buying frugally for a long time while the financially strapped folks have had to or go without clothes and begin to look like the homeless.

Now there is an abundance of used items but what happens when the dollar takes a hard dump when we lose reserve currency status ? A 50% relative devaluation would double the prices of imports. An 80% relative devaluation would cost 5 times what they do now ? And this 80% devaluation of the dollar is exactly what Jim Willie is predicting. So a new imported item now priced at $100 would be $500 after an 80% devaluation ? Unimaginable. Or is it ?

And obviously the used items I am buying are often one tenth of their new price. So a $10 used item will be what value after an 80% dollar devaluation ? I hope that this type of thinking will encourage us all to think freely about what will be valuable in the future because we all need to know how to position ourselves well beforehand. Toilet paper is looking better and better as a trading item (thanks Ponce). Unlike liquor or ammo, who is going to shoot you for a roll of toilet paper ?

So this is why I buy quality used items rather than silver or gold. The world must go on no matter what happens to the dollar. I expect that as time passes there will be more bartering and horse trading going on. Even in the last 6 months I have greatly increased trading of my items for either labor or items I wanted. I think I see a trend developing here.

I think real estate is going to crash and burn someday but it won’t matter if you are already living in your bugout place all set up. The sale price would be inconsequential to your and your loved ones’ safety and security. Priceless.

A few Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) quotes :

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.

Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.

I am not young enough to know everything.

If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.

We teach people how to remember, we never teach them how to grow.

One's real life is often the life that one does not lead.

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.

The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius.

I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.

Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.

To recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less.

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.


Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.

Best wishes,

Agnut

Gold : A barbarous relic for barbarous times.

[agnut]

Hi Mick silver. Funny but I have been doing the same thing; working on the stuff I have already bartered and horse traded in the last year. The den is filled with boxes of items to be stored away for someday when they will be needed by someone. I’ve been picking up several kitchen appliances at the local thrift store. And bags of clothing and a canning pressure cooker. And lots of little goodies.

And lots of DVDs; of course. I can’t resist getting a good movie no matter if I am practically broke. I came to realize that each of the movies I have cost millions of dollars to create. One way of looking at an absolute bargain. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That is my weakness or strength depending on how one sees it. About 20 of my movies are out on loan right now; I have seen them all and they have so much value when I can share them. Sitting on a shelf gathering dust helps no one. I always get them back and we have much to discuss and share.

I believe that we are living in a golden age of miracles yet few recognize it. Perhaps someday it will be written about like the Renaissance. It is just that when living during such a mind blowing time in history, people cannot see its progression and its totality. It is much like experiencing a movie or book and being in the middle in which the rest of the story is yet to unfold. A triumph or tragedy; only time will tell.

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".

Percy Bysshe Shelley

We can own nothing in this world but only have use of it for a time for we are mortal.

The unbridled lust for money and power is an as yet unrecognized form of mental illness.

Our leaders’ responsibility is to enact the will of the people, not to be our rulers but rather our servants. I am not alone in feeling that the assassination of President Kennedy was a critical turning point in which the transformation from servant to ruler occurred.

I believe that we should be humbled by the cornucopia of opportunities to learn, laugh, love and share. It wasn’t too long ago that mankind was focused on surviving from day to day. However, we are living in a time of overwhelming plenty but are too immersed in wanting more and more, never stopping to smell the roses.

This bartering and horse trading is much more than it appears on the surface; beneath is the relationships gained. Some of my best friends have been found at garage sales. And others have come about from sharing with them some of the neat things that I have found. You can’t buy these friends; they are both free and priceless at the same time.

I highly recommend “The Handbook To Higher Consciousness” by Ken Keyes, Jr. In it he states “The highest stage of consciousness (the seventh center) is attained by reprogramming what is called the “self”. …Because one has transcended all personal boundaries, and experiences no separation from anyone or anything in the world, serving “others” is the only thing to do in life. For there are no “others”. Everything is experienced from an “us” space.”

We are all in this together. One Earth, one humanity. I like to think that the rest of the universe is watching….and waiting. Time to evolve, folks.

Best wishes,

Agnut

[mick silver]

glad to see you guys an gals doing good . this has been one long azz winter . but i did get a ride in the other day it was good on the soul to be out riding . i hope the sales start up soon , i need to kick the rust off from the winter and get some funds coming in again . you all be good an safe mick

[agnut]

Hi mick silver. We were just discussing how long, cold and rainy the winter was. Spring is now here and we can get outside to work many needed projects.

Garage, estate and moving sales (GEM) should start in volume later in April. Lots of folks having to move with the summer months coming. Should be lots of GEMs to pick up this year what with the economy being what it is. Just be careful in getting the right items as well as the right price.

The other day my son and I went to the local thrift store. There was a bag sale going on. It was $5 for all the men’s clothing racks’ items that you could stuff in this huge plastic leaf bag. They had been donated such a great quantity of clothing that they were overwhelmed and needed to make some room. Most of the items had $2 to $4 price tags on them. It was almost embarrassing; this was as close to a giveaway as it gets.

When I got home and emptied the bag there was 7 pairs of pants, 22 shirts and 4 spring jackets; 33 items in total. At an average of $3 each, the total if the bag sale were not going on would be about $100 ! A 20 bagger ! Thrift stores can be a goldmine, especially in the winter. Should be lots of winter clothing for sale with the warm season ahead.

But what would be the retail price if all these items were new ? Well, there are a couple of ways to look at it. First, the current retail price is only a guidepost since these are used items; their resale price is relative to their condition and name brand and demand. Second, these clothing items were purchased with the future in mind. As I wrote in my previous post that Jim Willie had predicted an 80% devaluation in the dollar, clothing items were almost all imported. It seems logical to me that when the dollar falls on an international scale, the imports prices will rise while items we make here will not cost nearly as much.

This is just one example and there are many, many others. Could be most anything that is imported. Things that we don’t make here in the U.S. For instance, what about imported car parts ? Will a wheel bearing for a Volkswagen rise from $5 now to $25 after a 80% dollar devaluation ? I would expect so. Additionally, with this enormous price rise, I expect that availability would be greatly decreased. Where I could buy 10 or 20 bearings right now, I may be able to find only 1 or 2 bearings in the future. Or maybe none since the sellers’ shelves wouldn’t have much backup inventory in the future with their wholesale prices also rising 5 times.

We must be aware that something as seemingly insignificant as not having a $5 wheel bearing will prevent our having use of our car. Isn’t it ironic that the old story of “for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of the shoe, the horse was lost; for want of the horse the battle was lost and for loss of the battle the kingdom was lost.” Ironic because the nail is now the wheel bearing. We are in the same situation as folks were many hundreds of years ago. And wisely having these little, seemingly insignificant things will keep your kingdom intact.

This analogy is all too true in manufacturing. I know; I have been there wherein transmission parts coming from Germany were delayed for two to three months and all of my competitors were shut down. I had foreseen this potential and had stocked thousands of dollars of new imported parts to supply my customers as well as the new customers coming from my competition. I was swamped with business until the parts finally landed on our shores. And all of my employees were rebuilding transmissions while competitors were idle. Must have cost them a fortune.

In my case, not having a $5 bearing would have prevented my rebuilding a $1,300 transmission. Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

A 6 bag of men’s socks is about $6 now at WalMart; will they cost $30 in the future ? After all, they are imported too.

On a related topic, what of house prices after a dollar devaluation ? Will an existing house that is now $200,000 be $1,000,000 in the future ? I don’t think so because an existing house is already built, it is not something imported and there are alternatives to buying a house. You can double up or rent; try doing that with a pair of socks. Just kidding but you get the point.

Although the price of a house may rise in dollar terms, I believe that it will greatly lag behind this 80% dollar devaluation of which Jim Willie predicts. Remember that most houses are sold through a bank loan. Will banks be lending in such a volatile environment ? And if so, what will they charge in interest ? And with high unemployment, who will be buying ?

The overview is that we are looking for an equal purchasing power of our income through time as we live through this coming dollar devaluation. If you believe that this is the way things will unfold, we should be thinking of prepositioning our assets as well as our understanding of how to navigate through the coming years. I know, gold and silver have stood the test of time. I agree here but this is but one prep item. I believe that gold and silver may well not be the premier trading material at times, particularly when food is scarce.

A roll of toilet paper is a good example of a harmless trading item. There are others such as new socks. Sleeping bags, jackets and used clothing also come to mind. Note that all of these items are nonrenewable resources; once they are traded/sold they cannot be replaced without having to buy them from a reliable source such as a manufacturer who are mostly overseas nowadays.

Growing food is a renewable resource that my son and I are thinking about. We are in the process of getting rid of the cows we have since discovering that they are too much work and expense for the reward. Hamburger would have to go to $20 a pound in the market before we would reconsider. When the fields are clear of cows we may decide to grow crops but they would have to be profitable or we will wait and do something else. At least the options are there for us. As long as we continue to pick up about a ton of free fruits and veggies a week, we see no need to plant a crop.

Gotta go and do some welding and drilling on hydraulic controls on my Ford 550 backhoe. Something I have never done before but to have it done would cost about a thousand bucks. If I can do it myself, the parts cost is around $25. I wish I could say I’ll pocket the $975 but it doesn’t work that way. HaHa

Best wishes,

Agnut

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

[mick silver]

watch walmart for fruits trees . i planted 15 trees for the price of one at the end of summer deal . but you need to get those trees in the ground now it take afew years before you get fruit from them so start now . you and son may need that fruit . as far as the cows have some folks go in on the meat that way you pay for the cow and you have meat thats what i do . be safe mick

[govcheetos]

Hey ya'll. Been busting ass lately on deals and haven't had much time. Been real tired. Wish there was about 30 hours in a day. Agnut's advice about keeping your contacts is more important to me now than ever. Been over run with stuff that I wouldn't have been able to move a year ago if I didn't have an outlet. Just want ya'll to know I think this is one of the best threads on the net.

[agnut]

Hi Mick Silver. Good advice. We planted 16 fruit trees a few years ago and they are doing well. We got a little fruit last year and should be getting more each year as they mature. I know it is a slow process and this planting should be done as soon as feasible.

Your post has me thinking of whether I should plant a large grove of fruit trees and wait for several years until they bear fruit in any quantity or I should plant seasonal crops and reap harvests much sooner. My younger son would have to be the one to decide since he will hopefully be here much longer than I.

The last two cows were picked up yesterday and the last 5 hens will be gone in a few days. My son and I are changing focus toward the property itself. We have a lot of sculpting to do on the landscape. The fields need to be set up for gravity irrigation, something I will be relying on a friend to do with his backhoe and possibly with my larger Ford backhoe. Rain runoff is a big consideration here.

So why no more cows and chickens ? After a few years of taking care of cows we have come to the conclusion that their cost is about equal to buying a side of beef and having it processed. And I can get free range chicken eggs from a friend for $5 per 18, a little high but the quality is excellent. Now our time is free to pursue developing the property.

We have three chest freezers with enough beef for at least three years. In fact, I have been trading beef for work around the place. It’s not a strict pounds per hour trade but more a thank you for helping out.

A friend and I were removing steel parts from transmission cases but discovered that the scrap price had fallen to 25 cents a pound which is not worth the effort. So we will put this off until prices return to at least 50 cents a pound. A new friend who comes from Iceland told me that there are huge aluminum foundaries there that the Chinese process their bauxite into aluminum ingots and then ship them back to China since the geothermal energy is so cheap there. This seems to be indicative of international trends.

Recently I have been reading Jim Willie’s and Jim Rickards’ predictions of a coming devaluation of 80 to 90 percent or more of the dollar. If true, imports will cost 4 or more times what they cost now. And since I have been in transmission repair for so many years I have to wonder what the imported rebuilt transmissions will cost at the dealerships. Will one that is $2200 now be $8800 or more after this devaluation ? I just can’t see that but rather believe that local rebuilders will be more in demand. The internal parts the we do have to import are but a small fraction of the total cost (mostly labor) and even if they do increase 4 or more times, we will actually be better off than we were. In other words, the work will come back to our shores. Time will tell as there are so many variables but I am stocking up on new hard parts in anticipation. At the least my parts inventory will provide potential for the future.

When we think about it, a roll of toilet paper is a form of wealth. So is a can of beans, a pound of coffee, a box of nails, a pair of jeans and a multitude of other items we use in making our lives more comfortable. To possess these items is to be able to not have to worry from needs.

So what is a dollar bill; is that wealth ? No, my friends. A dollar is a promise of value in the future, not a value in itself. No intrinsic value beyond a poor substitute for a sheet of toilet paper. Once we get that through our heads, we become aware that these dollars can be traded for things of intrinsic value/wealth. At least they can be traded now; I cannot predict what or how much they may be traded for in the future. This is the raw nature of unbacked fiat currency.

This is why I and others like Ponce have been stockpiling many, many items that now have and will have value in the future. Tools, food, clothing, toilet paper, firewood, propane and so many things that we now take for granted but may well be absolute necessities in the future.

So who is rich ? The one with lots of money in the bank or the one with a stockpile of necessities ?

Physical silver and gold ? Certainly better than fiat dollars; as long as they will be appreciated after a collapse. Has anyone considered that we will not have an outright collapse but rather a gradual diminution of our lifestyles ? Silver and gold are concentrated forms of wealth/value but only if others with the items we need recognize them as such. Don’t get me wrong; I believe in holding some silver and gold but ONLY as part of our wealth. What we have in our possession is a reflection of how we view the world and the future. Holding silver and gold as 90% of our possessions in hope of becoming wealthy is, in my opinion, an imbalanced situation. This is why for several years I have been accumulating a wide variety of useful items. I must admit that it hasn’t been easy since I am only human and cannot see how the cards will fall someday. It has been a great juggling act with my income against my perceptions.

Ponce says that the only thing worse that knowing the future is to know and not to prepare for that future.

There has been very little in garage and estate sales but the season is about to get underway. A couple of days ago at the local thrift store I found an almost new Land’s End winter coat for $3. I couldn’t pass it up. Sure, spring is upon us and then summer and then fall. But what about next winter ? We are like the grasshopper and the ant story. One starves and freezes and the other rides comfortably through the hard times. It’s all about looking to the future and having vision. That $3 won’t keep me warm next winter, will it ? Well for a minute if I light it up. Hey, found another use for fiat dollars !

Best wishes,

Agnut

“Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived.”
Dalai Lama

“Preparation does not guarantee success, but the lack of preparation guarantees failure.” -- Japanese proverb

[gunDriller]

i have 3 or 4 apple trees that have been in pots and withstood much abuse (0 degrees F for weeks) and keep coming back.

i figure it's time to give them a chance to spread their roots. got a place picked out, near an underground spring that is identified by certain types of wild-grass. i'm hoping the ground there won't be too muddy/ wet.

i started all of the trees from seed.


sometimes i wonder if the 'standard procedure' - to buy grafted trees - is related to the need for nurseries, to sell trees.

some people have told me that i'll get 'mushy apples'. we will see.

when God/ the Universe gives you mushy apples, make applesauce ? (or Apple-Jack :) )

[agnut]

Hi govcheetos. Flattery will get you everywhere ! Thanks.

Sounds like you have been going crazy making deals. Feast and famine and all that.

Yeah, the contacts we make and keep are so important. I have so many now that my card file, rolodex and address book are all getting full. Thing is, there are several contacts that I will need in the future. However, it seems that as I need a specific specialty, they somehow show up if I ask around.

One important thing is to have a list of items you are looking for and ask each seller if he or she has or knows someone who has what you are looking for. This way you are now exposed to whatever this other person knows. And it can be quite expanding.

Long ago a wise man told me that success is determined by how many people we can effectively communicate with. Relationships follow from akin spirits; the best ones from our being positive, generous and caring. Others will see what we are doing rather than just talking and come to their own conclusions about us. Actions speak louder than words.

Along with a list of connections and items we are looking for should be a list of where we can sell/trade items we find. Sure it is good to be able to sell on Craigslist or Ebay but knowing a record collector, antique collector, car collector all are potential buyers as well as strong sources of specialty information we may draw upon.

These outlets as you refer to govcheetos are like icing on the cake. And time is of the essence in being able to sell an item. For instance say you had an antique oak ice box made from the 1930s and had picked it up at a garage sale for the ridiculously low price of $60. At that time you could have sold it quickly for $350 since the general market value was about $500-650. But you kept it in storage for 5 years while the general market value remained at the same $500-650 price. Sure it would have been nice to have sold the ice box for the peak price soon after you had acquired it, but sometimes a quick profit in order to have cash for the next hot deal is wiser than holding out for the maximum price. I’m not talking about the time value of money but rather the turnover rate as part of the flow of deal making. That $350 icebox sale cash could have been pyramided into a fortune in that 5 year time of having just sat on the icebox.

This isn’t always the best since the profit margin is less but works when we don’t have a large stockpile of cash AND we also have many potential deals in the offing.

If we have a large stockpile of cash we could advertise what items we do have at full price and not be concerned that they sell soon. We can always drop the price but it is almost impossible to raise the price once we have offered it. It all depends on our personal cash flow situation as well as the quantity of hot deals to be made.

And don’t forget to trade your fiat dollars for real money, especially silver. Recently there have been a few financial articles warning about an 80-90% or more crash in the purchasing power of the fiat dollar. Nothing like leaving a sinking ship to board a submarine (as in under the radar). HaHa

By the way I just talked with a large PM dealer who filled me in on where the silver market is and his opinion of where it is going. I’ll write a thread in the general section as soon as I can find the time.

Best wishes,

Agnut


"When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."
~ Harry Truman

They assume an authority which is nowhere so dangerous as in the hands of those who have folly and presumption enough to fancy themselves fit to exercise it.
--Adam Smith

A man who is not afraid is not aggressive, a man who has no sense of fear of any kind is really a free, a peaceful man.... We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it... the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.
... J.Krishnamurti

[agnut]

Hi gun driller. Mushy apples to applesauce or Apple-Jack; not a hard choice for me. Good luck with the apple tree planting. A friend told me to take some chicken manure in a bucket, add water and mix it up. Then to pour a ring around the fruit trees. Not too close though; about 2 feet away from the trunk. As it soaks into the soil the nutrients will attract new root growth as well as fertilize for the growing season. Gotta watch out for the chicken poop being too hot though.

Now that we have one steer in the freezer and the others sold and gone, we are thinking about what to do with the land. We don’t want to raise pigs or cattle again. Planting a crop might be best in the future. Or putting in a huge fruit orchard but that requires several years waiting until they mature. So instead we are planning to work on the land in preparation for either decision. At the same time we will focus on organizing what we have acquired over the years.

And most importantly I will be getting out there garage and estate sailing. The season is upon us and I expect things will be going nuts within the next few weeks. My daughters will be coming for a visit in a few months and I don’t want our place to look like a wrecking yard. So every day my son and I have been devoting a couple/few hours in moving things around and throwing away the useless crap. Yesterday we moved 9 boxes of clothing into the barn for long term storage.

I still have many, many boxes full of items which haven’t been labeled. Some I haven’t looked at for years.

Busy, busy, busy. Still picking up a total of almost a ton of fruits and veggies; I go 3 or 4 times each week. About 50 folks are getting these fruits and veggies, all low income. I’m one of them too ! Anyway, I’ve noticed that recently there has been a great increase in interest in filling their bags. When I drop off at the local thrift store, the employees/volunteers swarm on my truck like never before. And Saint Mary who has 8 adopted children has been taking as many as 9 boxes at a time which she processes and puts in the chest freezer I delivered last week. One smart lady. Also a great cook who supplies much of the meals we eat ourselves. A totally unexpected bonus for us bachelors.

The secret of giving is that it is impossible to give more than you receive. It comes back in such unexpected ways.

I have the least cash on hand since I can remember but the most blessings. So who is richest ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

You cannot do all of the good the world needs, but the world needs all of the good you can do.

You see your doctor once a year, and your farmer three times a day.

[Dogman]

Hi gun driller. Mushy apples to applesauce or Apple-Jack; not a hard choice for me. Good luck with the apple tree planting. A friend told me to take some chicken manure in a bucket, add water and mix it up. Then to pour a ring around the fruit trees. Not too close though; about 2 feet away from the trunk. As it soaks into the soil the nutrients will attract new root growth as well as fertilize for the growing season. Gotta watch out for the chicken poop being too hot though.

Now that we have one steer in the freezer and the others sold and gone, we are thinking about what to do with the land. We don’t want to raise pigs or cattle again. Planting a crop might be best in the future. Or putting in a huge fruit orchard but that requires several years waiting until they mature. So instead we are planning to work on the land in preparation for either decision. At the same time we will focus on organizing what we have acquired over the years.

And most importantly I will be getting out there garage and estate sailing. The season is upon us and I expect things will be going nuts within the next few weeks. My daughters will be coming for a visit in a few months and I don’t want our place to look like a wrecking yard. So every day my son and I have been devoting a couple/few hours in moving things around and throwing away the useless crap. Yesterday we moved 9 boxes of clothing into the barn for long term storage.

I still have many, many boxes full of items which haven’t been labeled. Some I haven’t looked at for years.

Busy, busy, busy. Still picking up a total of almost a ton of fruits and veggies; I go 3 or 4 times each week. About 50 folks are getting these fruits and veggies, all low income. I’m one of them too ! Anyway, I’ve noticed that recently there has been a great increase in interest in filling their bags. When I drop off at the local thrift store, the employees/volunteers swarm on my truck like never before. And Saint Mary who has 8 adopted children has been taking as many as 9 boxes at a time which she processes and puts in the chest freezer I delivered last week. One smart lady. Also a great cook who supplies much of the meals we eat ourselves. A totally unexpected bonus for us bachelors.

The secret of giving is that it is impossible to give more than you receive. It comes back in such unexpected ways.

I have the least cash on hand since I can remember but the most blessings. So who is richest ?

Best wishes,

Agnut

You cannot do all of the good the world needs, but the world needs all of the good you can do.

You see your doctor once a year, and your farmer three times a day. One thing about chicken manure if you do this , mix it up and let it sit for a few days to age a tad. That stuff is Hot, (non heat way) And dilute big time and if it is a fresh mix it can burn anything around it depending on the mix. Again not in a temp way but a way strong mix. I love chicken crap for the stuff I grow, but have learned to mix into a 5 gallon bucket and let it sit a week before using, hard to explain. A little can go a very long way when mixed into water,

Good stuff!

[agnut]

Hi Dogman, love your avatar. Right, chicken poop needs to be handled carefully. I’ll take your advice and let the mix cure for a week or so. That is, if I can find the time AND don’t forget ! WOW ! What a crazy world with so much to do and so little time and energy to do it in. Sometimes I don’t know if I am bragging or complaining. Whoda thought that being retired would be so much work ?

My son and I were at the local thrift store the other day and they had a 40% off sale on everything in the store. I got two London Fog jackets, one light one for $!.50 and another long heavy duty one with a hood and zip in liner for $3 (probably cost a couple hundred bucks new). I always look for quality names because they are better constructed and have a much higher resale value.

Got a monster George Forman rotisserie for $7.50; looks like it could swallow a small turkey. Also got a blender for $4. There is going to come a time when I will pass on such bargains but I unfortunately haven’t found my limits. Anyhow, it always feels satisfying to be trading fiat dollars for a plethora of quality used items for pennies on the aforementioned dollars. I know it’s a gamble as to whether the items I buy today will be in great demand in the future but when I look at the paper dollars in my wallet I laugh inside at the ridiculousness of it all. Has our society gone stark raving mad ? Or is it just me ?

Here’s a couple of articles I copied the other day :

20 Tips for Shopping a Yard Sale
Navigate the high seas of yard sales, and find your way to weekend treasures.

By Theresa Breen

April 11, 2014

The warmer months are upon us. Grasses are greener, trees are billowing with newborn buds, and telephone poles are ripe with freshly stapled signage announcing the weekend's upcoming yard sale. Take a deep breath, ignore that fragrant smell of lavender and lilac, and focus on the sweet, sweet scent of savings. Here's where to start your yard-sale-season dominance.

Begin by [1] AGGREGATING LOCATION INFORMATION and [2] SAVING THE DATES. Often, neighbors will try to sync their sale with other sales in the area to boost business, so keep your eyes peeled for postings in you local coffee shop or around town. If you are planning to venture outside of your neighborhood, then [3] CHECK OUT LISTING SITES such as YardSaleSearch.com or Craigslist, which can offer a compiled list of sales in any radius.

There's an app for this! So [4] DOWNLOAD APPS like Garage Sale Rover or Yard Sale Treasure Map that let you plan your attack by plotting out Saturday's agenda right from your smartphone. These apps also let you sort through sales by categories, such as baby clothes, furniture, and antiques, making it easy to find the stops that will have the items you want.

Once you know when and where you're going, [5] SET YOUR ALARM … FOR SAVINGS. Novice yard-salers may stroll by a sale late in the afternoon, but not you. The best items will go quickly, so don't miss your chance at scoring big. Save the snooze button for next weekend. It's also worth noting that some yard-sellers may be okay with early arrivals. For instance, you might show up at 8 am for a sale advertised as starting at 9 am. The unspoken rule is that you must politely ask the seller for permission to start shopping before the posted hour. If you violate this rule and anger the seller, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose your bargaining power.

Many savvy sellers have credit card swipe devices such as Square, but don't count on it. Cash is king, so [6] BE SURE TO BRING PLENTY OF IT. You never know what you will find and how badly you will want it when you do, so be prepared. [7] SMALL BILLS WILL SERVE YOU WELL TOO, in case the seller doesn't have any change. It could be the difference between spending $18 versus $20 on a must-have item. These small savings can add up!

Having cash on hand will also be valuable when it comes time to haggle. Being able to close the deal with cash is a tried and true method of bartering, so [8] DON'T BE AFRAID TO NEGOTIATE. Most sellers price their items high knowing that they will be talked down, so never pay sticker price. Remember the magic phrase: "What's your best price on this?" Right away you are opening a dialogue for negotiation.

[9] THINK BEYOND YOUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS. You may find great gifts and seasonal decorations, so stock up while the price is right. Buying Christmas ornaments or lights in July might feel a bit strange at the time, but when November rolls around, you'll be glad you dropped the dough in the summertime. Kids' toys are big sale items; this could be your chance to score cool birthday gifts for the youngsters in your life at a great deal. (Just make sure you thoroughly wipe down the toys with sanitizer before gifting.)

[10] TOTE A BAG. You may forget to bring them with you as you rush into the grocery store, but just this once remember that they are in the trunk of your car! They will come in handy if you need to carry multiple items. It's good to carry newspapers for packing fragile items too. If you're a Bubble Wrap hoarder, congratulations! That stuff is perfect for yard-sale wrapping.

Did you start your Saturday intending to buy that 17th-century armoire or a giant rooster sculpture for your kitchen counter? Maybe not, but just in case some must-have heavy-duty item crosses your path, you will need a way to cart it home. Be prepared by [11] BRINGING THE RIGHT TOOLS‚ measuring tape, rope or bungee cords to secure larger items to the car, and screwdrivers for disassembling any large pieces.

If you're eyeballing big-ticket items such as speakers, laptops, and household tools, be sure to [12] GOOGLE THE NAMES AND MODELS ON YOUR SMARTPHONE to make sure what you're buying is worth the price . And don't be shy about asking the yard-sale host if you can [13] TRY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT. Typically, all sales are final, so make sure you haven't purchased an electronic paperweight.

[14] BUNDLE YOUR PURCHASES AND OFFER ONE PRICE FOR THE LOT. Sellers want to get rid of stuff just as much as they want to make a buck, so they're probably more likely to give you a great deal on four items than just one.

[15] KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. Make a list or carry one in your head. This will reduce the chances of frivolous purchases (also known as wasting money).

[16] FLATTER THE SELLERS. Try, "You've got some great stuff here," or "Wow, what an amazing collection or antique linens!" This will make the sellers feel good about you, and make them more likely to bargain. If you feel odd about the flattery bit, [17] MAKE SMALL TALK. There is nothing more off-putting than a silent shopper. You are on this person's property, so you are a guest. Be a good one and you're more likely to get a good deal.

If you really want a big-ticket item, [18] PAY FULL PRICE FOR IT ON THE SPOT. Then, keep shopping, and offer less for any additional items you want to purchase. A bargain is almost guaranteed on those subsequent purchases because the sellers won't think you're cheap.

[19] SHOP WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS. Oh, don't look at us like that. You know it's true. You may find gold there. Literally.

[20] GO BACK AFTER THE SALE. They won't sell every item. What they do not sell, they might throw out. After all, there is no better price than free.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/skills/auto-home-improvement-diy/20-tips-for-shopping-a-yard-sale-16686328
================================================== =============
Some tips from an old Grandma:

*Do not forget to BUY WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED OR WANT, BUT CAN RESELL QUICKLY ( OR TRADE TO SOMEONE ELSE) FOR A HUGE PROFIT!

*BIG NAME $50+ perfume that the lady thinks STINKS and got as a gift is often sold for $.50 or a buck. It STILL keeps most of it's value on ebay, even if opened, or without the original box!

*I bought some very high end FAMOUS MAKER, like new, Men's Canadian SNOW BOOTS for $5 and had a couple of guys bidding each other UP to BUY THEM FROM ME BEFORE I EVEN LEFT THE SALE WHERE I BOUGHT THEM! I think when I left the last bid I turned down was $25.

*I bought a police scanner I did not need from one yard sale for $2 and plugged it in at the VERY NEXT yard sale and traded it to them for $20 worth of their yard sale items!

*UNwanted, unneeded GIFTS, that the seller did not pay for themselves ARE OFTEN UNDERPRICED! One upscale home yard sale had a $350 Milwaukee HAMMER DRILL for $2 or three bucks (can't remember) that the guy and his sons said they had gotten for Christmas "from Grandpa" but they said nobody used it because it was "too heavy" had a cord, and they used their lightweight ($20) Black and Decker instead. I bought myself a Milwaukee Sawzall that I wanted, but couldn't afford, with what I made off reselling that drill!

*Know the value of things!!

*BRING A "JEWELERS LOUPE" a tiny 10-20X magnifying glass to look for karat marks on gold, and a pocket, battery operated gram scale for precious metals will quickly give you the weight of gold jewelry or sterling silver objects and a good basis for estimating their precious metal "melt value".

Grab any FREE CANDLES, hotel sewing kits, hotel mini-first aid kits, hotel soaps, shampoo, hand lotion etc. Or cheap fishooks for your emergency "preps" and "bug out bag."

*Bring a fabric measuring tape, FRESH BATTERIES, (AA & AAA & 2014 button) bring a pocket voltmeter, (presuming you know how to use one) jewelers screwdrivers, a flashlight, gloves ( for digging into old, spider filled, boxes in the garage, )

*DON'T BE TOO SHY OR FORGET TO ASK ABOUT STUFF YOU DON'T SEE FOR SALE!! If you see some kind of interest in GUNS, but no guns for sale -PRIVATELY, QUIETLY, ASK about any ammo or firearms they might want to sell, BUT NEVER WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE DISTRACTING THEM, AND only if you can show them a concealed carry permit, which will reassure them that it would be sold to someone LEGALLY ALLOWED to own firearms. OTHERWISE, THEY HAVE NO SUCH PROOF that you are indeed allowed, as you claim!

*Do NOT OVERLOOK the TREMENDOUS SAVINGS represented by buying your CLEANING PRODUCTS AND SPICES at Estate and/or Moving sales!! I often get a HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of spices for a buck or two at such sales!!

*DO NOT PAY $.25 or $.50 A JAR for canning jars at an estate or moving sale WHEN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THEM!! OFFER $10 or $20 "for ALL THE CANNING STUFF" and watch them jump at it.

*There is money to be made if you can find a 100% wool BLANKET (not throw)for cheap, say ($3-10), MORE money if it is queen size,(or double) and even more if it still has the makers tag, is in pretty good shape or is mothproofed, the blanket BINDING missing, torn, or worn condition is unimportant, and easily replaced. THERE IS A TREMENDOUS DEMAND NOW FOR USED, ALL WOOL BLANKETS!! You could get $100-150 for it, USED! Even good, thick, used GI wool blankets have risen tremendously in price.

When you are MAKING AN OFFER, REMIND THE SELLER that there are ALWAYS TWO buyers in the deal! If he refuses your offer HE HIMSELF IS "buying it again" and trading away the $20 or $50 he could have had in order to again "possess it" in vain hopes of getting ANOTHER $3 or $5 more from someone else. It helps to ram home the above point, HOW? IF he holds your offer in his hand and actually has TO GIVE BACK YOUR MONEY in order to KEEP the item he is actually trying to sell! I find also, that saying "If you had ($MY OFFER) would you RIGHT NOW, GO BUY THIS AGAIN?" If they say NO, Then put your offer in their hand and your offer won't likely be refused if they have to hand back the money to refuse it!

The craziest way to say the above is to bring something that THEY ARE SELLING to the seller and say "I am selling this ($5)jeans, sweater etc. for two dollars, (you hold out to them) would you rather keep the two bucks or BUY THE JEANS back with the two bucks you could have had?"
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?448194-20-Tips-for-Shopping-a-Yard-Sale&

Best wishes,
Agnut

[agnut]

Hey, time for some braggin’ rights ! Just got back and am not yet finished unloading the truck. I hadn’t been to a garage sale in months and one was in the papers and Craigslist that caught my eye. A moving sale with an 80 year accumulation of items. Since prices were not given in the ads, either prices would be too high or it would be a goldmine.

Had to get up at 6 AM to get ready and be there for the 7AM giant moving sale. It was in the local papers and the Craigslist ad said 7AM and the other said 7:30 AM starting time. My son and I got there just before 7AM and were taken aback to find that there were several buyers milling about.

Undeterred, I went into one of the three buildings and began picking up items and stacking them outside. There were many hundreds of items to look through. The larger floor woodworking equipment was of no interest since I already have enough. So I cruised the benches, shelves, floors and hanging racks.

The husband and wife were very nice people and were selling their home to move to rural Arizona. Their house was spectacular and was offered for about 750K. Now this tells me that the equipment was possibly top quality and well cared for. Also, the ad had read that the sale items had been collected for about 80 years. I rightly concluded that many items would be old school American made equipment, my favorite stuff to dig through. Quality, American, old and usually under priced. What more could any demented, frothing at the mouth buyer ask for ? I had fallen into a bed of roses.

The following is a list of items I got with prices to give a relative price to value and to get you to frothing at the mouth too, for Saturday is tomorrow and that is usually the biggest day. Fortunately I’m retired and free to chase down any deal, no matter the time, day, distance or weather. The weekend warriors’ worst nightmare since I can usually get there first and snag the best deals.

2 camping bags with pillows, sheets and blankets for $2 each.
3 broad brim hats for 25 cents each
3 measuring cups, 2 Pyrex for 25 cents each
31U.S made, router bits in wooden box, many new, for $10 total
Tap & die set (Greenfield, the best quality) 15 taps, 5 dies, drill bits, tap & die tools in a wooden box $30
Farm T post driver (I call it a slammer bammer) for $5
Craftsman 3 roller Heavy duty tool stand $10
25 quart canning jars $4
1 gal, plastic gas can 50 cents
2 ½ gallon plastic gas can 50 cents
2 pair LaCrosse U.S. made rubber boots for $1 a pair
3 U.S made rubber boots, 1 pair high top leather boots for $1 a pair
3 new photo albums for 300 photos each 25 cents each
Sharper Image electric back massager $3
6 foot heavy steel bar for chipping concrete $8
9 DVDs for $1 each
3 new inside extension cords for 25 cents each
Milwaukee Sawzall in metal box with 62 blades (mostly new Milwaukee brand) for $30 total
Box of 52 U.S. made punches of various sizes for $20
6 cans of Coleman propane $5 total
23 circular saw blades, some 7 ¼, some larger, some carbide, some new for $20 total
4 quarts premium motor oil for 25 cents each
Turner propane torch kit in metal box with full bottle for $15
2 rolls of 4 foot high wire fencing for $1 each (don’t know how long, just looked like a steal)
Jumper cables new in box for $2
4 books : Craftsman Power Router & Hand Tool Know How
The Magic OF Your Radial Arm Saw
All About Pruning by Ortho
Haynes Honda & Acura Repair

Plus a smattering of small items I needed. Almost forgot; I asked the lady if she would give me a break on a quantity of things I would be setting aside and she said she would. At the end of my frenzy she gave me 10 % off the total price. I figure I paid about $188 with NO sales tax, thank you very mooch.

My looking back at the items above got me to thinking I had bought items for mixed reasons. Not that this bad but perhaps a good thing. Some items I was buying were for my needs, some were for family and friends, some were future bartering and horse trading. And some were items I had never seen before which played to my innate curiosity as to how things work and how they are made. These I just had to have for further examination. I have always been a sort of frustrated mechanical engineer.

There is more than one way to be doing bartering and horse trading. Most people that haven’t had much if any past experiences in B&H, these people think of B&H as trading one item for another with any compensating differential in perceived value worked out by the parties. For instance, two B&H persons could be bartering 6 chickens for a pig. If both parties agree that that is fair, the deal is made. However, if one of the parties feels that his item is more valuable, he should speak up and renegotiate until an agreement of both parties is reached. This is, I believe, most of what the unfamiliar think. And to my way of thinking, these unfamiliar folks may fear that not reaching an agreement would cause them all kinds of personal anxiety.

A sort of an approach-avoidance conflict; approach because of all the benefits and avoidance because of the fear of anxiety. There is another possibility and that is that social pressure combined with a lifetime of programming from Madison Avenue and peers is too high a hurdle to clear. So they sit and complain about the glare of the oncoming inflationary fright train instead of getting the Hell off the tracks they are on.

Always be aware of this approach-avoidance conflict in your own thinking process. A poor purchase can be painful but a missed opportunity can languish for a long time. It has been said that Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Not true for those of us astute enough to have studied diligently in the school of hard knocks. This B&H is a learning process; it takes time and experiences. And a dream for freedom to acquire what we want and need.

Well, I hope the above list of items and prices paid will give y’all some accurate values, although prices can be all over the board. Depends greatly on the seller and his motivation. At least they may whet your appetite for all the possibilities just waiting to cross our path. Gotta be in it to win it.

Best wishes,

Agnut

P.S. I wrote this last Friday night and have been polishing it since. HaHa