If TSHTF then Gold and Silver will probably be worth less than that China cup, at least you can use the cup to drink from, what can you do with Gold and Silver without the infrastructure to support an economic system?
Tribesman makes a good point on recovered items, it is all about the scarcity of the object after all. So that being said, an even better investment than Gold, Silver or Chinese tea cups would probably be alcohol, most specifically whiskey or wine. Both increase in price the older they get, and both can still be used for bartering if TSHTF.
There's my tip, buy booze.
I'll take my payment for financial advice in Glenfiddich.
