Quote:
Originally Posted by Oberon
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.
|
We have been there, and also had tobacco, salt, and many more obscure things (even spam). For some reasons humans left that behind and favoured certain metals. Maybe because it proved to be more practical in everyday life? Or do you want to make a getaway escape run from disaster - with a car full of fragile bottles? That you cannot divide to pay something that is of lesser value?
Somebody said stuff is worth what people are willing to pay for it. Not many are willing to pay much for wine and alcohol, or porcelain (or paintings, statues and the like). But since very long time, gold and silver is agreed by overwhelming majorities of mankind to be precious, practical and pragmatic. It seems empirical experience have convinced them.
Some also invest in precious watches. But not only does that - like wine - need very good insider knowledge and competence to separate the expensive junk from the watches that could preserve value for some time indeed, but the worth of the watch is gone when you break it. Can't happen with gold and silver: the value is independent from the form you give to it: necklaces, rings, coins, bars, nuggets: unimportant. The material value attributed to it remains to be the same.
When that Chinaman breaks that cup, its value is gone, for the material of porcelain itself has little value. Eventually the insurance helps out then. Not with gold, of course.
With
paper money...