(ModernSurvival.org) – Bartering, or trading goods and services, has been practiced since the beginning of recorded history. Before monetary systems were developed, ancient cultures used bartering to get the food, items, and weapons necessary for survival. While cash may be king now, it will quickly become worthless should the economy come crashing down or society collapses altogether.
To prepare for the fall of monetary systems and the return of bartering, Prepper University has compiled a list of ten items that will be worth their weight in gold:
The idea here is that the harder something will be to acquire in a post-collapse environment, the higher its value will become. Here are some examples of items that might be worth stockpiling now and will be highly sought-after:
- Gold and Silver – Precious metals will likely retain their value and become traded goods once again. On the other hand, precious stones such as diamonds probably won’t see as much value simply because they are easier to fake.
- Vice Currencies – People love their vices, and when SHTF, they will become highly sought-after items. Tobacco products and alcohol will disappear in a big hurry. Having these on hand could lead to good trades.
- Medication – If anything will disappear faster than vice goods after a large-scale disaster, it will be medication. Considering some estimates show that roughly 70% of Americans are on prescription medication, there will be a lot of desperate people looking for medicine to keep them alive once it runs dry.
- Ammunition – Another item that will fly off the shelves, bullets will rise in value following any kind of cataclysm. Few people have the skills or the resources to reload spent shells now, and it will become even harder to do in this scenario.
- Seeds – In as little as three days, grocery stores and big-box stores will run out of food. Eventually, it will come down to gardens to keep people fed. Those who didn’t have the foresight to purchase seeds before disaster struck will be forced to trade for them with those who did.
- Coffee, Tea, and Water Flavoring – For a society that has grown accustomed to having sugary drinks on tap, being forced to drink boiled water will get old rather quickly. This will make coffee, tea, and water flavorings such as Tang (yes, Tang still exists) valuable commodities.
- Batteries – If the power goes out along with the rest of modern society, batteries will be worth more than gold.
- Spices and Seasonings – Spices were once the most valuable product on earth, traded across continents. When SHTF, people will quickly long for the days when they were able to add pepper to their meals. Having a stockpile of spices and seasonings will become incredibly valuable in a barter-driven society.
- Fuel – This precious liquid gold may run dry faster than most realize following a large-scale disaster. Having backup gasoline, kerosene, butane, and/or propane will provide valuable trading material when everyone else is desperate for it.
While these items form a basic list of goods that will become invaluable in a post-collapse world, there are plenty of other options that will be worth having. Even basic necessities such as food, water, and even toilet paper make good bartering items.
There isn’t much point in stockpiling items, such as food, to barter with if someone can just come along and take them when the world lacks the rule of law. To see how to protect your food in a post-apocalyptic world, check out our article here.
~Here’s to Your Survival!
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