If there was a collapse of society (no central government, no economy - basically, like the world depicted in The Postman) - what are some of the commodities that will become very, very valuable? In other words, things that are not necessary for survival, but would give someone an advantage, could be used for trade (and conversely, would make one a more vulnerable target for thieves or robbers.) List all which you can come up with.
Alcohol
Cigarettes
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Guns and ammunition
Dirt bikes
Horses (they would be very useful for getting around if there was no fuel, and they can go places that vehicles can’t.)
Opiate drugs and anaesthetics
Bandages and antibiotics
Tires
Canisters of freon
Shoemaking.
Soapmaking.
Sewing.
Clothmaking.
Farming: raising animals, raising plants, knowing the local flora and fauna.
Pottery.
Tanning and leatherworking.
Ropemaking.
Blacksmithing, smelting and forging.
Woodworking.
And probably a lot more.
That said, when the zombies attack, I’m ignoring the jewellery stores and big-screen TVs and taking over the local hardware store.
What of petroleum products? Don’t they have a sell by date? Are we assuming someone will take control of a pump and refinery (a la Mad Max 2) and the tooling necessary to maintain motor vehicles?
In any case, I can see a horse being far more valuable, treat it right and it’ll last years longer than a car or bike.
Edited to add, what of books on technology and science, useful for when/if society tries to rebuild.
Good health - Not needing medicines for a condition.
Your family
Survival guides
Encyclopedias
Wilderness.
Good water supply
Food sources
Shelter
Salt
Good knives
Medicines for basic illness
Clothes
Guns
Traps
Fishing gear
Wood working supplies
I live on a farm and have everything I need already. The key will be to keep it.
I agree with the above posters, the only things I see missing are;
animals capable of breeding (chickens, pigs, cows etc)
seeds
water purification system (simple as bleach or complex as a filter system)
family and select friends
I second coffee – that is what I thought of first, but then I’ve been reading Stirling lately, so I’ve been immersed in that sort of society. Not that I would drink any of that nasty stuff, but I think it would be worth a lot of chickens or pork, since we won’t be able to get any more until someone paddles their canoe down to Jamaica or wherever. Medicines, definitely, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, or painkillers. (You can have my Vicodin when you pry it, etc. etc.)
flour, salt, sugar – it will take a while to replace these
My brother has a collection of something like 10 guns and several thousand rounds of ammo. He claims that he always keeps a stockpile of toilet paper on hand because it will be as good as currency when the uprising comes. Thing is, I can’t be entirely sure he’s kidding.
The answer to this question depends on the nature of the collapse. Are we talking about a temporary failure of civil authority (during, say, a natural disaster or localized attack), a broader collapse of governance and ready distribution of industrial goods (civil war, economic collapse, et cetera), or a long-term atavism in society as a whole from some kind of massive die-off that drops population density below that needed to sustain an industrial and transportation infrastructure, a la George Stewart’s Earth Abides?
In the case of a short term failure, stockpiling basic goods and dry semi-perishables for your own use is the best bet. A 30 day stockpile of food and necessities (including basic first aid supplies and water filtration) will fit in a large closet. Animals (except for guard animals) will probably be more of a liability than an asset in general. Weapons, especially ranged weapons, may be very useful for defense against marauders and opportunists, but an arsenal of weapons will be of little use in a real siege; mobility and concealment in the face of aggression is generally the best policy, especially as even a non-complicated injury from combat may result in infection and death.
In the second case, a broader collection of tools and means to manufacture basic machines for agricultural and construction projects in addition to more extended and preserved diet staples. Beasts of burden and food producing animals (especially for producing dairy and honey) are a definite asset if you can protect them from predators, human or otherwise. Trade goods, including tobacco, distilled alcohol, coffee, textiles, non-perishable pharmaceuticals, mechanical fasteners, ammunition, fuel, et cetera will be valuable, but so will skills and references for repairing and improvising salvaged machinery, and references therefore. Weapons are likely to be less important for survival than raw numbers; your best bet for security and survival is to ally with larger groups.
In the third case, anything that requires lubrication, external power or fuel, or is sensitive to corrosion or rough handling will fail sooner or later, usually right when you need it the most. You would want to translate to pre-Industrial means of self-sufficiency rather than stockpiling food staples and supplies for the long haul, including means and methods to preserve food, construct habitats from natural supplies and simple methods, adopt a hunter/gatherer/gardener approach to food procurement, et cetera. Literacy and the knowledge of complex machinery will be less important than interpersonal/political, and knowledge of edible/medicinal plants, primitive survival skills, et cetera. Work animals will be necessary for large scale trade or broad agriculture, but carry their own costs of injury, infection, defending against predators, et cetera.
I can’t see any situation in which an encyclopedia, with its highly generalized knowledge, would be particularly valuable. However, basic construction engineering, primitive medicine, and botanical references might be very useful. Books and illustrations of all kinds would be valuable as the only means of storied entertainment.
A good enough encyclopedia should have sufficient rudimentary information on practical subjects as to be definitely better than nothing. Besides basic engineering and medicine, it usually has information on potential crops and could help you pick the best things to grow in your area.
I think acoustic musical instruments would also be valuable, and anyone who could sing and/or play passably well would be in demand for entertainment purposes after the end of the mass entertainment industry. By extension, related sheet music would also have considerable value.