# When economies collapse, what becomes valuable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517 "2008-11-26T02:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/1 "2008-11-26T02:42:29Z")
Historically speaking. What goods and services remain or become valuable when economies (or countries) collapse? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/2 "2008-11-26T03:28:42Z")
Gold and silver seem to always retain some value. If things get bad enough, food or just access to food or clean water can be pretty valuable. If you are thinking of hoarding something just in case, you should be careful… desperate people do desperate things. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/3 "2008-11-26T03:47:23Z")
Define “economic collapse”. You mean something like the Great Depression, or the Weimar hyperinflation? Or something else? What remains valuable when the money economy collapses is any tangible good that isn’t money that people still want even when they don’t have any money. Just remember that you can’t eat gold. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/4 "2008-11-26T04:00:15Z")
Guns. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/5 "2008-11-26T04:03:26Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Just remember that you can’t eat gold. Of course you can: “All That Glitters Let’s begin on some solid footing: culinary gold. If you walk into your nearest gourmet supply store, you can probably find, for about US$20, a box of gold leaf (sheets, flakes, or sprinkles) manufactured expressly to enable you to impress your friends at your next dinner party. These unbelievably thin pieces of nearly pure gold add an impressive touch to chocolates, soups, sushi, and just about anything else you can think of. Because the quantity of gold is so small, the price is not unreasonable; yet these gold highlights make a meal appear to be extravagant and give restaurants an excuse to charge exorbitant prices. And yes: it’s safe to eat (if not particularly flavorful). Metallic gold is biologically inert; that’s why dentists can use it for fillings, caps, and crowns. (Gold salts, on the other hand, such as auric chloride, can have toxic effects over time.)” [http://itotd.com/articles/477/edible-gold/](http://itotd.com/articles/477/edible-gold/) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/6 "2008-11-26T04:21:00Z")
Liquor and cigarettes are always popular. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/7 "2008-11-26T05:59:46Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Guns. A gun without bullets is an unwieldy club- or, if you’re lucky and have a bayonet- a spear. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/8 "2008-11-26T08:25:56Z")
Gasoline, crazy looking vehicles, guns, ammo, pigs and pig shit, day-glo hair coloring, a tatoo artist and a punk hairstylist. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/9 "2008-11-26T08:28:03Z")
Hookers and blow! or food and water, I’m not sure which I would choose ---
**Author:** ![Spezza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Spezza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spezza)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/10 "2008-11-26T16:14:39Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Just remember that you can’t eat gold. There is actually a pizzeria around the corner from me that sells a $100 pizza which has gold leaf sprinkled on it. I can’t tell you how it tastes, however. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/11 "2008-11-26T16:46:50Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > Gasoline, crazy looking vehicles, guns, ammo, pigs and pig shit, day-glo hair coloring, a tatoo artist and a punk hairstylist. And studded leather clothing, and dogs wearing bandanas! ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/12 "2008-11-26T16:56:05Z")
Don’t forget football pads. Remember, bad people wear black leather. Good people wear white football pads. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/13 "2008-11-26T16:56:54Z")
If you’re Lord Humungus and you want control of the Waste it’s the ‘juice’. “Just walk away, just walk away.” ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/14 "2008-11-26T17:03:36Z")
Or, from **Gremlins 2** : > [@](#): > > Gremlin #1: [repeated phrase while on telephone in stock exchange] BUY! BUY! BUY! > Gremlin #2: [repeated phrase while on telephone in stock exchange] SELL! SELL! SELL! > Brain Gremlin: [on telephone] Well, it’s rather brutal here. Right now we are advising all our clients to put everything they’ve got into canned food and shotguns. ---
**Author:** ![Grimpen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/82dd89/32.png) [@Grimpen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grimpen)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/15 "2008-11-26T17:35:28Z")
\*\*Community \*\*becomes most valuable. If you’re on your own, there’s always somebody with more guns. If you’ve stocked food, it will run out. A community of people who know how to work together and understand why that’s important can survive and rebuild. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/16 "2008-11-26T17:40:03Z")
It depends on how deep the shit is. Gold and silver coins are good if the collapes is economic only, but after that you want food, drugs, and arms. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/17 "2008-11-26T19:38:28Z")
> [@supergoose](#): > > Historically speaking. What goods and services remain or become valuable when economies (or countries) collapse? > > Thanks. As been mentioned upstream poor mans luxurys like smokes and booze, valium and probably but not certainly , weed. higher end narcotics for the well to do set, the war on drugs might be taking huge strides as no money, no funny. But sooner or later your going to have some people with the cash and no easy way to get it till supply lines reopen. Trade goods like batteries, both consumer and automotive, tires, filters. I’d say look for information regarding world war two and consumer goods. Services would probably include seamstresses at the beginning but tapering off later, as that would become a common skill. Learning how to barter and when to barter would be making a comeback as a skill set. declan ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/18 "2008-11-26T20:14:38Z")
In times of collapse, a hardware store is more valuable than a jewellery store. And the seed store is more valuable than both. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/19 "2008-11-26T20:17:30Z")
Spices. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/20 "2008-11-26T20:57:58Z")
Chain-mail bikinis. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517.md?page=2)