# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![smurfslappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@smurfslappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smurfslappa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/21 "2008-11-26T21:10:09Z")
Food and weapons to protect said food. Knowledge is power, and the ability to foresee troubles and make moves when necessary will be especially valuable. I wouldn’t invest in gold, unless you actually own the physical gold instead of the piece of paper saying some firm owes you some. Those people with IOU’s will most definitely get screwed out of their gold when a major collapse occurs. Also, like the guy above me said, you can’t eat gold. I think it’s a big bubble that’s about to pop. Food, weapons, tools and any other essential items that a poor man can’t live without. Small luxuries will be sought after by those who can afford them, and even by those who can’t. There will be a lot of thieves running around, so stay safe. ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/22 "2008-11-26T21:17:38Z")
> [@Grimpen](#): > > \*\*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. Aside from all the joking, **Grimpen** provides the best actual answer. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/23 "2008-11-26T21:21:01Z")
Prescription drugs and cat food. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/24 "2008-11-26T21:24:54Z")
From what I can tell bottle caps and purified water seem good choices, with iguana on a stick and a sniper rifle also making the list. ‘Talk to you late CCHHHILLLLDDDRRREEENN!’ (to paraphrase 3 Dog) -XT p.s. To the op…relax. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/25 "2008-11-26T21:31:58Z")
Toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/26 "2008-11-26T21:41:13Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Don’t forget football pads. > > Remember, bad people wear black leather. Good people wear white football pads. Don’t forget the assless chaps. People in post-apocalyptic settings dig on assless chaps. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/27 "2008-11-26T21:56:55Z")
Milk. Whenever a storm threatens, everybody goes out and buys milk. Even people who don’t drink milk go out and stock on milk. It is a mistery to me. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/28 "2008-11-26T22:07:05Z")
I f you’re talking about a scenario where the stores are closed and the electricity is off, then cigarette lighters (or matches) and candles. ---
**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, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/29 "2008-11-26T22:09:54Z")
Thanks all, jokers included. I’m not really worried, just looking to get rid of some things I don’t want/need anymore and thinking maybe it would be a good idea to convert some of the cash to tangible goods, just in case things get really bad. Meaning, basically, the US dollar becomes essentially worthless. I don’t really know what that would be, technically (economic collapse?). ---
**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, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/30 "2008-11-26T22:14:13Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Don’t forget the assless chaps. People in post-apocalyptic settings dig on assless chaps. All chaps are assless, that’s what makes them chaps. If your chaps have an ass you’ve got pants. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/31 "2008-11-26T22:42:19Z")
> [@Grimpen](#): > > \*\*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. This is very sensible… > [@WormTheRed](#): > > Hookers and blow! > … …but I like this one better 😃 (and I can do without the blow in a pinch;)) ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/32 "2008-11-26T22:45:21Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > Gasoline, crazy looking vehicles, guns, ammo, pigs and pig shit, day-glo hair coloring, a tatoo artist and a punk hairstylist. Well I’m set. You guys have fun! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/33 "2008-11-26T23:25:38Z")
> [@supergoose](#): > > Historically speaking. What goods and services remain or become valuable when economies (or countries) collapse? Land - residential and arable. People still need somewhere to live and they still need to eat. ---
**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, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/34 "2008-11-26T23:29:12Z")
Nahhh… I can get all that useful stuff if I start out with Hookers and Blow! People are always going to want to enjoy themselves 😃 ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/35 "2008-11-26T23:38:01Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > All chaps are assless, that’s what makes them chaps. If your chaps have an ass you’ve got pants. Beg pardon, but there is such a thing as an assless chap. I did not believe it either until I saw [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=429258). ---
**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, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/36 "2008-11-26T23:42:12Z")
You could also hoard 1940s and 1950s music, take over a radio station, give yourself a snappy name like “Three Dog”, and broadcast 24/7 with shout-outs to random people in the Wasteland depending what they get up to… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/37 "2008-11-27T00:19:06Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > All chaps are assless, that’s what makes them chaps. If your chaps have an ass you’ve got pants. They should be crotchless too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517/38 "2008-11-27T01:12:34Z")
[QUOTE=supergoose] Thanks all, jokers included. I’m not really worried, just looking to get rid of some things I don’t want/need anymore and thinking maybe it would be a good idea to convert some of the cash to tangible goods, just in case things get really bad. Meaning, basically, the US dollar becomes essentially worthless. I don’t really know what that would be, technically (economic collapse?). [/QUOTE] All joking aside, if the US economy really does collapse completely we are all fucked…as in most of us are going to die horrible deaths. In which case what is going to be valuable is mainly luck…luck to be in the right place (i.e. somewhere with access to food, shelter, clean water and lack of folks with guns trying to take those things away from you). And not just here in the US but world wide…the US economy is the 800 lb gorilla, much as a lot of folks don’t want to acknowledge that fact. If WE go down everyone goes down and most likely we give up this whole civilization thingy and relearn the pleasures of a pastoral hunter and gatherer existence. Now, if we are talking about something like another Great Depression…well, that’s something else again. In that case as others have said look to precious metals or gems or other things people THINK have value, as those are going to always be in demand. -XT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-economies-collapse-what-becomes-valuable/474517.md?page=1)