[coastguardgunnersmate]

I have just started collect precious metal bars and am thinking copper is cheap so I am going to buy a few hundred pounds. I am buying the kilo bars, which are 2.2 pounds a piece. Just curious if you guys think it could be used for trade like gold and silver in a SHTF scenario. Thoughts?

 

[clr8ter]

Waste of money. Premiums too high. However......why not just collect it? You can get pure copper from a variety of places; wiring, pipe, pre-'82 pennies, ect. Also, note that certain canadian nickels are pure nickel......might also be good to have.

 

[towboater]

Yep. Bars cost too much. I guess 1 or 2 would be OK, but I wouldn't buy many. Save copper pennies.

 

[coastguardgunnersmate]

I've been paying around 10-12 dollars per kilo bar. The coin shop up the street has it for 32 per bar.

 

[GaMatt72]

Hoard the copper. It will be worth it in the end.

 

[KG7IL]

Lead Alloys might be worth it as well.

 

[TLuker]

I'm thinking copper would not be very useful for barter? It might be ok for an investment, but I wouldn't think it would be of much use if you plan on using it if the SHTF.

Of course that is just my opinion and I certainly could be wrong. Right now some things have value simply because we all value it like money. Some things have value because they are very useful like copper. It is valued primarily because it is such a good conductor of electricity. If the SHTF I'm guessing there isn't going to be much electricity and therefor not much demand for copper. Not to mention if things get so bad that we are reduced to bartering, there will be plenty of copper available (all those power lines with juice).

 

[Axxe55]

copper, gold, silver aor any other precious metals would have little worth in a SHTF situation. can't eat them. can't drink them. they can't protect you. if the SHTF comes from a failing economy, i highly doubt any precious metals will be worth anything. food, water and resources will be worth much more. with hungry stomach, which is worth more to you, a gold bar or a Big Mac?

 

[sputnik1988]

I would imagine that lead would be worth more and maybe potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur.

 

[Axxe55]

I would imagine that lead would be worth more and maybe potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur.

bullets and gunpowder! yeah!

 

[sputnik1988]

Although the copper could come in handy for us Glock owners.

 

[trip286]

Although the copper could come in handy for us Glock owners.

Yeah, that's unfortunate. If S truly HTF, y'all GLOCKers would have to figure something out if it comes down to home made bullets. Although, I think a harder lead alloy would do just fine with plenty of cleaning.

 

[bkt]

Copper for barter? No. Gold and silver wouldn't be any good for barter, either. For barter, you probably want booze, tampons, condoms, diapers, medicines, ammo and cigarettes.

As a store of wealth? Well, maybe. Gold and silver are better. Actually, silver is more scarce than gold and used more in industry and that's where I'd put my money as a hedge against the dollar crapping out. I personally wouldn't consider buying copper except for maybe a few rolls of 20 or 30 one-ounce rounds. If you have a great line on bulk copper and can get a great deal on it, it might not be a bad thing to have a few pounds.

A store of metals or other raw materials is what you use to get back on your feet after a SHTF situation. It's not what you use during one, though.

 

[HockaLouis]

Copper was very valuable to the Powhatten Indians, Virginia, 1607. It's lost a little since then...

 

[The_Kid]

Vin: We deal in lead friend

 

[TLuker]

Copper for barter? No. Gold and silver wouldn't be any good for barter, either. For barter, you probably want booze, tampons, condoms, diapers, medicines, ammo and cigarettes.

I stand corrected. Copper will be very useful if the SHTF. It makes grate coils for a still, and that will then create something of value.

Me personally I'm not worried about items for barter. I'm focusing on items for production, and a working knowledge of those items. Having a few bottles of whiskey could be useful for trade, but having the ability to make whiskey would be priceless. Of course the value of those bottles of whiskey would go up exponentially after anyone tried my home brew.

 

[Axxe55]

I stand corrected. Copper will be very useful if the SHTF. It makes grate coils for a still, and that will then create something of value.

Me personally I'm not worried about items for barter. I'm focusing on items for production, and a working knowledge of those items. Having a few bottles of whiskey could be useful for trade, but having the ability to make whiskey would be priceless. Of course the value of those bottles of whiskey would go up exponentially after anyone tried my home brew.

only if it's copper tubing!

 

[Seven]

could you barter with copper?

You can barter with anything. If you can find somebody that wants it.
As others have said, there's just a lot more items that may have 'buyers.'

 

[TekGreg]

The value of money is only in people's perception o its value, e.g. If it will buy them what they need, it has value. In a short-term SHTF situation, like the movie "Trigger Effect," those that have stocked up on supplies could make a fortune collecting money for over-priced, badly needed items. When the crisis ended, they would be sitting pretty! But if we get to EOTWAWKI, money will be worthless and metals will only be worth what can be made from them. We will go back to a barter system with one person trading vegetables they grew to someone else for a quart of milk. At this point, copper tubing to turn corn into liquor (no matter how bad) will be worth 100x more than a copper bar!

 

[clr8ter]

To OP: Uhhhh, "Kilo"? How much over spot is that per POUND? LOL

Axxe, I disagree. Is it possible that with SHTF, people might need to store or save their wealth, and not in some food/fuel/whiskey/ect. form? Also, if the price of silver & gold were to go WAY up, maybe copper could step in to act like a medium of exchange for small things, like buying bread.