Originally Posted By: Stein
Originally Posted By: Nishnabotna
TEOTWAWKI? Don't try to palm off your worthless shinnies on me. Goods only. You want that plow? Gimmie a half a beef. This case of spam? Gimmie your shoes.
Things like silver and gold are only worth the value that the other person places on them.


There hasn't been a time in the last two thousand years that silver or gold have been worthless. Gold money has survived the test of time.

Efficient commerce and "money" systems are a necessity for modern life. I simply can't carry around a half of beef everytime I want to go shopping.

That said, I would trade you my shoes for your case of spam!

I agree for the most part, but when someone evokes TEOTWAWKI then most money systems are worthless. To me, TEOTWAWKI means the collapse of anykind of effective government and all that it stands for including any monetary systems it may have backed. Paper money would be worth less than the paper it was printed on. Gold and silver would have a better chance of surviving as a money, but if I were to accept it as payment I would need to be reasonably certain that I could exchange that with someone else. I would much rather take goods or services as barter - the oldest form of currancy - and not have to worry that the shiney rocks I just took from you would be acceptable anywhere else as payment. That's not something I'm going to bet on unless there was some kind of new community being built or re-emerging. Lets call that Post-TEOTWAWKI.
Otherwise, tote your beef if you're going to shop at my store.