I have been wondering how long it would take for us to see alternate economic functions start to form. Black markets, grey markets, barter economies and alternate currencies are the hallmark of dysfunctional systems, particularly in communist countries. In cold-war era Russia a typical food purchase experience was to go and wait in a bread line to see what you got, typically a bulk carb like a loaf of bread, and then you would go to the black market and buy the meat/cheese/vegetables you need to stretch the loaf of bread into several meals. This was everywhere for every product... you wait in line for your official work overalls and you go tot he black market to get a pair of blue jeans for the weekend. You turn on the radio to hear propaganda or classical music and went to the black market to but rock and roll records.
...So I have a friend who during the pandemic decided she finally needed to be a gun owner. She bought a shotgun and a pistol. She asked me to take her tot he range, which I was happy to do, but told her she needed to find ammo. She looked around for 9mm for about two weeks without finding any... and then said "I know a guy who is a truck driver, he said he can get ammo in <two states away> and his route takes him by us twice a week..." and her friend would happily supply 9mm ammo for $1 a round. I told my friend to save her money because that was a highway-robbery price even for the pandemic. I lurked online for a bout 3 weeks and finally caught some 9mm in stock at one of the big online vendors. I got her two cases for $0.55 a round and even then felt that I was paying a 100% pandemic markup.
The big point however is that for years and years I have heard prepper friends talking about how ammo will be the new currency after the fall, etc. Some of these things are becoming reality faster than anyone thinks. looking back I am 100% sure that her 'friend with a truck' was not just hooking up a friend but was rather engaged in an organized and regular activity. This is a sure sign that 1) our economy is well and truly broken and 2) people are starting to participate in alternate economic functions which indicates that no one really believes that it will ever go back to the way it was.
So if you know a guy with a truck... now is the time to build relationships. I predict that in another year this will be the only way to get some things.
I have been wondering how long it would take for us to see alternate economic functions start to form. Black markets, grey markets, barter economies and alternate currencies are the hallmark of dysfunctional systems, particularly in communist countries. In cold-war era Russia a typical food purchase experience was to go and wait in a bread line to see what you got, typically a bulk carb like a loaf of bread, and then you would go to the black market and buy the meat/cheese/vegetables you need to stretch the loaf of bread into several meals. This was everywhere for every product... you wait in line for your official work overalls and you go tot he black market to get a pair of blue jeans for the weekend. You turn on the radio to hear propaganda or classical music and went to the black market to but rock and roll records.
...So I have a friend who during the pandemic decided she finally needed to be a gun owner. She bought a shotgun and a pistol. She asked me to take her tot he range, which I was happy to do, but told her she needed to find ammo. She looked around for 9mm for about two weeks without finding any... and then said "I know a guy who is a truck driver, he said he can get ammo in <two states away> and his route takes him by us twice a week..." and her friend would happily supply 9mm ammo for $1 a round. I told my friend to save her money because that was a highway-robbery price even for the pandemic. I lurked online for a bout 3 weeks and finally caught some 9mm in stock at one of the big online vendors. I got her two cases for $0.55 a round and even then felt that I was paying a 100% pandemic markup.
The big point however is that for years and years I have heard prepper friends talking about how ammo will be the new currency after the fall, etc. Some of these things are becoming reality faster than anyone thinks. looking back I am 100% sure that her 'friend with a truck' was not just hooking up a friend but was rather engaged in an organized and regular activity. This is a sure sign that 1) our economy is well and truly broken and 2) people are starting to participate in alternate economic functions which indicates that no one really believes that it will ever go back to the way it was.
So if you know a guy with a truck... now is the time to build relationships. I predict that in another year this will be the only way to get some things.
(post is archived)