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Goodbye gun, hello metal

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@galenkp
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The last few weeks have been a bloodbath from a financial perspective; I don't think one needs to be a Wall Street stock broker to know that. With financial pressures already mounting the worldwide pandemic arrived to tip them over the edge and markets have seen some 30% declines in that time...Enough to make even the most stout-hearted investor cringe. Of course, these market blood-baths are often exactly what the mega-wealthy want to drive prices down, at which time they spend millions, billions, of dollars to scoop up cheap stocks. The rich get richer.

For me, a normal every day dude, I can't really throw a lot of money around and take advantage of downturns like this usually. I just plod along, playing my long-term strategy and hope for the best.

I like to diversify with my investments, spread it around a little to mitigate my risk...The old eggs in one basket strategy isn't a one I feel overly comfortable with, and so I spread my investments across several areas from property and shares, to superannuation, crypto and my favourite...Metals.

A few weeks ago I saw gold and silver prices start to fluctuate and I decided to grab some...The problem was I had no available funds; It was committed to other areas and considering my strict policy on saving and diversifying I wasn't prepared to rob Peter to pay Paul, so to speak. Something had to go to fund my metal purchase.

I took stock of what I had around me, what might be expendable, and couldn't come up with anything...I took a walk into my workshop because I think better when surrounded by tools, equipment and guns and sat down to think...What can I dispose of...What don't I need...And then it hit me...

I opened my gun safes for a look see...Many guns stared back at me. Some knew they were safe and shot back smug looks, others tried to hide in the back knowing they hadn't been used for a while and might be on the hit list and some...Well, some were resigned to the fact that they may be on the chopping block and just sat there with forlorn looks of misery.

So yes, I sold a gun, one I hadn't used for a while and that would give me a goodly sum of money to buy some metal with. It was a bit sad as it was a good rifle, but the $4,000 it returned me last week felt good in the hand and so does the metal I swapped it for yesterday.

Pictured is my haul...A 1 ounce bar of gold and ten 1 ounce silver coins which cost me just under $3,000 all up. I picked them up yesterday feeling good about swapping worthless polymer fiat for the pleasing weight of gold and silver and I felt good placing it in my safe with the rest of my stack.

I'm not an investment-guru, and am certainly not a bloke who stacks for the beauty of a coin, the interest-factor. No, I stack because fiat is shit and prefer to have something more tangible in the safe. I also stack as it makes sense to hold an appreciating asset rather than depreciating item...It just makes sense to spend money on stuff that will probably be worth more than I paid in ten years, rather than much less. That's metal. Crypto too of course, but metal is more accessible being in my safe and not in some cyber-place.

I like my diversified strategy; Will it provided me the financial future I have planned? I have no clue. Will my approach to it pay dividends? Well, I'd like to think it will. I mean, I swapped a rifle and scope system I haven't used for well over a year for $4,000 and spent $3,000 on metals that will almost certainly be worth a lot more in the future. That's gotta be a win right?

I'm not a huge fan of selling guns, although with a little bit of logic, and common sense, applied to the decision it's really a no-brainer...I mean, it's not like I don't have lots more guns...I have more than enough, but nowhere near enough silver or gold in my estimation so...I think I made a smart decision. Besides, I'm pretty sure that in the future many people will be selling things to make ends meet and I reckon between all the people I know with guns, I'll pick up some bargains moving forward.

In these troubled times maybe gold and silver will come to have greater value to people than they do now. I don't know, if things get bad enough things like fish hooks, hand reels, medical supplies, toothpaste and normal everyday items may come to have greater meaning and value to people also...Who knows how bad things may get?

I feel good having some metal stacked away though; It makes me feel a little more secure knowing I don't need to go to an ATM that may not even work seeking money that may have little to no value. So, selling a gun...Yeah, no problem.

Would you sell a gun for metals? (If you had one). Would you sell something else dear to you? Tell me about it. What wold you dispose of to buy some metals...Or maybe you wouldn't sell anything for metals preferring to keep your toys? Comment below.
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