The Value of stuff in a post Apocalyptic world

[I can't spell]

I just watched a great movie in this genre called "Into The Forest". Highly recommend it. Some take aways after watching it:

1. Cash, Gold, Silver, Diamonds, duke coins will be absolutely WORTHLESS
2. The most valuable thing on planet earth will be FUEL - like liquid diamonds
3. The second most valuable thing will be medical drugs and supplies to cure the sick.
4. This may sound silly but without a doubt ALCOHOL will become almost priceless. The post apocalyptic world is both stressful and extremely depressing and boring.
5. Due to the cost and scarcity of fuel Mountain Bikes will be like finding a Ferrari...bike = food.
6. Fully charged car batteries will be like solid hunks of gold - and also priceless.
7. Chocolate bars will be extremely valuable because no one can make them.
8. Guns and bullets will be absolutely the most essential thing as time goes on for protection; In reality I could never construct a bullet so finding guns and bullets important.

Anything that can't be easily "made", like fuel or chocolate or a mountain bike for example will instantly become priceless...because it can no longer be "made". So in summary I would advise anyone anticipating the apocalypse to stock up on fuel, medical drugs, alcohol, chocolate, mountain bikes, car batteries and guns with plenty of bullets. It's fascinating once power is out for 6 months how the really important things come into focus. Most of us never think of them.

[Dies Fourth]

Amovie about 2 sisters and a power outage................... theres no zombies in that movie or an apocalypse. 2016 movie ?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2625810/

[I can't spell]

Watch it... you will appreciate it. Great movie.

[TeamKillingTard]

Originally posted by I can't spell:

2. The most valuable thing on planet earth will be FUEL - like liquid diamonds

Fuel like Petrol and Diesel would be worthless, they go off eventually (diesel turns to jelly) but fuels like LPG (propane) etc would be literal gold (they keep virtually indefinately)

There is "wood gas" too which would be doable, back in WWII to get around the fuel sortages car makers were bolting wood gas makers onto the backs of cars so people could run them without petrol or diesel.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Adler_Diplomat_3_GS_mit_Holzgasgenerator-hinten_rechts.JPG

http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r401/castinbronze1rudolphtrc/Puukaasutin-nettijpg_zps10347070.jpg

Really animals like horse/donkeys etc would become the main means of travel people would die for IMO.

[Ythill]

Makeshift bullets are actually very easy to make.

[...👑 JOST AMMAN 👑...]

TOILET PAPER!!!

[Torriador]

Originally posted by Jost Amman:

TOILET PAPER!!!

... much more valuable than moss, or pinecones....

[Dragonlord3344]

yes, i would rather use a horse than a car in a Apocalyptic world, and um people can make chocalate bars, thats not rocket science. All you need is a cow and some sugar canes, + coco beans.

[Gwizzz]

Guns and bullets for when they come for your chocolate bars and toilet paper

[ArtemFC]

I think that 17hmr & 22lr Bullets will become the new Barter Currency! Why, because all the large game will be gone quick and you can hunt small game with them and not destroy the meat. So if I need meds I can Barter say 25 rounds of 22 lr for Amoxicillian or what ever type I need. Large Bore Guns will be good for Self Defense but they could also be Bartered as well. The most important thing in Survival is Water, Fire & Shelter IMHO... Good Luck all...

[I can't spell]

It's funny you mention toilet paper. I read that not having toilet paper in Venezuela almost started a mass uprising and overthrow of the government. Now as far as chocolate goes there is a great scene in the movie where the girl comes upon an old chocolate easter egg and savors it like it the most special thing in the world. Sure you can make it but who the hell has coco powder or fresh milk? I came across this list that pretty much sums up what you'll need in your pantry.

http://www.minq.com/food/4337/16-indestructible-foods-that-would-outlast-the-apocalypse/#page=1

The wood fired engine sounds interesting but not very practical. Horses need care and get old and die. A good quality mountain would be the ideal form of transportation IMO.

[Ragequit Inc.]

This is essentially what i was saying back when dozens of people were requesting an ingame currency. Why would anything that's NOT useful or rare (or delicious) be of any value to anyone? :)

[vv [FuMM]]

All of this speculation on worth really depends on what kind of disaster will happen.

If most of the population on the planet is wiped out (asteroide,big weather events,Neculear issue of some kind etc) then you'll get a good bit of breathing room. If there is trade happening over any kind of reasonable distances (trader chains over a few hundread KM trips in one direction) then I think there will be some kind of stable currencys formed.

The problem with using a resource as a universal desired currency is that at some point it'll be used. I'd say something else would end up being the trade representation. I'd say for the first few months it'd be food/water. After time it'd shift to be something else like lumps of copper or iron.

The people who are smart will form groups and hold the electricity generation plants. Hydro or nucelar are fairly nice to hold on to as they'll run for a fair while with "minimal" maintanance. Even putting a wheel into a reasonably fast flowing river will generate a fair amount of electricity.

Batteries aren't that hard to make. It's just that making light batteries is hard. Lead and acid and water are basicly how you make a battery.

Plastics and other higher tech materieals that arn't just lieing around will be hard to make. Anything that requires electricity will be much harder to make. Lathes and other machines make fabrication really easy these days. Manipulating metal into desired shapes is easy if you have electric motors and the electricity to power them.

Also it's awesome if you have the power etc but if there is no trade you'll just run out of resources.

If there is a major desaster and the continential USA only has say 1 person per square kilimeter or less population left then things become much different. Food won't be difficult to come by unless there is some kind of issue with the sun. Growing food is not that hard for example and if there is bugger all people because of some kind of medical issue or what ever then there'll be heaps of supplys left around that will be useable and will give people a large amount of buffer for time to grow things. If less than 1% of the population is left then that means that there will be ~100 houses empty per person (or 30 or so if it's familys you want to base it on). I'd say unless you where mentally deranged then that leaves plenty of scavenging places for every one. Espically if you can barter with the people around you.

If there is a slow decline that's another matter... A slow decline is the worst situation you can have. It means resources will be consumed till there is a big problem. To cause that to happen you'd need fuel to stop. Something like all the petrol is contaminated that's been refined in a country or something and there is a war that then stops oil supply etc.

The slow decline is the worst situation. In that situation you'd need to make sure you get out of the citys with a small cache of food. Currency in that situation would be labour I think. "I'll do this job for you for food" etc. Technical skills would become invaluable. Anything you need to consume would be much to valuable to give to some one else.

[Tyl3r99]

bottlecaps (fallout style) ;) when NPC are fully implemented i.e. bandits, raiders, friends etc

[vv [FuMM]]

Originally posted by Ragequit Inc.:

This is essentially what i was saying back when dozens of people were requesting an ingame currency. Why would anything that's NOT useful or rare (or delicious) be of any value to anyone? :)

I could see seeds of some plants becomming currency. Vinegar and sugar and salt etc I think would end up being quite commonly traded.

[Ragequit Inc.]

Originally posted by vv FuMM:

Originally posted by Ragequit Inc.:

This is essentially what i was saying back when dozens of people were requesting an ingame currency. Why would anything that's NOT useful or rare (or delicious) be of any value to anyone? :)

I could see seeds of some plants becomming currency. Vinegar and sugar and salt etc I think would end up being quite commonly traded.

Sure. But again, those are things that are useful. What we have now, that are essentially casino chips are not. Their 'value' is purely made up out of thin air. :)