Jun 2010 Personal Preps

[Watchman]

Personal preps for the month.

[Toepopper]

Filled 6 of the old metal 5 gallon gerry cans with gasoline and added Stabil. Thats all the containers I have and I thought it might be prudent to keep some extra fuel on hand. We are paying $2.72 per gallon for regular and I expect the oil companies to use this BP oil spill as an excuse to raise the prices. Surprised that they have not already done so.
Also rinsed out and refilled 85 plastic one gallon water bottles for extra drinking water during the summer dry season, just in case. Have trimmed all the lower branches off of the trees around my house for fire protection and cut down most of the tall grass. Cut down 6 spruce trees that were leaning towards the house and cut them up for next years firewood. They were dropping cones and other unwanted debris into the rain gutters and plugging them up.

[fern]

I am not a yard sale person although I totally enjoy an auction. I have been attending local auctions for the last month and happily carrying home my treasures! As odd as it sounds, what I am interested seems to be what most others are not. I have been buying military and regular metal gas cans. All are in great condition and like Toepopper I want to fill them but need to buy stabilizer. Today though, I finally went to my first yard sale and then proceeded to stop at 4 more on the way home. Got a cast iron teapot in its original box for $4. I actually bought a Cobra 128 CB radio also in its box for $5. What a relief after watching what they go for on ebay! Not too much else to tell other than 3 new funnels for a quarter. Oh...I bought 23 beeswax candles for a dime! Not many folks have jars to sell anymore other than the occasional auction and that item is what I want the most.

[Watchman]

Our local Smith's had a sale on a case (24) of Aquafina at $3 a case. Put 12 cases in our cool, dark basement.

[fern]

I went to a little auction house last night that I did not know existed. It is outside of our town in the boonies. Anyway they were selling the first of 6 lots of coins from an estate. I did not have much money with me but I certainly spent what I had. The silver dollars were all uncirculated and most often first run or whatever the proper term is and all coins were graded and in extremely nice packaging. The silver dollars were selling from $20 to $25. The Morgans were selling from $25 to $50 (1800s) and they had lots of sets mounted in beautiful boxes. Nothing went much higher than the current price of silver. I actually bought my first gold coin. It was a $5 1/10 oz for $65. Most of the gold coins were 1/10 or 1/2 oz and nothing sold over $130 for 10th and $500 for half oz. The older gold coins were going for the upper price and the newer ones around the price I paid. Now I wish I had been rich last night but I do plan on watching for the next lots to be auctioned and be more prepared. With gold coins at $1288 and silver coins at $21+, this auction was a deal.

[Toepopper]

NICE FIND fern ! Silver is getting hard to find at any price but you scored those coins at a real deal.

[fern]

Thanks for the feedback Toepopper!! I knew I was good on the gold coin but do not know anything about first run or grading or uncirculated in coins. I figured that meant higher value but to me the value is only what it costs today. Anything more is for collectors not preparers. When tshtf, I highly doubt if folks care if it is uncirculated??

[walshsj]

I accidentally discovered a great source for excellent items at rock bottom prices. Stores going out of business. Entered a "going out of business" sale at a store that sold misc things for the home and bought a set of commercial grade, very sturdy, free standing shelves (about 6 ft long, 6 ft high, 3 shelves) that were sued in their storage room. They are high quality and would easily sell for several hundred dollars, bought for $75. Installed them in my garage to hold supplies.