Your favorite physical investment

[ryanmercer]

I'm talking stuff you keep in your home...

i.e. Silver, firearms, ammunition...

Stuff that historically always keeps a good value, and usually increases... that you can physically hold.

[JBinKC]

Land with high valued timber acquired from a tax lien certificate would be my first choice and perhaps if you had the ability to sniff bargains at an estate sale for mispriced items like antiques and art would be my second.

I am not really a fan of holding metals unless you were able to acquire scrap metal for free or saving pre 1982 pennies because you are currently getting a 1 1/2 cent arbitrage value built into them. If I had to hold a metal long term I would probably hold lithium given its likely robust future demand in electric cars.

But any tools of the trade that helps you become more self reliant in my book is off the table for barter I would never consider bartering these items in any circumstance. *

If I had to name the one item at this time with the fattest return especially with current energy prices would be a wood burning stove. Your payback period would be about 1 year if you can scrounge up free firewood.

[machinemaker]

I am a tool junkie. Over the past decade I have been able to put together a complete machine shop, steel fab shop, sheet metal shop, wood working shop and foundry that has paid for itself and provided my income. I like to find good used industrial tools that I can buy cheap or free. Yes there are free tools in every city. There are businesses that will pay you to haul away old tools and equipment. I was paid to haul away tons of used hydraulic equipment, some I used to build things for our homestead, some I sold, some I took to the scrap yard that paid me a couple thousand dollars for the scrap. What does it take, like anything else: some knowledge, work, time and being creative.
kent

[ryanmercer]

Haha... I'm going to start hanging on to the pennies... just in purchases today... I managed 13 pre 82 pennies :)

[flatwater]

Beeny babies ;D :D ;D :D. just kidding I have been a land buyer since I was 17. Guns are also good to buy if you know what the market is or will be. Your best investment first will be knowledge , just ask bill gates.
Flatwater

[MYellowRose]

Have only two things, a WWII era bolt action 12 gage shotgun that I inherited from my father and a samuri sword that I inherited from my brother. Don't know if the shot gun works but the sword has a razor sharp edge on it! LOL Wonder if that "Castle Doctrine" law would cover me if I decapitate an intruder with it? ;) ;)

[GoodDaughter]

I can't 'hold' it, per se, and I don't know about holding it's value...but the best investment I have made in the past several years has been my wood stove. Paid for itself long ago. With the rising costs of propane and natural gas, and it being completely out of the question for me to heat with electric anyway, I won't have to worry about how I"m going to keep warm during winter.

Land is always an excellent investment. My place here is paid for, so I guess the home itself is another favorite physical investment.

I don't have collectible firearms or coins, but I do have plenty of beenie babies, too, although I'm not planning on funding my retirement with them. I guess I just have a lot of ordinary stuff, nothing fabulous.

[ryanmercer]

Beeny babies ;D :D ;D :D. just kidding I have been a land buyer since I was 17. Guns are also good to buy if you know what the market is or will be. Your best investment first will be knowledge , just ask bill gates.
Flatwater

Just ask a college drop out(Gates dropped out of college)?

[flatwater]

Ya I know , I didn't drop out but some of the things they taught were , lets say very liberal and not much value. I hated to pay for that. What he did learn was he was better off listening to his own gut feelings.
Flatwater

[bassntrout]

Myself. The more knowledge and skills I gather the stronger and more self sufficient I become.

[whippersnapper]

If they stuffed Beanie babies with real beans, they would be worth something. ;)