[oldvet]

Folks,
Thanks for all of the input, ya'll just made up my mind about vac sealing and storing tobacco and coffee.

SageAdvicefarmgirl: True dat!

It would just be my luck to be stuck paying off thousands of dollars worth of goods.:gaah: I guess that it was a pretty lame idea at that.:surrender:

You are also correct in that we can do without quite a few things, while in fact getting used to not having a lot of the luxuries that you would not have in a SHTF situation, and putting the extra money toward prepping.


Thanks again,
oldvet

 

[Elinor0987]

As far as alcohol goes, I picked up a case of 12 cheap Boone's Farm flavored wine. On spirits: Besides drinking, alcohol has many uses already. What I'm not sure about is how to buy it. Maybe by the gallons (which is cheaper), or something a bit more compact by pints.

What are yalls views on stocking these? I'm shooting for a year supply.

One thing to consider when buying alcohol items is the shelf life. Some types of alcohol will hold up well for long term storage and others won't be as good after a couple of years.

 

[BillM]

Bad Idea

So I see a lot that tobacco and alcohol will be great barter items. I was thinking about purchasing some of these items soon, but not sure where to even start. As an occassional smoker myself, I've got my supply. I was leaning towards maybe picking up some of the canisters of tobacco for trade. Their cheap here, I think about 10 bucks a canister. So I thought maybe 6 cans of different flavors. Most already come with papers and rollers, which would help in any trade. I also thought about getting a couple pounds of pipe tobacco, but keeping it fresh without the fancy boxes could be difficult. How much do you keep in supply?

As far as alcohol goes, I picked up a case of 12 cheap Boone's Farm flavored wine. On spirits: Besides drinking, alcohol has many uses already. What I'm not sure about is how to buy it. Maybe by the gallons (which is cheaper), or something a bit more compact by pints.

What are yalls views on stocking these? I'm shooting for a year supply.

Ever hear of a law against Bootlegging?

How about transporting alcohol for the purpose of resale ?

You guys are worried about the Fed's taking your stuff, why give them a legal reason ?

Did you ever hear of a law called "Conspiring to commit a felony"?

As long as you are just stocking your own storage lockers, that isn't against the law. When you openly discuss preperations to begin an illegal business, that just isn't smart !

:ignore:

 

[Turtle]

One thing to consider when buying alcohol items is the shelf life. Some types of alcohol will hold up well for long term storage and others won't be as good after a couple of years.

:scratch Other than Bailey's (or a similar cream-based liqueur) I can't think of a single type of booze that has a very limited shelf-life. Most get better with age.

 

[Turtle]

Ever hear of a law against Bootlegging?

How about transporting alcohol for the purpose of resale ?

You guys are worried about the Fed's taking your stuff, why give them a legal reason ?

Did you ever hear of a law called "Conspiring to commit a felony"?

As long as you are just stocking your own storage lockers, that isn't against the law. When you openly discuss preperations to begin an illegal business, that just isn't smart !

:ignore:

I'd say that unless you decide to start early and start trading booze before TSHTF-scenarios come in to play, you would probably be fine. It would be very difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that anyone was trying to set up a trade outpost in their basement, if no transactions were being made. The BATFE and state agencies set up observation for months, sometimes years at a time to try to find enough evidence to try to convict someone of even one of those charges.

Think of it this way: What D.A. is going to stand in front of a judge and say, "Your Honor, this person has a stockpile of alcohol in their basement which they plan to trade for toilet paper after the end of the world."?

 

[gypsysue]

Ever hear of a law against Bootlegging?

How about transporting alcohol for the purpose of resale ?

You guys are worried about the Fed's taking your stuff, why give them a legal reason ?

Did you ever hear of a law called "Conspiring to commit a felony"?

As long as you are just stocking your own storage lockers, that isn't against the law. When you openly discuss preperations to begin an illegal business, that just isn't smart !

:ignore:

Yup. However I believe most of the activities you refer to were intended to be entrepenuerial endeavors after a total SHTF situation, and not in the face of existing laws before TSHTF. I'm sure no one on this forum intends to break these laws, as long as the laws exist; and while we plan and prep for the possibility, we hope the S never HTF to that extent.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Elinor0987]

:scratch Other than Bailey's (or a similar cream-based liqueur) I can't think of a single type of booze that has a very limited shelf-life. Most get better with age.

Some varieties of wine are made for immediate consumption where others are made to be aged. I can't find the article I read a while back about aging wine but did find a few others:

Aging of wine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How Long to Age Wine

I'm not sure how accurate the information is, but I do know that some wines will be bitter right after production and require aging to mellow out the flavor and make it suitable for drinking. Others will get bitter if you wait too long to drink it. Most (if not all) of the hard liquors are suitable for long term storage if kept in ideal conditions.

 

[BillM]

Assume

I'd say that unless you decide to start early and start trading booze before TSHTF-scenarios come in to play, you would probably be fine. It would be very difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that anyone was trying to set up a trade outpost in their basement, if no transactions were being made. The BATFE and state agencies set up observation for months, sometimes years at a time to try to find enough evidence to try to convict someone of even one of those charges.

Think of it this way: What D.A. is going to stand in front of a judge and say, "Your Honor, this person has a stockpile of alcohol in their basement which they plan to trade for toilet paper after the end of the world."?

Assume that anyone can read your posts. The ATF can also read your posts.

If someone says I am stocking up on alcohol in half pints to sell at a future date for any reason, they can use the post to get an IP address and they can bust you on your next trip from the liquer store for transporting for the purpose of resale.

Try explaining to a jury that you were just preparing to go in business when it became legal because of anarchy.

Ohh wait, since it is unlikely that the law will ever be changed, it would still be illegal even after TSHTF, so that excuse would not help you now.

I understand that you expect the law to be unenforcable at some future date but that will not help you now.

I intend to stay on the down low . To do this is hard enough without engageing in activity that a huge goverment agency is already monitoring and prosicuting people for on a dailey basis.

When the ATF gets a liquer store in violation, they don't necisarly swoop down and put them out of business. They might just ask them to report anyone they think is buying for resale. For instance, anyone buying large amounts of alcohol or cases of half pints.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade here , but I was a deputy shreiff in a dry county and I have personally arrested people on car stops for "Transporting alcohol for the purpose of resale " and we got convictions on less evidence than some have provided on this thread alone !

 

[Turtle]

Some varieties of wine are made for immediate consumption where others are made to be aged. I can't find the article I read a while back about aging wine but did find a few others:

Aging of wine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How Long to Age Wine

I'm not sure how accurate the information is, but I do know that some wines will be bitter right after production and require aging to mellow out the flavor and make it suitable for drinking. Others will get bitter if you wait too long to drink it. Most (if not all) of the hard liquors are suitable for long term storage if kept in ideal conditions.

Okay,yeah, wines are a different beast altogether. Some wines are meant to be drank young and will not improve not matter how long they sit. Others are meant to be held for several years to reach full maturity. But I think we have already established that wines would not be good for trading purposes.

 

[Jezcruzen]

"I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade here , but I was a deputy shreiff in a dry county and I have personally arrested people on car stops for "Transporting alcohol for the purpose of resale " and we got convictions on less evidence than some have provided on this thread alone !"

Considering you worked in Kentucky where state troopers currently stop out of state vehicles west-bound on I 40 and shaking the occupants down for their cash, calling it "drug money", having got any convictions on less evidence doesn't surprise me any.

 

[Immolatus]

I just got a frickin bill from the state of MD saying I owe them $1000 for the cigs I bought online over a year ago before the site went belly up. Apparently even if I drive to another state to buy them, I am supposed to 'volunteer' to pay the taxes on each pack. $2 per.
Bastards!
I would check your states fascism levels before you go off stockpilin!

:gaah:

 

[Elinor0987]

But I think we have already established that wines would not be good for trading purposes.

Perhaps, but my comment about shelf life was in response to the post about the OP's case of wine. One of the things I want to do when I buy a house is make my own homemade wine and section off a part of the basement to make a wine cellar. I'm trying to learn as much as I can ahead of time and reading the articles is how I found out about their shelf life. Prior to that I assumed that all wines could be stored for many years.

 

[KittyCat]

I don't know that I would waste my time/money with Boones Farm, or really, wine in general. Wine is pretty easy to make, and I would imagine that people will start cranking it out pretty quickly in the case of a complete loss of infrastructure.

Liquor will be much harder to find (immediately, until stills get set up and people figure out what they are doing) and as such, will have more trade value.

I would purchase whisky, whiskey, bourbon, and vodka, with perhaps some gin or rum thrown in to the mix. Whisky, whiskey, and bourbon drinkers will generally drink either of the three, if needs be; I know I probably drink mostly Irish whiskey, my favorite is a good Scotch whisky, but I will drink bourbon if that is all that my host has to offer. Most Americans drink some form of the "brown" liquors. Vodka probably has the most versatility, as an ideal vodka should be colorless, odorless, and tasteless, so it mixes well with other things and is a good base for infusions.

As for the sizes which one should purchase, think of it like money: Is it easier to make change for a $20 or a $100? A variety of sizes would be good if you have the room to stock it; pints, 750ml bottles, and gallon bottles are all good sizes which would give you a lot of variety with which to trade.

I used to be a bartender and a bar manager.... I can go on and on about booze!

What about 190 proof Everclear? I can see multiple uses for this stuff besides trading and drinking. For example, as an antiseptic, a fire starter, alcohol lamp fuel, incendiary uses in defense of self or property, preservative, or possible temporary fuel for a motor (?). Your opinion please

 

[Woody]

I stock Everclear in my supplies, the ½ gallon bottles. As you pointed out is has many purposes, currently I only use it for making medicinal tinctures. I can remember (barely though) infusing a bottle into a watermelon and partaking in the summer sun. It couldn’t hurt for folks to keep at least a pint around for emergencies.

 

[oldvet]

I stock Everclear in my supplies, the ½ gallon bottles. As you pointed out is has many purposes, currently I only use it for making medicinal tinctures. I can remember (barely though) infusing a bottle into a watermelon and partaking in the summer sun. It couldn't hurt for folks to keep at least a pint around for emergencies.

I have started stocking 1/2 pints of Everclear and Jim Beam, the Everclear has as was said many uses (including barter item) and the Jim Beam is a fairly inexpensive barter whisky and most folks recognize the brand name.

DM

 

[SwampRat]

Booze

I make my own wine and whiskey. Whiskey is EASY to make. Check out Milehigh distilling's website. GREAT stills and easy to use. I make my own E85, use it as firestarter, and "other uses"....

As for wine, its easy to make yourself with minimal investment. I am stockpiling sugar just for brewing and trading!

I travel to a nearby state for smokes. Less taxes and I save 40% over my state, well worth the trip!

 

[Woody]

I make my own wine and whiskey. Whiskey is EASY to make.

Yes, making whiskey is easy. Making sipping whiskey is an art.

:beercheer:

 

[Frugal_Farmers]

My personal thought on this subject is that trading and bartering is not on the top of my list of preps.

Although we are in good shape as far as preps goes, we still have lot's of things on our list to round out our prepping efforts. We are cash and carry folks and will not take debt to finish our preps. I know we will never FINISH our preps because everyday we add something else to the list.

Perhaps once we "finish" our prepping list, then we might consider trade and barter items.

 

[oldvet]

My personal thought on this subject is that trading and bartering is not on the top of my list of preps.

Although we are in good shape as far as preps goes, we still have lot's of things on our list to round out our prepping efforts. We are cash and carry folks and will not take debt to finish our preps. I know we will never FINISH our preps because everyday we add something else to the list.

Perhaps once we "finish" our prepping list, then we might consider trade and barter items.

I can totally understand your position, we each have our own priorities and that is as it should be.

Hey maybe that's why there is Vanilla and chocolate. Choices? Man who woulda thunk it.

DM

 

[KittyCat]

I just got a frickin bill from the state of MD saying I owe them $1000 for the cigs I bought online over a year ago before the site went belly up. Apparently even if I drive to another state to buy them, I am supposed to 'volunteer' to pay the taxes on each pack. $2 per.
Bastards!
I would check your states fascism levels before you go off stockpilin!

:gaah:

FYI: In California US Customs shares information with the CA Board of Equalization (sales tax ) in order to collect their due. Here's how it works. An individual (not a retailer with a resale license - they are not the end purchaser and are exempt until the good is sold. They then forward the collected tax to the Board) will import an item and pay customs tax, The information is shared and the individual is sent a notice of sales tax due..