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Johnny Silverseed
Johnny Silverseed
By
Cognitive Dissonance
The Seed
I’ve been purchasing so-called junk silver coins every chance I get for the past 6 or 7 years. In fact I have standing orders at three local coin shops which I pick up on a monthly basis. Each of the shops has my credit card information so they don’t mind setting the silver aside since they’re assured they’ll be paid. However I make sure to pay in cash for obvious reasons. It’s so much easier to amass a precious metal cache if it’s added to on a regular basis. Like seeds carefully planted in the spring, there’s an inner joy derived from watching your silver garden grow all year long.
For those who aren’t sure what the term “junk silver” means, what I’m doing is buying quantities of old worn out 1964 and earlier US silver dimes, quarters and half dollars (along with the occasional handful of old Peace and Morgan silver dollars) primarily for their silver content. Because they’re well worn and any of the coins with collectable value have already been pulled, what remains are coins that are valued purely for their 90% silver content. Over the years I’ve accumulated several thousand coins this way along with my other precious metals.
After it was announced that silver would no longer be used after 1964, collectors culled the quality silver coins that had “numismatic value” from general circulation as well as from any private hoards and collections that came their way. Thus all the silver coins that were left were worn or damaged. Because these coins had no collectable value, those that remained were considered “junk” because the only thing of value left in each coin was the salvage value of the silver itself. And at the time this was barely equal to the face value. Isn’t it amazing how times have changed?
There are several advantages to purchasing silver in this manner. Since the coins remain US legal tender and at one point were widely distributed, they’re recognized and accepted the world over. Of course since the coins are 90% silver, one would be foolish these days to sell them for anything less than the value of their silver content. But their true value lay in the fact that since they are accepted worldwide both as legal tender and as silver bullion they’re extremely liquid and can be easily sold or bartered if the need arises. The same cannot be said about Grandma’s silver tea and flatware set.
In addition, because each coin’s silver weight is relatively small, the coins (valued by their silver content) are perfectly suited for small purchases. When, not if, the world’s population begins to fully understand what’s happening to their paper fiat currency, this attribute will take on even greater importance.
Finally, at this time there’s a relatively low premium charged by the seller over and above the silver spot price for junk silver coin. Meaning there’s a small markup when you buy in bulk. Bottom line, junk silver is extremely useful to the person who wishes to find an alternative store of value in small denominations.
Inception and Inspiration
About 6 weeks ago I sat down and began planning my Christmas gift giving. Of course this included tips for the various service and trades people I deal with, both as a small businessman and as an average Joe. As is my custom, I did an Internet search for the average holiday tip for various service persons to get an idea if my planned gift was in the ball park or if I would embarrass myself. It was at this time that I had an inspiration.
Coming from a poor family that rarely had much to begin with, as a child I was taught that it’s the thought and intent that really counts when giving gifts. Needless to say I learned real early in life to be creative. So in the past when holiday tipping I always made sure to provide cash and a small gift certificate or some other item of value that I knew the recipient would enjoy and which I always bundled up in a festive card. My holiday tips were always well received.
This year while brainstorming for alternative small gifts I began thinking about my true reason for giving. Aside from the usual social pressure to give, I really do wish to brighten the gift recipient’s day while sending a bigger message just like I was taught as a child. This led me to think about my community activism and the small ways I’ve touched people’s lives. What is always rewarding for me is when I can embolden or enable a person to act for the benefit of him or herself. This was the genesis of my idea.
Here on Zero Hedge we often talk about our frustration and the resistance we run into when talking to people about the various financial and social problems we’re all facing. Because we’re highlighting serious problems, but offering no real solutions, we are in effect creating emotional and psychological tension within those to whom we speak. In these situations, our desire is to avoid this tension by believing whatever we wish to believe, even if multiple beliefs are in conflict with each other. We are all walking talking cognitive dissonances, some more than others.
Is it any wonder then that our family, friends and acquaintances will do everything in their power to relieve this emotional tension? The result is that we are tuned out, ignored or outright rejected regardless of how illogical and self defeating their actions may be. We must remember that to the conditioned mind, it takes real courage to face its deepest fears. And regardless how unfair it may be to others, it’s not reasonable to expect the average conditioned mind to summon this courage without a little help from a friend.
Preparing the Soil
I’ve learned over the years that a negative idea will always be received poorly. By carefully choosing my words and considering how my message will be received, I’ve come to understand that even a seemingly hopeless situation can be rallied around if you give people hope and a reason to fight that they can make their own. This usually requires a positive approach if one wishes to generate a sustained effort.
This positive approach concept is the cornerstone of sales and even manipulation. So it’s often incorporated into political posturing, propaganda positioning and corporate sales initiatives. With this in mind, what is it that we’re giving to people when we talk to them about the problems they face? Are we giving them hope and a way out or just bad news and no realistic end to their misery? If you promise me a life in hell, what incentive do I have to strive for redemption?
I’ve tried striking up conversations with casual acquaintances about the financial situation in an effort to enlighten. The following is a condensed version of how the information usually goes down.
“Your government is screwing you by diluting your savings and cheapening your labor. The game is rigged in their favor to such an extent that they become richer from screwing you. We need to stop them, but it’s going to be a tough battle which we will lose if we can’t get enough people to join with us. So please sign here and put everything you have on the line fighting a corrupt government who controls the strings of power and who have all the guns.”
While this might not be exactly what I’m saying, the following is what they hear.
“Suicide bomber volunteers needed who are expected to pay their own expenses and die for the benefit of others.”
How attractive. With a pitch like that, why wouldn’t they choose to muddle along in denial rather than select hell on earth? Worse, aside from spreading doom and gloom, what exactly am I bringing to the table? Do I have any skin in the game? What am I doing about the problems I just shoved their faces in?
These are valid questions under any circumstances and they’re especially pertinent to the conditioned mind that long ago learned to stay safely within the herd and away from emotional danger. This old dog has slowly learned that if I’m going to make any headway I need a special attractor, a shiny object to grab their attention and lure them out into the open. I need to sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Planting the Seed
With this in mind I went to my stash and grabbed a handful of silver, then began to work my plan. I purchased some silver polish and shined up the old coins as best I could. Then I placed them inside cardboard display holders that contain a plastic window front and back to show off the coin. With a variety of old worn out dimes, quarters and half dollars wearing their best set of clothes, I turned my attention to the verbal and written message I knew was vital to my success.
I searched the net until I found a small wallet size chart showing the various US silver coins along with their individual silver weight and other characteristics going back to the 1800’s. Along the way I also located a second chart for the gold US coins to place on the back. I then laminated the chart to make them sturdy and substantial enough so they would last a long time. I wanted the charts to remain in their wallets or purses without deteriorating.
A major component of sales is to create a belief in the person that it’s in their best interest to act and then an urgency to act now. Often this is done by convincing the subject that the item offered has great value or at least much greater value than the competitor, but only if you act now. In order to help instill a sense of real value into my small gift of silver, I needed to exaggerate the emotional worth of the coins beyond their physical replacement price of $10 or $20 dollars. After all a sum that small is hardly a reason to challenge your beliefs regarding the government and the financial system.
To do this I needed to combine something of much greater value with the coin I’m offering as a gift. This is why commercials appeal to your ego or sense of self worth or safety or the social standing of you and your family, all things that are emotionally much bigger in your mind than the item for sale.
This would be accomplished in part with a simple one paragraph contract between me and the person I was giving the silver coins to. The contract required them to promise me they would give me the right of first refusal if they ever decided to sell or give away my gift. I wanted them to think “Wow, this must be valuable if he’s that serious.”
It didn’t matter if the contract was legally binding or not, just that it conveyed my sincere belief that what I was giving them had great value and if they didn’t want it, I wanted it back. If you think about it for a while, many things we want or already own have value to us simply because other people attach great importance to it.
I wanted to transfer my sense of appreciation for the silver coins to the other person. Otherwise it might become just another coin in their pocket. I needed to make it bigger than its monetary worth. I was trying to create ideological converts with this gift, not hand out beads and baubles at Mardi Gras.
If I couldn’t spend at least a few minutes with the person to explain my gift, I wasn’t going to waste my time or silver just giving it away. I was looking for fertile soil here so to be effective I needed time to nurture the seed. This required a few minutes of one on one quality time within the person’s comfort zone. So for some people who were just too busy to talk I just gave cash. Since I didn’t want to travel too far off the beaten path, the majority of the holiday tip would still be cash with the silver coin or coins acting as the icing on the cake.
With silver hovering around $28 an ounce by the time I was ready, this meant a silver dime was worth around $2, the quarter around $5 and the half dollar around $10. To prove this to the person I would make sure I kept in my pocket a printout of the price of silver as well as a pocket calculator to do the math. I also typed up a short list of 5 coin shops with 20 miles where they could go to purchase junk silver. I needed to give them the opportunity and ability to follow up by purchasing silver on their own.
Because I had three coins to choose from, I made sure the silver portion of the holiday tip always included at least two coins. I then put the cash in the cards but left the coins, contract and the laminated chart and coin shop list outside so I could make the pitch without the need for the person to open the envelope. I was almost ready to have some fun.
The last thing I needed was my elevator pitch. I needed to condense what I had to say down to five minutes or less, the most time I felt I could waylay anyone who was working. Short and to the point was paramount, but I also needed to hit all their hot buttons. Once I felt I had it down pat I practiced on my wife (always a sympathetic listener) and a few close friends.
Surprisingly, even though my wife and friends knew about my propensity for precious metals, all of them became excited when I practiced my pitch. I could see that the idea grabbed them in a way all my prior discussions about currency debasement and government corruption hadn’t. For the first time I began to think that maybe this could be the difference, however small it was, in my activism and recruitment against the Ponzi machine. I was fighting fire with fire and using the Ponzi’s own weight against it. Now I was ready.
Germination and Propagation
Over the following two weeks as I came into contact with the various people I had planned to give holiday tips to, I would thank them for their year’s service and then explain my gift. For example, the UPS guy is in my office at least once a week so he was an obvious choice for the holiday tip. We always talk for a few minutes and we’ve developed a casual friendship.
During the past two years he’s been coming in I’ve warned him on a few occasions that he should consider purchasing silver and gold. I would always get a non committal response. This time, after signing for the package I handed him his holiday card and thanked him. Then I said the following.
“Obviously you’re aware how tough the economy is. And despite what the government says, prices keep going up an up on many things we buy like food, gas, health care and so on. This year I wanted to give you a little something to protect a small portion of your money. But there’s a string attached.”
I had his undivided attention.
“You may not be aware of this, but up to 1964 the government made most of our coins out of 90% silver. They stopped because the price of silver was going to exceed the face value of each coin. Take a look at this chart.”
I then handed him the US silver coin chart and pointed to the various coins and their silver weight.
“As you can see, the quarter had a little less than two tenths of an ounce of silver, the half dollar about a third of an ounce and so on. The cost of the silver in 1964 was at most twenty five cents for the quarter, fifty cents for the half and so on.”
In fact, the silver cost may have been a little more or less back then, but it doesn’t matter. It was the concept I was trying to get across, not exact details.
I then picked out the quarter and half dollar I was giving him and I placed them directly into his hand. I did not hand the coins to him. This method of physical transfer is very important. As he raised his right hand to accept the coins, I took his right hand with my left hand and then placed the coins directly in his palm with my other hand. This is what you do with a person when you’re handing them something delicate or valuable. There is great psychological importance implied by this action.
“What do you think these coins are worth today?”
The answers always varied widely, but they rarely gave me a dollar amount higher than the present value. Regardless of the number they gave me I would say the following, modified for each person’s actual gift.
“Today the quarter is worth around $5 and the half around $10.”
I then pulled out the prior day’s closing price of silver and quickly showed the UPS guy how to calculate the price of each coin.
“You just multiple the price of an ounce of silver by point one eight, which is the weight of the silver in the quarter and point three six for the half dollar, to come up with the silver value for each coin. Those numbers are here on the chart.”
I then handed him the calculator and asked him to try. With my guidance, he quickly understood how to use the chart and calculator to figure out the price. This is important because it puts the power to determine value in his hands, not mine.
“So in less than 50 years the price of the silver has at least quadrupled, which makes sense because the price of everything else has gone up during that time. But silver or the other things don’t become more expensive. Your dollars become worth less and less every year. So it takes more of your dollars to purchase the same amount of silver.”
This always elicits a frown or puzzled look on their faces because it goes against what they’ve been taught; that the dollar is rock solid and stable. Most people really don’t understand inflation or currency debasement at all. So I make sure to repeat what I just said, only I use different words the second time to help it sink in.
“You need more dollars to buy the same gallon of gas than you needed 10 or 20 years ago. You need more dollars to buy the same size car or basket of groceries or a two bedroom home than you needed 10 or 20 years ago. Those things didn’t get more expensive; your dollars lost their value over that time so you need more dollars to buy the same thing today. This isn’t normal or natural. In fact it’s a deliberate act by the government. In effect, they’re stealing the value of your dollars from you because they’re printing dollars like crazy.”
While this isn’t a perfect explanation, it works for the purpose intended. To try to explain some of the finer details would quickly blank their brains. Stick to the basics and convey the idea, not the details. This is basic sales (and propaganda) technique. KISS or Keep It Simple Stupid.
Ready to Harvest
Now I just needed to seal the deal so I continued creating the image I wanted to plant in his mind.
“These coins are yours as part of your holiday tip. But there’s a catch. They’re going to become even more valuable very soon because the government has gone mad printing money. I want you to sign a promise that if you ever decide to sell or give them away, you’ll give me the first right to buy them back before anyone else. If you don’t want to sign that promise I won’t give you the coins, just the cash.”
Now I shut up. In the world of salesmanship I had just asked the customer to buy my product. A good salesman understands that at some point you must ask for a purchase decision and then shut your mouth. Often an uncomfortable pause follows. The first person to speak is generally the “loser”. If the customer speaks first, they most likely will buy. If the salesman speaks first, s/he has probably lost the sale. I wanted the UPS guy to “buy” the concept that his dollars are being destroyed. And that silver (and gold) can help maintain the purchasing power of his “money”.
The UPS guy thought about it for a second and then quickly agreed. I pulled out the contract and read the one sentence promise to him, signed both copies and showed him where to sign. I then gave him one copy and kept one for myself. Now the last thing I needed to do was provide him with purchase affirmation. We all need to feel we made the right decision after the fact.
“Here’s a list of coin dealers in the area where you can buy old worn out coins like these. They’re called junk silver and if you say those words they’ll understand. I suggest you try to buy $100 a month of silver and more if you can. You don’t need to buy collectible coins, just junk silver. Call ahead to make sure they have some in stock because they go fast. If you have a problem finding some, stop by my office and I’ll make a few calls and locate some for you. Is that a deal?”
I deliberately put my hand out to shake his hand and seal the deal. This is another important step. Remember that I had placed the coins in his right hand so now he needed to transfer them to his left hand in order to shake. This transfer of the coins from one hand to the other while agreeing to the deal is symbolic of his (unconscious) acceptance of the coins and the concept.
A few people had already moved the coins to their other hand so I deviated from my script a bit and asked for the coins back to show then a small detail. Then I placed them back in their right hand and immediately asked them to seal the deal. At this point the UPS guy, like nearly everyone else I did this with, had a broad smile on his face. My final act was to cement the big idea, meaning his budding liberation and emancipation, firmly in his mind.
“Don’t think of these coins as an investment because the price of silver will move up and down. Think of this as a way of protecting yourself from the liars and thieves in Washington DC. It’s your way of fighting back. Every time you purchase silver or gold, you’re saying to them ‘No more. You won’t steal the value of the dollars I just used to pay for my coins.’”
The look on his face was amazing. I had just turned a simple gift into a small act of revolt and liberation in exactly the same way the propaganda master Edward Bernays had conflated the act of women smoking with female independence and liberation. As I said before, I’m fighting fire with fire.
Teaching the Next Generation
The entire transaction never takes more than 5 minutes because I move it along quickly. If it takes too long, it becomes a burden for the busy person which in turn causes them to lose interest. I’m attempting to imprint an idea in a person’s mind so I need to move quickly with a rapid fire delivery of easy to understand concepts and beliefs.
BTW, the intelligence services call this a psychological operation or psyops for short. Now that you’re seeing some of the basic psyops concepts come together in seamless execution, hopefully you’ll take a closer look at what you’re being force feed on TV, in the newspapers and even in school.
As I said earlier, I see many of these people on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and the feedback has been very positive. All of them thanked me again the next time they saw me. Over half quoted me the price of silver without being asked. Of the fifteen people I gave holiday coins to, three told me they’ve purchased additional silver since then and several others told me they would buy more coins after the holidays. I call that success.
After the initial gift giving I found myself a bit disappointed because I didn’t want to think my project was limited to just one month of the year. Then I realized it didn’t need to be. During my normal week I eat at restaurants or engage other services where tipping is customary. There was no reason not to continue spreading the silver seed. Because of time constraints I couldn’t do it with everyone I tipped, but over the next 3 weeks I was surprised to find that it worked most of the time if I was committed to doing it.
Now I always walk around with some junk silver dimes and quarters mounted in cardboard in my pocket, along with the laminated wallet card and the current price of silver. I made the coin shop list even smaller and added it onto the laminated wallet card so now everything is on one card. I’ve dispensed with the written contract because for the most part I don’t know the people I’m giving coins to. This has the added benefit of cutting some time out of the transaction. But I still ask for a verbal promise to sell the coins back to me.
I always make sure I give some cash along with the coin so the person doesn’t feel like they didn’t receive a tip. Remember that waiters and waitresses depend upon their tips for a substantial portion of their income. If I would normally tip four dollars on a twenty dollar meal (a 20% tip) instead I give them two dollars in cash and a silver dime worth two dollars.
The key is to give them a reason to walk away smiling and energized, not to have them feel like they’ve been under tipped or even cheated out of a tip. The cash means they got a 10% tip and the coin was “extra”. If the restaurant is busy, I’ll actually begin the conversation about the tip as I’m ordering and spread it out over the meal. It’s such an unusual conversation that I find they remain interested because they know from the start they’ll be tipped.
I make sure to tell the person that I’m only doing this once and that now it’s their responsibility to protect themselves. It’s important to use the word “protect” because it places the coin in a different mental category. And I tell them it’s one and done because I don’t what them to see me as their savior or benefactor, but rather their educator or instructor. I’ve shown them what to do as well as how. Now go do it.
This has gone over very well, particularly in the restaurants. I make sure to go back to the same restaurant over the next few weeks, but I sit at different tables so I can give coins to the other people working there. This helps build excitement and buzz which generates its own momentum. I’ve actually had a few people ask for extra wallet cards so I make sure to carry plenty at all times.
Other than the time it takes me to clean and mount the coins and make up the wallet cards, there really is no cost for me to do this. Remember that in every case I’m splitting the tip I normally give between cash and silver coin or coins. So I’m not spending any more money than I would normally spend. There isn’t even an opportunity cost from the loss of future appreciation of the silver because I’m replacing the silver beforehand. That handful of silver coins I started with was replaced the day after I decided to go forward with my idea.
This is very important for in order for this idea to spread each person who decides to do this must not be burdened financially. Otherwise internal resentment might build which could quickly kill participation. While giving is important to building one’s character and maturity, it doesn’t need to be a hardship in order for it to be constructive all around. The emotional joy I receive from doing something positive and constructive for others is an added benefit. There’s just no other feeling quite like the pleasure of giving of oneself for charity sake alone.
Passing the Baton
Before I close, let me tell you about the latest development. From the start my intention was always to see if I could get the ball rolling. I didn’t want to be the only one moving the mountain one wheel barrel at a time. I had assumed it would pick up speed on its own and it has. But the other day I realized I might be able to convert some of those who have received my coins into someone who gives away their own coins if I could apply the right incentive. It was worth a try.
A little over a week ago the UPS guy came in smiling and quickly told me that silver had hit $30. He was one of the people who had purchased additional silver on his own (an important qualification because it shows he’s bought into the idea) and each week he showed me the two coins I gave him as if to prove to me he was keeping his promise. I mentioned to him I was giving away silver dimes and quarters as part of my tip at restaurants. Suddenly I had another idea.
I asked him how many silver dimes equal a silver quarter. He pulled out his chart (which made me smile) and told me it came to about two and a half dimes. I then offered him three dimes for his quarter, to which he quickly agreed. Then I made the new pitch. If he would give away one silver dime to three different people as part of a normal tip, I would give him six dimes in return when he was done.
He couldn’t give them to friends or family, but only as part of a transaction in which he would normally include a tip. I told him straight away that I wanted him to teach others like I had taught him and I would only do this one time to get him started. I would also give him extra wallet cards, but he would need to make his own after that. Essentially it would cost me about $12 in silver dimes to create a new teacher, cheap by any standard of measurement even if it didn’t take.
At first I could sense his reluctance and I suspected he thought it was a trick or that it would cost him money. But I carefully explained that since he was going to tip someone anyway, if he split the tip between cash and silver coin, it wouldn’t cost him anything extra to give away the silver. I gave him the $4 tip example and suddenly he understood. I sealed the deal by reminding him that he would actually double his money by giving it away. He would get two silver dimes for each of the three he gave away. But he had to give them away first.
As he turned to leave he paused, then asked me how I would know if he really did give the coins away. I smiled and asked him if he was trustworthy. He immediately stood a little bit taller and said of course he was. I quickly replied.
“Well then, that’s good enough for me.”
I cannot describe the smile that came over his face when he realized he was being trusted at face value without a contract or even a handshake. But what surprised me was that he never asked me if I could be trusted to give him the six dimes. After all, he had to give away his silver first; only then would I give him mine.
I’ve since made the same offer to the two other people who bought their own silver coins and all of them have accepted the deal. While it’s still early and I have no results to report, I can’t wait until the UPS guy comes in next week to hear how he did. It will be fun to see if my Johnny Silverseed has germinated and what the new sprout thinks about his own personal growth.
The most powerful force in the universe is the seed of an idea that is embodied and made real, first in our minds and then with our hands. Often the cost of implementation is minor except for the activating ingredients, those most precious and rare elements called imagination, inspiration, initiative and leadership. But in the right hands, your hands, a seed carefully selected and nurtured to germination knows no limits to its growth and propagation. Look within yourself and discover those rare elements. Then become a Johnny Silverseed and cast your ideas to the wind to be the change you wish to see.
Cognitive Dissonance
01-02-2011
Special thanks to WilliamBanzai7 for the artwork below.
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This xmas I gave silver coins (and some gold) as gifts to my family. The gifts were very well received I might add.
Having done so I then pulled out a set of pre-decimal (1966) Australian coins and a 1966 one dollar note. The silver coins (3p 6p shilling and florin) would have been collectively valued at 37.5 cents at the time (1966) - about a third of a dollar.
I then explained that today those silver coins are now worth around $10 owing to their silver content - the dollar note (withdrawn from circulation yonks ago) was now worthless.
I suppose at the end of the day this gold and silver thing is a mind game, especially gold for it has little (pratical) use - yes Edward Bernays would be looking up at CD with a wry smile upon his cynical mug.
It is very easy to appreciate where CD is coming from - history does support his arguement, but also when one observes history in the broad sense then PMs can lay dormant (and go backwards) for long periods of time.
Having said that it is obvious that the human psychic does not operate in the practical sense, and few truly understand what motivates the mind, as such you would have to be a mug if you didn't factor such in and own physical PMs - just to be prudent, and when the powers of heaven and earth align make a good capital gain from the fear and anxiety of the masses.
On another note the Australian 5, 10 & 20 cent coins (75% CU and 25% NI) are now worth 75% of their face value. If CU and NI doubled in price (highly unlikely in the short/medium term) then those coins would be worth 150% of their face value.
If or when that happened then one could turn 2 million dollars into three million dollars (less expenses) very easily - providing you didn't get caught.
Economics: is it a mind game or a science?
Anyway Happy New Year to all - an interesting and informative web site (in more ways than you think).
Well done chaps.
Economics is like Voodoo, an attempt to explain an extremely complex phenomenon with words...
Thnaks for that info JO, I will now no longer throw those 5 cent pieces away!
As of 1/3/11, a US five cent coin is worth USD$0.06766, or ~135% of face value. Another strategy would be to save nickels because if current trends continue I expect them to be debased as well. I already pull out real copper US pennies (pre-1982) @ nearly 300% of face (Thanks JPM!)
http://www.coinflation.com/coins/1946-2007-Jefferson-Nickel-Value.html#meltvalue
Canada actually minted 99.9% Ni Nickels (1955 - 1981) that are worth USD$0.11 -- you can still find these around.
On the Canada nickel composition dollar, current value is $0.3851621.
See http://www.coinflation.com/canada/
CD, you're such a rebel. So you have several thousand bags, or coins? I'm looking to add a couple bags of junk silver to add too my monster boxes. At the rate they're going up they won't be good for small transactions. I think silver for everyday use and barter is good for flying under the radar.
But I'm going to keep them. It's too late for the seeds. Everybody is going to learn real quick to dump their USD for metals.
Second paragraph.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8Pw6eBdFI cheer up velo, at least you have a daughter
(and you've got us)
Bravo, CD!
I have been contemplating something like this myself. Your method goes beyond simply keeping a few 1/2s in my pocket as visual aids for my spiel.
My analytical skills exceed my people skills so I found the article informative from the psyops angle. I do have a mercury dime next to a Zim$100T bill displayed at my lab bench that occasionally spark conversations with my coworkers...
well i started to read your article and it is just plain hard for me to read your content. why is it in a larger font than most on ZH? here is my answer, you are catering to old people, who can't see close up. that is very annoying with your latest articles. i feel like your audience is old folks. i am an old person but don't want to be casted as one with your intentions. i know your a wonderful person but i just cant stand to read your articles.
anyway i have huge disagreements with my daughter over all this stuff. i mean, she and i just don't get along, period..........................
she wants to listen but when i go deep, "i got to go, mom". love her to death.
oh well, she is interested in silver coin, now that it has gone up not down since her purchase.
imagine my daughter telling me not to give silver coin to a couple of my friendly 'hood clerk's, at Lolita's. christ, tipping is insinuating, so i want to give something beyond what the tip vessel is, to all my homies.
now she asks me if i will slit my wrist if the emminent collapse does not occur. what will you do mother, if it all doesn't collapse? will you go into depression, she asks?
i emailed her several link to WB7, doesn't like it. it is political satire. i don't like it, she says.
where are you going to get your food when diesal and gas go up and the 18 wheelers say, F U C K aspen, to hard to get to and to expensive to service that town. ? good point, mom. think about it dear.
she taught three different pilates lessons to one of the most powerful financiers in the world this week. he doesn't even give her a christmas present. he just sponsor's her yearly, with ski racing equipment. sent in the form of a check from texas. what a joke. this bankster, just mentally rapes her, year after year. i am at a loss what to think about this relationship. he is 68 yo her around 34. come one, man. what does this say. i can't quite come to terms with this man's objective. been going on for 10 years +.
oh well, this is probably my sign off for the day. good luck trading tomorrow, boyz†
Isn't it about time to ride your velo off into the sunset? Your posts are borderline retarded. Did you take a severe blow to the head at some time? I may not have the greatest info to add to many articles on ZH, but for fuck's sake I try not to detract from the discourse. I have never felt anything other than dumber for reading your posts. BTW, your daughter sounds like a brainwashed, pop-culture addicted whore who sucks off rich dudes for the privilege of bombing the slopes.Like mother, like daughter, I guess... :)
my gal is 30 years older. What does that say about me? Most would think me a gigolo
But 11 years ago when we met she had 60,000 and i had 300,000. It wasnt the money and it wasnt her figure, cooking or good in bed. It was her honesty and lack of pretense, it was the love she carried in her heart and a mind not given to negativity.
She did not fight , but flowed with harmony and carried herself with unspoken humility.
This person lives as a soul more than merely a human and only now that her body is failing does her light dim a bit.
I wonder if youre really a middle-aged woman as you claim.
Regardless, hit 'ctrl - ' on your keyboard next time you find the font too big (substitute the - for + if too small).
Oh CD!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
I knew I loved you because you used the word "regardless" correctly, and now I can only thank you for sharing this great article. I, too, have been planting tiny shiny seeds and have met with the warm beginnings of success and community-building locally.
Have a blessed New Year!
Family first, community second. We must all recognize that it is imperative that we begin again to care for each other as well as ourselves.
i walked up to local strangers in my community handed them a silver oz and walked off. All i ever said in leaving was" keep it at least one year" and i walked off.
I got rid of over 300ozs that way. I still have 180. I have no income, no more business and no hope of future earnings. But i do have seeds, a temporary home and a garden.
Yup i am a poor and dum fuck who worships the freedom of my heart and the living truth that is this moment. I have something precious , i have myself. I could explain and go into detail . Only those who have already died would understand.
action, emotion , mystery. Aint life a hell of an adventure!? I have worked my way up from absolute nothing several times. Hoping to do it again after the fall.
I can respect that.
If you ever intend on giving out free OZs of gold, please let me know what part of town youre in!
Zero Power, i had a small bit of gold but found my mind begin to dwell on it. I saw i think its called "avarice " take hold of me and wanted no part of having my attention on gold. Wondering , did i hide it good enuff, "gee these krugs are small, did i do the right thing ? etc. The gold was starting to have me instead of me having the gold.
Where your attention is , is important. Having my attention on the gold caused me to be more human than i cared to be.
Hoping to do it again after the fall.
You will! Keep the faith man.
I have all my net worth in tillable acreage, home and farm equipment... all owned free and clear. I farm vegetables after my escape from a wageslave life in suburbia. We are full for interns this year but many small farms looking for help. Room, board and a cash stipend... a good way to make connections and learn the art of self sufficiency (and dissapear off grid if needed). Good luck in 2011. Some us have died too, we all fought our way back.
i liked the communal life. My female partner is near 90 and i wont leave her till she dies.
Then, if the world is still here i may try that again. Going it alone in a near mad max time is insane. Going it alone now only works for goldpanners if they get far in back country.
Did you ever read Wendell Berry' book "What are People For?"; you would like it!
+100% on your comments to mere human; the people need take back the power and nobody is going to do it for you. But a few kind words along the way are worth their weight in gold1
And thanks CD for a beautiful Holiday Story
You seem to have the soul of Bukowski. I wouldn't change if I were you.
This is the first time I've seen this name. Thank you for the introduction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bukowski
Thank you CD. I read the account of Bukowski.
This is very interesting as i too lived in LA. On the streets and off the streets. There are many similarities between Bukowskis life and mine. We differ in that i dont drink, but smoking pot makes up for it. And i hoboed, rode the rails. Along the way on the colder nights i used the small change i saved to have a 2/3 hour coffee between 3 am and 6 was usually the coldest part of the night. Sitting in the restaurant milking the coffe i would write poetry on the napkin. Stuffing the poetry in my pocket as i left. Later that would be my toilet paper. If its one thing i learned in life its not to hold on to tight to anything.
I enjoy writing, have a little poetry put aside and am attempting a book simplyfying what it is to be human and how to get bejond being merely human. I need help because i truly lack ambition. It is illusion after all and i have seen and experienced that very clearly.
I too met a mystyc fellow and am glad of it. I too am german w/ polish background
and can squarely say the best sex i ever had was a black lesbian hooker who kept calling me jesus. Missing 2 front teeth but able to hooverize that vagina. Only time i was ever milked for joy. Beats hell out of nonperformers
sorry bout my xrated comment. i thought it funny. Oh yeah, i was the only white guy for a good ways. I still have that trust that carried me safely truh many a bad night and place
Damn , life is good .
I remember one night the pimp who had the 4th floor room next to me hung his lady out the window , holding her by one foot. This at 5 am when the hookers shift was done. 5 am in LA is cold.
The lacking ambition thing is from the herb. Hopefully you haven't discovered "spice" yet or we'll probably never hear from you again...
CD, great piece. Thank you.
Bukowski is not for the faint of heart and can be misogynistic, misanthropic and worse at time in his writings. But God bless his soul........he was REAL and HONEST. Traits that seem lost today.
Thanks again for the great read
Yowie! I wanna read your book, or essay or however you chronicle your life's adventures!
I've had some custom made silver coins made for the family.
And for everybody in the family (we're only with 12 :), I've given them 5 x 1oz silver coins with all the names of the family writting in circles (oldest on the outside, youngest on the inside) on one side and a Flemish lion on the other with the year 2011.
Everybody found it to be the best present ever!
And I think I'll do this every year from now on.
I did pay 50$ a coin but I know they'll save them. And I also told them how economics and silver through history works. They where really fascinated.
-- Posted 30 December, 2010
http://news.silverseek.com/GoldIsMoney/1293724137.php
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Great read... for a wedding gift for a great friend, I gave 20 ounces of rounds. He works for Morgan Stanley and is forced to play the game and is naturally a "defender of the status quo." Not surprisingly he had little real understanding of currency debasement and the illusion of wealth. Silver was $21.50 an ounce at the time... 3 and a half months later we're at $30. Following inflationary pressures religiously now, my buddy calls my gift to him the only wedding gift he received "that keeps on giving."
Thx cd... look forward to hearing your follow up reports.
I've thought about whether I should be telling family and friends about PMs. I have been acquiring silver bullion for a few months but have kept it to myself. Part of me asks; what if I'm wrong? I am willing to purchase PMs myself but I don't want advise people on something when I'm no expert.
CD - I admire your idea, I don't know if I'd be able to pull it off, there's a reason I don't work in sales! I doubt I could do it justice.
I've been sending neices and nephews gold and silver coins/bars at Christmas for the last 5 years. In the beginning they thought it was lame, but after 5 years the 1/10 oz gold Maples and the 5 oz Ag rounds are worth much, much more than I paid for them. I should offer to buy them back, a la, CD's idea, if they plan to sell. So far it isn't necessary. It caused the kids to read about the history or silver and gold, and now they are believers.
I remember when I started buying gold and the wife was thinking I was out of my mind. Then one day I took 20 Eagles out of the tube and dropped them in her hand so she could listen to the sound. That was the end of that. Now she asks me when I'm buying more gold.
Good move! I carry coins, but no clad coins. I have some of the "gold" dollars, Anthony dollars, Ike dollars (yes, they are heavy), and as my every day pocket piece, a Silver Eagle. I also carry $2 bills and leave them as tips, etc. I've shown the Eagle to several people when they see it as I pull out change. Its heft always impresses them and they gaze at it for a little while. When someone is unimpressed I consider them unsuitable for rehabilitation along CD's line of thought.
Unsuitable for rehab. Classic!
There is one universal truth in sales. You can sell anything you believe in.
If this is the case, you're usually a very good salesman because your enthusiasm and excitement comes from a natural source and it's quickly recognized by those you approach.
CD, you are describing the concept of congruency in selling what you believe in. An acquaintance of mine, Blair Singer has been teaching this concept to Fortune 100 companies for years. When your mind, body and emotions all line up there is a genuineness that can not be masked or covered up and is infectious. I have a couple of friends who are in a select group who make millions in sales and they have mastered this art and reap huge rewards as a result. Blair is one of them. You're essay above is a classic description of this concept at it's finest.
To those who dissed the article due to it's so called lack of brevity, you exhibt a characteristic that has and is leading us to the point of intellectual exhaustion. The "give it to me now""I don't have time for this" mentality robs us of so much richness in examining those moments of "Ah Ha" that leave us changed, refreshed and renewed.
Again, thanks for a wonderfully written expose' of what makes you, CD!
DaddyO
The power of a positive belief is so enormous that it's like capturing lightening in the bottle when utilized. In sales the 20-80 rule rules. Corporations are just beginning to try to replicate what enables 20% of the sales force to produce 80% of the sales into the 80% of the sales force who only produces 20% of the sales.
I often feel like I'm taking a chance when I post my articles because I am exposing myself to the reader. While the nasty comments can hurt at times, there are always so many more comments like yours that embolden me to carry on to the next article. Thank you for believing in me.
I view the many junks I get as a bullet hole in the hide of ignorance.
If I pissed somebody off enough to junk me, that means I rocked their boat a little. And that's the best I can hope for at a distance of a couple thousand miles.
Seems to be a whole lot of bullet-holes on this article. Who the f is junking every single post?
ZH is definitely a "two edeged sword"!
If you're writing for money and trying to sell what you write then you have to tailor it to your audience. If on the otherhand you're writing to elucidate or enlighten your audience, or share that "Ah Ha" moment then trolls be damned.
Write on and let the chips fall where they may!
I will just wade through the troll crap and use the chips to fuel the fire of intellectual freedom that is ZH.
DaddyO
CD, thanks for a thoughtful approach to the difficult problem of getting people to understand the concept of value. As you well know the so called "TPTB" have been waging a battle against truth, love and understanding for millenia in their unbridled lust for total control of the planet and its finite resources.
Over the years I've attempted to understand the big picture of who we are and what purpose, if any, mankind serves.
This journey succeeded in spiritizing my mind and has given me an extremely positive outlook for us as a species.
This spiritual view has not blinded me to the fact of our present untennable situation however, and I'm heartend by the efforts of people like you who take the time to actually do something, in a purely unselfish way, to bring light to a concept that has been purposely discredited, and systematically destroyed here in the west, ie: gold and silver as money.
Although our ultimate purpose is to find God, who is the embodyment of truth, beauty and goodness, our immediate task is to secure a safe and workable life for our families and loved ones.
That is accomplished by seeking out the way things "really" work and that my friend is why I read ZeroHedge.
As for me I'm "long" humanity!
Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7txCdLCP9U
Nick Lowe - Whats So Funny About Peace Love & UnderstandingSimply brilliant CD! I wish I had half of your creativity. This is a gift giving idea I could get behind.
Ideas that empower others, are ideas the that change the world.
Teach a man to fish....
Because they’re well worn and any of the coins with collectible value have already been pulled, what remains are coins that are valued purely for their 90% silver content.
Not necessarily true.
This was an interesting article CD. I got my first exposure to silver coinage as a child back in the early 60's watching my father build his coin collection by cashing his paycheck for silver and going through it for coins with numismatic value. I still remember holding 100+ year old coins in my hand and wondering who had owned them and what they might have been spent on in the intervening years. Back then a coin collecting hobby was something anyone could do out of generally circulating coinage. Of course that was killed when clad coins came into being. But, a couple of years ago I bought a $500 face value bag of dimes and just for kicks I gave it to my dad to go through, never really thinking that anything of numismatic value would be included. Much to both our surprise he found several examples that made an improvement to his collection, with the best being a 1921-D that graded out at over $200. The others were not nearly as valuable but still over junk. I doubt that anyone but a hard core coin collector like my dad would really look forward to the exercise of sorting through 5000 dimes on the off chance of finding a collectible coin, but he got a charge out of it and enhanced his collection too at no cost . I was happy to trade for a few junk dimes to refill my bag, and he had the pleasure of searching for a "hit" again after all these years of only being able to purchase for his collection.
There is a regular weekly column in Coin World called, "Found in Rolls". The guy swims thru thousands of coins and finds some really strange stuff.
Thank you for adding to the discussion.
I agree one can still find some "extra" value in junk silver. But for the most part, and for the purpose of the main point of this article, junk silver in 2010 has been picked clean.
I already get clobbered for my articles being too long. Once I begin to add details, where does one stop? :>)
Probably about one sentence before it feels right. But that's okay. Like most of the people here who aren't complaining that you've taxed our tiny attention spans, I say, Good on ya'. Thanks to the information. I for one didn't find it at all taxing to read. It was light, enlightening and useful.
For those who are bitching, I recommend the Eveylyn Wood speed reading program or a college freshman level remedial reading course.
I spent all my school years surrounded by morons who held my learning speed back because their brains didn't work so well, so we all had to wait for them. I don't expect or appreciate that here at ZH.
Keep writing, CD, and those of us mentally equipped for it will do our best to keep up. And the rest will drool on their keyboards and bitch at you for giving them more information than their skull ballast can handle.
Word!
Amen to that.