Barter Trade - Bulk Fuels

Watch Ryder

Just wondering what 15,000 gallons of petroleum would be worth in gold and precious metals if you were the faction leader in a post apocalyptic world?

What would you trade for the fuel?

It is being delivered by tanker convoy soon and you have about 5,000 tonnes of gold and silver to barter with. Ancillary trade goods are bullets, slaves and machine-parts.

You have scant reserves of fuel and it is precious. You don't lack for food, but are not trading a surplus either....

The noise of the convoy approaches and your go-between broker is waiting for an answer. As the faction leader you aren't going to turn down the deal of a lifetime, but you don't want to give away too much gold. Or do you?

The options

Nearly all your gold and silver - Very likely to get the fuel, plus a lasting shipment for several years. A very good chance of a permanent trade-treaty.

Three quarters of your gold and silver - Likely to get the job done, chance of a future trade-treaty also.

Half of your gold and silver - Possible to get one of the 7,000 gallon tankers worth of fuel, but not both.

A quarter of your gold and silver - Unlikely to get much, it could well anger the convoy leader!

Slaves and machine parts - Dubious trade for an unlikely agreement. Perhaps it'll soften up the men wanting wives for back home? It could also arose their anger at such offerings. You rub your hands and think more on this...

A hail of lead! - This is risky, the convoy is well guarded with both troops AND tracked vehicles

A mixture of precious metals, slaves and machine-parts - A balanced gesture, likely to get negotiations going, at the expense of a decisive outcome.

aaakev

Great queation!

Gold and silver will still be worth alot in a shtf situation. A much as there wont be alot of people with 15k gallons there will be less people with 5k tons of precious metal.....

Id be parting with as little as possible to maintain a relationship and get the deal done! Not an easy business negotiation but what one is??!

You can never pet the other party in a negotiation think they have the upper hand or more valuble product!!

hfallada

Depending on that the oil is for. You can use or vegatable oil as a substitute for diesel. You can also use animal fats for lighting. So I would the precious metal is more valuable. But then again gold and silver are fairly useless compared to iron or aluminium

aaakev

hfallada wrote: »

Depending on that the oil is for. You can use or vegatable oil as a substitute for diesel. You can also use animal fats for lighting. So I would the precious metal is more valuable. But then again gold and silver are fairly useless compared to iron or aluminium

Iron and aluminium can be produced from other resources, gold and silver cannot...

laoch na mona

i would low ball but then again i doubt we will go feudal a la mad max come the apocalypse i will work to create an anarchist society so if said convoy had or wanted slaves we would not deal with them

Tabnabs

I'd be awkward and say for that amount of fuel, no amount of gold and silver would interest me. The security and transport problems alone would put me off, never mind not having a practical day to day use. IMHO, I'd be looking for a agricultural land to trade instead. You could argue the gold would buy the land, but it doesn't negate the issue of handling the stuff in the mean time.

Watch Ryder

Transport is no issue, the convoy is coming to your land where you have sufficient storage for the 15k gallons of fuels.

Fries-With-That

I'm curious, as what kind of society are you creating in your post SHTF scenario.

Lots of gold & silver, bullets, machine parts and slaves to trade, have I read that correctly.

Slaves, Slaves Slaves, let me just say it one more time SLAVES you are talking about a Post SHTF Scenario and you have slaves.

Apart from the moral issues with this, how can the group sustain the expense.

Anyway, in a post SHTF scenario, gold and silver will be useless trading commodities unless you're dealing with magpies or planning on setting up a bank any-time soon.

I love the hail of lead idea because any group arrogant enough to have slaves will certainly have god on their side when it comes to stealing another groups valuable resources.

If the other group have the capabilities to transport a large supply of fuel to your group (trucks track machines and an armed escort) I don't think that would be short of machine parts or the capability to find them for themselves.

The only thing you could possibly offer is all your gold and silver (fuel will be the new gold for a period of time) and while you are making the deal you could as a grand gesture offer freedom to all your slaves.

Esel

Where does one get 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver?

Fries-With-That

Esel wrote: »

Where does one get 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver?

It was most likely stolen or maybe the slaves are used to remove all the gold and silver from unused computer hardware.

Watch Ryder

Esel wrote: »

Where does one get 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver?

From the big cities where the bullion is kept etc.

Fries-With-That

Hi Watch Ryder,

Now that I know you are still answering questions on this thread, can you explain the rational behind having slaves ?

Esel

Esel wrote: »

Where does one get 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver?

Watch Ryder wrote: »

From the big cities where the bullion is kept etc.

Ah... Right, Ted.

But: If you have 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver, how did you transport it to your castle? On trucks (many, many trucks) which need fuel to move.

So, either you had (and therefore should still have) access to plenty of fuel, or you were lucky enough to capture the bullion, and either kill or imprison all those truck drivers (and their escort). Anyway, unless you are prepared to admit that 5,000 tonnes was a typo on your part, this whole scenario is bogus.

Anyway, this thread is more suited to some gaming forum or other, imo.

Watch Ryder

Fries-With-That wrote: »

I'm curious, as what kind of society are you creating in your post SHTF scenario.

Lots of gold & silver, bullets, machine parts and slaves to trade, have I read that correctly.

Slaves, Slaves Slaves, let me just say it one more time SLAVES you are talking about a Post SHTF Scenario and you have slaves.

Apart from the moral issues with this, how can the group sustain the expense.

Anyway, in a post SHTF scenario, gold and silver will be useless trading commodities unless you're dealing with magpies or planning on setting up a bank any-time soon.

I love the hail of lead idea because any group arrogant enough to have slaves will certainly have god on their side when it comes to stealing another groups valuable resources.

If the other group have the capabilities to transport a large supply of fuel to your group (trucks track machines and an armed escort) I don't think that would be short of machine parts or the capability to find them for themselves.

The only thing you could possibly offer is all your gold and silver (fuel will be the new gold for a period of time) and while you are making the deal you could as a grand gesture offer freedom to all your slaves.

Calm down Freedom Fries

I'm not saying I would have slaves BUT there's the case that *some* factions certainly would and it is inevitable in a post-apoc. society for this to arise.

Watch Ryder

Esel wrote: »

Ah... Right, Ted.

But: If you have 5,000 tonnes of gold / silver, how did you transport it to your castle? On trucks (many, many trucks) which need fuel to move.

So, either you had (and therefore should still have) access to plenty of fuel, or you were lucky enough to capture the bullion, and either kill or imprison all those truck drivers (and their escort). Anyway, unless you are prepared to admit that 5,000 tonnes was a typo on your part, this whole scenario is bogus.

Anyway, this thread is more suited to some gaming forum or other, imo.

LOL, maybe, but scenario's are scenario's.

Ok the bullion has been removed from the bank discretely and prior to the collapse scenario, that's how it was done. It's been secreted and cached in various areas at the warlords compound and guarded by blood-sworn troops!

Watch Ryder

Fries-With-That wrote: »

The only thing you could possibly offer is all your gold and silver (fuel will be the new gold for a period of time) and while you are making the deal you could as a grand gesture offer freedom to all your slaves.

This is possible, BUT the slaves tend to be used in the gladiator-games to keep the peasants entertained with 'blood-and-circus' antics.
With plenty of food being grown nearby desperate newcomers are often enslaved in indentured servitude and then only a few misfortunes from the gladiator schools...

Fries-With-That

As suggested by a previous poster this thread contains nothing that illuminates me or anyone else as to anything concerning survivalism or self sufficiency.

I understand that you're writing a book/fantasy novella and using input from here to tease out plot lines, maybe you'd find more help in a writers forum.

Watch Ryder

Perhaps, but this type of thing does also overlap into a survivalist / Prepper type forum as well.
All options should at least be perused or discussed for future potentials...

When it comes to slaves, St Patrick himself was one afterall...