Stash Cash by Changing Cash into Schwag

Keeping schwag is a good way to preserve against total economic collapse on the apocalyptic front and could be a fair investment on the optimistic side. Keeping a stash in cash could be dangerous if found because it has the highest perceived value (and arguably so). If found it will be taken. Converting cash into schwag is a safe way to hide wealth. Schwag could be overlooked and could also be traceable if taken. Also, certain forms of schwag do nothing but go up in value.

Gold (Precious Metals)
Gold has long been held for its value, because it holds it value. The United States long held the value of its currency based upon gold (only getting off the gold standard in the seventies). Holding gold can be a good way to keep a cash stash while also increasing in value. This should be good news for those who are scared of a stash cash, because of the declining value of the dollar. Also, because changing the value of gold into currency will take time, keeping it in a safe deposit box should not be a problem.

Guns
Once placed into the secondary market, guns tend to hold their value. They can also be used to secure one's property, but just looking at it from an investment perspective they can stored in a safe or safe deposit box. Recommended is holding older models of guns as the value is more certain and the scarcity will also mean that value will only increase.

If gun ownership is scary, one can also look at holding ammunition as a barter exchange. The cost of ammunition is going up and in tough economic times gun owners will be looking for value. Should a crisis happen where supplies are cut off, many will be looking for ammunition and it could them become very valuable. The downside is it should be kept in a relatively controlled environment (indoors) and has a shelf life of about 10 years.

Jewelry
Jewelry can be a good investment, with its value increasing with the market of precious metals and gems. The downside is moving jewelry to cash can be tricky. Jewelers sell new jewelry because the markup can be high. Pawnshops have a rudimentary knowledge of jewelry but it will be based upon market values only, with their margin calculated within an offer. The best investment is to buy from a pawnshop pieces they value and would buy back at a good rate. Though most women balk at wearing second hand jewelry, the idea should not be to adorn someone but to have cash value. Having two sets of jewelry could be a good solution. Set one is the investment set. Set two is the show-off set. Besides the good jewelry pawnshops will clean, buff, repair, reset, resize their piece to your specifications to make the piece look like new.

Bad Schwag
Collector's items like baseball cards, comic books, stamps, etc, may fetch a fair dollar but in a troubled economy holding value may be difficult. The upshot is because there are stores that specialize in these items, getting cash out of them may be quick and easy. However, unless you have a collection started in your youth, back when baseball cards came with gum; it is most likely that you bought from these very people. Therefore, they are not going to give you the same value you bought unless something extraordinary happened. Collector item values do not climb quickly, but very modestly over time. Therefore, if you already have a collection you started at least a decade ago keep it and consider it schwag. If not, forego this form of stash cash and move on.

Antiques do hold their value and increase quite steadily. Also, there are the unique finds in garage sales, estate sales, junk yards and flea markets, or just in an old barn. The problem is someone needs to know what they are doing. The Antiques Roadshow has, unfortunately, everyone believing that $25,000 ceramic pitchers are available in every grandmother's attic. The sad fact is unless you know what you are looking for and the value, getting the good stuff could just make you a junk collector. Buying antiques at market prices is not a good idea for this conversation's purpose because the idea is to have cash relatively quickly if needed. Retrieving the value in cash can be a long process involving putting it up in auction, which takes time and could subject one's piece to an undervalued sale. Fluctuations at auction could be because enough people did not show, the wrong people showed (wrong auction), or the bidders were waiting for the lot after yours before spending their money.

Electronics are the worst stash cash because they are not an investment. They do not hold value well, there is no secondary market for them. People want the next great things in electronics, even late adopters will just get the next model of the gee-whiz gizmo rather than get yesterday's model. There may be a few exceptions like vintage electric guitars. And there maybe some nostalgia items, but those are things thirty-somethings want from their teens. You have to wait twenty years and you don't know what that something is. Another big problem with electronics is that they break down. That may be due to planned obsolescence, but the fact is that between a short-life and no secondary market, electronics are no investment.