I asked John Williams to spend a few minutes with us and help us review some of the basics. We cover the BLSBS, the CPI, GDP and the potential for hyperinflation. No one knows more about government statistics (and how they're manipulated) than John and I am very grateful that he took the time to help educate us.
71 Comments
Hat Tip!
Hat Tip! 8 One just killed himself in court, looks like cyanide. Caught for insurance fraud and arson. Not keen on jail then.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/michael-marin-ex-wall-street-banke...
Michael Marin, ex-Wall Street banker, may have swallowed poison pill during courtroom conviction for arson
Marin, 53, of Phoenix had just been found guilty of arson, a crime that could have put him away for nearly 16 years. Police are investigating whether poison was the cause of death.
And one of the comments.
Vox 04:25 PM
Jun 29, 2012
Cool! A Wall Street Criminal punching his own ticket for the crimes he committed! Can we send a case of these pills to Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon?
cafetiere nespresso
Good stuff, Turd. Williams is a hero.
How many years was Williams out there, nearly alone, exposing what a fraud these official statistics are? He deserves tremendous gratitude from all of us who now start to see how false and corrupt things are. He was fighting a lonely fight for the truth years ago.
Thank you, John.
more on 925 sterling buys
Yo, again,
Whether most people know it or not one of the reasons we have the COMEX and LBMA “good delivery bar” refiners list is because some of the bullion bars out there are sterling grade (or worse). I could name names, but I’m not sure our moderator would allow the post…I can personally attest to finding “bad bars” as I “blow-piped” one (a well known American refiner, for that matter) and it tested out copper blue in the flame….This kind of fraud is also present in silver round purchases and I might add all of these items are marked 999 fine silver.
Don’t be surprised if down the road your friendly coin dealer doesn’t start asking a bigger spread on the buy back for these “generic” bars and coins….
There are lots of little oddities going on in this business….Here’s another: many dealers who buy Mexican “sterling” will only give 800 grade silver values on a scrap value basis for because of rampant fraud in wares from that country….Be especially careful with so-called “beach bangles” from Mexico. All I have ever looked at and tested WITHOUT a makers mark – albeit marked “sterling” have shown brass under the knife…Some countries where fraud is rife include India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Arab countries, and areas of N. Africa. Best material is British and European, USA, Canada – most so-called first world nations that have purity standards and use a hallmark system with government institutions ready to charge transgressors.
Try to buy sterling (or gold alloy) wares that include a makers or manufacturers mark…This is somewhat less common in sterling wares,,,but very common in gold alloy articles….
Life is a learning curve; expect to make some mistakes. But the learning is such a trip!
FWIW,
Galearis (aka L.)
re investing in sterling; HELL, YES!
Hello rl999,
I’m new to the forum and haven’t posted in any of these venues since old days at the old Kitco forum, USAGOLD forum and Eagle Ranch forum….So consider me a refugee from the scene until now. But I do like Turd’s project and the quality of the minds on this forum and the community spirit.
Hope I can help the cause.
I’ve been a sterling collector for some 15 years – most of which due to scrap interest in the metal…Focusing in on sterling over junk silver (and bullion) does have a few advantages. One actually can scrap the stuff to a refiner without running afoul of currency laws. One can use the objects (so keep an eye open for useful objects) as a dual-purpose investment and some of these objects are highly collectible and valuable as such in their own right….NEVER scrap quality pieces of sterling! Do the research to avoid expensive mistakes you will regret.
The only real problem with sterling objects is bulk for storage, a requirement for owning digital scales (see post above), a basic knowledge of hallmarks -and physical properties of the metal in order to avoid fraud. Basic rule #1: if not marked “925” or “sterling” or “stg” do not buy it. There are other things one can do to test hardness and ductility (shave with knife check for brass underlying), conductivity (hot water test or with lighter – heats up VERY quickly), and of course use a magnet (less useful since they started nickel plating the Italian wares but steel is VERY attracted, nickel weakly so), and just plain experience with the surface look (patina) and wear qualities showing the age and physical properties there of the metal….
Remember that sterling fraud hubbub some years ago? That was I who started that pseudo scandal when I found a slightly magnetic bracelet one day…FWIW.
For the past 15 years I have accumulated this metal thru buying at flea markets, yard sales, collectibles shops, other dealers, collectibles shows and even bullion shops. Try to buy the objects for 20% under spot. This is generally fair to all sides.
I have not sold a gram during this whole period and neither should you. Treat it like bullion and the money it is and stack it.
From the great White North,
Galearis (aka L.)
About sterling,..
Hello rl999,
I’m new to the forum and haven’t posted in any of these venues since old days at the old Kitco forum, USAGOLD forum and Eagle Ranch forum….So consider me a refugee from the scene until now. But I do like Turd’s project and the quality of the minds on this forum and the community spirit.
Hope I can help the cause.
I’ve been a sterling collector for some 15 years – most of which due to scrap interest in the metal…Focusing in on sterling over junk silver (and bullion) does have a few advantages. One actually can scrap the stuff to a refiner without running afoul of currency laws. One can use the objects (so keep an eye open for useful objects) as a dual-purpose investment and some of these objects are highly collectible and valuable as such in their own right….NEVER scrap quality pieces of sterling!
The only real problem with sterling objects is bulk for storage, a requirement for owning digital scales (see post above), a basic knowledge of hallmarks -and physical properties of the metal in order to avoid fraud. Basic rule #1: if not marked “925” or “sterling” or “stg” do not buy it. There are other things one can do to test hardness and ductility (shave with knife check for brass underlying), conductivity (hot water test or with lighter – heats up VERY quickly), and of course use a magnet (less useful since they started nickel plating the Italian wares but steel is VERY attracted, nickel weakly so), and just plain experience with the surface look (patina) and wear qualities showing the age and physical properties there of the metal….
Remember that sterling fraud hubbub some years ago? That was I who started that pseudo scandal when I found a slightly magnetic bracelet one day…FWIW.
For the past 15 years I have accumulated this metal thru buying at flea markets, yard sales, collectibles shops, other dealers, collectibles shows and even bullion shops. Try to buy the objects for 20% under spot. This is generally fair to all sides.
I have not sold a gram during this whole period and neither should you. Treat it like bullion and the money it is and stack it.
From the great White North,
Galearis (aka L.)
Corruption and Power
Bernie Sanders has identified the problem for years. So have central bankers. It has taken them since 1913 to destroy most of the world and transfer wealth while Nero plays the fiddle louder every day.
@No47
Posted a link to a Govt e-petition here
https://www.tfmetalsreport.com/comment/107326#comment-107326
RaRa
I think this may be one of
I think this may be one of the finest speeches I have heard from an American politician in my lifetime (I am not American). I would urge everyone to give up 25 minutes of your time to watch this and this is why I am reposting it from earlier in the thread.
Visit the FAQ page to learn how to track your last read comment, add images, embed videos, tweets, and animated gifs, and more.
Just a Regular Guy
Thanks for the vid. Here's one for you I'm sure you're familiar with from down under

Stop by in the Speakeasy anytime for entertainment, conversation and virtual drinks. Glad you are out posting.
Peace back.
