Fear is a good reason.
To find an analogous case, go back in time to when the Hunt Brothers gained a monopoly over the silver commodity
It's not an issue of just ramping up production. The mineable silver in the ground is just about depleted.
Even the supply of recycled steel is gamed, and that is a built-in factor, unlike current tariff implications. All commodities are gamed by their brokers and shippers. That's what they do.
What is so different about metals like silver and titanium today is they're also in high demand in tech and defense. Gold is tied to perceived wealth security. But rare earths are more likely to spark mining expansion these days, along with lithium. Most of the gold which came out of California in the 20th C, after the former gold rush days, was a byproduct of tungsten mining when that was in high demand. It's still there in them thar hills, but outdoor recreation which preserves the scenery rather than tearing it apart it is actually a lot more profitable and sustainable to local economies than mining. Large scale silver mining is still going on in Nevada.
I haven't printed anything since June. I'm holding back paper consumption until I have the opportunity to get some fresh 8x10 shots. Ordinarily, this would be a wonderful time of year for a road trip. I even just got my truck suspension overhauled, with new tires too. Film holders are already loaded. But my go-to location options seems to be getting flash flooded badly, or are now past their prime in terms of fall foliage, or are just plain too rainy wet at the moment. Then there's the Govt shutdown dilemma, which has ironically inundated some of our Natl Parks with hordes of people eager to break rules of conduct. And I'm anxious about an 82 yr old friend who went backbacking by himself right before the season's first significant snowstorm hit; he probably has enough food with him to wait out the storm in his tent, but I'd still like to know. Maybe there will be a mild Indian Summer around the corner soon. The nice thing about being retired is having flexibility of scheduling.
Many of our mountain locations are far less populated today than they were in the apogee of mining days. My mother's uncle was a circuit preacher with a congregation of about six to ten grubby miners, back when Silver City, Nevada was a boom town with over 200 bars and brothels, and at least two murders a day.
I print 3-8 prints per week either of new work or doing catch up printing for my workbooks. I figure I need to do this now before either silver printing gets unacceptably expensive and/or I go meet my Maker and explain why I did what I did.
What will your response be if when you meet your maker you discover that she wears flip flops and tye-dye and has an Instax Mini slung around her neck?
To find an analogous case, go back in time to when the Hunt Brothers gained a monopoly over the silver commodity.
Lots of b&w photographers had to stop printing entirely because paper had gotten so expensive. It's pretty nuts already, right now, while the price of silver keeps climbing. Most metal indexes are getting ridiculous, due to irrational tariffs. But precious metals, as a kind of security - gold, platinum, and silver, have really gone over the top. Keep in mind that coaters like Kodak and Ilford have to acquire significant stockpiles of silver ingredients at propitious intervals. They don't make one sheet of film at a time! And at that point back in time, when they were in head to head competition with the Hunt Brothers, they lost. Now they're a far smaller business entity with far less leverage. It's gonna hurt.
Time to pull some of your teeth and sell any gold or silver fillings. That won't work for me, since the cheapo insurance dentists I had to go to probably substituted lead solder instead. It's easier to polish with a Dremel tool.
It's not an issue of just ramping up production. The mineable silver in the ground is just about depleted.
I have casually come across other articles over the years that forecasted silver reserve depletion by the end of this decade or early the next. In historical terms I think we have stepped into the beginning of steep decline. I wouldn't be surprised if the photographic industry is near dead in less than ten years.Can you link your sources ? All indications are there is lots left to mine.
And loccdor - sure, just wait it out - six feet under - until the price stabilizes again. Long time scales might favor evolution for better or worse, but not personal plans. We're apparently talking about "survival of the greediest".
I have casually come across other articles over the years that forecasted silver reserve depletion by the end of this decade or early the next. In historical terms I think we have stepped into the beginning of steep decline. I wouldn't be surprised if the photographic industry is near dead in less than ten years.
I have casually come across other articles over the years that forecasted silver reserve depletion by the end of this decade or early the next. In historical terms I think we have stepped into the beginning of steep decline. I wouldn't be surprised if the photographic industry is near dead in less than ten years.
I have casually come across other articles over the years that forecasted silver reserve depletion by the end of this decade or early the next. In historical terms I think we have stepped into the beginning of steep decline. I wouldn't be surprised if the photographic industry is near dead in less than ten years.
A Forecast of When We’ll Run Out of Each Metal
Michael Campbell's MoneyTalks Podcast. Financial commentary of stocks, equities, real estate, and commodities such as gold, silver, and other precious metals.mikesmoneytalks.ca
Silver Inventories Could Be Depleted as Early as 2025
According to some predictions, silver inventories could be depleted as early as 2025 due to surging industrial demand, which will have far-reaching implications for the silver market, investors…nai500.com
Like Peak Oil. Likewise, the end of optical lithography is always 7 years on the horizon, and commercial nuclear fusion has been 40 years in the future for some 70 years by now.I have casually come across other articles over the years that forecasted silver reserve depletion by the end of this decade or early the next.
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