I have looked at some of the economic cycles for hints as to the timing of the collapse.
There are several cycle theories of interest to me: Elliott wave theory, Kondratieff theory, Kress 60 & 120 year cycles, etc.
A number of these cycle theories point to significant bottoms in the 2010-2012 timeframe.
In conjunction with these cycles I also like to consider timing factors in the US. Of particular interest, IMO, is when the baby boomers start to retire.
The leading edge of the boomers are eligible for early retirement bennies in 2008. Since there is not a “social security trust fund”, all of the money for the boomer retirement will come straight off the printing presses.
I believe this increased debasement of the money supply will help to drive the dollar to the point of universal rejection somewhere in the 2010-2012 timeframe (assuming it doesn’t happen before then!).
Yes, I am your traditional goldbug (although silver bug would be a better description). If it isn’t physical metal in a place where you can easily access it, you don’t own it (IMO). I store mine between my .45 and my 12 ga (LOL!). My one exception to this policy is the Perth Mint Certificate Program (Google search it). I hold some silver via the Perth Mint program.
I have a small portfolio of Canadian exploration and junior resource company stocks – mostly silver and gold but a few base metals and energy companies too. I don’t trade this portfolio – in fact, my accountant gets the statements so usually I don’t know what level the account is at. I happened to see the Feb statement and my 30K account had become a 50K acct in the last two months – then in Mar it was 64K and now it is 84K. That is tremendous leverage to the rising price of the metals and energy but it comes with the risk of all paper investments (as compared to physical metal in my possession).
