Gold has Never been Worth ZERO!... Well...

[tha malcontent™]

@ $900 an oz, I stand to LOSE a LOT if I start buying Gold now...

Tell you what, you Keep your Gold and I'll come make a Withdrawal with my Apocalyptic Credit Cards from your Bank when the **** hits the fan...

Seriously, what are People Thinking they are going to do with that Gold, most of it on Paper, when the System Collapses into Chaos?...

Gold Ownership has been Banned by the Gubmn't before...

You Think it won't happen again?...

$900 an oz?...

I'll pass.

Gun Show soon for some Real Investments in some MORE Ammo!

:)

peace...

[FoxGranadaChuck]

According to Dave Ramsey, gold just barely keeps up with inflation; more often than not, it does not even do that!

[BillyBobUSA]

Gold, real gold coins, never lose their value and are used not so much as an investment as they are a last ditch protection from economic collapse, the kind we are flirting with today.

I sold all my precious metals about a year ago and had doubled my money I spent on them. Had held on to it for years and whent the price hit $900 an ounce I figured I'd take the cash and use it for some gun purchases.

As to what you would do fir it in an economic collapse, well you could still barter it for almost anything even in desperate times.

[tha malcontent™]

Gold, real gold coins, never lose their value and are used not so much as an investment as they are a last ditch protection from economic collapse, the kind we are flirting with today.

I sold all my precious metals about a year ago and had doubled my money I spent on them. Had held on to it for years and whent the price hit $900 an ounce I figured I'd take the cash and use it for some gun purchases.

As to what you would do fir it in an economic collapse, well you could still barter it for almost anything even in desperate times.

Barter with my Ammo... ;)

:)

peace...

[BillyBobUSA]

Barter with my Ammo... ;)

:)

peace...


By 'barter ammo' do you mean bartering bullets as they leave the muzzle or pre-fired?

[ImNewHere]

Every fiat currency in the history of mankind has failed. Gold and silver have been money for thousands of years. So with that and my ammo, may I also suggest stocking up on non-perishable food items for the coming famine as well?

[birddog1]

Personally I think junk silver coins would be a better route to go if a person is stocking precious metal for an economic collapse. It is cheaper, easier to find, and you can easily buy it where it can't be traced to you (unlike large volumes of gold coin).

Also if the economy did collapse it would be in small denominations that would be more conducive to trade and barter. After all how are you going to get change for a $1000 gold coin when you go to buy toilet paper off your neighbor?

If a person does have some excess wealth I can see putting a small part of it into gold or another precious metal if they become certain that things are rapidly going south. After all it doesn't hurt to be diversified.

[Oddball]

According to Dave Ramsey, gold just barely keeps up with inflation....
That's the point of the current "flight to safety" in the metals market.

While Ramsey gets a lot of things right, he'd probably be best to quit talking down metals given the policies of the current administration, which seem hell bent on collapsing the USD.

[Oddball]

Personally I think junk silver coins would be a better route to go if a person is stocking precious metal for an economic collapse. It is cheaper, easier to find, and you can easily buy it where it can't be traced to you (unlike large volumes of gold coin)......
Absolutely.

I have several hundred dollars face value in circulated "junk" silver coin in my collection....Just in case.

I don't envision a local shopkeeper having change for 1 oz. Krugerrands.

[Dr. Funkenstein]

Every fiat currency in the history of mankind has failed. Gold and silver have been money for thousands of years. So with that and my ammo, may I also suggest stocking up on non-perishable food items for the coming famine as well?

Will we need them with the internment camps though?

[Talk2Bill]

I think BillyBobUSA said it well. GOLD is not that great of an investment as it is a security. If the bottom falls out of the market and we have to start over, if you have gold then that ought to have value in ANY economy.

but when i was looking at gold here is what I was told:

as a seller you will be very hard pressed to get melt value for any gold.

when gold is high no one wants to buy
when it is low no one wants to sell
when it is changing it is to risky to buy or sell

and make sure if you do buy that is it a recognized 'brand' Coins or company some are more trusted than others.

[Oddball]

I think BillyBobUSA said it well. GOLD is not that great of an investment as it is a security. If the bottom falls out of the market and we have to start over, if you have gold then that ought to have value in ANY economy.

but when i was looking at gold here is what I was told:

as a seller you will be very hard pressed to get melt value for any gold.

when gold is high no one wants to buy
when it is low no one wants to sell
when it is changing it is to risky to buy or sell

and make sure if you do buy that is it a recognized 'brand' Coins or company some are more trusted than others.
I have never found either of those two to be the case. In fact, a couple months ago when gold was trading in the mid-to-upper $700s, it was nearly impossible to find any gold bullion save for 1 kilo ingots.

As for getting melt values or less when you sell, that's largely true when dealing in bullion. However, the investment (MS) grade circulated gold coins will always sell at a premium well above melt.

[Chucky]

@ $900 an oz...Yep, whenever I hear the metal pushers, I'm reminded of a guy I worked with back in 1980. He bought a bunch of gold at $850 an ounce because he listened to the pushers. He's now looking at a TOTAL profit of 6% in 29 years. :rolleyes:

Talk about a Ponzi scheme!

[tha malcontent™]

By 'barter ammo' do you mean bartering bullets as they leave the muzzle or pre-fired?

I mean like, "Strip down, get butt nekkid, ******!... Give me yo Jew-ells, Fooooool"...

:)

peace...

[BillBrown]

Yep, whenever I hear the metal pushers, I'm reminded of a guy I worked with back in 1980. He bought a bunch of gold at $850 an ounce because he listened to the pushers. He's now looking at a TOTAL profit of 6% in 29 years. :rolleyes:

Talk about a Ponzi scheme!

He bought during the only six month period in the last 40 years, that could have happened.
I sold gold in 1980 that I had paid $100 an oz for.

[Oddball]

Yep, whenever I hear the metal pushers, I'm reminded of a guy I worked with back in 1980. He bought a bunch of gold at $850 an ounce because he listened to the pushers. He's now looking at a TOTAL profit of 6% in 29 years. :rolleyes:

Talk about a Ponzi scheme!
Uh-huh....So how am I looking for buying a bunch when it was at $300.00??

[Chucky]

He bought during the only six month period in the last 40 years, that could have happened.
I sold gold in 1980 that I had paid $100 an oz for.
heh heh - I just noticed the ad running at the top of the forum: "Gold - it's never been worth zero. Gold beats stocks by 500%"

Sure, over a very select and unique period (a bit like the guy buying in 1980), gold outperforms stocks. I could also claim his experience versus the market and point out "Stocks, even in an average mutual fund, beat gold by 600%."

The bottom line is, as a long term investment, stocks have always outperformed metals. Not that I'd recommend stocks, either. The problem is that very few people are interested in long term security. They want it all NOW. And that basic human greed is what drives people into scams: inventing them and buying into them.

I don't buy timeshares or vacation clubs, either.

[BillBrown]

I have never found either of those two to be the case. In fact, a couple months ago when gold was trading in the mid-to-upper $700s, it was nearly impossible to find any gold bullion save for 1 kilo ingots.

As for getting melt values or less when you sell, that's largely true when dealing in bullion. However, the investment (MS) grade circulated gold coins will always sell at a premium well above melt.

I've bought and sold a lot of gold. I was in the gold business in 1979-1980.

The secret to buying and selling gold, is to skip the retail shops and deal directly with a refiner.

I also would not buy minted coins.
If you are looking at a survivalist society, where gold and silver become a medium of exchange, the premium you pay for coins will not be returned.

People will not pay for the assurance of legitimacy that a minted coin offers.
They are too easily faked.
Gold is very easy to prove. It can be done with $2 worth of chemical that can be carried around in your pocket.

If we get to the point that we buy and sell with gold, people will know this.

[birddog1]

That's the point of the current "flight to safety" in the metals market.

While Ramsey gets a lot of things right, he'd probably be best to quit talking down metals given the policies of the current administration, which seem hell bent on collapsing the USD.

I agree, I listen to Dave Ramsey just about everyday and almost always agree with his advice. Heck in years past I would even agree with what he has said about precious metals, but times and circumstances are different. Normally we would pull out of this slump within a year or two and a person would be better off with normal investments. Personally I just think the our economy and fiscal policy has been mismanaged for too long, there are too many negatives piling up against a turn around, I think things were over inflated to begin with, and frankly I think the current administration is only adding to our woes with their supposed fix.

What I am really worried about are food shortages in the near future. I work in the Ag business sector and things are starting to get pretty rough here. Government meddling and poor energy policy put most farmers and ranchers on poor footing several years ago and now with this dramatic slump in the economy they are really having a rough time. Beef cattle numbers were artificially low even last year due to inflated feed cost, now prices are still so low that producers are continuing to cut their herds and feeders are not restocking which means a further reduction in supply. Most dairy farmers couldn't make a profit right now if feed companies gave them feed free. If we see these trends continued I am afraid there won't be enough people left in business to produce a reliable and steady food supply.

I am going to add some food and water to my emergency stash and worry about precious metal a little latter on down the road. I do think a small stash of pm is advisable though.

[tha malcontent™]

If you are looking at a survivalist society, where gold and silver become a medium of exchange, the premium you pay for coins will not be returned.

I will Simply Take the Gold in that Society...

The Vast MAJORITY of People are Ill Prepared for what may one day Come...

I am...

As is my Wife... And my Children will be...

And my People are.

Someone wants to go to War... We'll take them to War.

:)

peace...

[tha malcontent™]

If Gold was $800 an oz in the 70's/80's or whenever, what does that say about it being the same 30 years later?...

:)

peace...

[JeffR]

I always thought "gold was never worth zero" to be an odd reason to purchase gold.

[sgdp]

Those gold commercials rank up there with the Snuggie™, Sham-Wow™, Slap-Chop™, Vermont Teddy Bear™, Pajamagrams™, (Insert sonic hearing device), etc.

"Buy your gold where I buy mine! Rosland Capital!" At least it sticks with you.

Though the one commercial that makes me scramble for the mute button every time are any and all "Free Credit Report Dot Com" commercials.

[Oddball]

I've bought and sold a lot of gold. I was in the gold business in 1979-1980.

The secret to buying and selling gold, is to skip the retail shops and deal directly with a refiner.

I also would not buy minted coins.
If you are looking at a survivalist society, where gold and silver become a medium of exchange, the premium you pay for coins will not be returned.

People will not pay for the assurance of legitimacy that a minted coin offers.
They are too easily faked.
Gold is very easy to prove. It can be done with $2 worth of chemical that can be carried around in your pocket.

If we get to the point that we buy and sell with gold, people will know this.Depends upon the shop. If you do your homework and leg work, you can usually find an over-the-counter dealer who charges premiums that are very competitive with anyone out there.

My comments viz. minted circulated coin was in the context of buying them as appreciating investments vs. bullion, rather than for their survival value.

I haven't heard of anyone faking Morgan dollars or double eagle Saints.....That must be some coin minter.

[birddog1]

If Gold was $800 an oz in the 70's/80's or whenever, what does that say about it being the same 30 years later?...

:)

peace...

It tells me that the Federal government has learned exactly zip about how the economy works in the last 38 years, because the reason is gold is that high again is because things are screwed up again.

[peter45]

If Gold was $800 an oz in the 70's/80's or whenever, what does that say about it being the same 30 years later?...

:)

peace...



But if you saved the stuff that was bought back then, you could finally get your money back!

[tha malcontent™]

But if you saved the stuff that was bought back then, you could finally get your money back!

If you Lived long enough...

:)

peace...

[Spaceman Spiff]

@ $900 an oz, I stand to LOSE a LOT if I start buying Gold now...

Tell you what, you Keep your Gold and I'll come make a Withdrawal with my Apocalyptic Credit Cards from your Bank when the **** hits the fan...

Seriously, what are People Thinking they are going to do with that Gold, most of it on Paper, when the System Collapses into Chaos?...

Gold Ownership has been Banned by the Gubmn't before...

You Think it won't happen again?...

$900 an oz?...

I'll pass.

Gun Show soon for some Real Investments in some MORE Ammo!

:)

peace...

I agree with Tha Mal for once.

Now if you'll excuse, I have to go take a shower. I feel so dirty. So dirty...

[ImNewHere]

Yep, whenever I hear the metal pushers, I'm reminded of a guy I worked with back in 1980. He bought a bunch of gold at $850 an ounce because he listened to the pushers. He's now looking at a TOTAL profit of 6% in 29 years. :rolleyes:

Talk about a Ponzi scheme!

You had a lot of luck with the DJIA stocks the last 18 months?

[ImNewHere]

I always thought "gold was never worth zero" to be an odd reason to purchase gold.

Ever checked out what has eventually happened to every single fiat currency?

[ogibillm]

gold has to be a good investment. would the people behind Stanford Gold and Buillion lie?

[Chucky]

You had a lot of luck with the DJIA stocks the last 18 months?

Doug Casey (from his interview with the Gold Report of 2/24/09): It's a good idea, but we weren't really talking about oil. I'd say that oil is a good thing to own. Oil is a real buy now. It's as good a buy at $40 as gold is at $900 right now. Maybe a better buy; who knows?
From Chucky's FWIW IMHO YMMV Department:

If folks don't already know, I'm definitely an anti-metals-investment guy. I'm hardly a stock investment guy, either, but, over the long haul, stocks have always outperformed gold, as has land or other real estate, or even anything "real": livestock, furniture, tools. The key is "over the long haul". Sure, stocks took a big dive, and look to go lower, but gold's current bubble hardly warrants a buying spree.

When I see a metals pusher say stuff like the quote above, insisting that the current all-time highs over $900/ounce are a good buy, I can only think of the example I gave earlier of the guy in my office back in 1980 who listened to the metal pushers then and proudly bought gold at $850/ounce - which turned out to be its peak for the next 27 years. To me, that sort of perspective makes the metals market look more like a Ponzi scheme than an investment.

One reply to that anecdote was "sure, that's possible, but back then I was selling gold that I bought at $100/ounce". In other words, "buy low, sell high" - great advice, if you're lucky enough to pull it off like he claims to have done. It didn't help my opinion of metals.

The two points I'd like to make are these:

(1) if you have money to invest, you are certainly free to put it wherever you deem best. But as with all things done for investment purposes, remember they are long term, and you should be willing to lose it all.

(2) if you're buying gold because you truly believe the economy is permanently tanking, and therefore see it as a universal commodity for dealing in an unknown future economy, don't count on it.

First off, historically speaking, the first economy to arise after a major collapse is a barter system: a dozen eggs to the carpenter who fixes your door. Any sort of monetary exchange has to wait for a new government to be established and set up a reliable currency.

Second, if you start flashing gold to get stuff, it's just a matter of negotiation, like anything else. More importantly: consider yourself a target. Both for bandits and for the incoming government. Bandits just steal, and gold has a transportability advantage to those guys who aren't exactly settling down in the community. And a government wants gold because it wants ALL the gold: its power is in huge amounts, not the piddling hundreds or thousands that most people could ever afford. And they'll take it from you, either by law or by force.

No, if you have gold, keep it hidden and safe for some future generation who might be able to take advantage of its value in a reliable fashion.

[tha malcontent™]

gold has to be a good investment. would the people behind Stanford Gold and Buillion lie?

What if Gold Dumps from $900 to $300 again?...

That's never Talked about...

And that was $900 30 Years ago...

:)

peace...

[ImNewHere]

What if Gold Dumps from $900 to $300 again?...

That's never Talked about...

And that was $900 30 Years ago...

:)

peace...

Very unlikely given what B. Hussein Obama has already done and will do to the dollar. Those who do not remember the lessons of the Weimar Republic are doomed to repeat it.

[ImNewHere]

If folks don't already know, I'm definitely an anti-metals-investment guy. I'm hardly a stock investment guy, either, but, over the long haul, stocks have always outperformed gold, as has land or other real estate, or even anything "real": livestock, furniture, tools. The key is "over the long haul". Sure, stocks took a big dive, and look to go lower, but gold's current bubble hardly warrants a buying spree.

You're dismissing metals, but based on what? Stocks may have hit bottom, they may have further down to go. Nobody knows. With what I'm seeing and reading, the dollar is set to take a huge dive and I'm hoping it doesn't collapse, but there's talk of that. And if that happens, anyone holding dollars, or stocks, are screwed. While you're calling gold a "bubble" - sure, I'll go with that, but only because it's the only asset that has a chance of surviving, or at least preventing someone from losing everything. I'd rather get caught owning gold than dollars or stocks.

First off, historically speaking, the first economy to arise after a major collapse is a barter system: a dozen eggs to the carpenter who fixes your door. Any sort of monetary exchange has to wait for a new government to be established and set up a reliable currency.

Second, if you start flashing gold to get stuff, it's just a matter of negotiation, like anything else. More importantly: consider yourself a target. Both for bandits and for the incoming government. Bandits just steal, and gold has a transportability advantage to those guys who aren't exactly settling down in the community. And a government wants gold because it wants ALL the gold: its power is in huge amounts, not the piddling hundreds or thousands that most people could ever afford. And they'll take it from you, either by law or by force.

No, if you have gold, keep it hidden and safe for some future generation who might be able to take advantage of its value in a reliable fashion.

Perhaps you should go back and read all of my posts. I also suggest stocking up on food as well, whether it's for barter or for your own use, it's up to you. And stock up on ammo.

If I'm wrong, I'll be happy. When happy days are here again, I'll serve up the best damn MRE's you've ever eaten and fire all those rounds up in the air in celebration.

[Paul31]

If Gold was $800 an oz in the 70's/80's or whenever, what does that say about it being the same 30 years later?...

:)

peace...

It says the Hunt brothers are back in business. ;)

[tha malcontent™]

It says the Hunt brothers are back in business. ;)

Nice...

Gold is almost Garunteed to Double in Value...

:)

peace...

[KyanWan]

The only thing I can really say - is yes, it is a wise thing to own some, but it is a stupid thing to put all of your money into it. These horror story people you always hear about, they're the ones who put "all their eggs in one basket" - as the old saying goes.

But it is true, that historically it has performed even better than now - when adjusted for inflation. It's at 50% and it truly does have the potential to go up even more - all relative to how badly Hussein screws the economy while reviving glorious Soviet Union for great glory of proletariat. [ Use your imagination to insert Soviet National Anthem for effect. ]

If you're so hair-triggered that you go into panic mode when you're investing (hey, maybe we've got too many of them in the market today - too many faithless people who panic at the first time of trouble or hardship...) --- then investing might just not be the right thing for you.

[ I was about to "politically-correctitize my post by replacing the you-with "a person" or "someone" ... so many years talking in places where I'd be bitten for that ... ]

[tha malcontent™]

The only thing I can really say - is yes, it is a wise thing to own some, but it is a stupid thing to put all of your money into it. These horror story people you always hear about, they're the ones who put "all their eggs in one basket" - as the old saying goes.

But it is true, that historically it has performed even better than now - when adjusted for inflation. It's at 50% and it truly does have the potential to go up even more - all relative to how badly Hussein screws the economy while reviving glorious Soviet Union for great glory of proletariat. [ Use your imagination to insert Soviet National Anthem for effect. ]

If you're so hair-triggered that you go into panic mode when you're investing (hey, maybe we've got too many of them in the market today - too many faithless people who panic at the first time of trouble or hardship...) --- then investing might just not be the right thing for you.

[ I was about to "politically-correctitize my post by replacing the you-with "a person" or "someone" ... so many years talking in places where I'd be bitten for that ... ]

If I sat on Gold from the it's Peak back in the Late 70's, Early 80's, I would have been ****ing the Bed for 2 Decades...

And what's Gold going to do when all of this Artifically Created Economic Hysteria Settles because the Administrations Use for the Hysteria is over?...

When we come out of this Recession, and we will... Gold ain't going to $2000 an Ounce.

I would be Expecting it more like Dropping to $500.

And if you Purchased at $900, and it sits at $4 or 500 an ounce for 2 Decades...

Damn.

:)

peace...

[KyanWan]

If I sat on Gold from the it's Peak back in the Late 70's, Early 80's, I would have been ****ing the Bed for 2 Decades...

And what's Gold going to do when all of this Artifically Created Economic Hysteria Settles because the Administrations Use for the Hysteria is over?...

When we come out of this Recession, and we will... Gold ain't going to $2000 an Ounce.

I would be Expecting it more like Dropping to $500.

And if you Purchased at $900, and it sits at $4 or 500 an ounce for 2 Decades...

Damn.

:)

peace...

Dropping to only $500? Sir, it's been as low as $300 - in the 90s. ( http://www.goldprice.org/gold-price-history.html#10_year_gold_price )

I've got my own rules about purchasing, and I'm sure anyone else does as well. Very simple, to tell you the truth -

buy low, sell high.

I see a lot of gray-haired guys peddling their gold ... I wonder who is selling the gold. Hah - maybe the guys who got burned back then.

It is excellent for preserving your money, though - as it's been a universal currency since ... hey, when did we start using gold? I really don't think the US is in that boat yet, though - and if we did start getting into it ... well, gold would be $2K an ounce and flying. --- BUT --- this is a big IF, possibly with lottery-like odds.

But go back to that graph up there - the true price, without the insanity - I see two trends on that graph. One, the "normal" would put gold around $350-400/oz. The second, after a spike (*9/11), would put it around $500-600/oz.

[pattyk]

heard on the news the other day there is a lawsuit against Fort Knox to have investigators go in to see how much actual gold is there.

Last time anyone from the outside was in there was the 50's.

imagine the surprise if they go in there and there are 3 bars only!

[Old_Mil]

I think BillyBobUSA said it well. GOLD is not that great of an investment as it is a security. If the bottom falls out of the market and we have to start over, if you have gold then that ought to have value in ANY economy.

but when i was looking at gold here is what I was told:

as a seller you will be very hard pressed to get melt value for any gold.

when gold is high no one wants to buy
when it is low no one wants to sell
when it is changing it is to risky to buy or sell.

I think the difference now is that given the policies of this government and the federal reserve, what passes for high and low for Gold over the next decade will be very different than what those numbers were in the previous decade.

The peanut farmer's evil twin is back in the white house - and this time, he's on crack.

and make sure if you do buy that is it a recognized 'brand' Coins or company some are more trusted than others.

Very true. Ingots are extremely illiquid.

[TinCan]

Here's my 2 cents. I am investing in lead & copper in brass & steel cylinders complete with propellant. On top of adding to the calibers that I can use personally, I am picking up other calibers to barter with provided I get them at bargain prices. I'm also looking to pickup some decent and reasonably priced single-shot long guns of differing calibers, again, something that can be bartered/traded to those who will suddenly have a need for such. I'm also looking into getting some decent books on a variety of subjects for my collection because knowledge can also be bartered. Thankfully we live in the country so, food and water should not be that big of a problem for us and we have room for family/friends from the more populated locals. I am also hanging on to all of my loose change for the time being and rolling it up because I figure it will still worth something if it all fails because it is familiar to and already in convenient denominations. If things improve then Christmas is covered. :)

[ImNewHere]

I see a lot of gray-haired guys peddling their gold ... I wonder who is selling the gold. Hah - maybe the guys who got burned back then.

I don't. I see a spot price for gold and a lot of companies that are supposed to sell gold, but they don't have it in stock. Same with silver.

[ImNewHere]

When we come out of this Recession, and we will... Gold ain't going to $2000 an Ounce.

Who are you and how did you hijack mal's account?

Name one thing you see B. Hussein Obama doing that shows any promise of bringing this country out of a recession, or the actual depression that we've slipped into.

We will recover, but it won't be anytime soon. And when we do, it won't be with tons of cars, cool electronic equipment and exotic vacations all paid for on credit.

[psyko kat]

I'll just keep my CASH, I'd rather have $900 in my hands than a tiny piece of 'metal'.

[tha malcontent™]

Who are you and how did you hijack mal's account?

Name one thing you see B. Hussein Obama doing that shows any promise of bringing this country out of a recession, or the actual depression that we've slipped into.

We will recover, but it won't be anytime soon. And when we do, it won't be with tons of cars, cool electronic equipment and exotic vacations all paid for on credit.

I only Credit Barry, the DemocRATS and their "Free Press" with Artificially Expanding the Recession with the Absurd "Great Depression" Talk last year that Caused about the Same Retraction in Spending that it did the Increase in Personal Savings...

Recessions Happen... This Recession was Kicked in the Balls by the Left for Obviously Political Reasons.

Now that Barry has the Crown, the News, as I Predicted, will become, and is becoming More and More HOPEful and Obsessively Positive as the Spring and Summer Continues...

This Recession will Probably End during (43)'s Final Budgetary Year, but the Left will Dishonestly Credit Barry.

I have a Thread on it from January.

That Esssssplain it, Lucy?... ;)

:)

peace...

[Chucky]

LOL - maybe gold will hit $2k/oz, but only when inflation kills the dollar!


In fact, in that example of the poor guy who bought gold at $850/oz in 1980, figuring in years of inflation means gold has significantly LOST value.

Generously saying he could have recently sold for a TOTAL profit of about 6%, simply keeping up with inflation should have meant a 168.94% increase. (using online inflation calculator HERE (http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Calculators/Inflation_Rate_Calculator.asp)- inputting 2/1980 versus 2/2009)

Yeah, I'd say stocks, even Treasury Bonds, did a tad better....