by Rebecca Besser

When the zombie apocalypse happens, things would change. Life as we know it would be gone in an instant. Commerce would surely cease to exists, at least for a while. There would be, possibly, years where no new goods would be introduced or be accessible. At least not until civilization could rebuild to the point where communities were re-civilized and people had enough stability to gain enough goods for trade.

While humanity’s in flux, there would be the major risk of being killed for anything you might have that’s considered valuable without a stable system. That is, unless you found friendly people who are willing to make trades without bloodshed.

That begs the question: What will be valuable in the new apocalyptic world?

Obviously, weapons would be highly sought after, especially guns and ammo. But I think some things will be more important and more valuable than weapons to most people.

In my opinion, food and clean drinking water will be the most valuable. Especially anything “fresh” like fresh meat, fresh eggs, anything dairy, or fresh vegetables. In this case, I think anyone who knows how to raise or grow any kind of stock will be of high value to any community. Or at least someone who knows how to find and gather natural herbs/vegetables/foods. Without certain vitamins found in fresh produce, for instance, the human body can succumb to a number of diseases more easily.

Next, I think medicine/vitamins will be highly valued and sought after, which is why I’m mentioning it in the top three things here. People with serious medical conditions will be looking beyond simple food for their survival. People with diabetes or other syndromes/diseases that need constant medication to stay healthy and alive will be desperate for the medications they require. This will make these items highly valuable.

Shelter would be the next on my list. Unless you’re lucky enough to have found a safe place right off, you’ll want all the things above and a safe place to stay. But, even if you don’t have a safe place right off, you’ll need those to survive, which is why shelter isn’t on the top of my list. If you don’t have weapons, you’ll die. If you don’t have food and water, you’ll die. If you don’t have medications you require, you’ll die. So, shelter’s the next logical “or you’ll die” necessity.

Hygiene products would be next on the list. Once people’s basic/health needs are met, if at all possible, I think people will want things that make them feel clean and normal. Like shampoo, soaps, toothpaste, etc. These items would be considered highly valuable because they’re not only luxury items, but they contribute to overall health through cleanliness.

After that, I think alcohol will be the next sought after item. Why? Because alcohol would not only sooth people through drinking, maybe helping them forget the mortal hell they’re now living in, but also can be used for medical treatment.

Gasoline/fuel will be highly sought after as well, not just for vehicles, but for generators. I’m sure some people will be smart enough to have generators.

Batteries of any kind. There are a multitude of things that batteries of all shapes and sizes could be used for, so I think they’ll be valuable.

I think clothes (especially for a cold season), tools, and any other usable household items will be important as well. But I think they’ll be more plentiful than some of the other items listed above, so they won’t be as valuable or as sought after.

After all the stuff that a human being needs to exists…there will be the individual specialty items. These would be the items that are different in value to each person. Think cravings for food, or say a left handed weapon, etc. These items can range to almost anything, and will be of different value to different people. A jar of peanut butter, a certain brand of cookies, or a can of your favorite soda might be a high sought after item by you, but could be worthless to the person standing next to you.

All of this begs the question: What would be most valuable to you after the apocalypse changes the world?

Check out Treasured Chests to read a great story from Rebecca Besser and see her other work as well.

Rebecca Besser is a horror/thriller author who resides in Ohio with her wonderful husband and amazing son. They’ve come to accept her quirks as normal while she writes anything and everything that makes her inner demons squeal with delight. She’s best known for her work in adult horror, but has been published in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for a variety of age groups and genres. She’s entirely too cute to be scary in person, so she turns to the page to instill fear into the hearts of the masses.

Jay Wilburn

Jay Wilburn has a Masters Degree in Education that goes mostly unused since he quit teaching to write about zombies. Jay writes horror because he tends to find the light by facing down the darkness. His is doing well following a life saving kidney transplant. Jay is the author of Maidens of Zombie Kingdom a young adult fantasy trilogy, Lake Scatter Wood Tales adventure books for elementary and middle school readers, Vampire Christ a trilogy of political and religious satire, and The Dead Song Legend. He cowrote The Enemy Held Near, Yard Full of Bones, and The Hidden Truth with Armand Rosamilia. You can also find Jay's work in Best Horror of the Year volume 5. He is a staff writer with Dark Moon Digest, LitReactor, and the Still Water Bay series with Crystal Lake Publishing.

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