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CAN YOU MAKE A LIVING Metal Detecting ????
- Thread starter ferdware
- Start date
Well I have heard many people say NO because they basicly do not want to ruin a hobby. OK I can see that, BUT (now remember I am not saying Im trying to, Im just curious) I am truly happy with metal detecting. It is probably the first hobby/sport that I have taken up by myself, having no friends that MD.
I am 36 years of age. I play semi pro scenario paintball so I can handle long hours of MDing. Painball IS the funnest sport I have ever played, but you will not see me getting up at 4:00 am to play. Yet I WILL to go metal detecting.
The other morning I was out at the beach from 4am to 11:30am. The only reason I left was because of tourists showing up by the bus load.
I have just started a few weeks ago. Since then I have hunted 25 times. A few hours min. each time, in many locations (mostly beaches). I spend the rest of the day driving around looking for places to hunt. Going to different beaches during high traffic hours to see where the crowds are located. Looking for other possible beaches. Checking the river boat ramps. Reasearching online. Asking questions on this forum to better learn my detector. and so on
Well you can see that I clearly have the passion and drive. I know that I have plenty to learn as well. I just didnt want to humor the fact without getting some feedback on a realistic level.
As far as a hobby. Im not worried about that. If its something you love to do. Its not work. For example. In the past when I have had jobs working for other people I hated to get up to go to work, and was always ready to go home. BUT, when I started working for myself. My wife would have to yell at me to stop working to eat. I remember working many, many 14 hour days and not even bothering me. Because I was doing something that I loved.
And my bills only come to about $1700 per month. I also have a golf cart that I can drive to many local tourist beaches (saves alot of gas). I also dont mind selling most all my finds. I was the lucky one who found it. I can take pictures. I mainly like the thrill of the find.
I live in Garden City beach SC. We have many tourist beaches. N.Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, Huntington Beach. Plus the intercoastal waterway.
I appreciate everyones input and stories and look forward to reading and learning more about this subject.
I am 36 years of age. I play semi pro scenario paintball so I can handle long hours of MDing. Painball IS the funnest sport I have ever played, but you will not see me getting up at 4:00 am to play. Yet I WILL to go metal detecting.
The other morning I was out at the beach from 4am to 11:30am. The only reason I left was because of tourists showing up by the bus load.
I have just started a few weeks ago. Since then I have hunted 25 times. A few hours min. each time, in many locations (mostly beaches). I spend the rest of the day driving around looking for places to hunt. Going to different beaches during high traffic hours to see where the crowds are located. Looking for other possible beaches. Checking the river boat ramps. Reasearching online. Asking questions on this forum to better learn my detector. and so on
Well you can see that I clearly have the passion and drive. I know that I have plenty to learn as well. I just didnt want to humor the fact without getting some feedback on a realistic level.
As far as a hobby. Im not worried about that. If its something you love to do. Its not work. For example. In the past when I have had jobs working for other people I hated to get up to go to work, and was always ready to go home. BUT, when I started working for myself. My wife would have to yell at me to stop working to eat. I remember working many, many 14 hour days and not even bothering me. Because I was doing something that I loved.
And my bills only come to about $1700 per month. I also have a golf cart that I can drive to many local tourist beaches (saves alot of gas). I also dont mind selling most all my finds. I was the lucky one who found it. I can take pictures. I mainly like the thrill of the find.
I live in Garden City beach SC. We have many tourist beaches. N.Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, Huntington Beach. Plus the intercoastal waterway.
I appreciate everyones input and stories and look forward to reading and learning more about this subject.
TURNMASTER
Active member
Some nugget shooters do well
cloudbuster
New member
this bloke has done okay !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwdfsWW8KCs&feature=fvsr
regards rob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwdfsWW8KCs&feature=fvsr
regards rob
NuggetBucket
New member
Oh man, I need to learn how to prospect (and yes, I realize my handle is ironic seeings that I've never actually found a nugget, but it boosts my self-esteem...)
Nugget
Nugget
The answer is yes you can but not if you think you can live high on the hog by doing it ,you can make good money detecting but have to watch your overhead
i know people who do live on what they find and by selling and scrimping on the finer things in life do very well at it,water/beach hunting or gold prospecting is about the only way
to make enough money to pay the bills(gas, car/truck upkeep ect and still have enough to live on ,one good ring that retails for $10.000 might get you 5.0000 to the right person but most of the time it will sell for about 2,000 so there is a big loss on some things you find(worth verses net) with gold being at $12,500 if you find ten rings 14k every two weeks you make about $1000 in those two weeks
witch is a great two weeks with 10 rings!!!!but on averge you find about 6 if you hunt every day 8 hrs a day you might only make $500.00 for the same two weeks plus what you find in clad might get you a little food for you to live on....also what happens if you get sick?????no hunting no $$$$
i know people who do live on what they find and by selling and scrimping on the finer things in life do very well at it,water/beach hunting or gold prospecting is about the only way
to make enough money to pay the bills(gas, car/truck upkeep ect and still have enough to live on ,one good ring that retails for $10.000 might get you 5.0000 to the right person but most of the time it will sell for about 2,000 so there is a big loss on some things you find(worth verses net) with gold being at $12,500 if you find ten rings 14k every two weeks you make about $1000 in those two weeks
witch is a great two weeks with 10 rings!!!!but on averge you find about 6 if you hunt every day 8 hrs a day you might only make $500.00 for the same two weeks plus what you find in clad might get you a little food for you to live on....also what happens if you get sick?????no hunting no $$$$
Under the best circumstances any thing is possible. As with the horde find in England anyone can get lucky. In reality, making a living that most of us are accustomed to, the answer would have to be very, very, highly unlikely.
Again, how many people making a living (on their finds) detecting have responded to the post?
..............Rob
Again, how many people making a living (on their finds) detecting have responded to the post?
..............Rob
Yup, you can. My buddy Jim did it for years and I've met others. Nugget hunting sure helps, but you generally won't be living high on the hog. Most people I've met who detect for a living also live in vehicles and don't stay in campgrounds. They also, generally, don't waste their time on forums (like this one) or even on the internet. This may be starting to change. Also, living a rubber-tramp lifestyle means that a person is looking at whatever makes a buck. Could be fruit picking, wild mushroom picking, beer cans, scrap metal, diamond willow.. the list goes on. Diversify and prosper. ..Willy.
Doctorcoinz
New member
I would say if you live in the uk then no you will not make a living metal detecting. These rich pickings are a a lot less , i am not saying there is nothing worthwhile to be found but just that there is a lot less of the good stuff around compared to say 40 years ago.
I do and so do a lot of other people, you see them everyday.Great hourly wage,dental,medical,vision,company truck other benefits like working outside every day by yourself mostly.They are your locator's for utilities companies using High Tech detectors to identify oil,electric,gas,phone,fiber,water mains,Survey Pins,Scan an area before digging to make sure nothing is in purposed dig site.Looking at old maps and prints to locate something or see if there is something that you might have missed.I will admit after detecting all day 12 hours I really am not in mood to grab another detector and go coin hunting.For 3 years 80,81,82 I made more coin hunting than I did at my day job ,you could still hunt state parks and schools I do not think you could make a living at it doing it today,Back then no one cared or thought we were nuts and stayed away from us.I met several couples back in the day doing it for living.Traveling from town to town across America some in RVs some would just pitch a tent and hunt parks for a week.
I tell myself that's what I'm doing every time I go out.
Doesnt quite work out that way, as the finds pouch is usually a couple hundred light at the end of each hunt.
But who knows-
Maybe ill be the next one to find a huge cache of Roman coins and it will all average out and ill be set for life!
I tell myself THAT every time I go out too,
Even though I live in the Midwest ... ;-)
Doesnt quite work out that way, as the finds pouch is usually a couple hundred light at the end of each hunt.
But who knows-
Maybe ill be the next one to find a huge cache of Roman coins and it will all average out and ill be set for life!
I tell myself THAT every time I go out too,
Even though I live in the Midwest ... ;-)
I have hunted enough and hard enough the past two years and knowing even if I tripled the amount of time I detect and even detected virgin territory I could not make a living. I actually hunted a park that had never been hunted as far as anyone could tell me because it was in a very small town that is hard to get to and barely shows up on a map and for certain there is no mention of a park and found $19 in two days. I have hunted beaches in MS, FL and mexico. I even hunted in the water about 1'- 2' deep. My beach finds have been less than anywhere else. I would say maybe a guy could make a cpl hundred a month plus any jewelry.
I would also say a man could do it if he had exclusive rights to hunt on ancient battlegrounds in Greece or Italy
Right now considering my finds and the gas i have spent in the past two years i am about even. That's with about 1300 hundred hours of detecting
I would also say a man could do it if he had exclusive rights to hunt on ancient battlegrounds in Greece or Italy
Right now considering my finds and the gas i have spent in the past two years i am about even. That's with about 1300 hundred hours of detecting
In late 1987 my real job dissapeared, I didn't work for 3 years. I hunted for full days, every day. you learn where the more valuable coins were lost, swallow your shyness andd go for it. I made house payments and bought grocerys with my detector finds. My wife did have a job as well. We didn't live high on the hog, but we did ok. You sure do learn what and where to dig. I still love detecting and finding anything lost, with the possible exception of zincons(junk).:0)
John London
John London
Of coarse you can make a living with a M/D, although modest. Lets try breaking it down by finds.
Zinkons..... worthless
Coppers.....10 to 20 bucks per year.
Nickles........10 to 20 bucks per year.
Dimes..........25 to 30 bucks per year.
Quarters........70 to 100 bucks per year. Rare coins 80 bucks. Gold and silver rings 600 bucks....
Wow I think that would cover a months worth of Obama care. I better keep my day job I guess.
Not to make fun of anyone or the sport because finding a 9" deep seated dime that others missed, priceless to me!
Zinkons..... worthless
Coppers.....10 to 20 bucks per year.
Nickles........10 to 20 bucks per year.
Dimes..........25 to 30 bucks per year.
Quarters........70 to 100 bucks per year. Rare coins 80 bucks. Gold and silver rings 600 bucks....
Wow I think that would cover a months worth of Obama care. I better keep my day job I guess.
Not to make fun of anyone or the sport because finding a 9" deep seated dime that others missed, priceless to me!
I would say for the majority of detectorists the answer would be 'NO' its would be hard too rely on what you find under the coil,as most detectorist usually only go out at the weekend,i am not saying its impossible for the average detectorist but unless you either find a really big valuable find then the income would not be able to support the average out goings.
Can only speak from my experiance over here in the UK and observations,so can some people make a living from detecting i would say 'YES' it is possible and some people over here do actually make a good living,but they dont rely solely on what they find under the coil,they usually that have that all important knowledge and presentation skill and that i feel makes all the difference.
A hand full of people who have these skills either sell detecting books,make videos,own forums,found large hoards and everything that is allied with detecting,so yes i would say it is very possible to make a living but very few do.
Can only speak from my experiance over here in the UK and observations,so can some people make a living from detecting i would say 'YES' it is possible and some people over here do actually make a good living,but they dont rely solely on what they find under the coil,they usually that have that all important knowledge and presentation skill and that i feel makes all the difference.
A hand full of people who have these skills either sell detecting books,make videos,own forums,found large hoards and everything that is allied with detecting,so yes i would say it is very possible to make a living but very few do.
1950cupajo
New member
[size=x-large]There are some really smart folk on this Forum, but I don't think with the prices of things today
you could do that.
Now there are folks who make a nice bit of change on the side, but aliving, no.
Even nugget and medeorite hunters can't claim that, unless they stumble accross the Hand of Faith.
"That was a nugget that was recovered Down Under. It had a hape the resembled tow hands in
prayer" [/size]
Cupajo
you could do that.
Now there are folks who make a nice bit of change on the side, but aliving, no.
Even nugget and medeorite hunters can't claim that, unless they stumble accross the Hand of Faith.
"That was a nugget that was recovered Down Under. It had a hape the resembled tow hands in
prayer" [/size]
Cupajo
Goldstrike
Well-known member
I would like to think that we could make a modest living metal detecting but the reality is unless you have a lucky streak and find some very expensive jewellery or valuable rings on a consistent basis, you will not have a consistent income. That being said, you cannot pay bills, your monthly mortgage or rent payment and perhaps the most important bill is your monthly medical premiums! with just promises to pay them!.....your not going to make ends meet!!
Just like the gold mining industry during the 1800's, the ones that made a great living out of gold mining was those that had stores selling equipment to the miner's! Do I wish I owned the Minelab or the White's or any of the rest of those M.D-ing companies!!
If we viewed this hobby as a primary way of living, the pressure would be great to make those finds and it would cease to be fun anymore......plus the wife would not be happy and when she's not happy....you know what comes next!!!
Just like the gold mining industry during the 1800's, the ones that made a great living out of gold mining was those that had stores selling equipment to the miner's! Do I wish I owned the Minelab or the White's or any of the rest of those M.D-ing companies!!
If we viewed this hobby as a primary way of living, the pressure would be great to make those finds and it would cease to be fun anymore......plus the wife would not be happy and when she's not happy....you know what comes next!!!