Treasure Hunting for a living

[landman]

You know many and I mean most all times you see a discussion going in the direction of trying to find that "mother load" everyone seems to concede with the ending of such discussion with words like "but its the fun of the search" or "you'll never get rich and that's not the point of it, right?" or "I almost paid for my vacation to Cancun" So what about those who are not as inclined to think small and yet find it almost impossible to make a living at this incredible sport? Golfers do albeit a small percentage. But if I were to get on a golfers forum and ask the "experts" what the track is in order to eventually make a living a golf, I believe, though not substantiated, that there are basic guidelines and even a plan or two on how to get serious and have a shot at this. Last night I read a quote that said in treasure hunting "It's better to be lucky than knowledgeable." I sadly understand what they are trying to say but at the same time place it in the "you can't make a living at this Kid hopefully it will at least pay for the batteries you use" box of realistic but non-dreamers of the "Thinking Big" crowd. Imagine Mel Fisher buying into this mentality.

So here is my question and I'm going to start here in the Cache hunting catagory. If you can lay your preconceived "it's impossible to make a living in treasure hunting" ideas aside and give this question some real thought before answering it:

In order, what types of treasure hunting give the best chances of results to make a living. I'll start.

1.) Ship Wreck salvaging for gold and silver
2.) Hard rock Mining for gold on an industrial level
3.) Cache hunting
4.) Training a pack of labs to smell money to find rich peoples hidden currency.
5.) Slucing for gold out side the USA.
6.) Nugget hunting in A.U.
7.) Water hunting for rings in remote popular areas not hit.
8.) Water hunting in the Caribbean
9.) Diamond or precious stone hunting.

This is just a start, let you collective knowledge fly 1st class here. Do not allow you mind to travel in the paths often expressed. Again if you were dropped anywhere in the world and HAD to make a living at one type of treasure hunting, what would it be?

 

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[Kentucky Kache]

I, for one, would never say it's impossible to make a living at treasure hunting. Some are doing it. But, there is a little thing called reality. You wouldn't want to sell the farm (oh, I wish I had a farm to sell) and take off for gold country. If I was gonna go into treasure hunting full time I think I would start out slow and easy, in my spare time and see how things would go. Then again, if I could afford to do it, I probably would go for it, but affording it wouldn't mean giving up everything I own. You can't find the word "sure" in gamble.
16 years away from retirement. Maybe then.

 

[grizzly bare]

Yes, I think it is possible to make a good living treasure hunting (cache hunting) in the USofA. Quite a few of the T'Net community have recovered caches in the "almost enough" category. There are stories that circulate off forum that say that so-and-so has hit a good one. I believe.
I bought my first detector a few years ago because I almost accidentally stumbled across a silver cache. If I had known the techniques then that I have since learned from the great people on here, I think I could have retired.
Now that I have some of the equipment that I used to just dream about, I've put in some research time and when I retire in 5 more years, I plan to make as much detecting as I ever have working.
The truth is out there...and so is the gold, silver and currency.

grizzly bare

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

OHIO: Yes it IS still possible, BUT, only if you go at it like any other occupation - with the proper training, equipment, financing, and dedication. You will not make it as a week end hobbyist who is only interested in fun with occasional luck, you must go at it full time in both field and research...

If you hit one good one a year, you will be extremely lucky.

I know, since I have gone this route, I prob would have earned much more money, until recently, if I had stayed in my chosen civilian profession. There were many more lean periods where I could not even think of buying a coca cola or a cup of coffee without examining my personal finaces very very carefully, than there were periods of "Wine and Roses"

If you are prepared to accept the lean periods, as well as the very scarce Fat ones, then it can give you a life style, that is in my opinion, incomparable..

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[lastleg]

Of the designated choices I would have to say #6 offers the most potential at
this time. Gold is at it's highest level notwithstanding it's inflation adjusted price.
With a minimun investestment of 5K and enough cash in pocket to last 3 months
in the field every day from sunup to sundown you stand a good chance of getting
a decent start in Arizona gold nugget sucess. If after 3 months out with the best
equipment available (Minelabs 4000 GP) you are no better off maybe this life is
not for you. Read what others have found at Rob Allison's nuggethunting.com.
Rob is a sucessful nuggetfinder and is a dealer of Minelab equiptment who takes
you out to the right "ground" teach you the right way to find gold. He can also
advise you of club claims that are known gold producers. You will make lots of
new friends to learn from. After you find your first nugget I bet you'll be hooked.
And if you want to try something else you haven't lost your investment either.
You can get back most of it when you decide to "sell out".

 

[Shortstack]

If you, or anyone else, are really interested in full time THing, get the little books written and published by Karl von Mueller entitled, The Owlhooters Manual. Then read and heed. Good luck. It CAN be done, but it takes planning and preparations. Listen to KVM's advice in those books, update the job examples and go for it.

 

[lastleg]

KVM was the man. His books got me thinking that just maybe I could hit
it big. I tried but I lacked the moxie necessary for that kind of ordeal. But
even though I found no Big Ticket I got some experience and his advice stayed
with me allowing me to cash in when opportunity revealed itself. Anybody
interested in treasure seeking would be wise to devour the knowledge of
Big Karl.

 

[lastleg]

I doubt that KVM ever found the big Pot under the Rainbow either. But he
lived the life he chose to the max. I had a looksee at his Segundo digs and
it warn't no mansion on the hilltop but he's still my hero.

 

[Shortstack]

I doubt that KVM ever found the big Pot under the Rainbow either. But he
lived the life he chose to the max. I had a looksee at his Segundo digs and
it warn't no mansion on the hilltop but he's still my hero.

Mr. Miller and his wife were not "showoffs". He followed his own advice about investing his monies and not blowing chunks on fancy cars or houses. If you've read his books, especially the THMs #6 and #7, then you are already aware of his philosophies.

 

[lastleg]

I have #6 & #7 plus "Sudden Wealth" by "Deek Gladson". KVM also used
the moniker of Estee Conatser in "The Sterling Legend". His "Master Hunter
Manual" and the rest are all "can't stop reading" books.

 

[lastleg]

You hit the nail on the head, Homestake. It still doesn't cost anything to WISH,
to HOPE, to PLAN, to RESEARCH and WAIT for opportunity.

 

[Jeep]

#3 is the payoff. No big investment in equipment or expenses.

Your biggest investment will be time and research. You can live in your Jeep (vehicle) to do that if you had to.

You can make a living if your serious and make it your life's work. Remember that this is just my "opinion"

From "what I heard" I can tell you that if you live a "simple life" and keep your business to yourself, you will do just fine.

You can "bump heads" with all the treasure hunters after the hyped and published treasure stories or you can spend the hours at the library and historical society researching things that everyone has missed or dismissed.

The ability to deal with critters, (two-legged, four-legged and the slithering kind) is required.

Map reading skills and loving solitude would be useful traits.

Having any self-employed Job would be helpful for tax reporting purposes.

Posting historical or valuable objects over $25.00 is not recommended for keeping a low profile.

Life is Good

 

[scrapdoggie]

I choose proffession 8....im not a water hunter yet but if im gettin dumped in a part of our world without a job....let it be the Carribean baby!...........on a more serious note i asked the very same question.There was alot more doubters then believers.Mainly because most of us are just hobbyist, but i for one would like to learn about all sorts of treasure hunting to be able to work full time.example -florida and arizona would be great spots to hunt during the winter.Alaska or N.E. in the warmer months.Now what exactly to do would be the next choices.either panning for gold or diving for rings or just coin shooting & relic hunting a historical area.My guess the seasons and weather patterns would dictate where to go and your equipment and research would do the rest.I dont agree with an earlier post about the solitude thing either.I believe it would have to be a team effort.Unless your extremely smart and knowledgable about all types of tresure hunting.I read about a group of treasure hunters that hit all the right spots at the right times and correspond to each other (internet)weekly while traveling across the U.S.Thats what got me thinking about FT Treasure hunting in the 1st place..HH & Good luck

 

[BuckleBoy]

Last night I read a quote that said in treasure hunting "It's better to be lucky than knowledgeable."  I sadly understand what they are trying to say but at the same time place it in the "you can't make a living at this Kid hopefully it will at least pay for the batteries you use" box of realistic but non-dreamers of the "Thinking Big" crowd. 

It IS better to be lucky than knowledgeable--if it comes right down to it...but with Detecting (as with Poker), the knowledge increases your "luckiness"...or I guess I should perhaps say that knowledge Decreases your NEED for good luck.  Knowledge helps your odds.  And in any branch of "Treasure Hunting"--be it detecting, cache hunting, bottle digging, or what not, you have to do Everything in your power to increase your odds--even if it is a lot of work for a SLIGHT edge... True, someone may come a long and end up being more "lucky" than you on any given day (or on any given hand in Poker for that matter)--but consistenty better odds beat luck anyday. 

 

[BamaBill]

Do you know what luck really is, Its opportunity meeting preparedness. You know how many times I've set off to do something and something unexpected has happened along the way. When I was "Lucky" I recognized the opportunity and took advantage of it, when I wasn't aware enough the opportunity passed me by. Today was a prime example, I was scouting a possible campsite and happened to stop in a gas station down the street and asked where a certain school was. I was informed that the school had been gone for several years and was given a look that said, "So what are you doing". The short of it is when I explained my Civil War interest she gave me the name of a local gentleman told me he would know about XYZ. Well, I hadn't asked about XYZ, so I went to see this gentleman and suddenly I have access to something I was completely unaware of. Some would call this luck, but I could have just as easily said, this isn't what I'm looking for and moved on. So, I'd say to be lucky ya gotta be good at seeing opportunities.

 

[Jeep]

BamaBill, I really like that explanation.

I would have to wholeheartedly agree with you as I have been in that same situation.

With knowledge and research and your description of luck that about sums it up for me.

Have a great day

 

[Jeffro]

My vote would be for hard rock mining. There's plenty of veins out there that will pay the small scale guy. The big companies want nothing to do with them. Easy enough with capitol and sweat.

 

[Amona]

Hi Everyone

If you have some save money to invest,time,equipment and the most important good information in base to your research, you can do treasure hunting for living,now I understand why the majority of the treasure hunter dedicated to this hobby as full-time are, pretty much, retired, 65 + social security's guys waiting month to month SS check, armed force' check, 401k, etc., other than that, it's hard.

I have enough research made for more than 20 year about treasures in Puerto Rico and Mona Island but for Me it's pretty much hard to spend 1 month in one expedition search, detecting because I don't have time, I have to work for living, even as engineer, I have to do it, and I know still many place where I found as big potential to find Spanish gold still it's waiting to be found for some lucky adventurer. Other issue that cames across with this hobby are laws and regulations made for local governments. The trips to Mona Island was suspended due a new issue among government and fisherman about pay some taxes for every trips made to the island.

Now I'm working with some local treasure hunter in Puerto Rico to search there in many farms.

greetings
Amona

 

[lastleg]

In response to Jeffro I was wondering what type "veins" he refers to: gold-
bearing quartz or blood-bearing veins in the neck area?

 

[Larsmed]

Heyas


i think its all about knowledge...Finding treasure:...95% Research....5% Luck.....

Look at the great archeologists out there!! They have only made their discoveries through dilligent research, piling through hundreds of pages of historical documents.

Why not get a degree in archeology and then you might be able to make a living treasure hunting..If you do that then ..Some venture capital investors or a couple of million will be needed as well.