GPAA,,,Going down hill?????Gold Guide is Outdated!!!

[JohnnyThunders]

I joined the GPAA when George the farther started the club.....
I payed my $79 and got the WORKS and the 1991 Guide.......
Perry seems more educated the Tom......
Tom seems a bit Dim in the head,I enjoy watching tom walking in the bushes with his shorts on and getting stucked with sticker bushes in his legs.(very funny)
And sometimes when he gets lost in the mines with the bats around him lol.
It seems that they have not made many shows,but i can be wrong?
Most times when they are selling their memberships to the GPAA,you can see the Gold Guide and many times its from the Mid 90s and sometimes there are no dates on the Gold Guide.
So I am assuming that they have not made any shows in the 2000s as of yet?
And if they have why are they showing a guide thats 10 years out of print?
I thought each year you signup you get a updates Guide?Hummmm maybe not....JT

 

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[jeff of pa]

I have the 2003 Issue.
(LAST TIME I was a Member)

They update the Guide every year.

They just Don't Update their Commercials as often.

 

[JohnnyThunders]

Hummmm are there that many changes from the 1991 guide lol?
Or is it better to get it on DVD?JT

 

[jeff of pa]

I Don't Know I was ONLY a member in 2003

However During that same Time Period, I received 3 Copies of
the PICK & SHOVEL with additions.
Which would have been added in 2004 to the Claims Guide.
13 - 14 Years is a Long time tho.

 

[dudes2112]

They do seem to rerun those shows quite a bit but they actually made some new Gold Fever shows in 2005. I'm not sure about Prospecting America though.

Dudes

 

[nebraskadad]

When I joined in 2004 I got a 2004 mining guide I am getting the magazine regularly and have gotten Pick and Shovel. Call the office and tell them.

I think you only get the mining guide when you buy the "Buzzard's special" other wises updates are in the Pick and Shovel.

I am a bit disappoint that the programming on Outdoor Network is getting tired.. OUTD seems to be growing for the Massie boys at the same time the don't do many new programs. I think maybe they need to have some other people provide programming for the shows.. There are a bunch of good people that tape there prospecting "escapades" Leonard "The Golden Optimist' on Dredge Earth First takes videos when he goes out.

As far as the intellect and education of the Massie boys, Tom was a business major in college and the founder with his dad and brother founded the Outdoor Network. Perry is a mining engineer. The old man was an electrician by trade originally.

I'd like to see maybe the 49er's crew on video.. There are a bunch of other places in AK, CA, OR, WY, CO and east with many active clubs and claims.. I think it'd be nice to get something going.

 

[joe of p-ville]

That would be a good idea. It would be good for members to make videos and have them shown on the outdoor channel. It does get tiring of seeing the same shows over and over. To be able to see diffrent claims on the show would be great. There are many claims in the book, this would be a way for more interest in the club. Joe

 

[JohnnyThunders]

If there are going to be repeats of the shows,why not show some of the old shows of their dad GeorgeI am sure that they have many Videos before the outdoor channel.......I used to watch the GPAA on Satellite before they had a Outdoor challnel on TV....
Jt

 

[jeff of pa]

GOLD PROSPECTING WITH GEORGE MASSIE

http://outdoorchannel.com/showinfo.cfm?site=1&PageName=ShowDesc&ShowID=283&ShowType=Treasure%20Hunting

Upcoming Episodes (Eastern Time): (Show prior episodes)

Day Date Time Episode Title/Number
Fri Jan. 06, 2006 3:00 AM 25 G


This week's Episode Title/Number: 25 G
Classic footage from the late George "Buzzard" Massie, founder of GPAA and The Outdoor Channel hosts this highly informative and educational program on gold prospecting.


Series Description:
Classic footage from the late George "Buzzard" Massie, founder of GPAA and The Outdoor Channel, hosts this highly informative and educational program on gold prospecting.

 

[Axgar]

I would love to be on the front lines of filming and taping of shows not to mention the editing part. That was my first job in life after i got out of the service was running a small tv production unit in El Paso ..

Having been in the business the winter time is a gret time to edit raw footage for air in the spring maybe it is wishfull thinking but lets hope that is what they are doing .

Axgar

 

[abishiai]

I don't know if the GPAA is going uphill or downhill. What I do know is that I knew nothing about prospecting until I found the shows on Outdoor Channel. I went panning in the San Gabriel River and found nothing. I then joined the GPAA and went to one of their claims nearby and found some Gold! Since then I've gotten a drywasher and Gold Buddy and I'm lovin' it!

I have my TiVo record all the gold stuff on the Outdoor Channel and delete the ones I've already seen.

Cheer,

kp

 

[fanatic]

the mining guide is expensive to print and it doesn't change that much during a single year. pick & shovel covers the updates. new mining guide will come out whenever there is enough changes to warrant it - this year is what I've heard.

 

[Smithsgold]

The last Mining guide was printed in 2004 the pick and shovel comes out about 4 times a year with the updates .
Both Tom & Perry have new shows out each year.
Tom does about 6-8 Gold Fever shows a year and Perry does about 8-12 Prospecting america shows each year.
There are also a few shows about the Alaska trip done each year.
If you go to the GPAA web site you can order the shows and watch them when ever you want.


Jeff
GPAA Gold Life Member

 

[aarthrj3811]

Hey Guys.....No matter how much you know about Gold Prospecting you can still get tips now again by watching the shows. You can't compare the kids with Buzzard. The man had only one thing on his mind. To tell others what he new. He new the powers that be would try to regulate us and our only hope was to organize....Art

 

[nebraskadad]

You can make suggestions for programming to the Outdoor Channel.

http://outdoorchannel.com/contact.cfm?site=1

 

[jerryjerry]

It sounds like you need to get a camera and go into the gold show business,and show us how it should be done.I can see it in no time you will be makin movies and digging gold and writing new books with all your knowledge of mining locations.
The brothers don't get paid to do the shows.They are on tv 10 or more times a week.To do new shows to fill all the spots would be impossible.
I have learned a lot from the shows,I wouldn't be doing it now had it not been for seeing them(and all the re-runs).Maybe you should become a Life member and see if you like the package.
It's probably easier to just sit and bad mouth. Jerry Member LDMA

 

[Apache]

The GPAA is still on the ball... Tom and Perry have both been busy... Tom with the Alaska trips, (their price increase has reduced the number of perticipents so they are trying to recover that, ) and Perry with LDMA... There are several new shows, filmed reciently, and you will see several new ones coming up that don't have Tom or Perry in them except to comment at the beginning or end... These shows are done by members and sent in... If you have good photographic equipment and would like to do a show you might contact them with the offer... In 2005 they sent out a letter stateing that the mining guide will be sent out every 2 years now.. to lessen the printing costs... As far as the old shows go .. you can still see George Massie on the Buzzardite Classics... check your listings,,I get it at 2:00am Central time zone...well... that's about my 2 cents worth... thanks

 

[nebraskadad]

FWIW,

The latest Prospecting America featured Jerry Keene as guest host. The Massie Boys and their dad did more to bring prospecting to the masses.. (pardon the pun), then nearly anything beginning with the old man's shows on TNN. I've been watching since the early 90s and only have gotten really interested and joined the GPAA a couple of years ago after visiting a mining area in Wyoming and finding some color.

Production of the series has really improved recently, (especially for Prospecting America) likely through suggestions of viewer and shareholders of OUTD and of LDMA/GPAA member suggestions. While no doubt Cindy Massie had her share of scary episodes with Tom, having a professional film team has added some substance to Gold Fever and PA.. This has been in the most recent couple of years. Probably due in part to corporate requests..

I think the OUTD channel is hands down the best sports channel on the Dish. OUTD is an up and coming company in the entertainment field and all the brain child of George, Tom and Perry. I think OUTD exceeds viewership over OLN and the other wannabes. I don't consider ESPN a channel in the same vein as OUTD.

I've been GPAA for two years and I've only been able to get to Wyoming a couple of times for my in field pleasure. I have to enjoy it vicariously through the Massie boys. As there ain't no gold in the flatlands.. I hope to get out, but being stuck in Omaha makes the trips to the hills more then a weekend adventure. When my kids are done with school in about 7 years I plan on making several trips each year to the Wyoming/Colorado streams. I will probably join LDMA when the kids are off at college, and time is more mine and momma's. (more momma's then mine).

I'd love to get to the motherlode or AK for the reasons describe on the shows. As long as momma can get to some of her "things" at the same time.. I keep hoping she has an Art Therapist conference in Sacramento when a Motherlode trip is planned!!

No doubt some will feel a need to come to their defense, and frankly they have nothing to defend. I agree with Tom's view when he goes on a rant about the ecowhacks or Gooberment on Buzzardite, and Perry's professionalism elevates the hobby to a profession, which makes me appreciate it more.

I think the "real gold" is in ownership of shares of OUTD. Although it's not as exciting to watch a chart as it is to see the yellow stuff in the pan. The company has done well with Wilma's cash infusion on her passing. It changed it into a first rate outdoor channel..

CHART
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=OUTD&t=my
INSIDERS
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=OUTD
INSIDER TRADES
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=OUTD
COMPETITION
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=OUTD

ANALYSTS RECOMMENDATIONS
19-Aug-05 AG Edwards Initiated Buy
8-Jul-05 Bear Stearns Initiated Outperform

I watch OUTD a lot in the winter, when it'd zero-degrees F. it's nice to watch the Stanton AZ shows and only wish I could get in a place and fly to Phoenix and drive to Stanton or Wickenburg. My daughter is a shareholder of OUTD, in here school game, and I've set up an account for her on Ameritrade with about 20 shares, so she can watch the company grow.. My black sand cleanup girl owns a piece of the rock.

All that glitters isn't gold. Gold is where you find it. On the stream, in the boardroom or on the tube.

 

[cptbil]

I have three "Charter Memberships"
I have not rec'd anything, other than the actual membership cards, from them!
My First membership card goes back to when the GPAA was first started!
I have written to them and even called them ...
LOL !!!!
All they are interested in is selling !
Too Bad!
AS there is really a need for a good organization!

 

[nebraskadad]

Bill,
Bill with all due respect, your wisdom about the mining industry is invaluable, you knowledge of things related to precious mineral recovery is beyond amazing, and I enjoy when your sharing that part of your knowledge. Fact is I'd like to follow you around and learn from you for a month or two.

Your being upset with the GPAA goes back to it's inception. I don't understand the term "Charter membership" (not heard the term in GPAA literature or programming) other then I know "Charter" generally means founding member.

Today, LDMA and GoldLife are lifetime memberships.

I could not afford to find 600+ claims at $170 BLM fees, plus yearly maintenance, then stake and maintain them for my personal enjoyment. I can do that in the GPAA. I am welcome as a member to go on any of these claims as long as I have the card in my wallet.
I benefit with my membership even if I don't show up on a claim by knowing there will be places to go when I am able. Is there Gold on all of then? Likely not. Is there Gold on most? Probably. Am I gonna find the motherlode? I could only wish..

GPAA membership $59.95 without the Buzzard's special $79.95 with it. Gold Life is $950.00, and LDMA is $3500.
I opt for the one I can easily afford each year.

There are other clubs throughout the country to join. 49ers in CA, CCC in Wy/Colorado, DEF in Washington, Oregon and Northern CA.. Most of these have associates that also belong to the GPAA/LDMA..

GPAA fees go to pay maintenance and cleanup fees to the chapters that maintain the claims in each state.
I visited Big Nose Kate and Yela Fevr (in Wyoming last year) and the claim director was on site in May filling holes that someone left so the USFS didn't shut down the claim. GPAA fees pay for his gas to get to the claims from his home in Cheyenne, for the signage, for the BLM, USFS claim fees. I don't think most people realize that.

I enjoy reading the Gold Prospector magazine which is part of my yearly GPAA fees, I also subscribe to ICMJ's magazine.

I seem to have to call and request pick and shovel updates though. But when I call in they generally will send out the most recent copy with a week. I am guessing the GPAA offices in Temecula is staffed by volunteers where the Outdoor Channel is an active NASD/AMEX corporated entity and has professional staff.

While my GPAA membership does little for me at this point other then fuel a desire to get to AZ, AK, CA, CO, WY, and MT I will not sell Walter Eason or GPAA staff short. Their focus is on outings, trips, legal fights, state chapter organizations and yes, membership. I am not much of a joiner either. $60 or $80 a year is a drop in the proverbial bucket for most folks. I spend more then that in a week for my daughter's piano lessons.

My biggest concern living in the flatlands and is having two very busy kids in middle school.. My ability to enjoy the avocation is tempered by family responsibilities. My wife has said she wants me to go on a trip next summer to the GPAA AK or Motherlode. This summer is out due to kids, remodeling and life.

When my kids are done with school I will hopefully have more time to buzz around the CO and WY hills and look for color.


In the interim, I will continue to enjoy the magazine and TV Shows (with all the antics and informercials), contribute to the 49ers legal battles, PLP and NLRL that are doing the right thing to fight for keeping public lands open to prospecting. GPAA contributes to this cause as well, and the GPAA actively works on legal issues of mining such as Karuk Tribes v 49ers. The GPAA got involved in the Karuk fight because of the Scott and Klamath River rivers being instituted by the courts.

What does the GPAA do? a Lot.. What am I doing in return. Paying my dues, and writing congress on issues effecting us. Why? because I believe it is the right thing to do. "We stand together or we hang separately"