Why are California gold claims so expensive?

firebird

Full Member
Oct 17, 2018
230
311
Central Valley California
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Is this normal? Thousands of $$$ for claims, many of which are areas that seemed to have been already worked exhaustively in the past.

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Rail Dawg

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Oct 11, 2015
491
890
Northern Nevada
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Bought our first claim in Rye Patch.

Smartest thing we ever did.

Now we hunt all over with (some) wisdom lol.
 

et1955

Hero Member
Jan 10, 2015
913
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Shoreline,wa
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Is it possible to buy a good claim on ebay, yes if you have the knowledge and experience. Clay and MyLandMaters gives us a lot of info on how to find and locate a claim " Thanks Clay " but if you don't live in the state where you want a claim it is very hard to locate a claim, the time and searching is very expensive for someone who lives over 1000 miles away. Fortunately the claims I bought were all legal and guarantied and they are historic claims going back to the 1860's. This claim borders the Eddy Gulch Complex, 10's of thousands of ounces mined and still a lot more there and up river is Trook Flats where a lot of gold was mined too, do you think it was worth the 866$ I paid for it after winning the auction by 1$. claim 1.jpg
 

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arizau

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May 2, 2014
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AZ
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Beach High Banker, Sweep Jig, Whippet Dry Washer, Lobo ST, 1/2 width 2 tray Gold Cube, numerous pans, rocker box, and home made fluid bed and stream sluices.
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Is it possible to buy a good claim on ebay, yes if you have the knowledge and experience. Clay and MyLandMaters gives us a lot of info on how to find and locate a claim " Thanks Clay " but if you don't live in the state where you want a claim it is very hard to locate a claim, the time and searching is very expensive for someone who lives over 1000 miles away. Fortunately the claims I bought were all legal and guarantied and they are historic claims going back to the 1860's. This claim borders the Eddy Gulch Complex, 10's of thousands of ounces mined and still a lot more there and up river is Trook Flats where a lot of gold was mined too, do you think it was worth the 866$ I paid for it after winning the auction by 1$. View attachment 1741493

Probably and it looks like good trout water too.:thumbsup: A double bonus would be if you had access to the buildings too.
 

et1955

Hero Member
Jan 10, 2015
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Shoreline,wa
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I wish, the house is 60ft. by 40ft. and has a steel roof witch is probably why FS didn't burn it down like did other miners homes in the aea.
 

IMAUDIGGER

Silver Member
Mar 16, 2016
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Actually I really wonder why they did not burn that one down.
It's not the roof type, that's for sure.

There must have been a Native American living there that had a lifetime lease?
 

IMAUDIGGER

Silver Member
Mar 16, 2016
3,400
5,194
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Actually I really wonder why they did not burn that one down.
It's not the roof type, that's for sure.

There must have been a Native American living there that had a lifetime lease?

Apparently it was someone that had a lifetime lease.
I'm surprised that the USFS hasn't tried locking up the mineral rights for 20 years like they are doing with a similar house further down river. Somehow locking up the mineral rights will preserve the cultural history associated with the miners cabin. I say it's like spitting on someone after you take the boot off their neck.
 

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et1955

Hero Member
Jan 10, 2015
913
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Shoreline,wa
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Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Actually I really wonder why they did not burn that one down.
It's not the roof type, that's for sure.

There must have been a Native American living there that had a lifetime lease?
I talked with a daughter of a miner in the area and the FS burned down his cabin and started a forest fire. You used to be able to live on your claim as long as you were mining, many in that area did until they changed the law.
 

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