Felix paydirt question

[AMorgan]

I ordered two bags of motherlode concentrate thinking I was going to get a better deal than I normally would from other vendors of concentrate. The price was about 50% more for a bag, so I figured that I should get at least 1.5 to 2 grams per bag....

Boy was I wrong!!!

Post your thoughts and experiences below and I will reveal how much I did get after a few responses...

Alan

 

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[TOWcritter]

When I first started panning, I ordered up a bag of Felix's regular dirt. When the bag came I thought...WOW this sure is heavy! I panned it out and was really surprised at how much was there. I didn't even bother weighing it because it was more than I thought would ever be there. I used it for panning practice and for my metal detector. I am satisfied with it. Best deal I ever had.

 

[Desertdigger]

You might want to read this recent bunch of comments on buying bags of Cons on another forum.

http://www.goldprospectors.org/newforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7050

 

[AMorgan]

I can't access the comments on the GPAA forum... Maybe I'll have to join.

Anyways to make a long story short, I ordered a few times from a vendor who guarantees 1.5 grams for around 70 bucks after shipping. What I expected from the Felix dirt for the price was more... somewhat closer to 2 grams for the $92 per bag average.

First thing I noticed was there was not even a grain of black sand in the lot. This had me a little worried from the start. After classifying and panning it all out, even using a blue bowl on the fines, I had 1.2 grams in the first bag and barely 1 gram in the second.

My thoughts:

1: If theres no black sand, then they obviously added the gold to the dirt in measured quantities. Theres virtually no chance of getting anything extra, cause theres no black sand for it to hide in.

2: They very well know how much they put into each bag. I wrote to them and this is what they said,

"I don't try to predict any specific amount of gold. It will be random, just as it would be if you went down to your favorite creek and did some panning. But the Motherlode is known for its nuggets and pickers."

He asked exactly how much gold I got out of the bags, and I told him... Below is his reply,

"I think you may misunderstand what I am about. I am not a gold dealer, therefore I do not sell gold. I sell Alaskan gold concentrates. As such, the gold content will vary from bag to bag. If you are looking for a sure thing, a guaranteed gold weight, then I am not your man. (In my opinion, that is not prospecting, it is simply buying a product). My customers tend to be folks who love prospecting, and the endless unknown possibilities."

According to his logic, I pay 80 bucks and get even a speck, I should be happy. Well, I'm not, and I decided to inform others of his flawed logic. They know very well how much goes into each bag within certain limits, otherwise they could not stay in business.

Of course, I would rather go out and get the gold myself, but unfortunately my location prevents doing that without a full day of driving just to get to a potential producing area.

I am curious what other people found as an average per bag for this overpriced "float" with miniscule amounts of added gold (for the price).

I call it float because thats exactly what it is... lighter sand and gravel minus the heavier black sand.

Thanks for reading, and consider yourself informed.

Alan Morgan

 

[kuger]

I have never or never will buy cons,but that is because I am fortunate to be able to dredge heavily in historically rich country(right out my back door)At a seasons end I usually have anywhere from half to a full fifty-five gallon barrel of concentrates that I have to pan and run through my spiral wheel all winter.After years of doing this everynight after work I get tired of it.I listed some very rich cons on e-bay,with a gram added.This stuff is very rich to begin with.I listed it at a starting price of $50.I did not sell like I would have expected(I actually took a loss)A couple of buyers wrote me informing me due to the large amount of black sand they found it hard to pan!!!!Another contacted me and told me some of the gold had TOXIC AND DANGEROUS mercury on it and I was liable.Anybody that has dredged has got gold with mercury on it,I dont like it but what are ya going to do?I gave a couple of people there money back if they would return the gold they got......I didnt even get the gram I put in back on either one!!!!No more money back guarantees!!!!Anyway if anybody would like to purchase some of these cons let me know.I am not liable for anything however I will beat $92 as well.

 

[Gabev71]

This isnt any kind of plug for the following person, but there on the gpaa forums and everyone had good things to say about his cons. apparently he sticks in coins and gemstones in the dirt just for kicks. I havent bought a bag personally but if someone is looking he might be someone to check out. here is the link he has on the gpaa forum http://www.PanningPayDirt.com

 

[Stryker_FO]

I have never oredered from Felix.. but I am lucky enough to have access to a claim about 10 miles stright line distance from where the normally mine at..

I did order from panningpaydirt.com and its seeded but I got good return for what I spent..

About the black sands.. The geologic region that they are in is not necessarily heavy with blacksad at all. I mine in the same geologic region as them and only in certain parts do I get any black sand at all.. normally I get alot of sheelite which is heavy as gold is and hard to seperate but that is not typically that widespread throughout this region..

I have alway had a principal about ordering paydirt thats why I have only done it once.. and I got lucky.

The best way to do it is check with your local DNR office and see where old placers or lode mines are and then check to see if the claim has expired and then go panning, sluicing , dredging there... thats your best bet.

I mine a little bigger in scale than most here but its still a viable option to sluice, dredge where I am working currently.

 

[Hoser John]

dirt bags--we don' need no stinkn' dirtbags!!! dirt bags from dirt bags=

 

[Eu_citzen]

I never ordered any such dirt bags, I'd rather collect some cons and do some panning in the winter.


You not only pay for his "work" but for weight (shipping) and for the dirt, I agree for a newbie it might be good.

"Dump as dirt" Someone else said about it and partly I agree.

 

[russau]

everyone that sells panning bags adds a measured amount og gold to them! EVERYONE ! the best bags ive seen are from www.goldgrubbin.com Brian goes out on weekends and uses his 5 inch proline dredge and uses those cons that have been screened (and doesent remove any gold)and then he ADDS a measured amount of gold to them! they are the best cons ive seen.

 

[Pepper2004]

I received a tiny bag in the mail today. I didn't order it....it is a gift from an another order I made for something else. Haven't had time to pan it but it feels heavy. I'll let ya'll know if any gold is in it.

 

[Pepper2004]

Turns out it had about seven fair size flakes in it. Wonder if they gave me a fun "little" bag so I'll be tempted to buy a larger one?

 

[49erjohn]

DO NOT EVER BY FROM FELIX THE DIRT BAG!!!!!!!!! I got sucker in on his one ounce nugget drawing. i spent $280.00 and got less than a gram in my bag. no nuggets just dust. JOHN

 

[russau]

or wasit just the luck or lack of luck of the draw??

 

[stefen]

Any time you think your going to get rich quick purchasing a bag of gold bearing sand, you are letting yourself get scammed by your own greed.

If you expended the same amount of energy collecting coke cans as opposed to investing in scams, you'd be far richer

 

[kuger]

I wasnt selling my concentrates to get rich or get one over on anybody.It was a win win deal,I didnt have to deal with panning the finer stuff and someone that didnt have access to a gold bearing area could find a little gold.

 

[OroGrande]

Mining the Miner's!!

 

[russau]

life is to short! when tempers flair, im out of here!

 

[jewelerdave]

Of course they add gold too it. I know some of the dealers they buy from to add gold to the cons. half the time its Australian gold nuggets added to alaskan dirt or where ever.

Fact, Anyone mining is going to go though there cons to make sure they have something or dont miss out. If they hit a big pay streak, they are going to pull it.

Fact. Most placer gold is anywhere from .600 fine up to .900 fine, rarely is it higher. Lets say gold is at $1000 per ounce, that means they would get $600 to $700 per ounce after refining.

Fact. you put the gold in a baggy with some cons, and sell it for %30 to %300 of its value, you have a sure thing. So instead of getting say $700 per ounce, you get up to $3000. Thats better than what I make after I make fine jewelry. And I put real work into it.

So what happens, Suckers buy overpriced gold.
Good specimen gold do carry a real premium. but not dust and fines.

I have dredged areas where there is little or no black sands. But its few and far between. One place I have gone the sand was red, not because of iron but due to garnet. decent gold, almost no black sands, but my sluice was packed with garnet.

But fact is, no matter what, cons are the heavies, If you sell out of gold, and cons, and gold, you buy it. then you salt common sand with it, and sell it for $90

Congrats.

 

[49erjohn]

DON'T EVER BUY FROM FELIX THE DIRT BAG!!!!!!