The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

[LM]

The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Had a fun conversation with a friend recently about whether or not it would be possible to earn an hourly rate higher than a McDonalds paycheck with a MD. I've been doing this since I was a tot and am firmly convinced it would not be possible, but it should be interesting to test this oout. In another thread, the same topic came up again, so if anyone's interested in a good excuse for getting out of the house and doing some MD'ing over the month of June, here it is

The basic idea is this.
Spend 40 hours detecting in the month of June. Do four, 10 hour days, 40 1 hour days or however you want to do it. This sample size will used to represent a 40 hour work week.

Add up the value of all your finds.
In the case of clad, face value.
In the case of silver coinage, standard face value multiple.
In the case of coins with numismatic value, typical ebay sale prices.
In the case of jewelry, melt value @ spot on June 30. In the case of jewelry worth more than melt or artifacts that are potentially valuable, we can agree on a reasonable estimation but at that point, you've probably exceeded a weekly wage and will be categorized as a 3 anyway.

Objective:
To determine the probability of an experienced detectorist being able to earn an hourly rate equal to or greater than $7.50 across a sample size of multiple detectorists.

Criteria:
40 hours spent in the field detecting, over the course of one month.
Careful logging of all finds in addition to all fuel expenses incurred.
Absolute integrity in terms of reporting finds and time use. No padding or exaggerating. If you feel you won't be able to resist this temptation, please don't participate.

Determinations:
The value of all finds made over the 40 hour sample size will be added up to a dollar amount (v) and from that, expenses (e) subtracted (v) - (e). The sum of (v) - (e) shall be divided by 40 to determine an hourly rate (h) and categorize that outcome within the sample.

Categories:
Detectorists who meet an (h) up to 7 will be categorized as 1's
Detectorists who meet an (h) of 7.1-9 will be categorized as 2's
Detectorists who meet an (h) greater than 9.1 will be categorized as 3's

1's represent an hourly rate equal to a wage offered by an unskilled job
2's represent an hourly rate approximately equal to the wage offered by an unskilled job
3's represent exceeding the hourly rate of an unskilled job

If you're interested, post here. All that's required of you is 40 hours of detecting in June and keeping track of your finds, then posting your June totals on July 1st. I'll be more than happy to do the math and keep track of everything.

Ideally, I think at least 10 guys would be adequate, but the more the better.


SIGNED UP SO FAR

mlayers
lsmorgan

 

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[donj]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

sign me up.

 

[Sandman]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Why do you want to turn a fun hobby into "that FOUR" letter word?

 

[Keppy]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Why do you want to turn a fun hobby into "that FOUR" letter word?

Sandman ... That is a good Question......... But then you don't see me signed up.........And you will not get me to sign up for work...................... I could not keep a schedule if i had to.......... I like a bit of freedom in what i do....... Not pinned down to a 40 hour work week............. Hell i might as well go back to work............

 

[Chug And Red]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

I work 40 hours a week, and also Manage and Maintain an apartment complex I cant guarantee that I would be able to hunt 40 But I am keeping track of this years finds and Will keep track of this post to compare the results HH chug What is the starting wage For a burger sling-er Where you are every place has different wages!!! HH Chug

 

[Keppy]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

I work 40 hours a week, and also Manage and Maintain an apartment complex I cant guarantee that I would be able to hunt 40 But I am keeping track of this years finds and Will keep track of this post to compare the results HH chug What is the starting wage For a burger sling-er Where you are every place has different wages!!! HH Chug

My point is that if i want to hunt 10 hours or 50 hours that what i will do not pin myself down to a certain time ...... I guess i am just to happy go lucky to worry how much time i am out there............. I want no ties on time ............. I will not even go to those salted hunts that clubs put on................ I'll go out and find what i want when i want........... Don't like to have my hands bound in a time limit..................................

 

[donj]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Lets not get tooooo full of ourselves its all in fun its just a challenge

 

[Ism]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

I only found one place where I made close to minimum wage...As soon as I removed a target, another was detected. Sometimes I just drug my pinpointer over the target area while I was on my knees because I got so many multiple hits with the detector. I spent most of my time on my knees...up, down...up, down....my back really hurt after hunting that spot. Funny thing is it was a school from the turn of the century (last century)...I didn't find so much as a wheat penny.

 

[joeman]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

In the famous words of 'Barney Stinson'.... "Challenge Accepted"!!

Actually, I'm not sure I can do it but will definitely give it a shot.

Cheers,

 

[Frankn]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

All that work takes the fun out of it, And besides I NEVER leave a paper trail. You don't work for the IRS do you? Frank

 

[LM]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

OK, DonJ and Joeman added to the list. This should be fun...

All that work takes the fun out of it, And besides I NEVER leave a paper trail. You don't work for the IRS do you? Frank

There is basically no "work". And your paranoia about logging your finds for 40 hours during a metal detecting challenge and that somehow inspiring interest by the IRS borders on delusional. The fact is, if we get 5-10 guys to do this and lets say 2/3rds are honest and don't exaggerate, of those 2/3rds, I'd say none, or maybe 1, beat minimum wage via finding some piece of jewelry.

 

[savant365]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

40 hours a week or 40 hours in 1 month? A lot of the folks on here can't work a 40 hour week and do 40 hours at their hobby. I get the jist of your challenge but I don't think anyone here is trying to make a living out of metal detecting. There are professional treasure hunters and there are hobbyists. I would love to be able to make a decent living detecting old sites and tot lots but that is just not practical. Personally I am disabled and couldn't even do the 40 hours a month, I just want that one occasional find that pays off.

If I were able though I would take this challenge and hunt nothing but beaches, I think thats where the money is in this hobby. Unfortunately I am about as far from any beach as a person can get, lol. On the other hand if metal detecting was my job I know I wouldn't enjoy it half as much as I do now (unless I found something so valuable that I never had to worry about money again).

The point I'm trying to make is that I managed restaurants for over 20 years but before that I loved to cook. Now I can't do that anymore but at home I love to cook again for the first time in a very long time. There are people out there that could detect for 60 to 80 hours a week and survive but they wouldn't want do it as their hobby too. I will be really interested to see the results of your challenge though. If someone decides that they can make a living detecting I wish them nothing but the best of luck.

HH Charlie

 

[maipenrai]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

I would gladly accept your challenge, except I already know the outcome. If everyone is honest and not only post the finds, but their expenditures, then Mc donalds is the better alternative. Of course there are days that you might find some nice gold items, but combined with the other days, that you only find a skunk, your not making wage. You can always cheat yourself, and save all the best places for your 40 hrs, but what about the next 40 hrs?

This is a great hobby, and can maybe even make a bit every now and then, but tot lots and swimming holes will not give you a wage. There is always the chance of finding a cache, or spending lot of time researching, but you cant equate that with a normal work week. People that hunt caches are spending huge amounts of time doing the research, so that should be figured in the minimum wage also.

Kinda like fishing, if you add up all the fish, and subtract all the expenses, we all know what the final score will be.

If you have a full time job, and MDing is an added income, then it might work, but why ruin a good hobby, by turning it into a full time job, unless you are retired.

 

[donj]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

nobody is going to quit there day jobs to md this challenge most of us can detect 40 hours in a month, Just have fun.... wahoo i'll bet some of those guys from jersey come make the challenge

 

[LM]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

40 hours a week or 40 hours in 1 month?

The basic idea is this.
Spend 40 hours detecting in the month of June. Do four, 10 hour days, 40 1 hour days or however you want to do it. This sample size will used to represent a 40 hour work week.

 

[liftloop]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

A round here that's not even a challenge with copper 4.29 a pound 30 pound a day is a little over 120.00 times 30 days 3,600.00 a month yea that's do able and if you go after glacial float copper you can find any were from one ponders to thousand pounds.if you have the right detector.

 

[moonshine]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

in my last 63 trips i have found a total face value of $40.95. That works out to 65 cents on average for my entire outing.

$4.35 of that is silver coinage. So my finds are "worth" about $130. (at todays market "bubble" prices) indian heads and old nickels have value to me but no one would give me anything for them. 63 trips for 2 or 3 hours is 158 hours. 130/158

Rough guess for me is 82 cents an hour! and that is without taking out money for gas. Yes "maybe" I suck at MD'ing but i still love it. Well maybe Im not so good at finding quantity. It just doesnt matter how much i find, its what i dont find that keeps me coming back. Its what might still be out there. The value of everything else about it makes it so worth it and compelling to me.

 

[Keppy]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

in my last 63 trips i have found a total face value of $40.95. That works out to 65 cents on average for my entire outing.

$4.35 of that is silver coinage. So my finds are "worth" about $130. (at todays market "bubble" prices) indian heads and old nickels have value to me but no one would give me anything for them. 63 trips for 2 or 3 hours is 158 hours. 130/158

Rough guess for me is 82 cents an hour! and that is without taking out money for gas. Yes "maybe" I suck at MD'ing but i still love it. Well maybe Im not so good at finding quantity. It just doesnt matter how much i find, its what i dont find that keeps me coming back. Its what might still be out there. The value of everything else about it makes it so worth it and compelling to me.

Yep it sure takes the fun out of the hobby... when you do it like a job...........

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Some years back an old fellow on a radio or tv show claimed he made 70-80k a year md'ing.

Pure md'ing? Not likely, but if you threw in scrapping everything you could carry out and worked it readily and daily, perhaps. I know I can find enough copper and cans and coins to cover a fraction of that claim but that would be a highly unlikely pursuit for anyone I've known who enjoys md'ing.

And of course there's that barn you'd need to store the goods until you got enough to make it sensible to cash out without repeatedly running to and from the scrap yards for 5 to 10 bucks a trip.

I've known two guys who I'd see regularly on weekend sunrise totlot patrol. I'd hit the totlots, they'd hit every dumpster and trash can in site grabbing cans and their cars were bulging with cans. After about 6-8 totlots though I'd have to say if I got one piece of gold a week, throwing in the change I'd pick up and the regular silver bling, I was ahead of them for a lot less gas and effort.

 

[LM]

Re: The Detectorists 40 Hour "Workweek" Challenge. Sign up here.

Yep it sure takes the fun out of the hobby... when you do it like a job...........

Amigo, you're struggling desperately to comprehend what this is...

We compile a group of guys to go out and do what they do anyway... Go metal detecting, at their leisure, whenever they want. All they do is log their time and finds to determine if it's possible to beat a minimum wage job detecting. Value of finds divided by 40 = the answer.