Anyone here hire themselves out for detecting?

[Captain Loosechange]

Hey everybody, just wandering if any of you hire out your metal detecting services, and if so what for? How much and how do you charge and what have been your results as far as amount of "business" and success in locating objects? I just placed a few ads in a local paper, first in the "wanted" section an ad wanting places to hunt and then in the Lost and Found and Resume' sections I posted an ad offering fee based services locating property pins and also lost jewelry. I was bored and thought I would give it a try. If I get one reply for a "job" it will be 1 more than I would have had if I hadn't posted, and it didn't cost me anything to post, so we'll see. Just wandering if any of you had done this or are doing this and what your results had been, or are. Thanks for looking and if I get any takers I will post a follow up. Thanks for looking and HH.

 

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[rjw4law]

Have Detector will travel.

 

[Noodle]

I can hardly find time to hunt for myself, much less others! Have had some calls from family and friends for lost items, but of course I don't charge for those. Just get excited headed there! Everybody knows I'm a weirdo (MDer) anyway, so just think I'm ok if my reputation isn't too damaged already! But, hey! If you're in a location (large city) where folks don't know others too well and they may sometimes need some help, go for it, and good luck! Probably nothing you need to open a storefront for, though.

 

[Shortstack]

There are a few folks who are "on call" by insurance agents to look for lost jewelry items that their company insures for folks. If they find the item, they get a minimum of 10% of the value plus expenses. In small towns, no expenses are charged for "in town" searches. Out of town, $1 mile.

A lot depends on exactly what you agree to with the insurance agent to begin with. Annnnnd, you'll need to have several agents on your list because just one won't have enough "work" for you. You have to play the averages.

 

[richm]

I thought about it, even made up a flier but then thought "wait, I don't want this to be a job" this is my hobby and I love it. And like Noodle said, barley enough time to do it for the hobby. I'm always open to helping anyone and the joy of finding something someone has lost and returning it is payment enough.

 

[Captain Loosechange]

Well, the ad has been up only 3 and 1/2 hours now, my first reply:"My Family has owned and inhabited a piece of land since the mid 1700's that I inherited and now live on. There are numerous old house sites, several with chimneys still standing, a cemetary(complete with the obligatory confederate soldier buried there), and several other places that may yield artifacts. The property is located atop ----- ridge, on the -------- county line about 4 miles from -------- My land is completely surrounded by the -------- National Forest, because for some reason, the ancestors didn't sell out when the forest was being established. I would allow you to search around, provided you split the profit from any gold/silver bars you may find. I have found civil war uniform buttons after a rainstorm around one old house site...the foundation is still there. Anyway, if you are interested, give me a call. My name is ------, and my home phone..." I think this may have potential.....

 

[Noodle]

Well, what more can you ask?

 

[U.K. Brian]

In Britain we have the F.I.D. (Federation of Independant Detectorists). This provides you with a few newsletters a year but more importantly a membership card that incorporates your photograph plus a public liability card that provides £5,000,000 of insurance. If you left a gate unclosed and the farmers prize herd got onto a busy road you would need plenty of cover !

If a member of the public lost something of value they can contact the FID who will check their records and contact the detector user who lives nearest to the place the loss occured. If that person is at work they would then carry on down the list until someone is found who can go out and do the recovery.

Cost to join is £5 then £3 per year to renew so under $5.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Hey everybody, just wandering if any of you hire out your metal detecting services, and if so what for? How much and how do you charge and what have been your results as far as amount of "business" and success in locating objects? I just placed a few ads in a local paper, first in the "wanted" section an ad wanting places to hunt and then in the Lost and Found and Resume' sections I posted an ad offering fee based services locating property pins and also lost jewelry. I was bored and thought I would give it a try. If I get one reply for a "job" it will be 1 more than I would have had if I hadn't posted, and it didn't cost me anything to post, so we'll see. Just wandering if any of you had done this or are doing this and what your results had been, or are. Thanks for looking and if I get any takers I will post a follow up. Thanks for looking and HH.

There is no market for profit like that in this hobby.
Too many of us do it for free.
I have had several people calling me wanting to pay me to find jewelry, wires etc...
I just run out and do it for free

 

[GopherDaGold]

My brother in law 'hired' me to search out a water meter on the lot of his ATV and dirt bike dealership.
He paid me in BBQ pork steaks and beer.

 

[mainer]

I have had a few people call and want me to find something for them, and only one gave me money which I couldnt refuse since she grabbed me by my back pocket and stuck it in my front pocket, sweet old lady. Wouldnt take no thank you for an answer. But it all worked out since I sponsered my girlfriend in a cancer walk with the money. But I wouldnt charge anyone, just doesnt feel right to me. Everyone has tried to pay me I just tell them if they want to spend there money donate it to a good cause.

 

[Arid-Zone-A-seeker]

Profit? How about,,,

Will Metal Detect For Food.

 

[Sandman]

I used to have a dealer refer people to me that wanted to hire someone to find their lost item. I used to charge them $50.00 an hour, with a $50.00 paid in advance. It was mainly finding so ones lost wedding bands either on the lawn or at the swim area. If I was already at the beach I would find it for free. Some times I would be met at a dock and they took me by boat to where they think a ring was lost and then bring me back. Many times I gave the money back too once I was sure I wasn't someones entrainment for the day. Had one guy that wanted to hire me to find his watch which he lost while water skiing.

I gave it up when it cut into my detecting for fun time.

 

[Frank1960]

Well, the ad has been up only 3 and 1/2 hours now, my first reply:"My Family has owned and inhabited a piece of land since the mid 1700's that I inherited and now live on. There are numerous old house sites, several with chimneys still standing, a cemetary(complete with the obligatory confederate soldier buried there), and several other places that may yield artifacts. The property is located atop ----- ridge, on the -------- county line about 4 miles from -------- My land is completely surrounded by the -------- National Forest, because for some reason, the ancestors didn't sell out when the forest was being established. I would allow you to search around, provided you split the profit from any gold/silver bars you may find. I have found civil war uniform buttons after a rainstorm around one old house site...the foundation is still there. Anyway, if you are interested, give me a call. My name is ------, and my home phone..." I think this may have potential.....

I'd print that paper out and both of you sign it before you did any detecting.

 

[frankie]

I put my name at the beaches.that way i learn whats out their and where it is.i hunted in places that you wouldnt even think their was stuff.i get a finders fee.it works out great.i find other stuff while im looking for their stuff,plus learn of other places to hunt.people allway give me a hundred bucks,but then again what is a platlum ring worth,or the history behind it. i love the stories people tell me after the find. one guy had a set of rings made up went thru the war had it for 37 years then lost it.and now he has another story to add to the ring.i sent it to him next day.he was so thankful that he sent me 100 plus shipping. so put your name in at the beaches,police dept,schoolsallmost anyplace you look for newer stuff

 

[Bum Luck]

and friends will call me for property markers and such.

That's a bad idea. Many times, it is not a straightforward endeavor, and is best left to professionals.

 

[RigDean]

I used to have a dealer refer people to me that wanted to hire someone to find their lost item. I used to charge them $50.00 an hour, with a $50.00 paid in advance. It was mainly finding so ones lost wedding bands either on the lawn or at the swim area. If I was already at the beach I would find it for free. Some times I would be met at a dock and they took me by boat to where they think a ring was lost and then bring me back. Many times I gave the money back too once I was sure I wasn't someones entrainment for the day. Had one guy that wanted to hire me to find his watch which he lost while water skiing.

I gave it up when it cut into my detecting for fun time.

What if you didn't find the lost item?...no fee?

 

[Iron Patch]

I Don't really see a problem with accepting a small reward because I would gladly pay $100 if I lost my watch and had a chance to get it back. And if it was found, heck even a couple hundred bucks certainly is a whole lot better than having to buy it again! Add in sentimental value and you can probably throw another hundred in. These people have to be so excited to get their lost item back, and because of that, I also understand why it's fun and feels good to do it for free. Now I'm not saying charge someone $100, but if someone is overjoyed and throwing it at you, well...

 

[Frankn]

When I formally retired from a large corperation I decided to supplement my income with my hobbies. It's like doing a job you love and getting payed to do it. I do what I call archaeological search & recovery. It coveres my digging with a veil of respect. I search old yards on a 50/50 basis or on a set fee owner keep all basis. My fee is $100 a day in advance. Do I make money? Well let me put it this way, in the last yard I searched, I found a gold ring with a 2ct. ruby. Estimated value $2000. I also found some other collectable items which have historical value. The ring wasn't lost by the owner of this 200 year old property. It was about 3.5" down, a pop up item. From the soil in this area I would estimate that it was lost in the 40's.

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[Woodland Detectors]

Hey Capn.
Because we advertise as being dealers in this area, we get a lot of strange calls of people wanting to find lost items.
Of course all we try not to charge, hoping it does good for the hobby.