Treasure hunting career?

rdawg14

Jr. Member
Aug 13, 2012
76
48
NY
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

Showtime2385

Bronze Member
Nov 19, 2013
1,586
1,479
NY
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Garrett AT-Pro, Garrett Pro-pointer-AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
For me its more than a hobby, Its a lifestyle! 8-)
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If it were a business it would cease to be fun. Instead of hunting when I like, it would become hunting 7 days a week, 12 hours a day regardless of weather. that is assuming you have enough spots to handle that much hunting. A string of popular beaches could fill that role, but few else. Even mining claims would eventually be worked out.

No thank you, I love it as a hobby, but not a job.
 

OP
OP
R

rdawg14

Jr. Member
Aug 13, 2012
76
48
NY
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I agree it might not be as fun anymore but I know I would rather do that all week than build houses or sit in an office. I don't think it will ever be more than a hobby for me either but just looking for thoughts.
 

toolmanbutch

Sr. Member
Aug 23, 2015
288
348
Upstate NY and Floridas East Coast
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
Bounty Hunter
Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Keep it as a Hobby. Less disappointment that way. Stay employed and use what ever you find as a second income. I have a little over 2K invested and I have found about 60 Bucks all summer. And my wife just smiles at me!
Toolman Butch
 

pat-tekker-cat

Gold Member
Feb 23, 2011
6,335
8,486
S. Fl.
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Garrett, Tesoro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
When you make something you love, work..... it becomes work, and usually not something you love, anymore.
I'm happy with it as a hobby. Have cool things, something to do, make a little here and there..... :notworthy:
If anyone would like to put me on retainer, though....... :hello: Will hunt for insurance claims..... :gold-bracelet: :diamond-ring: ;D
pm me for address, to forward funds. :laughing7:
 

Frankn

Gold Member
Mar 21, 2010
8,711
2,989
Maryland
Detector(s) used
XLT , surfmaster PI , HAYS 2Box , VIBRA-TECTOR
Well there is another side to this question, that being "how to".
It only works after you retire. That retirement income covers the gaps in the finds.
As far as still being fun, it is ! You have to enjoy the challenge of the research work and the boots on ground part too.
Your not out there constantly also, probably several times a year.
I am working on a cache right now that is worth $20+ My research is almost complete. When it warms up to 50+ in that area, I will drive my motor home up there for the boots on ground part. I figure about a week of detecting.
The thing is there is no one pushing you. You work as you like. Just my thoughts, Frank

Untitled-1.jpg I am working on this one now.
 

toolmanbutch

Sr. Member
Aug 23, 2015
288
348
Upstate NY and Floridas East Coast
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
Bounty Hunter
Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Pity the poor agnostic dyslexic insomniac who lies awake at night wondering if there really is a Dog. I love it. LMAO
When you make something you love, work..... it becomes work, and usually not something you love, anymore.
I'm happy with it as a hobby. Have cool things, something to do, make a little here and there..... :notworthy:
If anyone would like to put me on retainer, though....... :hello: Will hunt for insurance claims..... :gold-bracelet: :diamond-ring: ;D
pm me for address, to forward funds. :laughing7:
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well there is another side to this question, that being "how to".
It only works after you retire. That retirement income covers the gaps in the finds.
As far as still being fun, it is !

Yes, but then it's no longer a "job", it's just a full time hobby. You already have the retirement to pay your living expenses. Treasure hunting is then just an extra income.
 

Frankn

Gold Member
Mar 21, 2010
8,711
2,989
Maryland
Detector(s) used
XLT , surfmaster PI , HAYS 2Box , VIBRA-TECTOR
Yes, but then it's no longer a "job", it's just a full time hobby. You already have the retirement to pay your living expenses. Treasure hunting is then just an extra income.

A job is when you receive money to preform certain functions. Yes, it is a job and you are your own boss and it is extra income. The extra income could well exceed the regular income. I agree, it is all in how you look at it, but technically, it is a job. Frank
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
yes, but I believe that definition is outside the question posed by the OP. The way I read it, they are asking about treasure hunting (of any type) as your full time, "this is paying the bills" type of "job".
 

bill from lachine

Gold Member
Oct 30, 2011
22,616
88,899
Quebec
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
There's a fellow in Australia a few years back that tried if for a month and kept a day to day blog showing his results.

He was doing mostly beach hunting and returned some finds for rewards as well.....at the end of the month he was in the red insofar as meeting his living expenses.

Just stick with it as a hobby and whatever you find be it clad, jewelry, relics, etc....is gravy at best over the years I've probably broken even insofar as machines, accessories, batteries.....so it ends up being a free hobby at the end of the day.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

foiler

Sr. Member
Mar 17, 2013
395
389
Kansas
Detector(s) used
Fisher, Wilson-Neuman, Whites, Minelab, Tesoro and others I've long since forgotten
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Treasure hunting, in the true sense, as a profession has little to do with metal detecting. It's just a tool among many that are used in the process of finding what your looking for.
 

Trezurehunter

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
17,887
21,528
Illinois / Oklahoma
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
8
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800 - Fisher CZ 5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
For me & many others, its an obsession & great hobby, but I never did quit my day job. This is something I do on weekends, & probably enjoy much more that way. Its easier to have fun when you don't have to rely on it as a paycheck.
 

Msbeepbeep

Gold Member
Jun 24, 2012
15,787
24,131
MA
Detector(s) used
M-6, pro pointer, pistol probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
To do that requires certain skills and disciplines, and if done right, not many other than the treasure finder would know.

There may well be T Net members who make a living finding treasure, but being wise don't advertise. :cool:
 

mtsheron

Sr. Member
Jun 6, 2014
330
154
NC
Detector(s) used
Nokta Simplex+; and Lesche digging tools! Tesoro Compadre (daughter's machine)
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone on here has turned treasure hunting into a career? Whether it be searching for lost treasure, panning, detecting, dredging, gemstones, gold etc. Its just a hobby for me but it would be something else to turn it into a business.

Sheeew! One would more than likely go hungry!!!!
 

Msbeepbeep

Gold Member
Jun 24, 2012
15,787
24,131
MA
Detector(s) used
M-6, pro pointer, pistol probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
To do that requires certain skills and disciplines, and if done right, not many other than the treasure finder would know.

There may well be T Net members who make a living finding treasure, but being wise don't advertise. :cool:
 

Scrappy

Gold Member
Mar 6, 2014
9,204
14,019
17th century
🥇 Banner finds
7
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030 & XP Deus
Primary Interest:
Other
I think a treasure career may put undue and unforeseen pressures on your hunting experience. The same kind of pressures we relieve by the hobby itself.
 

Mr.Rust

Jr. Member
Jan 7, 2016
24
50
Aalesund
Detector(s) used
AT PRO, Garret pro pointer,Nokta Core, Garret Gold pan set, Guldstrøm Eldorado Special Sluicebox, Garret Retriever II, Black Ada BigFoot shovel,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I own an antique shop with an under company called Rust Relic Recovery,
most days i am just working with antiques, but fairly often im out finding wedding rings,
property markers and stuff like that. My antiqueshop pays for most of the equipment and bills,
so i dont HAVE to find anything to keep going, That way theres no pressure. And i can do what i want,
when i want to do it, my opinion is that a steady moneymaker is key if you want to do it :)
 

whitjake

Jr. Member
Oct 12, 2013
94
51
Warren, Pa
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold bug 2, fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Even the ones on Youtube cant do it for a living alone. they have to do other things just to make ends meet
 

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