For Fun or for Profit?

[OutBack Duo]

I understand some people might do it for both but if you sell items you find on a regular basis then you do it for PROFIT. If you never sell anything you find then you do it for FUN.

 

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[ramjet2187]

Don, there's not much market for 'can-slaw', or '12th GA buttons'.........

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

I voted for fun, but if I found a $1500 coin tomorrow, I'd probably (99.9%)sell it at this time. If I had $50k sitting in my account then I would keep it. I could make more money with $1500 than it sitting there on a coin.

 

[OutBack Duo]

If I found something that was really valuable I would sell it also. I know most of us metal detect just to get out of the house and the challenge of finding something interesting but I also know some people metal detect as a 2nd income. A lot of beach hunters sell the rings and other jewelry they find weekly.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

LOL! Well I guess we;ve got our priorities straight so far.

I also hobby farm. I have to work full time to support that, too.

 

[Daisy]

Well, with just over 500$ invested in equipment and digging one penny at a time, it'll take a while to turn a profit. My vote goes to doing it for fun!

 

[desecrator]

I too would sell any finds that could help my financial situation significantly. However, there are very few detectorists who, if they divided their total finds by the total hours spent detecting, would even come close to minimum wage. Even the lucky few who find a $10,000 coin or relic, or stumble upon a silver cache, probably spent 1000's of detecting hours in between the great finds. So I guess "profit" is a very relative term. The chance of even a modest profit makes the hobby much more fun. In fact, I pity a true professional TH'er... If you NEED to make the finds to survive, it becomes just another job.

 

[Sandman]

If you NEED to make the finds to survive, it becomes just another job.

This is true as I tried. I always told newbies that if they wanted to make a profit, get a job part time. It is the fun of the hunt.

 

[Hoosier Kingfisher]

For fun and hoprfully for profit

 

[EDDE]

both

 

[tinpan]

I do for fun and too get my own treasure TV show in America. I know you love Aussie stars I,m Waiting

tinpan

 

[stoney56]

I do it more for fun although I'm not going to turn down a bit of profit if it shows up.

 

[oldguypromo]

I must do it for fun because I've never found anything I could sell.

 

[erikk]

I do it for the fun but over the years it has paid for all my detectors and SCUBA stuff. I still get a big thrill when I dig a mercury dime or pull a ring and in never ceases to amaze me how much stuff has been lost

 

[BIG61AL]

My best find from 2006 was a gold wedding band and i only got $45.00 for it..It's clear that I ain't gonna get rich but i did convert all my clad and scrap silver and gold into some nice older coins that i can only dream about finding for free in the ground.

 

[Salvager]

When I was considering buying my first detector I worked out how long it would take me (in hours) to get the cost of the detector down to a reasonable amount per hour. Eg. Pay $700 would take you 200hrs to have it cost you $3.50 per hour wich is a relitively cheap hobby (compared to other stuff with continual expenses). If you want to get that done in a year thats about 4 hours a week-not too hard. In Australia if you detect modern sites the most common coin is $2 so it's easy to actually cover the $3.50 an hour 'charge' so in a year you are well and truely even.

I look at it as-I could deliver pizza's and get more per hour. BUT what other hobby costs you nothing AND gives you a chance to find something worth a fair bit? Not to mention all the non-monetery benifits like getting outside and staying healthy!

I was lucky to find a 22k gold ring that theoretically is worth the same as I paid for my detector so it covered itself real quick. But now I've got the bug ang bought an Explorer 2 so I dunno if I ever will make my magical 'break even' point.

Just my thoughts,
Have fun,
Salvager

 

[OutBack Duo]

well I guess there isn't any surprises here, we metal detect for fun and not for profit. I think its important for newbies to know, chances of getting rich are very slim. Most of us never find enough to pay for our equipment, batteries or gas to get to our favorite detecting locations. Have fun and don't worry what it costs.

Happy Hunting!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I do for fun and too get my own treasure TV show in America. I know you love Aussie stars I,m Waiting

tinpan

You gotta have a name with an animal in it and/or a catch phrase or word you use over, and over, and over . . .

'Dingo spleens! Another pull-tab or me name ain't the "Wabbaly Wrassler!" Guess I'll try over here by this little orange flag I've never before seen in me life. "Beeeeep!" Dingo spleens! Now that's a keeper!'

 

[AxeMan]

For fun. If you did it for profit, and wanted to make it worth you while, it would have to pay for all your gear first right. Now how long is it going to take you to find enough to break even just on your gear? Might as do it as a full time job and do it a least eight hours a day 40 hours a week. Is there enough out there for you to find? Is there enough locations you can hunt? Sure you 'll get a big hit every now or then. You say for profit I think make a living out of it and doing it as a job. Could not see doing it as a full time job. Swinging eight hours a day I get Popeye arms in a few months out of it more than anything else, and maybe a bad case of Carpal Tunnel.