Big Boys Hobbies

How do I turn Detecting into a career?

Just a thought

When I was about seventeen I told my Dad that I would like to start a car washing business. My Dad told me the way I took time cleaning my car I would never make money at it.Now look at the people paying hundreds of dollars to have their cars detailed.What would it be like now if I did not listen to Him? Let the man have his dream.Just a thought.
 
Its an interesting discussion. Whether its possible or not , I bet everyone participating in this thread wishes they were in a position to give it a try , thats why we find it interesting ;)
 
I'll take a stab at it....

First, look up CRACKBADGER on Google. He seems to be a ring magnet that hunts in Florida. His early youtube stuff showed tons of rings with an ACE 250.

Ten years ago I would have said YES if....you did something on the side to make up any shortfall. Ten years ago they still had Polaroid cameras and I made a ton of money with them and I'm talking the cheap ones. Soooo simple...unemployed but would take the bus down to the beach and fish part of the morning. In my backpack I had a polaroid camera. I'd approach people, show samples of my work and ask if they'd like a polaroid shot of their family for $4 or $5. I'd put the print in a folder that it would fit into and that was it. It worked at beaches, parks, and places I camped at and while fishing. If I was doing it today, I'd probably use a digital camera with one of those portable digital printers...something that would fit in my backpack and would run on batteries. You're probably looking at 2 - 3 hours of work then moving on to detecting. That should enable eating and renting (if it's cheap enough) and easily if you're living in a van. Get the cheapest gym membership you can for access to showers. Of course it requires you to know how to take a saleable picture and a little bit about selling it (meaning asking them to give you money for it). That's the way I'd do it.
 
This may sound strange to the "flower children" of the 1960s, but joining (not being drafted) the military was the smartest thing I ever did. Besides being a secure job if you kept your nose clean, I got to see places and meet people others can only dream about. Yeah, there were some scary times, but you always knew someone had your back and they would do their darn best not to leave you behind. Unlike my civilian jobs, I would go back in a heartbeat. But, mother nature has other ideas and I'm not a spring chicken anymore. It WAS fun while it lasted, though!!!:takeoff:

Dusty
 
Scoundrel when you starting?

I would like to see a thread or a blog devoted to Scoundrel starting on the first day of his new career. Each day update your finds, successes and hardships.

Also have you calculated what you need to make (find) each week or month to survive?

Food, utilities, gas, insurances, health, etc.


Good Luck
 
sandtrout said:
If I was doing it today, I'd probably use a digital camera with one of those portable digital printers...something that would fit in my backpack and would run on batteries. You're probably looking at 2 - 3 hours of work then moving on to detecting.....
Click to expand...

Do you think there is still a market for this kind of photography, now that virtually everyone carries their own digital camera, or a cellphone that takes pictures?
 
Dustyloins said:
This may sound strange to the "flower children" of the 1960s, but joining (not being drafted) the military was the smartest thing I ever did. Besides being a secure job if you kept your nose clean, I got to see places and meet people others can only dream about. Yeah, there were some scary times, but you always knew someone had your back and they would do their darn best not to leave you behind. Unlike my civilian jobs, I would go back in a heartbeat. But, mother nature has other ideas and I'm not a spring chicken anymore. It WAS fun while it lasted, though!!!:takeoff:

Dusty
Click to expand...

Dusty, it's funny how people are different. My four years in the Air Force (1969-1973) were easily the worst four years of my life.
 
I think so....

dan said:
Do you think there is still a market for this kind of photography, now that virtually everyone carries their own digital camera, or a cellphone that takes pictures?
Click to expand...

I'll put it this way. There's a market for GOOD photographs and good ideas. I never take a pic of them the way they are...I position them where I want according to where the light is falling, I compose them in the view finder (to show the beach, or flowers, etc) and I'll get the expression. I'd probably start off giving someone a "free bee" and use that one as an example to show others of what they will look like IN THAT AREA. At parks, I'd go for a group shot...everyone wants to BE IN the picture. Then a pix of various people with the oldest person there, or a group shot and then individual family groupings. I'd try to work a large group for several photos. It paid my living expenses through college. The Air Force paid my way through college. Like a lot of jobs, it may not have been the place I WANTED to be but you make the "best-of-it" and learned a lot of useful things. In addition to my job (radar operator) I learned cooking, photography, auto mechanics, how to pick up girls, how to do fiberglass repairs on surf boards and boats, how to bowl, how to iron, and one E8 explained how to manage my paycheck because I was an 18 year old moron when it came to money. Took him several hours (did I mention I was also thick headed?) but I was never broke after that and knew how to plan....priceless info that I still use today.
 
plus the traveling, the gawking, the meeting, and the foods

I was in places that I normally wouldn't have been it so I got to see places, meet people, and taste foods that were unique to me. I guess it falls under "making the best of a situation." I knew a man who had a 3 year tour in Germany and never left the base. He'd get up, go to work, get off work and go to the NCO club until it closed and go to bed. He said, "if I want to see the sights I'll just buy a postcard." To each their own. If I had to do it again I'd probably pick another field (photography/journalism) but I'd still see the sights, meet new people, and eat the local cuisine. My recruiter wrote to me after basic and tech school and said, "now that you're in the real Air Force, let me show you some of the ropes" and told me how to make rank, how to call home for free, and where to find more girls (even in small farming communities) than I could possibly handle. Remember that tantalizing meal supplement, SOS? I hated it when I first went in but by the time I got out I wanted it on my entire breakfast. I didn't want to be in the military but I was lucky to make it work for me.
 
Dustyloins said:
Did you get sent to 'Nam?? If so, where??

Dusty
Click to expand...

Dusty, I like to say I spent my four years in a foreign country - Selma, Alabama.

I had a degree in broadcasting, so the Air Force made me a medic.

And I knew two guys with degrees in biochemistry who were assigned jobs as broadcasters.
 
sandtrout said:
I was in places that I normally wouldn't have been it so I got to see places, meet people, and taste foods that were unique to me. I guess it falls under "making the best of a situation." I knew a man who had a 3 year tour in Germany and never left the base. He'd get up, go to work, get off work and go to the NCO club until it closed and go to bed. He said, "if I want to see the sights I'll just buy a postcard." To each their own. If I had to do it again I'd probably pick another field (photography/journalism) but I'd still see the sights, meet new people, and eat the local cuisine. My recruiter wrote to me after basic and tech school and said, "now that you're in the real Air Force, let me show you some of the ropes" and told me how to make rank, how to call home for free, and where to find more girls (even in small farming communities) than I could possibly handle. Remember that tantalizing meal supplement, SOS? I hated it when I first went in but by the time I got out I wanted it on my entire breakfast. I didn't want to be in the military but I was lucky to make it work for me.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience sandtrout! Near the end of my enlistment I was fortunate to get stationed in Rota, Spain and then up near Kiel, Germany on a small detail building an addition to a Naval Comm Station. Some of the guys just wanted to stay on base and go to the EM Club or the "Navy" bars just outside the gate.:roll: In both locals I sought out places the locals would frequent and I had a great time! Took many weekend trips around teh countryside when I was off duty!:yes:
 
It's possible

I think that a person who knows his/her machine well and is good at the beach with finds, then yes they could do it. They would have to follow the crowds being at the most popular beaches. Up north for those summer months and south for the winter. I would think that a couple of diamond rings would be needed also. Hey Good luck.
 
Keith K said:
I think that a person who knows his/her machine well and is good at the beach with finds, then yes they could do it. They would have to follow the crowds being at the most popular beaches. Up north for those summer months and south for the winter. I would think that a couple of diamond rings would be needed also. Hey Good luck.
Click to expand...




In todays economy with todays bills? I doubt it... I know of hunters who could do it back in the early 80's when no-one else was detecting in the water but not today... back then some of these hunters could pull 50 gold or more in a weekend hunt... today, up here (New England) 50 in a year is outstanding...
 
"Dusty, it's funny how people are different. My four years in the Air Force (1969-1973) were easily the worst four years of my life."

Dan, im sure you had experiences during your 4 years in the Aif Force that were priceless. The 20 year experiences i had in the Army ,were some bad,but mostly good!!! I learned many skills,saw the world,met thousands of interesting people,had a familyect,ect. We are survivers. Thanks,to all of you that served our great country!!! Even those that were drafted against thier will, thank you for serving!!
 
JIM BL said:
Dan, im sure you had experiences during your 4 years in the Aif Force that were priceless.
Click to expand...

Nope, nothing good. I had a boss who hated three kinds of people - northerners, college graduates, and African-Americans. I was two out of three. He did everything he could to make life miserable for the soldiers who had more education than he did.

After he got transferred things were a bit better, but I never really fit in with the whole military idea. I just mostly stayed quiet, did my job, and waited out my sentence.
 
I hear ya, Dan. My first supervisor was a hot tempered 20 year SSgt (translation: dumb) who resented guys taller than he was and smarter than he was. He actually called me out back one day and said, "Take your best punch." I laughed (which REALLY pissed him off!) I walked away, called my dad (a CMSGT at Lackland AFB) and asked him how to get this guy off my back. He asked, "How would you like to work for a civilian?" I told him I'd work for the devil himself before I went back to the other guy.

To make a long story short, the civilian (a GS-5) realized I worked better by myself than in groups and gave me a job coding documents. Within a few weeks I had all the codes memorized and could pack my bags and go home at 2-2:30 pm vs 4:30 pm for everyone else. Not bad hours for a two striper!!!

Dusty
 
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