Have you ever thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great to earn money doing this, but how do you make money with a metal detector?’ Most people dream of turning their hobby or passion into a full-time income. If you could only find that gold nugget as big as your fist, you could live off the profits, right? OK, so the chances of that happening are slim, but is there another way?
To make money from any hobby you will have to be creative and single-minded, as well as a bit of luck thrown in. Here we take a look at 10 ideas that could take the hobby that you love and turn it into a full-time income….
How To Make Money With a Metal Detector
- Searching after Large Events
- The Beach and Popular Swimming Holes
- Searching for Rare & Old Coins
- Gold Nugget Detecting
- YouTube, Podcast and Sponsorships
- Lost Property Recovery Service
- Police Assistance
- Create a Metal Detecting Course or Write an ebook
1.Searching after Large Events
Many large outdoor events, such as concerts or farmers’ markets can be great places to make money with a metal detector if you detect a few days after they are held. In fact, this is a common occurrence, and many times after a larger gathering has finished, a swarm of detectorists can be seen searching the area a few days later.
These are not the places where you will find a treasure trove, but you will often find lots of lost dimes and quarters and occasionally a gold ring or valuable trinket.
The great thing about this type of detecting is that you don’t have to do any digging, as all the lost items will be on the surface, just waiting for you you to find them. This means you are able to find a lot of items in a very short space of time.
Now you are unlikely to become rich from searching areas such as these, but it can all add up. So the next time a large event happens in your neighborhood, it may be worth visiting the area a few days later.
2. The Beach and Popular Swimming Holes
Metal detecting at the beach can throw up some seriously good finds. You can find things from coins to valuable jewelry, which has been lost by the people who have been enjoying their time at the beach, and from time to time you can uncover some valuable coins that have been lost for a long time in the past.
Most of the items you will find will be jewelry and valuables that beachgoers have put onto their towel and they have been lost in the sand. Also, there will be opportunities to find items in the surf as the cold water can make fingers smaller, so rings can slip off as they leave the water.
3. Searching for Rare & Old Coins
You can make money with a metal detector by digging up old and rare coins. The beauty of coin hunting with a detector is that even the lower-priced models will find coins. Although to help with your success it is a good idea to invest in a specialized coin hunting machine. Millions of coins have been found by detectorists and I don’t see this stopping anytime soon. Finding rare or old coins sometimes takes a little more work on your part.
Older more valuable coins tend to be buried deep in the earth so a detector that has good depth is always a great help. If you want to go searching for old coins then you will need to do your research. Here Google is your friend and some time spent finding out about the history of a place that you intend to search can throw up some interesting details, making your job a little easier.
4. Gold Nugget Detecting
This is a great way to make money with a metal detector but finding gold can be very challenging, much more challenging than coin hunting. This is made slightly easier if you have a metal detector that is specifically designed to find gold. And its also worth bearing in mind that you will only find gold nuggets in areas that naturally produce it.
In the US the best states to find gold include Arizona, Nevada, California, Idaho, and Oregon. So if you live in any of these states gold prospecting could be a great place to start. And the best thing about searching for gold nuggets is that once you find one, you know straight away that this item is valuable.
Most of your finds will be small, but that’s not to say that that life-changing find is not just around the corner. This is why it is worth taking the time and effort to learn how to specialize in this sort of treasure hunting and that could start with getting the right detector to do just that.
5. YouTube, Podcast and Sponsorships
This is often overlooked when you are finding ways to make money with a metal detector. Youtube is the second largest search engine, after Google when people want to find how to do something or to learn a new skill. So if you have a lot of experience, it could be a great platform to show off your expertise to help the novice detectorist.
Even if you lack the experience you could create an interesting channel as the viewers watch you as you learn this amazing hobby. Most iPhones or android devices allow you to record a high enough quality video, so you can even record yourself out in the field.
One area that is lacking at this time is a dedicated podcast to appeal to detectorists. You can talk about aspects of detecting or even interview experienced detectorists from your local clubs or organizations. Again the equipment to enable you to do this is easily available. All you need is a laptop, a good quality mic, and an editing program such as the excellent free Audacity. Oh and a willing subject who has something interesting to say.
Both of these ideas, once established will attract the attention of sponsors who want to be associated with your brand. And once the views or subscribers get above a certain level, you can earn more from ad placements.
6. Lost Property Recovery Service.
You could start a lost property and item recovery service. Advertise your service through a Facebook page or locally on noticeboards and you will soon have inquiries flooding in. You could charge a call-out charge and set a bonus fee, depending on the value of the lost item, when you reunite the precious ring with the grateful owner.
You could find yourself one day searching at the beach, where a waterproof or submersible detector is a must, and the next taking your detector to the park. Another area where you could have success is to advertise your service to find property pins on people’s estates.
7. Police Assistance.
You could offer your services to your local police department. There are many times when someone with a metal detector could help them in recovering possible evidence such as bullet casings, knives, etc.
If you feel this is a possibility and is something you want to do, you should have a payment plan in place and arrange an informal meeting with your local police chief. Some checks and additional training could be necessary, but you would have some interesting stories to tell the grandkids.
8. Create a Metal Detecting Course or Write an ebook.
Creating an online course on Udemy or one of the other online learning platforms, or writing an ebook, is a fantastic way to not only create a fairly passive income stream, but also provide quality instruction and advice to newcomers to the hobby.
With both of these approaches, you can go back and update or change the information to ensure the information is relevant and up to date. Some technical knowledge is needed to make a professional-looking course and if punctuation is not really your thing, proofreaders and editing services can be found at places like Upwork or Fiverr.
Conclusion
As you can see, since the invention of the metal detector, there’s been a few ways to make money , and each one can have many forms. Which path you choose will depend upon your skill level and personality. Another consideration is your own circumstances. Having a family to support brings an added pressure that doesn’t really exist if you are a single person. But whichever avenue you choose, I wish you every success and I hope you find your pot of gold ( or silver)
