Hello From the Frozen North USA

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

BetPlacer

Ron (Buddy) Kendrick
Joined
Jan 23, 2018
Messages
69
Reaction score
46
Location
Minnesota, United States
Hello,

My name is Ron. I'm married with 5 kids ages 6-16. My wife and I own, and are the sole operators of a resell business in Minnesota USA. We are what folks like to call pickers. Locally, and through our state, we go out to peoples estate sales, storage facilities, homes. etc. hunting for antiques and collectibles to resell on eBay and other venues. WE have been in business since 2004.

Of all the "reality work shows" I have seen on the TV, the show Aussie Gold Hunters seems to be the most appealing to me. Wandering through nature, in the heat, detecting for gold with my wife seems like it would be heaven to me. That said, I'm hoping to get more information here on this forum about one day actually making that a reality.

Lastly, I have NO ILLUSIONS regarding "easy money", or living the high life. My family and I live a very simple life and prefer it that way regardless of what our past finds have revealed. We are simple and prudent people that enjoy the fruits of working both hard and smart.

Cheers
 
Welcome to the forum mate

I hope one day your dreams of Aussie prospecting becomes a reality

Id be interested in hearing about some of your favorite "picks" from over the years, very fascinating line of work!

Walking around in the heat doesn't sound like a dream to me :lol: :lol:

best of luck with your future Aussie gold endeavors!
 
Welcome Ron, BetPlacer, Picker. It's hard to imagine frozen ground as it's been darn hot here in Vic.
Happy hunting and enjoy the forum.
Flowers
 
Welcome to PA mate.
Whilst your ground may be frozen, it'll be getting to around 106F here this weekend in the Victorian Gold Fields.
Probably 100 deg hotter than where you are.
It's the Australia Day long weekend, so despite the heat, there'll be a few of us loonie "Aussie Pickers" trying to pick up some gold out there.
I reckon that I may last till around midday each day (maybe not even that), then go sit in a pub somewhere.
 
welcome mate
1516781830_10.jpg
 
Thanks everyone for the welcome.

As some of you might assume correctly, there's a lot about my current profession as an antiques picker that logically parallels gold mining. Mostly, it's that people in my business are ALL gold miners as well. The difference...? Often we find ourselves mining for gold in moldy basements, million degree attics, damp garages, or spider infested sheds. Our few and far between gold discoveries reveal themselves in places like rotting antique dressers, beneath piles of grandma's soiled undergarments. On very rare occasion, you'll find that gold necklace everyone missed in the upstairs bedroom jewelry box. Then, once in a lifetime, you're the first to respond to someone who's just simply over it, and literally giving away grandpa's trunk filled with golden war spoils. In the end, everyone in my business is looking for that LITERAL pot of gold, just like a legitimate gold miner.

All that said, it's the HUGE differences between what I do, and what a legitimate gold miner does that's most appealing to me. At the VERY TOP of the list? The apparent solitude actual gold mining seems to offer. Sure, I can see the struggles at times dealing with permit officials, claim holders, the occasional poacher, a grumpy assayer, but when it comes to the actual work, the meat and potatoes of actual gold mining looks to be just you ALONE against the natural elements.

Second on the list of appeal would have to be those those actual NATURAL elements. I can clearly see that there are no gold nuggets sunning themselves on a tropical beach in the Caribbean, beneath a grass hut, next to your bar stool. Clearly, natural gold is only found in some of the most forsaken spots on the planet, guarded by some of the most deadly plants and animals on the planet. That said, it's also clear to me that the universe ONLY allows the most thoughtful, and respectful stewards of this planet to CONSISTENTLY find it's gold. Sure, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut, but note the emphasis on the word consistently.

Lastly, coming in third on the list of appeal toward natural gold mining vs. urban mining is summed up with a word I peppered around this post. That word is LEGITIMACY. My profession as an, "American Picker", "Antiques Picker", "Urban Gold Miner", or whatever the word smiths want to call it, is 100% about navigating the worst parts of human existence. Someone had to die, fall on hard times, not care, or just be outright ignorant for me to make money. As I've aged (I'm 45), those elements have become harder and harder to overlook. I do what I do for the love of the hunt, the excitement of the find, and the reward of the work. Ultimately, I have gone as far as I can go in my profession, because after 14 years, I'm no longer comfortable with justifying the legitimacy of the reward. I can go much much further, and have way too much piss left in me to stop here.

Thanks again for the welcome.
 
Sounds like Australia, :lol: :lol: :cool:

Clearly, natural gold is only found in some of the most forsaken spots on the planet, guarded by some of the most deadly plants and animals on the planet.
.
Welcome to our place down under. :)
.
True about relying on some ones misfortune but, If it wasn't for folk's like you, A lot of treasures would be lost forever.
Please spend your time having a look around our neck of the woods.
.
We can be very accommodating being Aussies. :) :) :)
 
nucopia said:
... i would love to hear more about your treasure hunts over the years..
Click to expand...

The hunting gets monotonous quickly. Trouble is, there is NO SHORTAGE of things to buy. It's the navigating over all of peoples BS like misleading and clickbait ads, overpriced junk, unreasonable prices for the good stock etc.. That's what wears you down quickly. When you do find your mark, racing to the dig is what gets the heart pumping. You understand of course, even when you do potentially find your mark, only about 1 in 10 lands with issues like it's already sold, your competition got to it first, the seller is a high ranking dope, etc..

Best Case Scenario #1: The Daily Grind: You open your computer and find your mark within the first 5 minutes. The ad itself has only been posted to the public for less than 10 minutes. You contact them, they respond immediately, and an appointment is set to meet them within a half hour. Understanding you're the first one through the door, you arrive at their residence and complete the initial deal. Now that your foot is in the door, you give em' the ole', "...and oh by the way, I also look for...". Before you know it, you have a pile in the middle of their living room. They're tickled to death because in their mind, you have foolishly spent $300 on their deceased parents old junk, and your down the road with $5,000 + worth of goods.

Best Case Scenario #2: Once in a Blue Moon: A lawyer or realtor contacts you knowing what you do and asks, "How much do you charge...?" You get to the house, and it's FULL top to bottom as if the previous owner has fallen off the face of the earth. In that case, out of ten, seven have died and nobody cares, two are sitting in jail or drugged out in a motel somewhere, and one has dropped everything to presumably go live with John Galt. When it's all said and done, after a month, the house is empty, the lawyer or realtor has paid you for your labor and disposal costs, and you've walked off with $50,000 + in goods.
 
DetectingSA said:
Id be interested in hearing about some of your favorite "picks" from over the years, ...
Click to expand...

My favorite people to pick are those that are trying to get one over on folks. The thing with scam artists is the majority of em' don't realize how transparent they are, falling in the category of "only fooling themselves."

My favorite things to pick are small metal things: Zippo Lighters, Old Razors, Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars, Fountain Pens, Pocket Knives, Jewelry, and of course Coins. My fingers and hands are sensitive to textures and I've always liked how small metal things feel in my hands. As a boy I collected stamps. I have several Roos as a point of interest. Recently I have been getting into collecting paper like Antique Postcards, Valentines, Auto Brochures, etc., but I like it small. No posters or newspapers and such, small things: Matchbooks, sport pamphlets, etc. They HAVE TO BE old though. Nothing post 1950. I enjoy the old art deco styles and intricate designs like you will find in stamps.

My favorite places to pick are old abandoned warehouses and industrial buildings ready for demolition. The opportunity doesn't come up that often, but when it does, I'm in Steampunk Heaven. Old tools, valves, gages, signage, door handles, hardware, etc. Also, there is just something about this old massive building that once cost enormous amounts of money to construct, doing enormous amounts of commerce over the years, but now sits empty and useless to the rest of the world, yet still has a valuable bounty to offer.
 
Tathradj said:
True about relying on some ones misfortune but, If it wasn't for folk's like you, A lot of treasures would be lost forever.
Click to expand...

Indeed one of the justifications that keeps me on the urban hunt is the fact that I'm "rescuing" a worthy artifact from the hands of an irresponsible steward, and hopefully placing it into the hands of a responsible one. So yeah, the philosophy of preserving history through tangible artifacts does have some merit. Of course another justification is simply the fact that my family needs to eat and stay dry. That said, all the other BS surrounding my profession indeed has me searching for a more respectable set of consequences.
 
Wishfull said:
Do you have a metal detector ?
Click to expand...

No sir. The only piece of equipment I have is a green placer pan my in-laws gave me 3 years ago. It's still in the box in my closet. Mining natural gold has alway very much attracted me, but the methods didn't quite fit until I saw the Aussies on TV detecting for it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

elliott thompson
My Introduction to the love of fossicking
Replies
2
Views
1K
silver
silver
X
THE MUSIC OF THE BUSH
Replies
18
Views
2K
user 12139
U
RM Outback
True Champions
Replies
18
Views
2K
Ridge Runner
R
S
Detector research
Replies
6
Views
3K
TJH2620
T
WalnLiz
Agate Creek..."World class Agates on our doorstep."
Replies
8
Views
7K
jimnyjerry
jimnyjerry

Latest posts

Top