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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
 Posted - 07/23/2008 : 13:22:28
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Once upon a time there was a thread poll here about what type of sorter/hoarder are you, SUPER,Casual,Pocketchange... Each designation had a different dollar amount sorted per week- dollarwise I had all you penny mongers beat hands down cause I sort half dollars. It was said by Horgad or HCBTT that I was small potatoes and I was- it was funny to post though. I can tell you now though I have been to the edge, the physical capability of someone having a real job and sorting on the side is picking up 6 boxes every day and 12 on Saturday sos you still have 6 for Sunday. That is where I had gotten to last week when I started shutting this monster down. I started with one $500 box of halves July 17, 07 and last Saturday I picked up $6K in halves. What have I gained? Alot, profit and savings. More importantly, What have I learned? Obviousely I learned to be more frugal with my money sos I had more to hunt with. But is that all? No, I also learned what happens when you turn your hobby into a job (second job), still like finding the silver but not as much fun as it used to be.
Back to what I've gained, I have a Kennedy Book that is only missing a 70S and all but 3 of the newer silver Proofs- I haven't found a 2008S yet either. I also have a Franklin book with just 2 lonely holes to fill, the dreaded '55 and a 49S I believe. Since I am a purest in the sense that only CRH finds make it into my books I doubt my Kennedy book will ever get completely done but I still hold hope for the Franklin, a few weeks ago I needed 6 now I only need the 2. Every time I see a Ben I get excited cause it could be one.
End of last week I began shutting down because, well I need a vacation. It has been a year since I pulled myself away from the boxes to go camping and I'm gonna do it now, and for the rest of the summer too. I will likely take some road trips and do some bank hopping also. Was it worth it? Yes, tought ME to appreciate my money I work hard for but also I'm at about 940 ozt of silver found at FV. Might have to pick this up again come winter if banks are still in business just to reach that even 1K. Saturday will be my last pickup. HH all, Mark
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"54/54/2280" |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2008 : 13:38:53
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That silver hunting can put us copper hunters to shame. Too bad everytime I tried it here in Indy all I got was skunked. If I thought that I could make it work here, I would have given up the pennies in a heartbeat.
I hear you about it turning from fun into a second job. I consider copper hoarding serious business now as I have been going full out for quantity since the start of the year. I too will be taking a break. As soon as I hit 4 million pennies sorted, I am halting my bank orders and kicking back and going into low key hobby mode.
Congrats on the silver... |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2008 : 14:39:46
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It has been a wild ride. I had thought of switching over to pennies but my banks would hate ME haha, and how in the world would I dump $20K in pennies a week, takes as long to run $30 in pennies as $500 in halves where I dump- so much for the day job LOL.
There is more to the silver story, my competition is shooting us all in the foot by how they are dumping so basically I have to buy more than they collectively dump to get rid of them sos "WE" (not just ME) can get to some better stuff. Within a couple monthes they will just be rehashing the same coins over and over with a few silvers people cash in here and there. I always wonder when I got a good box "who else got one that didn't earn it?" I feel I've kept the game going long enough. We were at the beginning of another cycle and I didn't want to buy up all the bad boxes right before I quit and leave the good ones for the suckers so I switched most of my pickups over to dime this week and am cancelling my weekly orders as I make pickups. That means my $3K pickup tomarrow will be 12 boxes instead of 6 and Saturdays $6K will be 24 boxes instead of 12. I'm hoping the go big or go home system throws ME some luck in the dimes but it will keep ME from buying something foolish right before vacation. By vacation I mean "working vacation", I have a 5" gold dredge that I thought I had sold but the guy had to back out and lose his $500 earnest money- I guess maybe I was destined to get my money out of the river as yella metal. Last time I tried to make $$$ with the dredge gold was half as much and business was booming. Now work is slowed some and gold over $900 I might be able to make it pay. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
Edited by - ME CO on 07/23/2008 14:41:52 |
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knibloe
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1066 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2008 : 23:31:14
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| I have found 2 1970S in the last year and a half. The last one I found last month. |
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TenBears
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1021 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 00:04:36
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| That is some serious prospecting ME. Enjoy your well earned vacation. |
"Rich," the Old Man said dreamily, "is not baying after what you can't have. Rich is having the time to do what you want to do. Rich is a little whiskey to drink and some food to eat and a roof over your head and a fish pole and a boat and a gun and a dollar for a box of shells. Rich is not owing any money to anybody, and not spending what you haven't got." Robert Ruark
there are too wild Indians...
there are too wild Indians...
there are too wild Indians...-----still taunted
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misteroman
Administrator
USA
2565 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 11:35:14
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| $940 of FV is very impressive.Congrats |
Buying CU cents!!!! Paying 1.2 unlimited amounts wanted. Can pick up if near Ohio area. |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 14:36:57
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quote:
Originally posted by misteroman
$940 of FV is very impressive.Congrats
Actually its more than that- 940 ozt according to coinflation.com.
Not bad for a years work but I am going to enjoy the break.
HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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AgCollector
Penny Collector Member
USA
266 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 15:13:00
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Thanks for the story- I've often wondered what it would be like to push CRHing to the limit- and suspected, just as you mentioned, that it would cease to be as fun as it now is.
Out of curiosity, you mention "the competition"- have you met other serious searchers? |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2008 : 23:59:43
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quote:
Originally posted by AgCollector
Thanks for the story- I've often wondered what it would be like to push CRHing to the limit- and suspected, just as you mentioned, that it would cease to be as fun as it now is.
Out of curiosity, you mention "the competition"- have you met other serious searchers?
By serious do you mean "Looney Tunes" like ME? NO! But I heard a few doubled their orders. I picked up my last halves today and I'm already going through withdrawals, buttload of dimes to pickup tomarrow, then be gettin ready for vacation. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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Copper Catcher
Administrator
USA
2092 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2008 : 07:20:02
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ME CO - One great lesson "in this" for all of us is, as I have said before in another thread, we should remember it is the experience of the trip not the destination that counts. You are not different that most of us here that crave that "Thrill of the Hunt!"
Take a break; get your mind off coins for a while. Too much of a good thing, is still, too much of a good thing!
I have panned, sluiced and high banked but never dredged and at one time I was scuba certified too. Maybe one day!!! Happy Hunting!
P.S. Let us know how your trip went when you get back. Take some pictures too! |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2008 : 09:27:35
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| Coppercatcher, Nice gold. Unfortunately the gold I will be after is much smaller. I did the same thing with my dredge (guess I'm compulsive), I made it into a monster trying to catch #100 mesh and it became no fun too. I am ready to try it again though. I had thoughts of quiting the silver hunt but no doubt I will be back when dredge season is over. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2008 : 09:31:56
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| On another note I pickup $6K in dimes today- thought that would complete the "burnout", but the $3K I picked up Thursday produced 24 Rosies and 3 Mercs so am looking forward to see what double produces. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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Chip500
Penny Sorter Member
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2008 : 09:50:06
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| Me Co, are you Silver Stripe on T-net? |
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CoinHunter53562
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1805 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2008 : 00:48:24
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| Wow ME CO you are one serious silver hunter. I probably gave up too early on that, and should get back in the game. |
My hobby: collecting real money 1 copper cent or nickel at a time.
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misteroman
Administrator
USA
2565 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2008 : 13:52:01
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| ^^^ just keep plugging away with the pennies |
Buying CU cents!!!! Paying 1.2 unlimited amounts wanted. Can pick up if near Ohio area. |
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moboman
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2555 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2008 : 18:30:21
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congrats on actually getting out!
How did you manage to sort $6000/day? That is 12k coins to look at and if one day you cant search...you need to scramble to get another 6k ready for the next days pickup. If I let pennies lapse, I can always afford to go pickup more and just keep them in reserve. I know I couldnt keep many $500 boxes in reserve. |
"99% of all lawyers give the rest of them a bad name" 
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2008 : 22:08:43
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quote:
Originally posted by moboman
congrats on actually getting out!
How did you manage to sort $6000/day? That is 12k coins to look at and if one day you cant search...you need to scramble to get another 6k ready for the next days pickup. If I let pennies lapse, I can always afford to go pickup more and just keep them in reserve. I know I couldnt keep many $500 boxes in reserve.
I had worked up to $3,000 a day, I picked up $6k on Saturdays to have 3K for Saturday and Sunday each. Fortunately my dump bank had half dozen branches and was open 7 days a week cept major holidays. That was the grunt of it- I HAD to search 6 boxes every day and dump $3K every day or I would get burried, and not be able to keep up with my commitments (orders). I will likely pick it up again after a break but will try to keep it more managable- not have orders strung out for every dollar I possess- that was too stressful, sposed to be fun right. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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Saul Mine
Penny Collector Member
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2008 : 19:02:43
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My father and mother spent a summer dredging in California. The dredge was powered by a VW engine, so I assume they were moving a lot of ore. Last month Mom showed me what they found: 3 1/2 ounces of nuggets. For a whole summer's work. I have known some other miners and 1 oz per month is about the usual take, and you have to be a bit lucky to find that much.
I happen to be near a fairly lush silver area, location of the Red Cloud mine which my uncle owned. That country is so rugged that I would not go there for any reason. (You can look at it on maps.google.com or maps.yahoo.com by typing "red cloud, az" into the search box. The mine is a little bit north of the location marker, on the west side of the road.) The present owners don't even try to mine silver, they just collect wulfenite crystal specimens.
At my age, when I want silver or gold I buy ingots. |
A penny sorted is a penny earned!
Please use tinyurl.com to post links. Long links make posts hard to read. |
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ME CO
Penny Pincher Member
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2008 : 10:54:01
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Saul Mine,
Yep that is the way of it when looking for bigger gold- but the bigger gold is easy to catch (not find) and adds up faster than dust. Dust on the other hand is harder to catch but is more spread out. My 5" dredge is designed (by ME) for strictly dust, long slickplate that runs onto a screened sump where I have a 2" SN moving those concentrates to another sluice for further concentration. So basically I am moving the material of a 5" and getting the recovery of a 2".
I'll let ya know how I do when I get back in a couple weeks. HH Mark |
"54/54/2280" |
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Time to remenisce.
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