ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Sept 27, 2016 14:35:27 GMT -5
Not that that's my goal; Just a curious question for those who have some equipment that isn't cheap. I tumble for enjoyment and as a collector. I suspect that the margins are pretty slim and the market is fairly niche for tumbled stones. Perhaps there's interest from fellow collectors, or those who are into metaphysics or reiki practitioners. I dunno.
What about cabbing? I don't have any plans to start making cabochons, but i'm not ruling it out.
|
|
|
Post by 150FromFundy on Sept 27, 2016 15:39:26 GMT -5
I sell necklace pendants once a year at a Christmas craft fair. I usually sell about $300 to $400 of tumbled stones over the two days. I'm sure I spend more than that on grit and diamond drills in a year. As for making money, I would be happy just to break even.
Darryl.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Sept 27, 2016 16:22:38 GMT -5
We sell at a couple Christmas bazaars and do ok, but not nearly what we spend on rocks. I suppose that when we're retired and start whittling down the rock bucket farm we'll do better. Rebuilding and reselling equipment from estates and whatnot pays a lot better in my experience.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2016 18:37:14 GMT -5
I have studied this topic for 5 years. For me, it has potential as a retirement 'fun money' generator.
Others, spend time slabbing and cabbing. A $10/# atone sells for $25-50/cab.
Yet more people slab slab slab and sell at shows. $10/# rock sells for $10-20/slab, but this takes saws and is most efficient with hydro feed saws. Even then it seems to take 5-6 saws to make the endeavor interesting.
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Sept 27, 2016 19:46:32 GMT -5
Yes, it makes some money, but importantly, it makes me happy.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
|
Post by Fossilman on Sept 28, 2016 10:05:24 GMT -5
I just started making money (not a lot),but it payed for my three day central Oregon rockhounding trip..... It's more about the hobby for me though...
|
|
|
Post by roy on Sept 28, 2016 10:24:16 GMT -5
yes my hobbie operates on its own
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 28, 2016 13:07:42 GMT -5
The short answer is yes it makes me money. Getting to that point is not an easy task and trying to sell stuff takes a lot of the fun out of it sometimes. For example I can trim out a slab and make a cab in about 20 minutes but it might take another 30 minutes just to take nice photo's, upload them to etsy, and then try to write a nice description of the item. Setting up at rock and gem shows is a lot of fun but most are two day shows so if they are more then an hour from home I have to subtract the booth rent and a hotel stay right off the top. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Sept 28, 2016 13:47:29 GMT -5
Sure makes other folks and delivery businesses a lot of money!
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Sept 28, 2016 13:55:14 GMT -5
I envy Drummond Island Rocks's business sense. He has so much variety to offer. As for myself. I have 2 etsy shops and they do ok. My husband can't retire, yet. I pay for my hobby and then some. If I put a lot more energy into it, I could make a lot more, but I am happy with the way things are going.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 28, 2016 14:16:22 GMT -5
I envy Drummond Island Rocks's business sense. He has so much variety to offer. As for myself. I have 2 etsy shops and they do ok. My husband can't retire, yet. I pay for my hobby and then some. If I put a lot more energy into it, I could make a lot more, but I am happy with the way things are going. The trick to happiness for me has been to never try to make an hourly wage. This is an expensive hobby so just being able to do it without taking any money from the household budget is my end goal. Making some extra cash is a bonus. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Sept 28, 2016 16:33:20 GMT -5
Sell some of that high quality pudding stone rough you find and that'll get ya making extra cash!
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Sept 28, 2016 16:51:52 GMT -5
Hobby / Money ? Isn't that an oxymoron ? To me a hobby is just that, a hobby. A big old money pit. When you start looking at it as a money making proposition it becomes a business.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Sept 28, 2016 16:55:35 GMT -5
Hobby / Money ? Isn't that an oxymoron ? To me a hobby is just that, a hobby. A big old money pit. When you start looking at it as a money making proposition it becomes a business. Yes, but an expensive hobby. I can't take money out of the household for it. I need to get it somehow.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 28, 2016 16:59:59 GMT -5
Sell some of that high quality pudding stone rough you find and that'll get ya making extra cash! I am hording that for retirement income, lol I do sell a lot of pudding stone every year but only in finished goods. I have been fortunate over the years to collect a nice stock pile but I can tell you it is getting harder to find every year so I figure I may need the stuff I have now in the future. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 28, 2016 17:04:11 GMT -5
Hobby / Money ? Isn't that an oxymoron ? To me a hobby is just that, a hobby. A big old money pit. When you start looking at it as a money making proposition it becomes a business. Yes, but an expensive hobby. I can't take money out of the household for it. I need to get it somehow. Well said. The other part is that if I did not sell anything I would have a thousand pounds of tumbled stones and about 300 pendants sitting around the house. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Sept 28, 2016 17:06:54 GMT -5
Yes, but an expensive hobby. I can't take money out of the household for it. I need to get it somehow. Well said. The other part is that if I did not sell anything I would have a thousand pounds of tumbled stones and about 300 pendants sitting around the house. Chuck EXACTLY!
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Sept 28, 2016 17:19:46 GMT -5
Yes, but an expensive hobby. I can't take money out of the household for it. I need to get it somehow. Well said. The other part is that if I did not sell anything I would have a thousand pounds of tumbled stones and about 300 pendants sitting around the house. Chuck LOL. I solved that problem. I gave several coffee cans full of tumbled stones to the local Girl Scouts. Then I gave my tumblers to a friend. All of the tumbled stones are her problem now.
|
|
|
Post by HankRocks on Sept 28, 2016 19:26:13 GMT -5
My goal is to make enough money to pay for beer and gasoline required for my rock gathering trips! Any more than that and it becomes a business.
|
|
barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
|
Post by barclay on Sept 28, 2016 19:58:21 GMT -5
The problem with trying to make a hobby make money is that now you have to do it, instead of doing it because you want to do it. That takes the fun out of it. I think someone once said that golf is a good walk spoiled. How much is your sanity worth? That is the measure of rock work IMHO.
|
|