# My Work At/Near Home Business



## DiggerDirect (Nov 7, 2009)

I like reading others posts on how they make a living, it is inspiring and even amazing how diversified the ideas are!
Altho I engage in firewood, logging on a small scale, trapping and several other venues a large part of my income comes from a 'hobby' I've had since I was 12 years old, and developed into an occupation of sorts.

Back in the 60's, early 70's I had an uncle that introduced me to his hobby of digging & collecting antique bottles, didn't take long and I was hooked. Living in a rural area of New York State the outdoors was pretty much my indoors, and while the other guys were mostly off doing what young fellas do I could usually be found out in the woods & fields, walking along streams & ponds, searching for the old homestead sites and the artifacts they contained.

Years later, as raising a family put pressures on that really limited me doing my 'hobby', as well as the countryside filling up with people and many areas becoming 'private property' as well as the price of these old bottles, crocks & other artifacts sky-rocketed. It became increasingly clear that to continue my hobby I had to make it start returning some income.

I started off doing some shows & sales, selling some of my finds, swapping others, stuff like that. It generated some income but was pretty localized and to a localized market. Then I was introduced to the internet and online selling, reaching a collector base never before possible! Sales sky-rocketed and soon it was apparent I would run out of items! I hung out a shingle taking consignments from others, selling them on a percentage basis, that worked out fine but I was playing to a localized consignor base.

In my selective logging I harvest & sell a landowners timber on a percentage basis, alot of my trapping is done on a percentage basis, Seemed almost everything I did was on a percentage basis of one sort or another, so I figured why not start locating & recovering artifacts (ie: old bottles, stoneware, ect.) on a percentage basis?, Its something I know, and am pretty good at it.

Now our ancestors were not slobs, but most areas didnt have trash pickup, they disposed of it on their own properties, thats just a fact. Practically every piece of land that was inhabited in yesteryear has an old dump, trash pit and outhouse somewheres about, and many valuable artifacts buried within.

With all the new developement these days many, many of these sites are being damaged or worse, lost forever.

This works out for everyone, I come in, check out the landowners property, locate & recover the artifacts, inventory, clean & evaluate them, then sell them 'DiggerDirect' to collectors, institutions & researchers where they are preserved for future generations to enjoy. The landowner gets a check for something they never knew they had, I get a check which sustains me in my 'hobby' I love, the artifacts which have been more or less lost to time are brought to light & enjoyed by those who cheerish them.

Often times the landowners just need the cash, but occasionally one will fall in love with an item or two, either for sentimental reasons or just for the beauty of them. To me thats great, its a good thing when you see their eyes light up holding an artifact that their ancestors once held, I manage to add a few pieces to my own collection every year as well. We just work out the split details accordingly.

It isnt easy work but keeps a fella in shape! And its only seasonal, atleast up here in the north country, but once you get a trail of satisfied landowners as well as customers behind you, and a reputation for honesty & integrity, I find I have more work than I can handle!

My motto? *Do what ya like...But like what ya do*


http://www.diggerdirect.com


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## jmtinmi (Feb 25, 2009)

Great idea to be able to approach land owners with a percentage of your discoveries. A good approach that I would welcome if I were approached.


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

That is great to come up with a business doing something you like to do! 

I know what you mean about the previous owners throwing all their trash and old bottles away in piles on the land. We have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned bottles and cans from our little piece of land. Since it was a hunting camp before we bought it, it was doubly covered with old beer cans and beer and liquor bottles. I never tried to sell any. I saw some on ebay but didn't want to go through the trouble as they all wanted something for nothing.

My little Hopalong Cassidy milk bottle is my treasure. 

katlupe


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Digger,

That is so cool!!!!

I am working on some ideas to make a hobby of mine to provide a revenue source. It probably won't work out for me, but it is great that you are able to do it!!!!

I've spent some time online reading about bottle dumps, and the people who dig for them. While it isn't something for me, I find it fascinating!!!!!!

BTW, have you done any freelance writing on the subject? If so, how did it turn out?

Thanks for sharing!!!!!

Clove


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

DiggerDirect, your site is really nice! 

Clove has a good idea there. I bet a magazine like Backwoods Home would welcome an article on how to do that to make a living or even just a little more money in your pocket. They publish an article in almost every issue on making a living. 

katlupe


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## DiggerDirect (Nov 7, 2009)

_"BTW, have you done any freelance writing on the subject? If so, how did it turn out?"_

Actually, at the urging of several internet friends who wanted to get into it back in 2002 I wrote a small booklet on the subject, mailed it out to them. It wasn't much, about 40 pages or so, kinda crude hand made diagrams & printed out on my computer, my paper & staple bound. It went over good, so good in fact that I (somewhat reluctantly at the time) put a couple listings on eBay for it. I was amazed at how well it did! 2 years ago (& three printers later) I bought some 3d ebook software and converted it to an 'electronic' book, which was sweet as I could add all the full color pictures, diagrams & pop up enlargements as well as several videos I made right into the book. To date I'm just shy of the 3000 copies sold mark, both on ebay & my website.

Katlupe wrote: _"I know what you mean about the previous owners throwing all their trash and old bottles away in piles on the land. We have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned bottles and cans from our little piece of land."_

lol I know what ya mean! I've had to come to grips with myself several times. I remember I tongue lashed one of my boys one time when he tossed a soda bottle out the window while we were driving, his reply was "thinking of the bottle collectors 100 years from now" and how they'd be glad he did (smart alec) and if they hadn't 100 years ago I'd be out of business! LOL how do you reply to that without being a hypocrite!

I never really gave any thought to writing an article for a magazine but its a great idea!, I enjoy this hobby of mine and it pleases me to get others into it.

Al
a/k/a DiggerDirect


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