eBay

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

....for the cringy click bait title and the positive nature of the topic.

I just discovered a passion for geology, in particular gems/minerals. I'm fortunate enough to live near an area rich in mineral deposits of all kinds. Yesterday I sold my first rough gemstone specimens to a buyer in the same town I dug them out of. It's for very little money and the stones are advertised for what they are. However, I've been wanting to either expand into this area and/or eventually transition solely into it.

It reminds me of how I first started doing eBay for more than buying. I grabbed an old Calgary Flames Sandy McCarthy hockey jersey and my old collection of 90's/00's metal cd's that had long since been transferred to MP3 format and listed them. The jersey sold almost immediately and I had the CD's on auction of all things. I ended up netting over $600 in the two deals and was ready to hit the ground running with my new found venture capital. As you would expect, eBay reigned me in for 30 days or so with held payments as a new seller. (My first slap of reality). I used that time to familiarize myself with the policies so I wouldn't be slapped again.

I've been at it for nearly three years now and the excited feeling is nice.

.........

Ok, there's you're random dose of positivity. I won't take it personal if everyone tells me how it won't last and the sky is falling. A properly delivered rapier witted mocking is motivating to me. Have at it!

deltilogical · ‎07-10-2025

Minerals and gemstones are very popular. Because you have a supply, is there a way you could wholesale direct to other sellers offnet - and then you would avoid a lot of little annoyances for a lot of little profits.

dhbookds · ‎07-10-2025

Always fun to find a new passion.......I actually dug up one like you sold in NC many, many years ago... had to pay for the privilege of digging, but it was a REAL treasure hunt......

Good luck with your new venture!!!

silverstatetreasureboxes · ‎07-10-2025

@zakstreasuretrove

I admire your enthusiasm! Here's an invite over to the jewelry category where we have an expert geologist on board. He's extremely interesting and always ready to talk.

meme6253 · ‎07-10-2025

Sounds like you might want to get in on his action.

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

Yeah I have lots of ideas in my head including selling to other sellers. I'm still trying to come up with a direction. I am very interested in the faceting aspect. I highly doubt I'll be able to find any gem quality stuff on my own, but who knows. The rockhounding aspect is fun and a hobby, though why not combine fun with profits?

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

In NC now, it's VERY difficult to get access to areas. After hurricane Helene, I stopped for a long time. Anyone that know rockhounding will tell you a storm like that likely uncovered stuff never seen before. However, most is private property and it is in such poor taste, in my opinion, to even ask to walk around someone's devastated property.

I stick to public areas, some of which you are not allowed to collect from. (Edit: I don't take from those places. Just hike and look.)

Some of the fee digs are actually a great bargain. However, it depends greatly on where you go. There's one in particular that the owner digs it directly from his claim and dumps it straight into the pile you can dig from. A sluiceway is even provided. If you know what you are looking for, you can blast through material because the hard work of excavating it has been done for a small fee.

I've done it the other way where they point you to the mine and say have at it. Also rewarding, but such hard work too.

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

I'll take you up on that. I'll read through a lot of posts first. As an aside, since doing this I've learned a lot about the geology of my state, NC. We apparently had a few dust ups with West Africa and the gemstones are all the missing teeth!

gurlcat · ‎07-10-2025

I love this post. I always think to myself, I'll keep doing this for as long as I love it, and haven't had any real sense of burnout yet. But I have switched up my category focus a few times, and I think that's a very healthy strategy, keep your mind active with things you have to learn about. I don't understand how anyone could just list new products, use stock photos, etc. -Not knocking those who do, but me personally, it would just feel like nothing but work, no adventure.

The first thing I sold here was a wet-preserved cyclops piglet, for $625 to a sweet Chinese guy in New York who COLLECTED pickled piglets in jars, bought himself a fancy Victorian pickle jar to put mine in! From there I got into lots of different hobbies and sourcing methods. I even metal detect, but haven't sold any of those finds, ha. I think the idea of gem mining is AMAZING, lucky you to have that resource near you! You might want to check out Youtube for suggestions on cutting them. I've watched so many of them turning ashy beach rocks into dazzling jewelry, ha. -None of those were how-to's but I'm sure there are tons of those too.

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

I've already enrolled in YouTube university, lol! I've found lots of good channels that focus on either the rockhounding part or the gem cutting part. Some mix the two, but not many.

NC has loads of different stuff. Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, Garnet etc.... Most of the good stuff has long since been exhausted and much of the known remaining is only specimen quality. At least the stuff I would be able to access anyway.

However, there have been instances of incredible treasure being found here. The Carolina Emperor Emerald was found not far from where I live. There is also a very rare gem from here called Hiddenite. It is similar to Emerald, but rarer.

In addition, and maybe you can see why I am giddy with excitement, one of the most famous examples of Hiddenite was cut by a lapidary hall of fame inductee named Jerry Call.

https://www.facebook.com/ledfordsminweb/videos/605664430776374/

Unfortunately, he has passed away, but his business in the NC mountains is still there. I've visited there and they have a faceting program they offer as part of their business. They informed me that, Mr. Call was the one who taught them. I'm starting classes there this August and am very much looking forward to it.

Not in a million years would I have ever though I would be into cutting and selling gems. Technically, I'm still not, but the foot is holding the door open! Bizzaro world! I was a paramedic before eBay. Now maybe gems? What is happening around here. Nothing makes sense!

I have also entertained the thought of starting a YouTube channel documenting this adventure from, well, nearly the start to wherever it goes. Maybe I can get 50 subscribers and a sale or two. I have a face for radio so maybe I'll get sympathy subscribers.

gurlcat · ‎07-10-2025

Wow! So many wow's in there, ha. -I bet you'd get some of your first subscribers here if you do start that channel.

zakstreasuretrove · ‎07-10-2025

I likely wouldn't have time to do videos, but it would be fun. Maybe let the content be the fun rather than fancy videography. Plus there's always my philosophy of just do what I like and find interesting. I should probably spend my time learning to craft the stones properly. That's lazy talk though. I can edit videos rather than watch tv. Now....to learn how to edit....it never ends does it?

sreu3058 · ‎07-10-2025

It is a fantastic hobby! The natural lapidary cuts of rocks are my favorite form of art.

I cannot speak to it being a profitable business.

It has not been for me, however, I am a small personal collector, and jewelry maker.

gurlcat · ‎07-10-2025

@zakstreasuretrove wrote:
I likely wouldn't have time to do videos, but it would be fun. Maybe let the content be the fun rather than fancy videography. Plus there's always my philosophy of just do what I like and find interesting. I should probably spend my time learning to craft the stones properly. That's lazy talk though. I can edit videos rather than watch tv. Now....to learn how to edit....it never ends does it?

We have so much in common. -I have gone through this exact same multi-step rationalization process about making Youtube videos. Incidentally I do have a "channel," but it's far from content-focused, LOL -everything from my aquariums, cats and ferret, to Mardi Gras parades, to my mentally ill neighbor who periodically scream-preaches on her porch for hours in the middle of the night.

I also did one inventory sourcing video at my favorite shop, but without any narration, and I don't know the first thing about editing or effects, etc. I think I have some great ideas for tutorial videos on some specific things .... but just a handful of oddball ones, not a sustainable content flow's worth. Oh, and I also have 'radio face' but even shooting 'Go Pro' style (just showing my hands doing stuff) could be .... well here I'll show you! -I have a condition called dyshidrosis which creates quite a horror show when I have an outbreak (and what you see today isn't as bad as it can get), a dot tattoo that apparently signifies certain things to some people but I had no idea when I was 14, just curious about tattooing (like every-bloody-thing else; it's a wonder I'm still alive), a vicious nail-biting/picking habit, oh and "hitchhiker's thumb" which I didn't even know was a thing until one of my friends started freaking out one day, looking all bug-eyed at my thumbs and holler-asking what was wrong with them.  🤣

But without knowing you, I'm gonna guess that watching TV isn't pure laziness and sacrificing it to use that time for learning how to create good videos might go against better instincts. If you really want to do it, by all means give it a go! But from what I've seen, good Youtubing requires more than just skills and maybe a pretty face. I've noticed most of those people have lifestyles that enable them to devote the needed TIME for consistent Youtubing, like no young children, no other job, and/or they have a partner who must be supportive enough to handle a big portion of household tasks. Most of us don't have such an ideal scenario, so if you don't, and you're already looking at undertaking a potentially time-consuming (other) new hobby -finding and processing gems, then trying to cram in video production mastery may be unrealistic. I believe a periodic dose of passive entertainment like TV can be a good palate-cleanser between different tasks.