The first time I heard about an old couple that went diamond
hunting in parking lots, I knew there were more ways to make
money than my scheming mind could imagine. By twelve years
old I was taking Playboy magazines out of newspaper
recycling bins to sell for a dollar each in school. I also
sold ammunition to both sides in my brother's paper-wad war,
so I had a taste for the more unusual ways to make money. I
still do. Here are some of the stranger money making stories
I've collected.
Treasure Hunting
The old couple mentioned above can recognize the sparkle of
a diamond amidst pieces of glass, from a hundred feet away!
Parking lots are where most diamonds pop out of there
settings, due to the temperature changes when people get out
of their cars. Wandering mall parking lots has become their
second retirement income. Treasure hunting obviously goes
beyond the common conception.
A man in California took the shag carpet from a large
theater being remodeled, saving the owners the cost of
disposal. During the thirties the theater was a place where
the wealthy went, and the wealthy, like all of us, lose
things, but more valuable things perhaps. When the man cut
up and carefully shook out the old carpet, it was found to
contain over $2,000 worth of precious stones, rings, and
rare coins.
Selling Things
At a campfire near a desert hot spring one winter, my wife
and I met a man who sells stuffed animals on the side of the
highway. When we saw him again, in his van full of stuffed
animals, I pressed him for details. He buys used stuffed
animals at thrift stores in bulk and then sells them
alongside the highway. Early on, he even got the stores to
give him the animals, with the agreement that he would
return with the money or the animals the next week.
In some small towns he can get a vendor's permit cheaply
($18/year, for example). Otherwise he just sells until they
chase him out of the county. He says he hasn't been fined
yet, and he claims he sold $4,000 worth his first month. I
think he was exagerating, but because of him we include used
stuffed animals in our flea market stands with some
success.
Beating The Casino
I worked at a casino for years and I saw a lot of people
foolishly writing down the numbers that came up on the
roulette wheel. Foolishly, I say, because their their
theories were nonsense. Casinos will always welcome these
players and even hand them the pen and paper.
One player, however, was actually scientific about it. By
finding a bias in the wheel, after "charting" it for 5,000
spins, he made thousands betting on just one or two numbers.
When a number comes up, it pays 35 to 1. One of the numbers,
because of manufacturing imperfections or whatever reason,
was coming up 1 in 27 spins, instead of the average 1 in 38
spins.
He bet $10 a spin, and he profited $80 for every 27 spins of
the wheel in the long run. That's about $100 per hour. The
ups and downs were dramatic though, so this is not for the
faint-hearted. I saw this player lose as much as $700 in a
night, but he later confided that he profitted over $80,000
before the casino changed the wheel.
Making Money With Real Estate
Making money with real estate isn't unusual, of course, but
there are less common ways to do it. There was a man, for
example, who went around optioning hilltops. If the owner
wanted $30,000 for the land, this invester might offer $300
for an option to buy the property at full price ($30,000)
within six months. The sellers liked the idea of getting
full price, or just keeping the $300.
Next, he contacted radio stations, police departments, and
cell phone companies that might need a hill to put a radio
tower on. It is common practice to lease the properties on
ten-year or longer leases, for tax reasons. Once the
investor got a lease signed, it was relatively simple to get
a bank to lend the money for the purchase.
He might have payments of $200 per month until the loan is
paid. The radio station puts up the tower, and rents the
hilltop for $350 per month. Total risk? If he doesn't find
an interested party, he walks away, losing the $300 option
fee. He succeeded often enough to afford a few losses.
More Strange Ways To Make Money
You can, of course have a strange job as a way to make
money. I wouldn't want to be an "Odor Judger," who gets to
smell armpits all day to help make deodorants that work.
Being a "Chicken Sexer," isn't as bad as it sounds, however.
This jobs just involves sorting through baby chicks to
determine if they are male or female. Now, being a recliner
tester for the Lazy Boy Company - that sounds like a great
job.
About the Author
Steve Gillman has had an interest in all the many ways to
make money since childhood. You can read about more strange
businesses and jobs at his website:
http://www.UnusualWaysToMakeMoney.com