DESERDOG'S
ORIGINAL GOLD SUCKER HAND DREDGE

I did a little sluiceing in Cajon Creek today, 09-21-08. I only processed about 10 or 12 shovel fulls of material. And I got a nice showing of gold.

Kirk, another gold prospector I meet last Sunday on the creek was there, along with another gold prospector, Robert.

Another gold prospector, I didn't get his name, was there also and I shoed him the la trap sluice. And he was impressed with it.

Kirk and Robert were using there new dredge, set up in the high banker configuration. They said no ranger had come by. Awhile ago a ranger had come by and told another gold prosepctor that he could not dredge in Cajon Creek. But according to the Ca. Dept. of Fish and Game you can, and they are the ones who regulate suction dredging.

If it comes up and a ranger says you have to have a letter of intent, here is what the law says: (and this is taken from the Federal Register, when the Final Rule was posted. The part I am refering to is in red)

"’s prior‘‘operations which might’’ This means that the trigger’s reasonable

Therefore, section 228.4(a) of the final

rule will require the operator

submission of a notice of intent to

operate for

cause significant disturbance of surface

resources.

for the submission of a notice of intent

to operate is the operator

uncertainty as to the significance of the

disturbance which the proposed

operations will cause on NFS resources.

If the operator reasonably concludes

that the proposed operations will not

cause significant disturbance of NFS

resources, the operator is not required to

submit a notice of intent to operate (or

a proposed plan of operations). If the

operator reasonably concludes that the

proposed operations more probably than

not will cause a significant disturbance

of NFS resources, the operator should

submit a proposed plan of operations to

the District Ranger. However, if the

operator reasonably concludes that the

proposed operations might, but

probably will not, cause significant

disturbance of NFS resources, the

operator should submit a notice of

intent to operate to the District Ranger."

Here is the Federal Register Volume:

Deserdog's Hand Dredge Gold Standard Guarantee: If after purchasing a Deserdog hand dredge,
a gold sucker or a 2 inch super sucker,and you are not satisfied, your purchase price, shipping and handling will be
refunded, you will be out nothing! If you decide to purchase a hand dredge from another maker, insist
that they match this guarantee. And as of this time, 09-02-08, I have built and sold over 2000 gold hand dredges, and have
never had a customer ask for a refund.

Now lets look at the guarantee of some other hand dredges.

Fissureman products:

All items must be returned clean and securely packed in the original shipping box
 and dunnage materials. Postal costs for the return will be the buyers responsibilty. Purchase price minus shipment 
costs will be refunded. Please contact d**12c within 7 business days of receipt of shipment for a return. I will work
 with you and your return to obtain your complete satisfaction in as short a period of time as possible. 

So lets see, you are out the original shipping and handling, plus the cost of shipping it back! Such  a
 guaraantee if you buy a fissurman, a bluedog, or a pickerstick! 

Feel free to leave  your comments.

Free shipping? Is free shipping a rip off? Or is it good for the seller and the buyer? After reading the information below, you decide.

As a power seller, I strive to give my customers, gold prospectors, a good deal. By using free shipping, my customers get good deals.

Here is an example of how I do it. My target price for a gold sucker is $22.00 plus shipping. With free shipping I start it at $27.00, or buy it now for $28.50.

Say a buyer in somewhere California, zone 1, buys the gold sucker with a buy it now. It is delivered for $6.45 Priority delivery with $.65 delivery confirmation. So I hit my target price, and a little more at$22.05.

Say a buyer in somewhere North Carolina, zone 8, buys the gold sucker with a buy it now. He gets it delivered for $10.13, parcel post delivery with $.75 delivery confirmation, so I did not make my target price of $22.00 but only sold the item for $18.37, but I still make a litlte money.

 Below is a breakdown of every postal zone. If priority delivery is equal or less, it is used. This is for a 4 lb. package, which is the packed weight of a gold sucker and 3 nozzles.

Priority mail with delivery confirmation of $.65.

Zones 1&2     3       4            5      6          7         8 

           6.45   7.40  8.50 11.20 12.25 13.30 14.90

Parcel post delivery with $.75 delivery confirmation

           6.50   7.50   8.30  8.63   8.98   9.37   10.13

Now lets say the gold sucker is priced with a buy it now of $22.00 using calculated shipping. All shipping includes delivery confirmation, which is $.65 for priority delivery and $.75 for parcel post delivery.

Somewhere in California, zone 1 or 2,  gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $6.45, priority delivery = $28.45(with free shipping, of $28.50, I make an extra $.05!)

Somewhere in zone 3 gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $7.40, priority delivery =$29.40(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $21.10, I make $.90 less)

Somewhere in zone 4 gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $8.30, parcel post delivery =$30.30(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $20.20, I make $1.80 less)

Somewhere in zone 5 gets the item for $22.00 plus $8.63, parcel post delivery =$30.63(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $19.87, I make $2.13 less)

Somewhere in zone 6 gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $8.98, parcel post delivery =$30.98(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $19.52, I make $2.48 less)

Somewhere in zone 7 gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $9.37, parcel post delivery =$31.37(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $19.13, I make $2.87 less)

Somewhere in zone 8 gets the gold sucker for $22.00 plus $10.13, parcel post delivery =$32.13(with free shipping, of $28.50, the buyer gets the gold sucker for $18.37, I make $3.63 less)

 In every case, except for zones 1 and 2, the buyer gets a better deal. And in zone 1 and 2, the extra profit is only $.05!!!! Free shipping helps sellers get more sales and saves buyers money in most cases.

Now lets look at another opinion! Click on this link, which will take you to a review written by another maker and seller of hand dredges.

http://reviews.ebay.com/FREE-SHIPPING-GOOD-or-GULLIBLE_W0QQugidZ10000000008489265

This person obviously did not look at the numbers, like I have shown above. And by using terms like "or more - if that seller is really devious)" and " play shake down games like "FREE SHIPPING" for more money from the unaware buyer's pocket" tries to imply that sellers using free shipping are ripping people off. I guess it just never occured to this person that the seller may be willing to accept a slightly lower price on many of his sales. He just jumps to the conclussion that people are being ripped off! But you can bet he will keep up his "review " of lies and distortion!
And look how this person poses the question of voting if his guide is helpful.
Vote YES if you have don't like paying more for shipping as a profit to the seller than someone else further
away from the seller's location.

Vote NO if you like paying more for shipping as a profit to the seller than someone else further away from the seller's location.

Feel free to add  your comments on either side of the issue.