i'm quite fortunate - my dad bought well - right time, right place, right price
revenue made over the last 20 yrs certainly exceeds initial purchase price - not saying that's all profit though - but if totted up, wouldn't be far off. not enough to make a full time living from it - but it certainly pays for itself.
it also turned out to be a very shrewd investment - as it is worth considerably more now - and the current value is not likely to decrease. a few years ago, my dad was offered a ridiculously high amount for our plot - which he declined saying "what's all that money worth to me, if i don't have my woods" and these woods have been such an important part of our lives, especially since his diagnosis of cancer. it's his bolt hole and the only place where he can truly escape from the real world and nobody is going to take that away from him.