A few weeks ago, I was contacted and invited to detect an older interesting property. I gave the fellow information and he said all he wanted was for me to come out and explain and demonstrate how a detector worked to his family on an evening everyone was available. I agreed. And I prepared for that.
I also asked if it would be all right to detect the easement in the meantime, and received permission. There were no obvious high conductors along the easement, but there were nickels and pulltabs. My impression was it may have been cherry-picked. To be sure, I asked to return and double-check with different gear and was told to come whenever I wanted, they were only concerned about beyond the fenceline.
I returned and was invited inside the fenceline, but before I began, the spouse chatted with me. And let me know to say when I was done for the day because they were excited about going through my finds and picking what they wanted to keep!
I said it didn't work that way and tried to explain the process, but was cut short, told in a raised voice that we'll decide what you get to keep, and to stop, and that the deal was off. And the person went back behind the fence yelling at the spouse.
I left quickly, and went elsewhere. A few hours later when I turned my phone back on, there were attempted calls and text messages from the person I made the original deal with, asking me to come back and get started, followed by a final message that said, well, I guess if we don't get to keep anything, deal's off. I got the impression this spouse didn't know the other had already told me the deal was off.
I sent a friendly note back thanking them for the initial consideration and asked if they thought I needed to revise the initial information I'd given. I'm clear about offering keys, pet/rabies tags, items that reasonably go with the property (for example - an original doorknob from an older house), and personally identifiable items (something with their name or initials). I also always ask if they've lost something they'd like returned. I do my best to find and return lost items on a property. Heck, I'm happy to split a cache if I find one. That person apologized and said they didn't know where they got the idea they'd have first pick.
Anyway - they said they were inspired to get their own detector. Good!
I wouldn't have agreed to letting someone go through the finds and take first pick even if had been brought up beforehand. I've been down that road. The few times I've done that, I not only saw my finds diminish (the best ones), but I've been asked if I was showing them everything. Took the fun out of it for me.
Does anyone here give a property owner first pick of finds?
I also asked if it would be all right to detect the easement in the meantime, and received permission. There were no obvious high conductors along the easement, but there were nickels and pulltabs. My impression was it may have been cherry-picked. To be sure, I asked to return and double-check with different gear and was told to come whenever I wanted, they were only concerned about beyond the fenceline.
I returned and was invited inside the fenceline, but before I began, the spouse chatted with me. And let me know to say when I was done for the day because they were excited about going through my finds and picking what they wanted to keep!
I said it didn't work that way and tried to explain the process, but was cut short, told in a raised voice that we'll decide what you get to keep, and to stop, and that the deal was off. And the person went back behind the fence yelling at the spouse.
I left quickly, and went elsewhere. A few hours later when I turned my phone back on, there were attempted calls and text messages from the person I made the original deal with, asking me to come back and get started, followed by a final message that said, well, I guess if we don't get to keep anything, deal's off. I got the impression this spouse didn't know the other had already told me the deal was off.
I sent a friendly note back thanking them for the initial consideration and asked if they thought I needed to revise the initial information I'd given. I'm clear about offering keys, pet/rabies tags, items that reasonably go with the property (for example - an original doorknob from an older house), and personally identifiable items (something with their name or initials). I also always ask if they've lost something they'd like returned. I do my best to find and return lost items on a property. Heck, I'm happy to split a cache if I find one. That person apologized and said they didn't know where they got the idea they'd have first pick.
Anyway - they said they were inspired to get their own detector. Good!
I wouldn't have agreed to letting someone go through the finds and take first pick even if had been brought up beforehand. I've been down that road. The few times I've done that, I not only saw my finds diminish (the best ones), but I've been asked if I was showing them everything. Took the fun out of it for me.
Does anyone here give a property owner first pick of finds?