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Owner wants finds

sdub

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2020
Messages
36
I detected a home in an historical neighborhood with the agreement I keep what I find, but show them.

Ended up with a mercury dime, a wheat, a war nickel, 2 buffaloes, and a few odds and ends. Coins were common/average. Search was two visits and confounded by landscaping and EMI and iron. I was interested in one more visit, as I'd discovered I could find targets in the section with the heaviest interference near the end of the day - and there were several that were promising.

The owners asked if they could purchase the finds, but refused to be specific about which finds or make an offer. And they went from saying they were asking neighbors to let me detect to saying that if I cooperated that they would ask a neighbor.

They even suggested that most of the neighbors would be interested and I could write a book with a grant and they would facilitate the grant process. A mutual acquaintance (grant writer) whose yard I'd hunted made exactly the same suggestion.

At this point, I'd worked two days, researched and cleaned the odds and ends, and a realistic value of all the finds was oh - $6.

I dropped off some odds and ends (including a shotgun shell from the 1880's and a button from some overalls made in 1900 - local brand - hard to come by), the 1919 wheat cent, and I gave them a detailed description of the items.

They wrote back still wanting to know if they could purchase the rest and mentioned wanting the coins (at the end of their note they also said and other finds).

I let them know I'd be willing to trade up on the coins and that they had little numismatic or bullion value. I also suggested that if I had a place nearby to search, I could spend my time more productively by searching their property when there was less interference.

They didn't respond. When I heard from someone who lives across the street (an acquaintance for a decade who had seen me detecting there and gave me permission) - I wrote and let them know I'd be in the neighborhood and asked if they still wanted me to return to search. They'd previously requested I continue.

No response.

And then my acquaintance informed me of a change of heart and not to come over to detect. I've never had anyone back out.

In fact, I've never had anyone want to buy finds, or go to these lengths for a few common finds.

So - no introductions, and a mutual friend who was originally excited backs out.

Any advice?

This is so uncomfortable.
 
I would have just given them all the coins and finds at no cost. It's no biggie, and we just do this for fun anyhow.
 
Bummer of a story. Granted, had they shown interest in that small lot, I would have just given it to them to keep in their good graces, but now all you can pretty much do is let it go, or should you see them again, apologize. ie. 'Sorry if I upset or insulted you...'

Had a similar thing happen to me. A guy let me hunt the oldest mansion/plantation house in the neighborhood. I was there for an hour before I started to find anything worth finding. A couple of 20's wheat pennies. Then, a large black SUV came down the drive and a women gets out and starts yelling at me to stop.

Come to find out, it was his wife and she was not happy to see me digging in her lawn.

Her husband came out and told me that she knew I was going to be there and didn't have an issue when he told her, but when it became a reality, she did. He revoked my hunting privilege and I was asked to leave.
 
yeah in a situation like that just hand over everything you found and move on to better hunting... not worth the hassle and potential legal issues that people like that can bring, especially if you ever actually ever found anything good.
 
As Tom and TP said give it all to them and move on. It's not worth your time dealing with people like them. Life is too short.
 
I even know a guy who gave a property owner a $5 gold. He could easily have slipped it into his sock. But he was a stand-up-guy enough, that he kept his word that the property owners were welcome to any/all finds. And when he'd shown them the $5 gold, they told him "you can keep it". But he insisted on giving it to them. To my friend, he had it in pictures and stories, and now he could add "human relations" to the list. Whenever we went over to hunt that property, we were given carte-blanche and welcomed into their living room. And shown the coin which they now had on their mantle place.
 
I even know a guy who gave a property owner a $5 gold. He could easily have slipped it into his sock. But he was a stand-up-guy enough, that he kept his word that the property owners were welcome to any/all finds. And when he'd shown them the $5 gold, they told him "you can keep it". But he insisted on giving it to them. To my friend, he had it in pictures and stories, and now he could add "human relations" to the list. Whenever we went over to hunt that property, we were given carte-blanche and welcomed into their living room. And shown the coin which they now had on their mantle place.

I know of whom you speak , a heck of a nice guy . I hope he is doing well . I haven't seen him on the forums in some time . If you should see him say hello and give him my best wishes .
 
I know of whom you speak , a heck of a nice guy . I hope he is doing well . I haven't seen him on the forums in some time . If you should see him say hello and give him my best wishes .

Thank you soil-surgeon. Yes, he's one of those type guys you think "I want to be like him when I grow up" ! And whether or not he got "carte-blanche" was not the issue (ie.: he'd have done the same thing even if not granted this status), speaks highly to his character !
 
I show finds if an owner asks, but I usually send photos.

I'm not concerned about this being a legal issue - I have written communication from them saying anything I find belongs to me.

When I let them know I was going to drop some items by as a thank you they indicated they were fine with whatever.

But their last communication indicated they preferred to have all the coins and other finds.

I have another permission in the neighborhood. I'm considering dropping the rest off.
 
This is supposed to be a hobby, when it becomes work, it's time to move on! Way too much going on with that homeowner, to the point that hunting there might not even be enjoyable. Good luck, and keep us posted if anything develops!
 
Agreed!

I have no interest in making this a service or a business, and I don't see the point in selling an owner $5 worth of stuff. That means I worked all that time to retrieve everything for a homeowner for $5, and my time is much more valuable than that. I'd rather just give it to them and move on.

I haven't heard from them, so I could let it go. But I have another permission or two within blocks of their home and I'm thinking I might feel better about it if I just leave the stuff with them.
 
As Tom and TP said give it all to them and move on. It's not worth your time dealing with people like them. Life is too short.

Most exactaktackly. Yep, just whats said above. Move on to other sites. Peacefull sites.
 
I agree with the fellas on here. We do this for fun and not to make money. When I get a permission I always tell the owner that they are welcome to anything that I find. I just gave away a 1740 king George 2 copper to a homeowner because it predates the house I was at and to be honest it meant more to him than it did to me to have it and it got me a standing invite to come back whenever I want. As far as giving away a 5$ gold coin that is an unbelievable standup thing to do, not sure I could do it but who knows. My dad gave away a beautiful 1742 1 reale last year to a homeowner. He kicks himself for doing it but feels like it was the right thing to do.
 

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Two days work detecting a place? For a old shotgun shell, a button and a wheat penny? A willing buyer of the 'historical' finds you say? Well then!

Twenny bucks easy! Big Money! :laughing:
 
Ha! Easy money - that's funny. I dropped all the older coins and the rest of the interesting finds through the mail slot. So now they have everything. Haven't heard from them, but couldn't help notice that the front looked different when I walked to the door. I think maybe they had someone else come out or got their own detector. :)
 
I agree with the fellas on here. We do this for fun and not to make money. When I get a permission I always tell the owner that they are welcome to anything that I find. I just gave away a 1740 king George 2 copper to a homeowner because it predates the house I was at and to be honest it meant more to him than it did to me to have it and it got me a standing invite to come back whenever I want. As far as giving away a 5$ gold coin that is an unbelievable standup thing to do, not sure I could do it but who knows. My dad gave away a beautiful 1742 1 reale last year to a homeowner. He kicks himself for doing it but feels like it was the right thing to do.

This is an excellent post ! You can not put a price on stuff like this !
 
Well I heard back from them.

They volunteered that they wouldn't mind me coming back out, but we have to come to terms before I start again.

I hope they enjoy the finds.
 
Well I heard back from them.

They volunteered that they wouldn't mind me coming back out, but we have to come to terms before I start again.

I hope they enjoy the finds.

I’d give them these terms...nothing... go find another place to detect..it’s like asking permission to hunt deer, and being told only if they can inspect and decide to keep any or all of your efforts...tell them to go buy a detector and keep it all....better yet... just politely tell them you’ve found a place the owners are begging you to detect and you don’t have the time....
 
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