Myers Depot Metal Detectors

What do you think of a property owner wanting first pick of the finds?

This is a greedy person. Don't mess with those. Most often, people who give permission to hunt on their site go after them and there is no pleasure from hunting. They think that you will immediately find the pot of gold that the leprechaun hid there....All finds belong to you. The owner of the lot did not hire you as a detective and does not pay you for the work of finding treasures. This is a very big impudence to demand ....... Hey dude.. Go and look for gold and coins in my area!!! At the end of the working day, put all the diamonds in a box and leave them on my lawn.)))
 
Diggers keepers is the rule...with special exceptions, like any family items or most relics pertaining to a property's history...they can stay with the owner of the land. True story...last year a good buddy got me access to a property I'd been wanting to hunt for years, with the deal being that I'd give him half of what I found. Alright I agreed:roll: so the second target was a Barber Half, 1908 O mint. I carefully placed it in my cointainer without letting him touch it...and he asked where was his half? The very next target a foot or so away registered and toned the same on the Explorer XS. It's right there, I said, pointing with my foot. Dig and it's a '42 Walker...alright, here's your half as I tossed it to him:yes: now go away, I'm keeping whatever else I find today::laughing:
 
jwp1964 said:
I’ll take whatever deal I can get from a property owner. I love the hunt. So far and few between that property owners care it doesn’t bother me when it happens. I’m surprised we get as many permissions as we do. I mean random dude knocks on your door and asks to treasure hunt your property for valuables, lol.
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I'm a random dude. And I've knocked on 1000s & 1000s of doors asking them for cash. D2D sales , seen alot....
 
Tom_in_CA said:
OH FOR PETE SAKES !! Let's just say that all of you "mine mine mine mine" people are correct. Ie.: that the owner can't claim what was in the ground was his. And that you demand finds for your "work" (because, shucks, that detector costs you money), and that you should "iron all this out ahead of time" with written contracts shoved in front of them to sign and agree to, or tell them to F## themselves, if they don't like it.....

I mean, ... seriously ? All I can say is, that people with this stances and attitudes are going to relegate themselves to parks & beaches. You are just "begging" for "no", even before you start.

Why not play the psychology game and tell them "you're welcome to whatever I find" KNOWING THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON is not going to "take everything". I have rarely ever had anyone end up saying "give it all to me" . Heck, they normally don't want ANYTHING. I have never had anyone be a "mine mine mine mine " homeowner. Yet people here seem to be "mine mine mine mine " md'r attitude.

What ever happened to the "flies and honey and vinegar " platitude ? :?:

I just enjoy hunting. And, for example : If I knew I was going to find a gold coin, yet I knew I would need to give it to the homeowner, you can BET that I'm still gonna detect that yard.
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People today get so wound up it cracks me up... I'll keep asking permission and share my finds with the homeowners if they want anything.... One of my last dirt digs I offered the owner 2 half dimes... he refused lol.... 1849 and 1852... he gave me permission to hunt a old trading post store on his property he was renovating.. he did take 5 musket balls, a slug of lead someone pounded a V nickel into... it was cool but I have enough lead from beach hunting... ;)
 
sdub said:
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?
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EVERY kind of NO applies! Run>do not just walk away.
 
Not understanding the logic here, so the owner of the property is just expected to get a nice warm fuzzy for having the honor of some guy digging holes in his yard, and nothing more ?
And some guys hide their good finds ? That plain underhanded, its not like you can actually take it with you.
 
FBT goes off the rails at times. We all do. But here...he is 100% correct.
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Thank you. It's the arrogance of the homeowner that gets to me. "Sure you can metal detect my property, but you can't have any of it!" I guess my reply should be, "Wow, thanks for giving me the honor of detecting your property!" Sorry, but that makes no sense to me.
 
Have fun irritating everyone you ever deal with in life.
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Yup, I do tend to rub people the wrong way sometimes. I'm kind of like Clint Eastwood's character in "Gran Torino". Some people get me, while others just think I'm a nasty son of a gun...
 
The owner didn't even offer a half and half deal. Let them buy there own MD. After they dig a utility line the owner will wish you back.I have had a few customers cut under ground wires while installing fencing, because they wanted to save money. I warned them countless times when i gave a estimate for a install.
 
FreeBirdTim said:
Thank you. It's the arrogance of the homeowner that gets to me. "Sure you can metal detect my property, but you can't have any of it!" I guess my reply should be, "Wow, thanks for giving me the honor of detecting your property!" Sorry, but that makes no sense to me.
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I totally agree....

I don't hunt people's gardens to any great degree, but was once asked to by a fella that used to watch me detect the farmland that was next to his property...

I was loath to do it as the guy had a reputation for being "difficult", but eventually agreed..

He followed me around the garden and watched me like a hawk and literally pounced when ever I got a signal...

I found a few Victorian and George 3rd coppers (which are fairly mundane run of the mill finds here) and handed them over, and noticed he pocketed them without even a "Thank You"...I then found two nice brass patterned bridle bosses, dating from the 1700 to 1800 at a guess...

He was super excited about these, but the mood changed when I asked if I could take them away to photograph them and do a bit of research...He treated me like I was trying to steal them...

I packed up at that stage and left.

I have bumped into him a couple of times since, and he always wants to know when I am going back to finish detecting, but I simply say I am too busy detecting the farm land...I make a point of showing him any silver etc and dropping in the conversation the farmer lets me keep it...W

On another farm, where the owner has been very kind to me, I was (sort of!) happy to hand over a Victorian silver teaspoon and a Queen Anne silver sixpence when I noticed he took a shine to them..

He initially refused them, but I could tell he really liked them, so I insisted.

It was my first silver spoon and my first and only Queen Anne coin of any type, but the guy was very appreciative and went off smiling, so it didn't hurt too much! lol
 
randy said:
You've obviously never swung an E-Trac with a large coil :lol:
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I swing a Excal in the water chest deep... Excal is no lightweight detector either :D

What I laugh is guys complaining about the weight of the Nox saying its heavy compared to the D2 now that is funny... are their arms muscle free? as thin as toothpicks?

I guess being a landscaper for 30 plus years had its advantages :lol:


None of these detectors are heavy to me.... trying swinging a 17 pound hedge trimmer for 6 hours on a ladder 12 feet up pruning a 160 foot long hemlock hedge... and I'm old :lol:
 
FreeBirdTim said:
Yup, I do tend to rub people the wrong way sometimes. I'm kind of like Clint Eastwood's character in "Gran Torino". Some people get me, while others just think I'm a nasty son of a gun...
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Here ya go...
 

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Seems pretty simple to me it's their property their rules, like it or leave it.
Gets me is the people that think they own the property your detecting and can tell you what to do when you have permission from the owner.
Happened to me several times soon as you confront them with facts they tend to shut up.
 
Tom_in_CA said:
Sdub, don't take this wrong, but : I say you went about it all wrong. To start discussing contracts and split methods, before you've even hunted, is the FASTEST way to get a "no" to your permission request. :roll: To start talking negotiations, and putting contracts in front of them to sign, just conjures up legal hassles, treasure chests, blah blah.

I mean, dude, this is THEIR land. So OF COURSE the stuff on the land belongs to them.

All I ever tell them, before a hunt (if they even ask) is : "You're welcome to anything I find." And invariably, just like CFMCT and JNimons say : It rarely ever works out in any kind of negative way.

I'll just pile everything on to my tailgate at the post-game show. And will pull a token or a seated coin I want aside next to the pile. And say : "Here's one I don't have in my collection, can I have this one ?" And will push the rest of the pile bulk towards them (wheaties, common silver, etc.....). And I have NEVER had anyone say "no, give it all to me".

Yes, on the extremely rare occasion that I have had to fork over everything , these were cases where I was hunting obvious historic landmarks. Where the stuff in in museums now. So pictures are just-as-good in my book. The thrill of the hunt is a prize in my book.

And when you think of it, this hobby is about 99% show & tell anyhow (none of us are "getting rich" by this). So to show & tell, all ya need is pictures, right ? You still have your boasting rights, eh ? Presto, that's 99% of the hobby in the first place.
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This person contacted me. I didn't solicit them. They asked me if I was interested in detecting their yard. House and garage were built between 1920 and 1930. I was told upfront that all they wanted from me was a quick tutorial on how detectors work, to be done during the evening hours.

"My only request is that you talk to ... and show them how your detector works."

I agreed to that. I also detected the easement while waiting for a date to do the demonstration.

After checking the median, I sent photos of ALL the finds, along with updated photos of interesting items that I'd cleaned and information about them. There wasn't much. But it was heavy on nickels (25%) . I did pull a quarter, 3 dimes, and 2 copper memorials, but every one of these was a difficult target - on edge, or between trash. I suspect it was previously detected.

The photos and descriptions went to the person who made the request, and no interest was stated in wanting any of the finds.

I was returning to double-check the easement, and was invited in the yard. The person's spouse said they would decide what I was allowed to keep and told me the deal was off. May not be worth noting, but they've been married less than a year and the spouse who told me the deal was off is not on the deed. The homeowner had complete ownership before the marriage.

But it is probably worth noting that I have some health issues, and if I need to leave, I need to leave. I really can't agree to stick around and chat or go through finds. I often chat before or during, and often show finds and even share them.

I agreed to what was originally asked for. And the other spouse didn't ask for me to share. They were going to take what they wanted. This person spoke to me in an abusive manner and ordered me to leave.

Perhaps it would have been better for me to say, "That's not the agreement I made."

It's nice that people don't want what you find when you tell them they're welcome to it. That's not my experience. I may give your method a try and see if people react similarly, but so far, most folks who say up front they want to go through finds this way, always take the good stuff. And the good stuff here is more likely to be a rosie than a seated, if that. I have no misconceptions about getting rich doing this. I'd just like to cover my gas expense now and then.
 
markinswpa said:
...Another thing you can ask the owner, did you loose any jewelry or keys and say if I find them I will be happy to return it to you.

...
I have many times donated finds back to the owners, especially Ihps or old wheats that coincide with the build date of the house. Dog tags and lockets are also appreciated by the owners.
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I ask if they've lost anything they'd like returned. And I also let them know I'll give them any keys I find. I always offer dog tags. I've offered items that date to the year a place was built. People are usually happy with that.
 
Someone mentioned one doesn't need permission to detect the easement. That may be true in some places, but not here. Here the easement is a quasipublic right of way owned and maintained by the property owner, and that includes half the alley if there is one. Detecting the easement without permission is trespassing here.
 
sdub said:
This person contacted me. I didn't solicit them. ....
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thanx for clarifying that. Maybe I missed that.


Then sure, that's a little different. Still though, I would make an exception if the site they were asking me to hunt, was something out of this world red-hot. And I'm going to bet, that even if they had said "I get everything", that .... they will often not keep religiously to that.


Ie.: I'm sure when it's all said & done, if/when the md'r says "here's one I don't have for my collection", I can not imagine the property owner with being SOOO stingy, that he says "no".
 
This is simple to me. It's their property and all that's on it is also their property. With that said, I'd make it clear on the front end what I'd like to keep from the dig. If they agree to that, I'd dig. If they don't and it doesn't make it worth it to me I'd say "well, thanks for your consideration but I'm a coin collector and I'm investing my time in properties that add to my collection right now. Thanks for your time and have a great week." My 2 large cents worth.
 
Bajanick said:
I would never agree to that. I would not answer their calls, forget about it and avoid that situation all together :hornetsnest:
From what you posted already happened, It sounds like it would not be a fun hunt.
But if you have the patience and think you might find something, have at it. Good luck. :thumbsup:
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I am in agreement. I would do this!...get the permission, hunt the property, keep the 'good stuff" separate from the the other stuff, and tell him he can take his pick from that! what good is it if you let him grab all the goodies.makes ya think ya wasted your time! time IS money, especially if you are older! just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
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