code of ethics

[northoceanbeach]

alright, i have read too many posts from people returning rings and such. and some even go to great lengths to try to find the owner, even after many. many years. OK, look. we are treasure hunters, this is a treasure hunter forum. not a charity forum. what are you using your metal detector for? i mean what's the point if once you find anything that has any value you just return it. or turn it over to the police! if i found someone's wedding rind i would be selling that mofo. finders keepers brotha. and if your lost property means so much to you; you shouldn't be trying to impress people by wearing it at the beach or whatever. and besides, it is just stuff, you've really got bigger problems than losing your class ring, if after 20 years you are still fretting about it. pretty soon you will be tracking down king soloman's descendants to let them know you have found his lost treasure! :P

 

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[Chiz]

alright, i have read too many posts from people returning rings and such. and some even go to great lengths to try to find the owner, even after many. many years. OK, look. we are treasure hunters, this is a treasure hunter forum. not a charity forum. what are you using your metal detector for? i mean what's the point if once you find anything that has any value you just return it. or turn it over to the police! if i found someone's wedding rind i would be selling that mofo. finders keepers brotha. and if your lost property means so much to you; you shouldn't be trying to impress people by wearing it at the beach or whatever. and besides, it is just stuff, you've really got bigger problems than losing your class ring, if after 20 years you are still fretting about it. pretty soon you will be tracking down king soloman's descendants to let them know you have found his lost treasure! :P

I shouldn't even need to say anything here but what kind of idiot are you? Most of us do this for fun and nine times out of ten, the "returned item" leads to bigger and better hunts and getting people that think possitive about us. You are prolly part of the "Gimme" generation who thinks everyone owes them. Your post shouldn't be here in the first place and basically you shouldn't be here with that attitude... but... everytown has to have an idiot! Here is your sign!!!

8)

 

[JARMAN]

You tell him Chiz,He wont last long,Sounds like he needs a gun for his hunts not a MD.We find plenty of trash in the ground we dig.Dont need it on our forum.

 

[Cladius]

The look in someones eyes and the thanks you get for the good deed is worth more than any ring your going to find! You want trophies they sell em down town. I will if I can return rings lighters etc. Keep swinging! Cladius.

 

[Blaze]

Just because someone has a different view than you, you should'nt call him an idiot. ?He can do what he wants with his finds and you can do what you want with yours. ?I don't think it makes him bad for the hobby. ?Just my opinion. ?Thanks

 

[bakergeol]

I agree with most of the posters which would return class rings and wedding rings. For me the value of the items is insignificant as I have a well paying job and do this hobby for fun. As you become older the above items do have great sentimental value which younger folks may not realize.

However, I am not going to put down those who do not return such items. Let's up the ante here and say you found a $50000 wedding ring. Would you return it now? How about while you are detecting and find $100000 in a paper bag beneath some bushes. Would you turn the money in to the police? Those who would return such items would have real ethics.

One is reminded about the? story of the rich gentleman at the cocktail party. He asked a young lady at the party if she would sleep with him for a million dollars. She said YES. He then said "Will you sleep with me for $50". She said NO "What do you think I am a W____E?" He said " We have already established that fact Miss.? Now we are just haggling over the price".

George

 

[lab rat]

NorthOceanBeach, if selling a gold ring makes that big a difference in your budget, you'd be better off using your time looking for work instead of buried wealth. A diamond ring selling originally for $1000 might bring 1/5th of that price. Would you sell your integrity for that? If you expect to find a $10,000 diamond ring every time you hunt, you'd be luckier playing the lottery. If you are able to return something and don't, your ethics are about the same as those of a thief. Even so, not everything -CAN- be returned. At least, not before RFID chips go into everything.

BTW, if you -ARE- looking for work, I'd rather hire someone with ethics than someone without.

 

[Lowbatts]

Northoceanbeach...
You need to appreciate and respect other people's efforts in order to realize the value in your own efforts. When you finally get some values, that is. The disrespect for other's will not get you anywhere.

I have no qualms about keeping unmarked or plain jewelry if there's no information available such as in the local lost and founds, postings or BB messages. But if it's possible to identify and return something to someone who lost it then I'll make every effort. The reward for this comes from another's appreciation and respect. However, respect doesn't have to be mutual so you'll understand why I will not return yours.

I'll hope I do not see you detecting anywhere public, I'm guessing you show as much respect in your recovery methodology as with your return policies.

 

[[email protected]]

I can see your point Northoceanbeach, however it is way too extreme for me. I like balance.
I feel that some people go too far with the "code of ethics" and get emotionally charged when others don't do the same. I see no need to call you names. You were sharing your opinion and are entitled to do so. It is supposed to be a free country.
As for me, I do not share your viewpoint, nor am I bound to the "code of ethics",
I'm right in the middle.
Dave.

 

[stoney56]

In regarding to returning lost items, how would you feel if you were on the losing end-say a sentimental item that was easy to return but aslo had monetary value. Wouldn't you want it back if possible?

 

[Charles,Oak Island]

in our area if you do a found property report with local law enforcement and it is not claimed then it goes to? either elderly or battered female shelter/support groups for their use.

 

[diggummup]

like i just said ; LOSER!

 

[coinshooter]

This is a subject that I have struggled with over the years. I have been chastized by all the "do gooders" on this forum, swore at, ripped a new one etc. simply because I found a ring with a name in it that I wanted to keep.
Obviously on this forum people are slanted towards giving things back if they think they can find an owner, but lets be truthful people, if you REALLY wanted to give the stuff back, you COULD find the owner. It comes down to how much EFFORT do you want expend, and do you REALLY want to give it back? I would guess Labrat could find his married couple if he got on the internet and spent some real time investigating different directions. You folks come across as "Holyier than thou". I treasure hunt for fun AND profit (I don't make a 6 figure income like others on here that say they make plenty), I recently found a ring that is quite valuable, it has two names in it and a wedding annniversary date. The fact of the matter is, if it were not for me finding it, IT WOULD STILL BE LOST, what I decide to do with it is entirely up to MY conscience. ?I metal detect for the VALUE of items and for the change I find, so that I can either sell or cash this in and build my coin collection, I'm not interested as much in the ring as I am in it's value. Other folks may detect for other reasons. I don't jump all over their butts for the way they choose to do their hobby. This is the way I have defined it for me. I DO agree with Northoceanbeach, and you people who chastize him (or her) surely must also do things that would also be considered questionable, but just don't admit it on here. Is digging in a Civil War battle ground and finding a traceable piece of history (and keeping it) any worse? Just because your things are older doesn't mean that you aren't dessicrating the battlegrounds and gravesites of fallen soldiers. You could probably trace a slave tag to it's present day heirs if you really wanted to. ?The fact of the matter is, you are still digging up someone's lost property. Back to modern times and more modern jewelry, etc.. ?If you all wanted to, I would guess you could find the owners of at least HALF of the stuff you find. It was obviously owned by someone who lost it, why are you all keeping it? Because your conscience has justified it to be ok to keep if it's not engraved? Just because it's not engraved doesn't mean it can't be identified by someone. This is where most of us draw the line (ie: our conscience tells us it's ok to keep). Calling me or northoceanbeach a thief, because we choose to cash in our finds is WRONG. You all are just as much "thieves" as I or northoceanbeach might be for keeping all of the items that could be identified with a little hard work! ?They are all someone's property under your definition. Many signet rings and pendants could easily be identifiable and a newpaper add is FREE to place in the lost and found. Don't just post it once and say "Well, I posted it", post it many times until you are fully satisfied that nobody will be claiming it. I don't post these adds because I believe in finders keepers. If I did the work to find it, then it's ine to determine what I want to do with it. This is not to say that I won't in the future, if I found a really nice ring, it would be entirely up to my conscience. If I find a nice ring as I did above, it is entirely up to my conscience as to whether I want to return it. In this case, I agree with Bakergeol on the point of sentimentality. If I lost my wedding ring, of course I would feel pretty stupid for having worn it to where ever I lost it. The fact remains though that this ring would have REMAINED lost (if I did not metal detect) and I would not retrieve it. It would be gone. If another person finds it, it is up to their "inner voice" to tell them whats right and wrong. We were all brought up by parents who hopefully tried to instill some morals in us. I do have these morals, but all of my earnings from work go into my family. All of my treasure finds go into my hobby $ to be spent as I see fit.
I am going to return the ring to it's owner (for all I know they could be divorced by now). It's value in gold and Pt. is about $225-250. I am going to tell him that I will send his ring to him and mention to him that I was going to scrap it for the metal value which to me was about $225, but REGARDLESS of this I will be sending it back to him. I will further tell him that I will leave it up to him to determine if he wants to send anything my way for my efforts. I DO feel it is valid to ask for the value of the ring. After all, it is MY time, MY effort, and until he gets it back, MY ring to do with as I see fit. I will not hold his ring hostage. I will return it, but merely make a suggestion that this is the value that I place on this item. It's not sentimental to me, and I feel why should I leave it up to him to determine it's value to me. I think he will be happy to get his piece of sentimentality back and I would be happy to receive the value.
Ok, now's the time to bash me for my HONEST thoughts. I suspect many of you all are not truly being honest with yours (besides the extreme right wingers). ? 8)

 

[diggummup]

Hey coinshooter,maybe you should read this guys(northoceanbeach)post on what to do with a cellphone before your so quick to jump to his defense.He's obviously lacking in the morals dept.,and with his comments I wouldn't be surpised if he is a thief.So jump on that! There's a line between common sense and ignorance,with most of us anyway.northoceanbeach excluded

 

[coinshooter]

I haven't read it, but I will stand by what I said for what I am responsible for. Northoceanbeach is his (or her) own person. They have only their conscience to live with. If he breaks the law, he will pay the consequences (if that's what that's all about). 8)

Update: Just read it. You guys get so riled up if someone has a different opinion. Can't you tell he's obviously "yanking your chain" to get you frothing at the mouth.

Most cell phones are just like credit cards (until they are turned off). If you find one, chances are they have already de-activated service on that phone and picked up a new one at the cell phone store under the insurance plan you buy with the phone. They're no good after they de-activate them, so make as many calls to your relatives in other states and overseas as you can while they're still active!!! LOL After that you caqn basically throw them away or re-sell them, they're no good to anyone until they get re-activated.
I always wanted to find a credit card or a "fast-pass" on a key-chain on the beach and fill my tank before the card got cancelled too! (Once again, I can yank your chain too!!) It's not too hard with people on here.LOL 8)

 

[True_Metal]

Here's my twin Lincolns. To each his own and do what ever floats your boat. This thread is turning into a flamewar as i assume northoceanbeach wanted in the first place.

 

[coinshooter]

Yes, but it has it's good point too. Northoceanbeach is right on one point which he is making in a round about way. He's riling up a bunch of old farts that have gotten too set in their ways. I'd venture to guess this person is about 20 years old. If you "dissent" fron the general consensus on here you are lambasted, called a loser, called a theif, or are just generally thrashed by the other viewers for giving an honest opinion. I certainly have created my share of this on this forum by expressing my opinions, LOL. In the end it all comes down to what you can live with.. 8)

 

[Charles,Oak Island]

huummmmmmm whats that about the heat in the kitchen.............

 

[Lowbatts]

Hey Coinshooter, I'd be happy to swing a coil with you anytime. But "extreme right winger"? C'mon now. You take the time to articulate your position and state you consider all options. The original post here, even if as others state was just a flame igniter then even more the so demonstrates a lack of respect for others. It is juvenile in it's manner and style. Old farts? Who keeps 'em around long enough to let 'em get old?!?

 

[True_Metal]

Yep, Coin Shooter i agree with ya. EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion, be it good or bad. He knew a post like that would really stir up some sh*t.