Sometimes honesty doesnt seem like the best way

[djm of PA]

Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

A few weeks back I was approached by someone who wanted me to detect her yard. After hearing about the property I thought WOAH and said Heck Yeah! I spent about 3 hrs there and then left, believing I'd be good to detect there again after a nice rain. I got home, looked at my finds and I honestly debated whether or not to show them all my finds. I took two sets of pics and debated for a good hour before finally deciding honesty was the best policy. Emailed the pics and info on the large cent, mercury dime and wheats that I found. Also gave info about the key and necklace pendant I found. Owner asked for the pendant, which I sent to her, no questions asked and included the old key with name/address on it....just because I thought it would be neat for them to have an old key to their house. A few weeks went by and I emailed again yesterday to see if any day this week would work to get back in there and search now that we have had a soaking rain. Turns out the husband now wants a detector and has decided that he doesn't want me in his yard because I am taking all the good stuff. I truly hope he buys a $100 detector and doesn't find squat
Then when they die off, i'll hit the new owners up and get back on the land

So.....lesson learned on my part.....if they don't ask....I won't tell. I hate being that way but I also won't stand for losing spots out of pure jealousy.
How do y'all handle things like this?

 

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[cheese]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Honesty is ALWAYS the best way. Win, lose, or draw, your reputation is the only thing you can take to the grave with you. Make it something you would want others to remember. TTC

Good answer. Old coins have only earthly value but honesty has much more than that. Offering the pics to her without being prompted for them was a nice gesture that unfortunately backfired. I don't know that I would have given the pics to her out of the blue, but you never know, it depends on the situation and my mood at the time. I wouldn't try to deceive though. You did fine and no guilt comes from that.

 

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[CoilFisher]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

I recall an article in my neck of the woods about the county draining a lake and some guy with a metal detector comes in and finds all these old coins and rings.
Well, he must have been hooting and hollering because he agreed to be interviewed by the local newspaper. They had photos and a nice article about it.
Now everyone in a 50 mile radius knows about that, and everyone with a detector you better believe had visited the place.
Needless to say he wont be finding any more old coins and rings there as that time capsule has been lost forever.
Got to love having that ego caressed and the notoriety.
Let me tell you all the old coins and rings down there have no meaning to the average person. They are going to take that "valuable" as they see it and hock it at the closest
pawn shop so they can buy something (garbage) they don't need.
None of it had any value until it was found; and it could have been found by anyone.

 

[savant365]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

I want to be a good guy, I want to do the right thing but the more posts I read about things like this happening...well I guess I found this pile of trash and a few wheat pennies. People are greedy and there is nothing you can do about it. If you don't look out for yourself no one is going to do it for you. Do whatever lets you sleep ok at night, it's your call. Me...I sleep like a baby and no one knows the difference.

 

[TerryC]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Maipenrai. I went to Bangkok when I was 19. R & R. (rest and relax). But I didn't rest or relax (wink)! TTC

 

[maipenrai]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

No one gets any rest here, thats why they call it R & R!! Only us old folks can rest, just spend time with my cat, gf and metal detector.

 

[savant365]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

No one gets any rest here, thats why they call it R & R!! Only us old folks can rest, just spend time with my cat, gf and metal detector.

My girlfriend gets jealous of the cat and my MD, Dammit!

 

[maipenrai]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

We both love our kitty, so that is not an issue, but she still hasent accepted the metal detector yet, and dont know what its for. I never did tell her how much it cost!

 

[savant365]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

We both love our kitty, so that is not an issue, but she still hasent accepted the metal detector yet, and dont know what its for. I never did tell her how much it cost!

Smart move

 

[Parisdakarbmw]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

I like to keep it simple, and ask for permission. I don't make any deals other than picking up trash.

If it's a hard place to get permission, and deals are made, that is the price to pay, but I avoid all of that if I can.

I always like to share some of my finds anyway, but try to keep my face shut on any goodies. "Here you go Ma'am! $.13, and a bag of trash. Which one do you want? LOL" They usually leave me alone about the trunk full of gold bullion weighing my truck down.

 

[Randyd]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

If the guy isn't irritating to be around, go over their and spend a little time teaching him how to use it. Then maybe the two of you can hunt the neighborhood yards or he may even have access to a great sites somewhere else.

 

[iCandy]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Not laughing at you.....but...LMAO..--deleted--."when they die off"....laughing even harder....now here's my thought....honesty is always best.....but HOWEVER...what they don't know won't hurt!!! And They don't have to know --deleted--!!

 

[Theakiki]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Honesty is ALWAYS the best way. Win, lose, or draw, your reputation is the only thing you can take to the grave with you. Make it something you would want others to remember. TTC

I agree with Terry. It's really hard. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's easy.
But, if you live your life like this, your kids can look back and say, "My Dad was a great man!"

 

[Lanny in AB]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

When I hunt someone else's yard, I want to give them what I find, unless they insist that I keep it. I love the hunt, the chase, discovering the unexpected--that's the wow factor for me. However, it does stink when someone gives you the boot, after they've given you permission, for whatever reason. But, if the landowner becomes a die-hard detector, that will be one more coin shooter in the ranks; however, he'll soon run out of room to detect, and he'll learn about the other side--having to ask permission from others to detect their property. Karma.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[shepcal]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

As said above, honesty is the best policy, I mean one has to sleep at night. Even when deals on who gets what are made prior, one can get screwed. I hunt gold nuggets and with the prices rising, everyone is curious. Most gold in our area, is on private property.
Do the fair thing, work a percentage, then call a couple of weeks later- no there's not enough to split. They have bought a detector, run it for a couple of hours, found a bunch of trash, detector goes in closet to never see the daylight again.
My solution, you have a property owner who is curious, I have several detectors and will lend them one (usually the MXT, they don't get the Minelab), give them a quick lesson and book and turn them loose. A week or two later, give them a call to see how they did, if they didn't do well, then you're at bat and have a bit more control over the situation. If they did well, well, you might have made a friend which will work out in the long run.

Shep

 

[Lanny in AB]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Nicely thought through Shep.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Randyd]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

Shep, Great idea! Thanks for posting it.
R

 

[mydejavooo]

Re: Sometimes honesty doesn't seem like the best way

That's a good idea Shep! Not sure how I'd feel lending out one of my detectors...seeing as how I only have one! LOL! But I digress. Honesty IS the best policy, and as we ALL have seen, there are ALL types of people out there. You are going to run into the good ones (more often than not) and the ones that will try to screw you out of your 74 cents! But just be up front with people...even ask them if you can keep what you find (including the pull tabs and trash), and most will be happy, as long as you leave their yard in the condition that you found it! And for those that come back and take a bite out of you over the 74 cents.....they will have to stand before God Himself and be judged!! Don't let it get to you....just Keep Calm and Carry on! HH!

DeJa