How do you record your finds?

[Mona Lisa]

I'm curious how everybody keeps track of their finds...Do you carry log books or have extremely good memories?

Also, is there a computer program that you could log all your finds? Like a journal program that you could load pictures, dates, gps location, inches deep, other vital information. If there isn't one, someone should write one...I'd buy it.

 

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[The Pete]

I just make up a spreadsheet. I only put at the top the year, then the year of the coin and work my way down. I end up with several columns. I use colors for different decades. I don't put more info in than that, I could but it's up to the person. To make it simple I do not count wheaties or clad or modern. I only put in it silver, buffalo's, V nickels ect. Hope that helps give you a plan to go on.

 

[jeff of pa]

I just wait till I get home , and then just look thru everything and make a list of everything I found for the day, along with WHERE & the date. <><><> Tho Only Time I made records on the Spot, was when I was doing A PUBLIC SERVICE SEARCH of a site , where Locations of finds were Vital.

 

[diggummup]

Other than having a reference manual for yourself as to what,when ,where and how you found something,why bother?I mean unless you find a site that is literally covered with relics and old coins and the like,it just seems like a waste of time.Well wait a minute,hhmmm??Maybe it could also be used to keep track of sites that you detect for clad,you know as a dating reference,to know when to hunt that site again.If you hunt places with a high turnover rate.I don't know,I guess I would keep records if I was hunting a large productive area,but it would be more of a mapping system than anything else.Too much work,not enough time ,oh well.....H.H. PS- I still remember the details of all of my worthy finds,but that list is short, so as it grows then maybe?

 

[Lowbatts]

There are some folks hereabouts who have made databases using a variety of methods. I've written a couple and done an Access data base, but don't use any. Just seems to turn the fun into work. I kind of favor just recording the good stuff unless you want a picture of where you're getting volumes of clad.

 

[buckmild1]

I take a picture of all items when I get home. I put all info I want on the pictures back ground. I keep all photos in a file and also post them to my web page. Hope this helps and HH.

http://www.angelfire.com/wizard2/photosandstuff/foundthings_onepage.html

 

[Mona Lisa]

Here's an idea for your bottlecap......bottle cap folk art!!! You could be rich! The bottlecap man sells for $125. If my pictures don't come through look up "bottle cap folk art" on google. Just kidding.

 

[kenb]

Very cool!! you could also link them together in form of snow chains and sell to us guys up north!!!!

 

[Mona Lisa]

70 bottle caps per man.....Each man costs $125......That's $1.78 per bottle cap. We're throwing away the wrong thing. We should be keeping the bottle caps and throwing away the clad.

 

[histoplasmosis]

I dunno one of these nights when i'm sleepless I can write a .net app for you guys to keep track if you really wanted. I'd just make it connect to a db and be able to export the data via web printer on screen whatever.

We'll see depends how bored I get when I don't sleep.

I could even make a web page that would do it. I dunno the possibilities are endless just have to get bored now.

 

[The Pete]

I remember when I was young seeing those bottle cap people in the bars where my parents raised me.

 

[Lowbatts]

Well Pete it's better getting raised in bars than behind them.

 

[dave-enc]

Probably some overkill, but i use a floppy disk and there is 10 files on a disk for the calender year each file represents something specific. For instance there is gold, silver, and junk jewelry files for both myself and for my wife, I also track tokens foreign coins etc with separate file. A detecting log file, and a by county log where gold and silver finds are tracked. I have used this similar setup since 1999 and find that I can keep good track of the productive sites. Crazy as it sounds I also have a disk that lists sites by county as well as the type of matrix that their respected playgrounds are made up of, IE sand, mulch, pebble, chopped up tires etc. Like I said probably overkill, but it works for us. The key is find a system that works for you and go for it
hh
dave-enc

 

[Darod]

histoplasmosis,

As soon as you get bored enough and can't sleep AND decide to write that ap,...let me know

I'd love to get a copy of it!

Rod

 

[stoney56]

Gotta write in down in a journal. These days I'm luck to remember where I parked the Jeep.

 

[Mona Lisa]

Thanks for the replies.

Everybody gives so many details in their stories that I knew they kept information somehow. I just pictured everybody walking around with log books keeping track of every little detail. (like mad scientists or metal detecting nerds)

I am going to keep a log book, but try not to be too anal about it. Then....... depending if I find anything....I could try a computer program.

Thanks again.

 

[Ocean7]

I take digital pics of them the day I find them. As for where - anything good found is right in my memory.

 

[spotz]

I like the digital pix idea, if you happen to keep your digital camera in the truck. However, I have not found anything that I would consider to be of great signifigance in my two years of detecting, as limited as it has been (about 100 hours total). With that said, I still feel that every non trash find is a treasure logged in my mind. Spotz

 

[treasurekidd]

I use a simple Excel spreadsheet to log my finds. I divide it into columns for date, time spent searching, location and items found (which is actually two columns, one for coins and one for other items). I use a simple addition formula for the coin column so that it gives me a total dollar amount for clad coins found, so I know how much change I have found. My "other items found" column gives a detailed list of items such as jewelry or relics, or older coins, which I keep. The clad gets thrown in my change jar, and rolled up every so often and dropped in my mad money (meaning beer money, lol) savings account. For those who don't have Microsoft Excel on their computer, the Microsoft Works spreadsheet, which most PCs come with these days, can be used exactly the same way.

 

[bigrig40]

I try to keep good records in a log book with place ,date , location,number of pennies, nicks,dimes,wheats,rings everthing.I total everything up at the end each of each month and compare previous years with the current.It has helped me alot in locating forgotten spots and setting my day offs with past productive spots if I don't have enough time to search for new ones.In my opinion accurate records are VERY IMPORTANT in this hobby!
good luck,bigrig