Pay to play?

[PaJim]

I'm new to the hobby, so please excuse any ignorance on my part... I just had a property owner contact me with several acres with old buildings, some already in ruin state. Sounds kind of promising depending on if it's been hit before or not. I of course asked what the buildings were, how many acres, and if it's been hunted before. The thing that threw me was that he asked how much I would pay per acre. Is this common? I understand why a property owner would want money for someone else to dig on their land, I was just curious if that is common practice. If it is common, how much do you pay?

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

We already paid for detecting = our equipment and time.

I'd pass on this one - too much other available, and no guarantee whatsoever you'll find even a zincoln.

 

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[G.I.B.]

Well, got his response..... In his words.... "$20 your f*cking crazy!"

I responded with an offer of $100 per acre. If he accepts it, I'll just copy and post his email back to him.

Sweet- I like your line of thought.

 

[PluGGLife]

Well, got his response..... In his words.... "$20 your f*cking crazy!"

I responded with an offer of $100 per acre. If he accepts it, I'll just copy and post his email back to him.

Don't pay $100 per acre to hunt! You might not even find $100 worth of stuff, and I would assume you would hunt more than 1 acre. I would rather keep hunting public parks for free and only find clad and the occasional ring.

Don't do it ! Even if he comes back and say yes to your offer. Just tell him you changed your mind and don't want to pay period.

 

[Dagger Woods]

I guess I don't understand the level of indignation being expressed by some posters here.... although I wouldn't want to pay an "admission fee" to hunt someone's private property, either, I do see where this would be the logical progression of things, and wouldn't be surprised to encounter it. I certainly don't think that the price I paid for my machine & accessories also includes the free access to everyone's private land.

After all, as already mentioned, with the recent publicity of md'ing shows and especially the YouTube videos, and "documentaries" on astounding ancient hoards being discovered.... or caches of gold coins in trees or under rocks... people are going to start to rethink allowing strangers on their property to metal detect scot-free. Whether or not the "fee" is fair will depend on the honesty/greed of the landowner.

Usually, when obtaining a permission, some sort of negotiation is expected, is it not? Why is it so outrageous that someone has started to be upfront about it? Sure, so far many if not most property owners will say "Don't worry about it" but that is naturally going to start changing.... just as soon as word gets around that some md'ers are willing to pay for the privilige, and private property permissions get harder and harder to come by, this will more and more change over to being the accepted norm. The slippery slope in action. We have seen the future.

 

[PaJim]

I'm not really going to pay anyone $100 per acre... The second he responded with swear words, I knew I didn't want to be on his property.

Dagger Woods' response is why I asked the question in the first place. It doesn't seem outlandish to me that someone would ask a fee. I'm simply a newbie and didn't know if that was standard protocol yet or not. I offered to share any finds, but he was persistent on taking money. That tells me he doesn't really care what's there, he's only after money. I kindly explained that most of what I find is trash that I dispose of for free, plus a 70 mile round trip and not so much as a guarantee that anything is there to be found means it's not worth my time to pay more than the $20 I offered him.

 

[RobRieman]

I would pay $100/acre to hunt with Cru [emoji4]

 

[digger460]

I have one property, that if I was getting resistance, I would bring out the cash. It's where I grew up. Figure it's the only way I'll get my toy's back.

 

[PluGGLife]

Yea I see the point about negotiation here but all within reason. You are right about his response and not wanting to hunt on his land. There has to be common ground where all parties are left happy.

I am new to this hobby as well. I would would offer up splitting my finds if it was a really good place to hunt. @digger460. I have the same situation with the house I grew up in only it is now abandoned. I need to figure out if the city owns it and I can hunt it. I tried to find public tax records on it but none were listed. Probably because no taxes have been paid on the property for some time now.

 

[JBM]

This practice is spreading in the UK.

It all rather sad as folks just go on the internet and pay their entrance money for the dig.

My generation used to do finds boxes for the farmers to hand down to future generation's but this will cease over the next few years.

The attitude by the younger generation is fast becoming pocket all you find as you paid your permission for the day. Jerry.

 

[Phantasman]

When I "ever" discuss permissions with a land owner, I "never" discuss money. Someone usually gets burned when there is money involved.

It's a 50/50 deal. He has the land, you have the equipment and KNOW HOW to retrieve it's underground holdings. He gets "first choice" on a 50/50 split. (if two diamond rings were found, he gets the one he wants first, you get the second). Yes it's his property. But everything you find was "lost". and not necessarily by him or his family. You don't need him as much as he needs you. There is a lot more land for you to hunt than hunters for him to find.

If that's not good enough for him, leave it in the dirt. Our time is valuable (to us and others).

 

[agflit]

I keep it simple...recreation vs Business. If I'm out for ME...it's because I enjoy it. On the other hand...I also have a search and recovery business. You call me...want me to look for something?...simple. $95 an hour 4 hr minimum, .55 a mile and expenses. Oh...and NO guarantees.

Freakin entitlement based society hasn't a LICK of common sense...sighs


Ag

 

[Phantasman]

I keep it simple...recreation vs Business. If I'm out for ME...it's because I enjoy it. On the other hand...I also have a search and recovery business. You call me...want me to look for something?...simple. $95 an hour 4 hr minimum, .55 a mile and expenses. Oh...and NO guarantees.

Freakin entitlement based society hasn't a LICK of common sense...sighs


Ag

Get a lot of business at those prices? I can see deep sea detecting getting that. But at $400+, a man could get a nice detector and do it himself.

 

[Escape]

Offer him a loaf of fresh baked bread each time you go over to hunt. Have a loaf in hand when you make the offer and smile.

 

[SouthFLdigger]

Have a strong moral stance on this, offering to pay only hurts the hobby and our future. Your first offer was more than reasonable. This person sounds like a greedy puke trying to make a buck out of anyone on anything.

 

[agflit]

95% of my recovery and search work is water based... I have thousands of dollars invested in equipment, and hundreds of hours in learning to do what I do... You wouldn't hire a gardener to build your home would you? I have a specific skillset, and when you need it, you need it. I don't believe that to be unreasonable...

To answer your question...yes...I have alot of work at those prices. It's Jan, and I already have 5 search/recovery jobs scheduled for May/June, or as soon as the ice is out. I have a unique skillset, and during the swim/boating season, it's quite often called upon. Do I BILL...that new bride who dropped her wedding ring in a lake that averages 10" of silt over marl bottom and is literally sick over the loss? Our the grown man who dropped the camera with the SD card full of his Stage 4 cancer mothers round the world trip pictures on it and is reduced to tears when I pop up and ask.."this belong to you"?.... or the grandfather who dropped his cellphone with the pics of his now deceased grandson while fishing....( just a few examples from last summer alone) Just because I can doesn't mean I should. Or do...
Yeah..I charge $95 an hour and .55 a mile for water work. It's better than the other guy who is $1600 a day and expenses. Funny thing is...I'd rather take a cup of coffee and a sincere "TY" than bill you to the tune of hundreds or thousands of dollars.....( I REALLY hate doing billing)....GAWD how I hate accounting work lol.
Do the right thing....we all know what it is when we see it. It's not rocket science. Sometimes ya can't put a price on a cup of coffee...

Ag

 

[Phantasman]

Well ag, I'm glad for you and finding a way to profit with your detectors. I think most all of us here see our hobby as fun and the profits of our labors is what we unearth for ourselves. I've had a few people over the years ask me if I could help them locate a lost ring, ear ring, etc., but I never charged them. For most detectorists, it's the reward of self satisfaction by providing satisfaction. Not that what you are doing is wrong though.

 

[T.C.]

"Our the grown man who dropped the camera with the SD card full of his Stage 4 cancer mothers round the world trip pictures on it and is reduced to tears when I pop up and ask.."this belong to you"?.... or the grandfather who dropped his cellphone with the pics of his now deceased grandson while fishing....( just a few examples from last summer alone) Just because I can doesn't mean I should. Or do..."

Wow!! What you wrote above, says it all....good on you agflit!! People like you make the world a much more nicer place to inhabit.