billjustbill
Bronze Member
Do you charge when people contact you to locate a lost ring?
Bill
Bill
Upvote
0
Do You Charge for helping find lost rings?
- Thread starter billjustbill
- Start date
Sandman
Gold Member
- Aug 6, 2005
- 13,398
- 3,992
- Detector(s) used
- Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Yes and No. I do this as a "business" with being hired to locate lost items or find property stakes for landowners. We also clean lake association and county beaches during the swim season for metal and paper trash using detectors in All Metal and screen sifters on the dry sand to locate glass, cig butts.
If I am already there detecting and someone asks me to find lost keys, a ring, I will get as much information from them as possible as to where, when, etc. I give them my card and tell them to call me when they get home and this way I know they just didn't wanna see the "nerd" look for something over near the buoy.
If however someone contacts me about having lost an item, I charge $50.00 for a two hour search if I have to drive there and it is payable in advance. I've looked longer than two hours too and returned the money also just for the opportunity to search. If we have to dive for something, natch the price goes way up.
I know it sounds mercenary, but after searching to help someone and learning they only wanted to use your time, you have to weed out the real people from the slugs.
If I am already there detecting and someone asks me to find lost keys, a ring, I will get as much information from them as possible as to where, when, etc. I give them my card and tell them to call me when they get home and this way I know they just didn't wanna see the "nerd" look for something over near the buoy.
If however someone contacts me about having lost an item, I charge $50.00 for a two hour search if I have to drive there and it is payable in advance. I've looked longer than two hours too and returned the money also just for the opportunity to search. If we have to dive for something, natch the price goes way up.
I know it sounds mercenary, but after searching to help someone and learning they only wanted to use your time, you have to weed out the real people from the slugs.
urbss
Full Member
Sandman said:I know it sounds mercenary, but after searching to help someone and learning they only wanted to use your time, you have to weed out the real people from the slugs.
I'm sure this is true, but it is just sad that people can be like that!!
Absolutely Never Have.
The way Gas prices are now, I May request my Gas Replacement
or the Day Detecting their property if over 50 Miles. I only get 13 Mile to the Gallon
The way Gas prices are now, I May request my Gas Replacement
or the Day Detecting their property if over 50 Miles. I only get 13 Mile to the Gallon
finderzzs
Bronze Member
- May 2, 2007
- 1,538
- 343
- Detector(s) used
- White's PI Pro Dual Field, Garrett Ace 350,
The way I view it is, if you have so many hours to hunt at the beach, and someone takes away a percentage of that time to look for their lost ring, time that you could have been using to find your own goodies, then you have to charge them something, technically a "reward". Yes, I have returned many class rings, found at a later date, and I never even received a thank you. But I wasn't taken away from my detecting time to locate them. And why not, like others said, price of gas just keeps going up.
By the way, soon, I'm going to give away free packets of Suntan oil and frisbees
By the way, soon, I'm going to give away free packets of Suntan oil and frisbees
WV Hillbilly
Hero Member
It would depend . Family or friends no . If I happened to be detecting in the general area anyway
no . If I had to travel somewhere to specifically look for an item for someone yes .
no . If I had to travel somewhere to specifically look for an item for someone yes .
bedpanmoneyman
Hero Member
I've only been asked once, by a friend to help her neighbor. I found the lady's platinum wedding band with a diamond and she offerred me $100, but I couldn't take it. She was so happy she was crying and I found that reward enough.
if I am are ready hunting an area then no,I just recent found a gold ring at the beach for a young girl, she just lost it an ask if I could find it for her so I did.I got a big thnak you an she left,well about 5-10 min.s later she came back an gave me a 10 an I gave her a big thank you,DID I charge her no, did she thank me YES in 2 forms,we both felt good.This was about the 6th time I have located something for someone while hunting,1 other time someone handed me money for finding it all other times has been thankyou an I have been find either way an will still stop an look for something lost.
- Jul 27, 2006
- 48,458
- 54,902
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
If I am at the beach and someone ask me to look for a lost ring and I feel it is a genuine request, I will do it for free.
If someone approaches me and wants to hire me to look for something, then it depends on how I feel about it.
If someone approaches me and wants to hire me to look for something, then it depends on how I feel about it.
F
frogwizard
Guest
How about exchanging your services for permission to hunt their property? Some people have great property!
I haven't yet. But here is an experience I had for you to consider.
One day I wanted to detect really bad, but it was really hot, so I thought I would go to a close spot so if I got overheated I would just give it up and come home. I wasn't there 10 minutes and a guy pulls up and says he just bought a property around the corner and wants to know if I would help him find a property marker. I agreed to follow. Well he didn't have a clue really where to start. The area was high in weeds and plenty of poison ivy. I got some big signals and it was beer cans everywhere. After a while I am thinking this guy is thinking of only himself. It is pretty ballsy I thought so I fought ballsy with ballsy and said," I give up, but since were good friends you wouldn't mind me detecting in your yard for an hour or two. would you"? He gave me a shocked look, and said OK. I think I caught him offguard as he did me.
I think he realized now I have a perfect stranger on my property and I want to leave. He left and came back 10 minutes later and says I have to leave, because he doesn't want a stranger around and he won't be back and his wife isn't home.
The point is people don't think twice to have you help them but these are the type that usually won't do a thing for you, not even a glass of water or a thank-you! He didn't think twice to ask me on his property and he didn't think twice to get rid of me either.
One day I wanted to detect really bad, but it was really hot, so I thought I would go to a close spot so if I got overheated I would just give it up and come home. I wasn't there 10 minutes and a guy pulls up and says he just bought a property around the corner and wants to know if I would help him find a property marker. I agreed to follow. Well he didn't have a clue really where to start. The area was high in weeds and plenty of poison ivy. I got some big signals and it was beer cans everywhere. After a while I am thinking this guy is thinking of only himself. It is pretty ballsy I thought so I fought ballsy with ballsy and said," I give up, but since were good friends you wouldn't mind me detecting in your yard for an hour or two. would you"? He gave me a shocked look, and said OK. I think I caught him offguard as he did me.
I think he realized now I have a perfect stranger on my property and I want to leave. He left and came back 10 minutes later and says I have to leave, because he doesn't want a stranger around and he won't be back and his wife isn't home.
The point is people don't think twice to have you help them but these are the type that usually won't do a thing for you, not even a glass of water or a thank-you! He didn't think twice to ask me on his property and he didn't think twice to get rid of me either.
Chico Rico
Full Member
check this link
http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/laf/711720252.html
Two responses in about two months.
One lady made it seem like she lost her braclet(metal but not sure what type) on a path about 200yds long. Only to show up and have her tell me of about two miles of road she walked, trips she took, plants she planted all the day of losing the item. Only she was not sure if it was lost at the store and someone may have pocketed it. We gave it about 30 min in her yard and explained that she was looking for a needle in a hay field!
I refered her to a site to purchase a new ace 250 for 188, but she said money was tight. ($400k home, three cars, two imports, stay at home wife...you got 188!)
The second lady has her husbands "very expensive" 14k very large ring lost in theit yard. We spent about 3.5 hrs today in that 1/5 acre lot only to be micromanaged as to not kill their freshly planted grass....A f'n bag o' grass seed is about $11! Do you want me to find this $5k ring or what. No luck on the ring but will return once well trained with the new x-terra 70 that ups left me today.
She let me keep all the crap outta the yard. Inclusive was some wwI mess items, sterling charm, a wheat penny and misc garbage.
Next one better have a good story or they will feel the squeeze that my bank account had felt from $4 gas.
http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/laf/711720252.html
Two responses in about two months.
One lady made it seem like she lost her braclet(metal but not sure what type) on a path about 200yds long. Only to show up and have her tell me of about two miles of road she walked, trips she took, plants she planted all the day of losing the item. Only she was not sure if it was lost at the store and someone may have pocketed it. We gave it about 30 min in her yard and explained that she was looking for a needle in a hay field!
I refered her to a site to purchase a new ace 250 for 188, but she said money was tight. ($400k home, three cars, two imports, stay at home wife...you got 188!)
The second lady has her husbands "very expensive" 14k very large ring lost in theit yard. We spent about 3.5 hrs today in that 1/5 acre lot only to be micromanaged as to not kill their freshly planted grass....A f'n bag o' grass seed is about $11! Do you want me to find this $5k ring or what. No luck on the ring but will return once well trained with the new x-terra 70 that ups left me today.
She let me keep all the crap outta the yard. Inclusive was some wwI mess items, sterling charm, a wheat penny and misc garbage.
Next one better have a good story or they will feel the squeeze that my bank account had felt from $4 gas.
Sandman
Gold Member
- Aug 6, 2005
- 13,398
- 3,992
- Detector(s) used
- Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Naturally if I am already at a beach or park and someone asks me to find something I will look for free, but I give them my card because I may not find it that day but on another day. I found this guys nice 14 Kt. heavy bracelet two weeks after he asked me to find it and I have no idea who he is.
I've been asked to find stuff people have lost while water skiing and hiking in the real wilderness. Where to start and how long should you search all that land or lake bottom? I have gotten many thank yous and some not even a smile. I am glad to help someone, but there can be a limit to what is asked of me. I don't dive under the ice anymore for sunken snowmobiles or fishing equipment lost when the ice breaks as I get cold easily now.
Once I was asked to find a woman's wedding ring that she thought she lost raking leaves and bagging them. I showed up for free and after searching her yard and all the bags of leaves she collected I still had no ring four hours later. As I was ready to leave she comes out of the house to tell me she found the ring on the bathroom sink. I was glad she had her ring, but wondered how bad I would have felt going home wondering if it was still in her yard and my lack of skill didn't locate it. There are plenty of rings at beaches that I wonder if it is still there or did some kid with goggles found it.
You just need to play it by ear.........
I've been asked to find stuff people have lost while water skiing and hiking in the real wilderness. Where to start and how long should you search all that land or lake bottom? I have gotten many thank yous and some not even a smile. I am glad to help someone, but there can be a limit to what is asked of me. I don't dive under the ice anymore for sunken snowmobiles or fishing equipment lost when the ice breaks as I get cold easily now.
Once I was asked to find a woman's wedding ring that she thought she lost raking leaves and bagging them. I showed up for free and after searching her yard and all the bags of leaves she collected I still had no ring four hours later. As I was ready to leave she comes out of the house to tell me she found the ring on the bathroom sink. I was glad she had her ring, but wondered how bad I would have felt going home wondering if it was still in her yard and my lack of skill didn't locate it. There are plenty of rings at beaches that I wonder if it is still there or did some kid with goggles found it.
You just need to play it by ear.........
rmptr
Silver Member
Quite a long time ago I read in a W&E Treasure mag that a lost item is frequently NOT right where folks think they lost it. I have never forgotten that story...
If someone approached as I was detecting, and said "I dropped in RIGHT here," I'd probably search for a few minutes...
Usually, I ask people to write down their phone number and short description of what they've lost, and volunteer to call them if I locate it.
From time to time I help friends look for things, or loan a detector out to go across town...
I did NOT loan my best detector to an acquaintance who was on a week long hunting trip near a ghost town!
For hire? Sure!
I work my tools for a living...
Pay my rate and I'll be there with bells on!
HH
rmptr
If someone approached as I was detecting, and said "I dropped in RIGHT here," I'd probably search for a few minutes...
Usually, I ask people to write down their phone number and short description of what they've lost, and volunteer to call them if I locate it.
From time to time I help friends look for things, or loan a detector out to go across town...
I did NOT loan my best detector to an acquaintance who was on a week long hunting trip near a ghost town!
For hire? Sure!
I work my tools for a living...
Pay my rate and I'll be there with bells on!
HH
rmptr
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