Southern_Digger
Hero Member
- May 21, 2012
- 573
- 222
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Explorer and Excalibur; Tesoro Tejon; Fisher 1265-X; Garrett Master Hunter; White's Coinmaster; In closet: Bounty Hunter and Relco
- Primary Interest:
- Other
I found this sweetheart of a hutch while digging in the St. Augustine bottling dump in 1975, and I ended up there quite by accident. In 1975, I could drive my little '72 Datsun Stationwagon from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacksonville on $5 worth of gas, and I did. At that time, my fiancee, who I was engaged to marry, was suddenly swept off her feet by an old boyfriend who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He heard of our engagement and succeeded in man-ing up and making a committment with her. Well she broke it off with me and moved in with him on his daddy's island estate along the St. Johns River, driving her around in an expensive car and a nice boat bought by daddy for him.. I licked my wounds, wrote her off, and placed myself back on the market. Six months later, her brother called me stating she is not getting along with him and she is asking about me and wondered how I was doing, missed me and so forth. He stated I should visit her. Therefore, after some hesitation and much forethought, I loaded up my inexpensive japanese toy and drove to Jacksonville to the address giving to me by the brother, to see if she was ready to come home. Surprisingly, I had the door slammed in my face by her. So, puzzled and confused, I drove back down US1 and saw a group of people digging aside the road. Lo and behold it was the city dump on a lot about to be developed for a shopping center. Just so happen, I never leave on the road without my detector ( then, a Bounty Hunter III), shovel and sifter. I dug about 15 bottles, such as Kilmer's and such and called it a day, having to get home and back to work. When I dug the hutch, I immediately had several offers to sell it to them or trade. The top offer was $35.00--that is 3 1/2 trips to Jacksonville and back--not chump change in those days. Well, since I left one not-so much-of-a sweetheart behind; I replaced it with this sweetheart. Over the years, while displaying it with other dug relics and such, I always received offers for it. I'm told it is highly prized because it is from the oldest city in the US.
Question: I have not checked the market lately.. Is this rare? and what is its' value today?
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Regarding the old fiancee...I found later, her younger brother, who apparently was bi-polar, loved his big sister so much and wanted her back home with the family. He was heartbroken that she moved away and He admitted making up the story about her asking about me, hoping she would come back to me and live in south Florida where he could see her all the time. He stated he liked me better and thought I'd be better for her and treat her better than the old boyfriend. I laughed it off... I was set up by a 15-year-old. It was one of life's experience and it turned out good in the long run, thereby increasing my collection of dug bottles with some good keepers.
Question: I have not checked the market lately.. Is this rare? and what is its' value today?
>
>
>
Regarding the old fiancee...I found later, her younger brother, who apparently was bi-polar, loved his big sister so much and wanted her back home with the family. He was heartbroken that she moved away and He admitted making up the story about her asking about me, hoping she would come back to me and live in south Florida where he could see her all the time. He stated he liked me better and thought I'd be better for her and treat her better than the old boyfriend. I laughed it off... I was set up by a 15-year-old. It was one of life's experience and it turned out good in the long run, thereby increasing my collection of dug bottles with some good keepers.
