OPINION/POLL Real vs Fake Finds?

[Terry Soloman]

What do you believe is the correct ratio of pictures of actual dug finds posted in online forums -vs- "jewelry store," or faked finds?

A) 99-percent of all posts are actual finds
B) 80-percent of all posts are actual finds
C) 60- percent of all posts are actual finds
D) 50- percent of all posts are actual finds

What is the main motivation for sharing real finds?

What is the main motivation for faking finds?

I am asking these questions because of personal experiences in gold prospecting, where people actually posted pictures of nuggets I had sold in the past, as nuggets they "found" in the desert, or even Alaska. This appears to have happened just recently with a gold nugget sold as a California specimen, when it may have come from Australia. Seems to me, the same shennannigans could be happening on this end of the hobby - hence my questions. Looking forward to your opinions!

 

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[Lou from downunder]

Agreed Terry.

TreasureNet is the MAN! That other place.... is dying a slow painful death, deservedly so...

And yes, it is hard to tell lies when you have the whole world to catch you out, in real time.

Technology can be good.

Keep up the good work.

Lou.

 

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[jyt2017]

I wont mention names. But typically a fudged post goes like this;

FOUND 4 rings today, 3 GOLD.

And you got some one who posts the most ridiculous finds for a one day hunt. Id say its around...5% of threads. Just tossing a number out there.

You might have a lucky day and find 2-3 rings....one being gold. And once in a blue moon you might find two gold rings. But the cold truth is we are in a competitive hobby. A lotta places are hunted REGULARLY. Either by dive or neck deep.

Even when you find a hole that has been untouched for a year or two, none go more now days, your still unlikely to hit more then a few crap rings, and one goldie.

More on fudging finds here. Garrett AT pro video, produced by garret and posted on their site with a hand full of old dudes. They hunt the place like 3 days in a row never going deeper then knee deep and come up with like 6 or 7 rings total. IMO...the video is fudged totally. Whites videos are fudged too. Why...to sell their products.

Anyway. Its an interesting read. Me...100% of my finds are legit...tho I think they are posted in findmall. Anyway. HH and GL -Joe

What do you believe is the correct ratio of pictures of actual dug finds posted in online forums -vs- "jewelry store," or faked finds?

A) 99-percent of all posts are actual finds
B) 80-percent of all posts are actual finds
C) 60- percent of all posts are actual finds
D) 50- percent of all posts are actual finds

What is the main motivation for sharing real finds?

What is the main motivation for faking finds?

I am asking these questions because of personal experiences in gold prospecting, where people actually posted pictures of nuggets I had sold in the past, as nuggets they "found" in the desert, or even Alaska. This appears to have happened just recently with a gold nugget sold as a California specimen, when it may have come from Australia. Seems to me, the same shennannigans could be happening on this end of the hobby - hence my questions. Looking forward to your opinions!

 

[DewGuru]

I'd like to think that everyone posts legitimate finds. No one benefits from posting something they did not find, it doesn't make sense to me that someone actually would. Course, like anything in the world, anything can/will happen at any time.

Hunt on!

 

[dld]

some people want to be in the "IN" crowd of detectorest that people admire that they will lie to do it, but I think it is a small percentage, A) 99-percent of all posts are actual finds
then you have people like this My Very Last Shark Pit Post Ever!http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=326539.0 that sneak around and steal some ones spot because some was was popular and they were not

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I wont mention names. But typically a fudged post goes like this;

FOUND 4 rings today, 3 GOLD.

And you got some one who posts the most ridiculous finds for a one day hunt. Id say its around...5% of threads. Just tossing a number out there.

You might have a lucky day and find 2-3 rings....one being gold. And once in a blue moon you might find two gold rings. But the cold truth is we are in a competitive hobby. A lotta places are hunted REGULARLY. Either by dive or neck deep.

Even when you find a hole that has been untouched for a year or two, none go more now days, your still unlikely to hit more then a few crap rings, and one goldie.

More on fudging finds here. Garrett AT pro video, produced by garret and posted on their site with a hand full of old dudes. They hunt the place like 3 days in a row never going deeper then knee deep and come up with like 6 or 7 rings total. IMO...the video is fudged totally. Whites videos are fudged too. Why...to sell their products.

Anyway. Its an interesting read. Me...100% of my finds are legit...tho I think they are posted in findmall. Anyway. HH and GL -Joe

Sorry, but have to disagree, there are people out there finding 3 and 4 rings on a hunt, I found 4 gold one day, of which 2 had diamonds and the 5th ring of the day was silver on a single hunt, have had 2 and 3 gold ring days plus clad rings and 2 gold rings plus gold and diamond earring on a single days hunt...

I know several hunters who do a lot better than I do and they post here too.....Don't think because someone posts a 3 or 4 ring day that they are automatically staged finds...

There are beaches that will produce more than other beaches do and people at times are finding them 3 and 4 at a time....

As for me, this year has been a very slow year, too much sand on the beaches on the East coast, only made one trip to west coast and none south yet......

 

[chukers]

ok I'm going to add my 2 cents here... and I am going against the grain of things here... I think its less than A, what I don't know... I've been hunting for 20+ years and have been taught by someone one that has almost 50+ years experience. I live in a historical part of the country and I am a very adamant hunter... 3 to 4 times a week 2 to 4 hours each hunt. I have alot of great finds... I have paid for every detector I have ever bought (4) with my finds... I have a computer/electronics back ground... so in short I know what I am doing.

I have posted dozens and dozens of finds and yet to have a banner find... and I don't care if I do... I have never found a seated or busted coin... I have never found a large cent or flying eagle penny nor a gold coin or a silver dollar and many other things. I see it all the time where someone signs up new and posts something that I have never found in 20+ years call it what you want, I don't care but things don't seem on the up and up on some of these posts... like whey someone finds something that has been in the ground 100+ years and there isn't a bit of wear or corrosion on it or very little... it makes me wonder... I believe there is a good percentage of people out there that post for attention and that not counting the ones that fudge the facts to make their story sound better. There I posted my opinion... and I know when I do that someone isn't going to be happy... its like the old saying... the truth hurts... I'll most likely end up deleting this post before too long to avoid any further conflict but I just wanted to add my two cents. OH think about this...we all know of someone that either hunts or hunts with us that tends to tell tall tales of what they find... they are all around us!

Chukers

in the end... all I know for 100% is that I am honest about what I find, and that is all that matters to me.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

ok I'm going to add my 2 cents here... and I am going against the grain of things here... I think its less than A, what I don't know... I've been hunting for 20+ years and have been taught by someone one that has almost 50+ years experience. I live in a historical part of the country and I am a very adamant hunter... 3 to 4 times a week 2 to 4 hours each hunt. I have alot of great finds... I have paid for every detector I have ever bought (4) with my finds... I have a computer/electronics back ground... so in short I know what I am doing.

I have posted dozens and dozens of finds and yet to have a banner find... and I don't care if I do... I have never found a seated or busted coin... I have never found a large cent or flying eagle penny nor a gold coin or a silver dollar and many other things. I see it all the time where someone signs up new and posts something that I have never found in 20+ years call it what you want, I don't care but things don't seem on the up and up on some of these posts... like whey someone finds something that has been in the ground 100+ years and there isn't a bit of wear or corrosion on it or very little... it makes me wonder... I believe there is a good percentage of people out there that post for attention and that not counting the ones that fudge the facts to make their story sound better. There I posted my opinion... and I know when I do that someone isn't going to be happy... its like the old saying... the truth hurts... I'll most likely end up deleting this post before too long to avoid any further conflict but I just wanted to add my two cents. OH think about this...we all know of someone that either hunts or hunts with us that tends to tell tall tales of what they find... they are all around us!

Chukers

in he end... all I know for 100% is that I am honest about what I find, and that is all that matters to me.

Not that I disaggree with your reasonings, but when we are talking an international website with over 40,000 members now there is a percentage of newbies that may stumble on something many of us have looked for for years, just like someone who doesn't gamble walks into a casino and hits a slot machine for $100,000......

I found my first gold and diamond ring at the beach on the 3rd week in this hobby and that hooked me. It was just beginners luck was all, I had friends who I met after that, that had hunted beaches for years and never found a diamond ring, ......My wife now has choices of rings to wear I have found....

 

[search and recovery]

I like to think it would be A, but is probably somewhere between A and B. My reasoning is the fact that I have relic hunted for over twenty years and have seen just how greedy people get over relics and how competitive they become to have a bigger collection than others. Many friendships have been broken up over hunting private land without permission or regards for the other relic hunters long days of research. Although I am relatively new to beach hunting, and a lot of the beaches are open to the public, I can see how some people would go to no end to find where a successful hunter was at thinking they could find more for themselves. Good places to hunt are hard to come by wheather relic, beach, treasure, or gold hunting. There will always be a greedy few who will lie cheat, or steal for money or personal gain. Now having said that, I have to say this. On this beach hunting forum I feel almost all of the members are honest about their finds and I am really enjoying being a part of it. I may not be finding much jewelry yet, but finding my first diamond rings for a lady who had lost them was the best day of my short beach hunting adventures,and you guys made me feel even better about it. I am honest in all my meager finds as in everything I do. You just have to take any posts that are questionable with a grain of salt, and be thankful for all the good friendships that you make on this site....NUFF SAID!

 

[jyt2017]

Was more of a generalization. Been slow for me too. HH -Joe

I wont mention names. But typically a fudged post goes like this;

FOUND 4 rings today, 3 GOLD.

And you got some one who posts the most ridiculous finds for a one day hunt. Id say its around...5% of threads. Just tossing a number out there.

You might have a lucky day and find 2-3 rings....one being gold. And once in a blue moon you might find two gold rings. But the cold truth is we are in a competitive hobby. A lotta places are hunted REGULARLY. Either by dive or neck deep.

Even when you find a hole that has been untouched for a year or two, none go more now days, your still unlikely to hit more then a few crap rings, and one goldie.

More on fudging finds here. Garrett AT pro video, produced by garret and posted on their site with a hand full of old dudes. They hunt the place like 3 days in a row never going deeper then knee deep and come up with like 6 or 7 rings total. IMO...the video is fudged totally. Whites videos are fudged too. Why...to sell their products.

Anyway. Its an interesting read. Me...100% of my finds are legit...tho I think they are posted in findmall. Anyway. HH and GL -Joe

Sorry, but have to disagree, there are people out there finding 3 and 4 rings on a hunt, I found 4 gold one day, of which 2 had diamonds and the 5th ring of the day was silver on a single hunt, have had 2 and 3 gold ring days plus clad rings and 2 gold rings plus gold and diamond earring on a single days hunt...

I know several hunters who do a lot better than I do and they post here too.....Don't think because someone posts a 3 or 4 ring day that they are automatically staged finds...

There are beaches that will produce more than other beaches do and people at times are finding them 3 and 4 at a time....

As for me, this year has been a very slow year, too much sand on the beaches on the East coast, only made one trip to west coast and none south yet......

 

[gold fever pete]

I must be a really simple person. Guess I never thought about people showing stuff that they didn't find. I have only been doing this for a little over a year. Have had some good days and a lot of bad days. When I look at the posts here it gives me motivation to get out there and hit the beach or park. I was a chubby guy last year weighing 192 now a year later I am down to 178. I have been swinging my detector every night, instead of sitting in front of the tube, staying out for at least 2 hours a night and on weekends 4 to 6 hours. In the past year I have found, 3 gold rings, 28 silver rings, one P4SR ring. Just with those, they paid for all my detectors, in theory (my wife wouldn't let me sell a couple lol) I go with A, in hopes that it will still give me the motivation I need to get out there.

 

[ziphius]

Of course, there is another category. Real finds by pseudonym or anonymous posters. Some folks have more than one forum alias, so that if they have discovered a great site, they can still get the satisfaction of posting, albeit, 'anonymously'. This might help throw people off their trail if they are otherwise well-known in a certain region / area and don't want to tip their hand to the local competition. I don't see anything wrong with that. It's the inverse of 'ego', as the pseudonym poster doesn't care that the finds are attributed to him, yet he still wants to share the finds with the general public.

 

[ocjeff]

A for sure, only a few moron's

 

[Smudge]

My first year in this hobby I mostly beach hunted and didn't find squat.

No joke, it was embarassing.

This year I started land hunting and in six months I've found three gold rings (and not a single silver one yet, go figure).

Is that lucky streak going to last? I doubt it.

But I am willing to dig a lot of trash in the process, so maybe that's part of the payoff.

I just could never feel the need to "fake" a find.

Sometimes I like to post my boring, lackluster finds, just to remind everyone and myself that most hunts bring you run-of-the-mill stuff.

And nothing can match the excitement for me of digging into the ground, not sure of what I'm going to bring up.

Don't get me wrong, I love hitting that gold, but it's the thrill of the hunt that keeps me going.

 

[John (Ma)]

Well unfortunatly I am going to be different and go with "B". I read several posts and some people are posting daily or close to it with exceptional finds. I have called them out by lightly bringing the point out without actually saying, "Hey you". Other people will not notice and continue to comment on such great finds. However the poster's next message is a defensive one! Hmmmm, not only that, but their posts and finds slow way down!

Another case, I saw several posts of the great finds over and over at cellar holes. I always found those tough going in my area. Well I hooked up with him and another guy and what did they find? Zilch, nothing and a walked out with two pieces.

I also am aware of individuals cheating and or lying on another site and the individuals get banned. I have seen this a few times on that particular site as the Owner / moderator is a no nonsense guy that does not put up with any kind of BS.

I think it is a shame and maybe I am all wet but that is how I see it.

 

[diggummup]

I'm between A and B, say around 90% are real finds and 10% are fake or at least embellished shall we say. But i'm a skeptical person anyway so... maybe B is more accurate.

 

[chukers]

Well unfortunatly I am going to be different and go with "B". I read several posts and some people are posting daily or close to it with exceptional finds. I have called them out by lightly bringing the point out without actually saying, "Hey you". Other people will not notice and continue to comment on such great finds. However the poster's next message is a defensive one! Hmmmm, not only that, but their posts and finds slow way down!

Another case, I saw several posts of the great finds over and over at cellar holes. I always found those tough going in my area. Well I hooked up with him and another guy and what did they find? Zilch, nothing and a walked out with two pieces.

I also am aware of individuals cheating and or lying on another site and the individuals get banned. I have seen this a few times on that particular site as the Owner / moderator is a no nonsense guy that does not put up with any kind of BS.

I think it is a shame and maybe I am all wet but that is how I see it.

exactly what I said... just in different words...

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

im w diggumup. i say 90 per cent real.

there just are those that will do this.

however in a club where cash/silver are given as prizes.

lookout...people cheat endlessly.

for myself it takes a lot of effort to make nice posts.

even if i wanted a well done old boy pat on the back.

who would i be fooling. id much rather spend my energy

hunting or improving my game.i have met a couple of the

bigger names on tnet in person and they are nice folk and 100

per cent real.

its great to have some hi flyers out front to follow.

which allows me to continue my dream that i might some day

become one if i can ever move to a decent beach area

full time.

 

[CrazySlasher]

ok I'm going to add my 2 cents here... and I am going against the grain of things here... I think its less than A, what I don't know... I've been hunting for 20+ years and have been taught by someone one that has almost 50+ years experience. I live in a historical part of the country and I am a very adamant hunter... 3 to 4 times a week 2 to 4 hours each hunt. I have alot of great finds... I have paid for every detector I have ever bought (4) with my finds... I have a computer/electronics back ground... so in short I know what I am doing.

I have posted dozens and dozens of finds and yet to have a banner find... and I don't care if I do... I have never found a seated or busted coin... I have never found a large cent or flying eagle penny nor a gold coin or a silver dollar and many other things. I see it all the time where someone signs up new and posts something that I have never found in 20+ years call it what you want, I don't care but things don't seem on the up and up on some of these posts... like whey someone finds something that has been in the ground 100+ years and there isn't a bit of wear or corrosion on it or very little... it makes me wonder... I believe there is a good percentage of people out there that post for attention and that not counting the ones that fudge the facts to make their story sound better. There I posted my opinion... and I know when I do that someone isn't going to be happy... its like the old saying... the truth hurts... I'll most likely end up deleting this post before too long to avoid any further conflict but I just wanted to add my two cents. OH think about this...we all know of someone that either hunts or hunts with us that tends to tell tall tales of what they find... they are all around us!

Chukers

in the end... all I know for 100% is that I am honest about what I find, and that is all that matters to me.

Well, the truth is that you're most likely never going to find the same things that I, or anyone else, will find here in the Northeast. My area of the country, my town to be exact, had activity in the 1640's (some even say as early as the late 1500's). I'm guessing the part of TX you're in was settled around the mid-1800's?? Just as I will never dig a hammered silver piece from the 1300's here, you will probably never dig a Pine Tree Shilling or George Washington button.

I think a lot of new members who post something really nice do it because it's the first thing they've found worth posting.

As far as what percentage of people post fake stuff, I'm going with B.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I say better than 90 % are real considering the amount of hunters and finds posted, I am sure there are a few that post fake finds..... so what, it's not a competition......

A few people get a few undeserved "attaboys for posting a few faked finds, it they are that hard up so be it.....again, so what, it's not a competition.....

 

[surfnturf]

ok I'm going to add my 2 cents here... and I am going against the grain of things here... I think its less than A, what I don't know... I've been hunting for 20+ years and have been taught by someone one that has almost 50+ years experience. I live in a historical part of the country and I am a very adamant hunter... 3 to 4 times a week 2 to 4 hours each hunt. I have alot of great finds... I have paid for every detector I have ever bought (4) with my finds... I have a computer/electronics back ground... so in short I know what I am doing.

I have posted dozens and dozens of finds and yet to have a banner find... and I don't care if I do... I have never found a seated or busted coin... I have never found a large cent or flying eagle penny nor a gold coin or a silver dollar and many other things. I see it all the time where someone signs up new and posts something that I have never found in 20+ years call it what you want, I don't care but things don't seem on the up and up on some of these posts... like whey someone finds something that has been in the ground 100+ years and there isn't a bit of wear or corrosion on it or very little... it makes me wonder... I believe there is a good percentage of people out there that post for attention and that not counting the ones that fudge the facts to make their story sound better. There I posted my opinion... and I know when I do that someone isn't going to be happy... its like the old saying... the truth hurts... I'll most likely end up deleting this post before too long to avoid any further conflict but I just wanted to add my two cents. OH think about this...we all know of someone that either hunts or hunts with us that tends to tell tall tales of what they find... they are all around us!

Chukers

in the end... all I know for 100% is that I am honest about what I find, and that is all that matters to me.

Well, the truth is that you're most likely never going to find the same things that I, or anyone else, will find here in the Northeast. My area of the country, my town to be exact, had activity in the 1640's (some even say as early as the late 1500's). I'm guessing the part of TX you're in was settled around the mid-1800's?? Just as I will never dig a hammered silver piece from the 1300's here, you will probably never dig a Pine Tree Shilling or George Washington button.

I think a lot of new members who post something really nice do it because it's the first thing they've found worth posting.

As far as what percentage of people post fake stuff, I'm going with B.

Yep!! New England is a metal detectors dream! I tend to believe it's A, however I'm a positive person! Not gullable I Just don't care if their fake! If fooling is it then your only fooling yourself! Maybe insecure? Well then I feel sorry for the fakers! All in all I love to see the posts here on TN and the people who share their advice! Everyone should experience a 4 gold day it's one you will never forget!!!!!!