To Keep Or Not To Keep?

[RUSHFAN47]

Hey guys,
Been doing some reading on MD'ing and have become interested. One question though is,depending on the venue, when you dig something up is it yours to keep or not? This is a bit of a gray area that has me perplexed. Any feedback is always appreciated!
Thanks,
RUSH

 

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[offtrail]

Depending on the situation if it's private property you better have that all hashed out before you start digging. Most people would never dig if you can't keep what you find. If i agree to give up what I find then it must be for a good cause.

 

[cayuse]

If I find a class ring or something I can trace back to the owner I try to return it.

I found a HS class ring in Hawaii once and returned it to a man in the midwest that lost it over 40 years ago. I got the nicest thank you letter that was worth more to me than you can imagine!

You can't put a price on that!

 

[dirtdigginfool]

Like offtrail sez..that stuff is usually sorted out before the hunt. Usually the property owner will have no problem with me detecting their property and 99% never bother me or ask for anything in return. Though sometimes they joke "if you find a pot of gold I get half!"...But there are ALWAYS exceptions..as more than once I have found artifacts/relics that are tied to the property or the owner, such as a brass gas key I dug at an 1850's property, and I took it home and cleaned it up. As I had not covered all the ground there yet, my next trip there included talking to the homeowner and presenting them with the gas key..which they THOROUGHLY enjoyed ! As much as I would loved to have that artifact in my collection, giving it up not only felt good, but I have a new friend and a place to hunt for as long as I want. PLUS...they turned me on to their neighbors' property down the road (a relative) and SCORE!..more dirt to root around in. Both were very good sites to hunt and produced a multitude of silver coins, wheaties, tokens, pendants, pull tabs etc...Hope this helps! Happy Hunting...ddf

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey guys,
Been doing some reading on MD'ing and have become interested. One question though is,depending on the venue, when you dig something up is it yours to keep or not? This is a bit of a gray area that has me perplexed. Any feedback is always appreciated!
Thanks,
RUSH

rush-fan, do you mean public property? Or private property ? If you mean public property, you can (if you want), look up your state's lost-&-found laws. These are laws from the 1800's born out of wandering cattle laws, etc.... Like so if a brinks armored car door swings open, you can't simply scoop up the cash and say "finders keepers", etc.... There's usually a threshold of something like if the item's value is $100 or more are to be brought to the police, etc..

Ok, then once you've looked that up for your state, then go to the "finds" forums and see all the things md'rs typically can find. Especially on beach forums, where md'rs post their latest ring find bragging rights. Ok, now ask yourself: are all of the rushing down to the police dept after they find each ring to turn it in ?

 

[Jeremy S]

Class rings or jewelry where the owner can be identified: I try my best to return them. Good karma will get you a long way in this hobby.

Things I find on public property: I keep everything that I find unless it falls into "jewelry that can be returned" category. I will occasionally give away clad change as I find it to kids as they seem to get a kick out of it.

Things I find on private property: I have never had a property owner ask me for anything that I find. I mostly hunt old home sites and vacant properties so I seldom have to deal directly with the owner. If I found something that had sentimental value to them I'd be more than glad to give it away. If I did find something worth countless thousands of dollars, haha, I'll figure out that scenario when it happens! Sometimes I will clean up finds and offer them to the owner if they are good people just to show my appreciation for letting me detect their property.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.....

Things I find on public property: I keep everything that I find unless it falls into "jewelry that can be returned" category.......

Ok, so you're content to break the law, right? The law makes no distinction on whether YOU think it can be returned, or ID'd, etc.... It merely says beyond a certain dollar value. That's fine, but just making sure we/I understand your stance.

 

[cudamark]

I don't know about you, but every thing I find is junk....no value. I can't help it if it suddenly appreciates while I own it!

 

[Sandman]

I return when I can. Most times I never find anything.

 

[Dave P]

I was at a relatives birthday party a few years ago and had a few rolls of pennies that I threw into the grass and had all the youngsters help me look for treasure. They were having a ball. I told them they could keep what they found and there were all excited.
I got a reading for a good target so I had one kid get the target. He comes up with this 18k heavy gold ring with several good diamonds in it. You go figure huh? LOL
Anyway, it turned out to be a distant relative of an in law who was there who lost it 2 years prior to us finding it.
I gave it to the homeowner and he saw to it that the guy got his ring back. I never even got a call or any thank you at all. I guess some people just have their head stuck someplace where the sun don't shine.
All of the kids wanted metal detectors for Christmas that year. Oh well, the kids had a ball but their parents looked at me with a smirk on their faces. LOL

 

[Jeremy S]

Ok, so you're content to break the law, right? The law makes no distinction on whether YOU think it can be returned, or ID'd, etc.... It merely says beyond a certain dollar value. That's fine, but just making sure we/I understand your stance.

Sometimes I probe the ground and disturb the grass too! I always avoid digging, some cities will have you hanged, drawn, and quartered for that! I get around those barbaric laws by hunting early at sun rise before anyone seems to care what I am doing :-P

Just how many of your finds do you turn over the the proper authorities, Tom?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... I get around those barbaric laws by hunting early at sun rise before anyone seems to care what I am doing ......

Ahhh, "sneaking around" eh ? Well you know it's people like you who give a bad name to our hobby, right ? You will now be tarred and feathered by the good folk here on the forum. How can you sleep at night? Tsk tsk.

........Just how many of your finds do you turn over the the proper authorities, Tom?

And what, pray-tell, are you insinuating ? I'll have you know I turn EVERYTHING over to the police, that exceeds the value threshold criteria, thankyou. Nor do I ever disturb grass, sand, dirt, etc... (lest I be breaking the "alter" and "deface" and "vandalism" clauses that exist on all public land). Nor do I go 56 in a 55 zone when driving. Yup, I'm the paragon of virtue !

 

[cudamark]

Careful or your tongue is going to poke clean through your cheek!

 

[Jeremy S]

Ahhh, "sneaking around" eh ? Well you know it's people like you who give a bad name to our hobby, right ? You will now be tarred and feathered by the good folk here on the forum. How can you sleep at night? Tsk tsk.

Well, I tried picking my nose one day at the park and somebody complained. I called the parks office and asked if they had a rule against nose-picking and was passed around from person to person until somebody told me it wasn't allowed. So now I just go to the park early in the morning when no one else is around and pick my nose all I want, nobody seems to care then :-)

Maybe someday day they will roll out the red carpet for us nose picker enthusiasts!

So are you telling me when I go on a nose picking expedition that the law states that I should hand... err.. finger over what I find??

 

[cudamark]

Only if it worth over $100 or older than 50 years!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Well, I tried picking my nose one day at the park and somebody complained. I called the parks office and asked if they had a rule against nose-picking and was passed around from person to person until somebody told me it wasn't allowed. .........

Exactly. No doubt they based that judgement decision on "public annoyances" clauses. And you would rightfully need a "parade permit".

 

[dirtdigginfool]

I was at a relatives birthday party a few years ago and had a few rolls of pennies that I threw into the grass and had all the youngsters help me look for treasure. They were having a ball. I told them they could keep what they found and there were all excited.
I got a reading for a good target so I had one kid get the target. He comes up with this 18k heavy gold ring with several good diamonds in it. You go figure huh? LOL
Anyway, it turned out to be a distant relative of an in law who was there who lost it 2 years prior to us finding it.
I gave it to the homeowner and he saw to it that the guy got his ring back. I never even got a call or any thank you at all. I guess some people just have their head stuck someplace where the sun don't shine.
All of the kids wanted metal detectors for Christmas that year. Oh well, the kids had a ball but their parents looked at me with a smirk on their faces. LOL

Dave..I once found a mans wallet in a bathroom/shower house at a state campground, and promptly turned it in to the Park Ranger. Mind you..it was LOADED with cash...and was still intact with the owners i.d., credit cards etc..I put a note in the wallet with my name, contact information, etc. and like yourself..never heard back. Now maybe Im being naive in thinking the owner actually got it back..but I am 99.999% sure that he did, given all the owner info was still intact. But hey, I slept well that night knowing I had done the right thing. ...ddf

 

[cudamark]

I think I would have taken inventory of the whole wallet, got his contact info, and followed up by contacting him and asking if he got everything. I probably wouldn't have involved the ranger in the first place....just contacted the owner directly.

 

[Dave P]

I was at a relatives birthday party a few years ago and had a few rolls of pennies that I threw into the grass and had all the youngsters help me look for treasure. They were having a ball. I told them they could keep what they found and there were all excited.
I got a reading for a good target so I had one kid get the target. He comes up with this 18k heavy gold ring with several good diamonds in it. You go figure huh? LOL
Anyway, it turned out to be a distant relative of an in law who was there who lost it 2 years prior to us finding it.
I gave it to the homeowner and he saw to it that the guy got his ring back. I never even got a call or any thank you at all. I guess some people just have their head stuck someplace where the sun don't shine.
All of the kids wanted metal detectors for Christmas that year. Oh well, the kids had a ball but their parents looked at me with a smirk on their faces. LOL

 

[Rogerv]

I have a knack of noticing things on the ground while driving or walking in 2003 I found 9 wallets in the street around the Washington DC suburbs and one Dy-per bag/purse in Austin TX while in a training class and again in 2014 under a flap in a Kolls cart. I was able to return all to their owners. They were all shocked that they got back all their money and cards. I accepted no finders or rewards as i feel it was the right thing to do.