Tot lot jack pots???

[cntrydncr1]

I'm starting to wonder what is wrong with the tot lots I hunt. I read so many stories here and on other forums of people finding large numbers of coins in their tot lot hunts. If I come home with 30 from a 2 hour hunt I think I have hit the jack pot. And of course 15 of my coins will be pennies!!! Also, I rarely even find kids jewelry, but I could show you a nice collection of pencils! What is the trick to this I dig everything, hunt in jewelry mode, and keep the descrim. about about 3 bars on my ACE 250.

 

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[Ant]

How many parks do you hunt? Go to parks that are out of the way. Hit public elementry schools that you see people playing soccer, jogging, baseball, basketball (etc), after school hours. Hop the fence and hunt them on Saturday or Sunday night or in the early day, if it looks like cool that is. Stay away from the buildings and don't go if the school is posted with No Tresspassing signs.

You should be digging foil, washers, nuts, bolts, screws, bottle caps, modern day pulltabs and the likes to get jewelry and gold. Coins are automatic when you dig trash like that, trash like that also gets you to the gold too.

 

[gregl01]

Most tot lots I hit give up a dozen coins each maybe. I got lucky last weekend and pulled 33 from one school. That doesn't usually happen. Timing is everything!!!!!
Greg

 

[kevino1960]

I hit my neighborhood play ground regularly and always (so far everytime) come away with a few coins. Sat. I found a crow bar, very rusted. My best find was a .925 silver earing with an opal. Keep Looking! And Good hunting.

Kevin

 

[Michigan Badger]

I used to hunt the tot lots back in the late 60's & 70's but never did any good so I quit them. I've been absolutely amazed at the finds I see posted here. I used to hunt the tot lots of Western Michigan and all I found was cheap broken jewelry and modern coins (mostly pennies).

Good luck and hope you can find one of those supper hot spots.

Badger

 

[MD Dog]

First off hunt in all metal mode and discriminate out the bottom metals up to the nickel indicator. secondly go very slow, I mean swing normally but overlap by alot. I hunt some older out of the way schools and have even found a 1912 liberty dime by going slow and deep. For jewelry try around athletic field where the kids take of clothes before running etc...

Best day at school so far was one silver ring,two gold necklaces(one with heart shaped pendant with various precious stones set), one Kennedy half, one buff nickle, seven wheaties, and about five dollars in clad.

 

[Ant]

If you can't get the machine you're using to find the same kind of trash that I mentioned above, plus nickles, get a different machine that can because that machine is not good enough. If you don't upgrade, I'll come behind you and get the Gold that you passed over.

 

[Michigan Badger]

If you can get the machine you're using to find the same kind of trash that I mentioned above, plus nickles, get a different machine that can because that machine is not good enough. If you don't upgrade, I'll come behind you and get the Gold that you passed over.

What machine do you use Ant?

I've found my little Tejon just loves gold. I should post more of my daily finds but so much of the stuff being posted these days is so great I feel a little weird posting my plated or silver rings. I mean lately it's like all kinds of solid 14 to 18K gold rings, gold coins, and large cents up the Ka-zoo!

Back in the earlier days here a small silver ring caused quite a stir

Badger

 

[RUDY2003]

Hey cntrydncr1, don't be discouraged or let anyone make your huntin' and diggins' seem trivial. I've been doin' this for about a year now and I, like you don't find 100 coins and gold rings at my huntin' spots either, but the occasional silver ring or trinket makes me smile and I'm havin' fun. You get a little better each time out too....
Keep safe...

 

[Born2Dtect]

I personally love tot lots and play grounds. They are popular spots with detectorist. Unless you are the only one hunting there you are not going to get big numbers. Remember that they need to be resupplied. The larger more popular the play area the more you can hunt it. I like to hit them about every 1 to 2 months and usually find a few things.

Ed D.

 

[Ant]

If you can get the machine you're using to find the same kind of trash that I mentioned above, plus nickles, get a different machine that can because that machine is not good enough. If you don't upgrade, I'll come behind you and get the Gold that you passed over.

What machine do you use Ant?

I've found my little Tejon just loves gold. I should post more of my daily finds but so much of the stuff being posted these days is so great I feel a little weird posting my plated or silver rings. I mean lately it's like all kinds of solid 14 to 18K gold rings, gold coins, and large cents up the Ka-zoo!

Back in the earlier days here a small silver ring caused quite a stir

I meant to say if the machine can't find trash like that. That's just how it is and nothing can change that. If you want proof, you can take a look at my finds by going to my profile and surfing though the threads that I have posted.


Hi Michigan Badger.
I'm using a Fisher Gold Bug 2 and my finds speak for themself as you already know.

 

[Ant]

Oh yeah, it won't take long to find a park with the trash I mentioned. But, some parks in big cities might be cleaned of all trash. That's because park employees clean the sand and wood chips, sometime weekly, and sometimes daily. That might be your problem. Cities like LA use machines to sift the sand of dangerous items, same on the beaches. But like I said, if you are not digging that kind of trash you aren't in the range to find gold and jewelry.

 

[cntrydncr1]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am finding lots of foil and pulltabs. I am not really discouraged, just wandering if there is more I can do. I found a dog's tag next to the tot lot yesterday and it was exciting! I'll keep looking, I know I'll find some jewels eventually!

 

[spez401]

you might want to do a quick internet search to find the owner of the tags. They often have a sentimental value person, and to the families (if deceased)
steve

 

[cntrydncr1]

It has a vet's name, address and a tag number. Also it is dated 1993. Is there a way to search with that information

 

[Boobydoo]

Try searching in the all metal mode and dig everything, in the woodchips at least, because it is such easy digging and I would kick the sens up to 4 or 5 searching in that mode. It's good to experiment just to see what will happen.

For the woodchips, I use a 1980 old Garrett TR machine and it loves jewelry and coins, searching non disc and dig everything. I know that machine like an extention of my arm. I also have a 250 for other hunting outside the chips.

Be patient, search slower, and concentrate in the hot areas, like under and around the swings, and around the slides. That's where I find a lot of jewelry.

Also search the entire woodchip area, not just around the play equipment. I also find a lot of goodies in the open areas not close to the equipment.

Keep working at it, it will come for you soon.

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[waseeker]

I started hunting tot lots after I messed up my shoulder with too much digging. They are great and I've had a couple of very good days, but my normal days are maybe 30-40 coins. I've got lots of competition and so it also depends on which of us happens to get to a school or playground first.

stay with it and the finds will come.

Also, although we don't get extreme winters out here we do get lot's of rain. I just put on my rain suit and keep going out year round. my best ring finds were in the winter time. Also some of my better coin counts were then as well. I noticed that as the weather got better my finds dropped which just told me the fair weather hunters were out

 

[cntrydncr1]

I found a silver ring this weekend under a bench along side of the tot lot. Found another in a field next to another tot lot. Love finding the jewelry.

 

[detectordave]

I have had incredible luck in elementary schools. Tons of clad, lots of jewelry and alot of misc stuff kids take to school for show and tell. Nice foreign coins etc. Middle schools and high schools have not been as good, which I would have thought to be the opposite. The older the kids the more money their stuff is worth. Not true. The younger the kids, the more they tumble, run and use their outdoor equipment. Also, the more likely to take mom and dads stuff to school and lose it. I have not had very good luck in park woodchips though. I think maybe you need to hit wood chips and sand shortly after something has been lost. Maybe it sinks too fast? Maybe its too easy for someone else to find first? dunno. HH dave.

 

[Monty]

I have found most of my silver rings at schools. Not on the playground however, but out near the front entrances and where the buses load and unload. The chips and sand are hit quite regularly by other detectorists and finding something worthwhile there is just a matter of luck. I found my first gold around the edge of a concrete basketball court about 2" deep by a penny. My BH Landranger was giving me mixed signals, bouncing from penny to nickel and back. I found the penny and saw the edge of the gold chain sticking out into the plug hole. I gently tugged on it and out came about an 18" 14k gold chain! So, don't just limit your hunt to the chips I guess is what I am saying. Monty