Do you have a "flop" story?

[TokenMan]

As many detectors that are going on here, I was wondering if any others would like to share their story. Here's mine, happen to anyone else? So I thought I had stumbled on my potential for finding my greatest finds...and 1820s house on 12 acres. I have been out 3 times...bout 5 hrs each and have come up blanked. I thought for sure I'd do well, but nuttin thus far. Oldest coin, 1970 Lincoln. I have only concentrated right around the house for now...and there is a lot of ground to cover and other structures here that I will keep getting back to. But man, this was sorta frustrating since this was the oldest property I have gotten too. Not even the lonely flat button yet. There is quite a bit of history of the house...could it really have been hunted out in the usual area of front yard and side, it's a pretty small area? I had already assumed I was not the 1st to find this, but thought I could pull something out thus far. Oh yea, I did dig a small brass buckle, qtr size, that I believe to be period, but that's it. Well, I have free range on the place and the land owner has been clearing around the old structures and has invited me back as much as I want. After I finished up yesterday, they gave me a cold beer and ended up staying for cookout So it was a success in meeting good people and getting a full belly, so to think about it more, it wasn't a flop at all and I will be back many more times. No way have all the goodies been dug. HH.

 

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[fistfulladirt]

My biggest flops, which happen all the time, are farm homes. Three out of five or more are non-productive. I attribute it to backfilled yards and the fact that many times crops were planted right up to the side of the house. Also, folks couldn't afford to lose money then. I'm talking civil-war era homes that sometimes don't even give up iron or a few coins of clad.

 

[treasure diver ct]

I have done a few dives that are deep and should have had lots of jewelry at the bottom of those holes, even done areas that are a good hike and areas that don't have guys that detect I have done a coastal Diving trip and dived every tidal pool on the way 2000 km coast trip.... All flops, I researched these spots way before I decided to try them.... My best finds are always from places I least expected them

 

[DeepseekerADS]

When I lived in Southeast Michigan circa '82, I did plenty research into one area and finally went at it. It was scorching hot that day. As I was swinging my Garrett, a tribe of kids came along and started pestering me. And they started throwing pennies on the ground. Seemed like forever and I was sweltering hot, miserable.

They finally got bored and left.

The only signals I got were about 20 pennies they'd thrown on the ground. I didn't go back and try again....

And then there were the times when the cops showed up.....

 

[Argentium]

Some of my most disappointing hunts have been on those sites that look like you should be scoring massively-
you come out with a 1986 Roosevelt dime or something . Things are definitely not as they appear in this pursuit .

 

[johnnycat]

While living near Albq.' NM I tried for 2 years to get permission to hunt 5 old houses near the Rio Puerco. I would almost drool every time I drove by the property. Finally by chance I got an opportunity to meet the landowner. He said no at first but, we kept talking about this and that. I went to say goodbye and he looked at me and said I could go ahead and detect. Thought I was going to faint. His family had been on the property since 1891 and owned it since 1905. The 5 houses were built just before they bought the ranch. I searched for 2 years and can honestly say I never found a SINGLE COIN!! I would have bet anything I had me a, "honey" hole. The owner even showed me and old cottonwood tree where a robber was hung. Oh...The loot, (gold) was never recovered.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Recently detected a beautiful 1829 mansion. Adjacent property was an 150yr old female college. And 500yrds east is a still used railway station that Morgan's Raiders overtook during the CW.
I just knew I was going to hit the bonanza!
Wrong. 3 wheats, 1 Rosie. Not what I was after.
I will give it another shot though.
Peace ✌

 

[ARC]

In my experience 90% of all digs are "flops"...

But the other 10 % make up for it.

 

[releventchair]

Cold beer, hospitable host's and a cookout?
Man ,you scored a huge hit on a great site! Congrats.
Bring some beer as reciprocation, drinking any is up to you but keep swingin. Something is probably there somewhere besides a good time.

 

[coinman123]

Yesterday morning. I drove out 35 minutes to a new site, had to pay tolls etc. When I got there it was the worst place I have ever been, no finds at all except foil and candy wrappers. I guess later in the day made up for it with my colonial sundial... less than a mile from my house.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Just detected an 1849 farm home here in southern Mich today. Good sized front yard.

Skunkeroo!

Spent two hours there without digging a single coin. That's right, not even a zincoln -

 

[Helix]

I agree with most it is strang but true. I have had similar experiences, looks like a killer site. Get all stoked up for months to find nothing. Some of the best sites I have going into " Fat dumb and stupid mode". Aaahhh what the heck got the ok let's go, more then likely more shotgun backs and the occasional wheat. OOHH what do we have here. No I think it's just keeping and open mind and open expectations. Could be a pull tab or could be a gold coin?

 

[bigfoot1]

I have said this a zillion times....its the fluke hunt where I score.I do my fair share of research and I can say it has had modest success.I pull over because there is a place to do so and bam...keepers.I know I'm in an unusual type place but virtually all of my most hopeful spots were duds and the iffy spots pay off over and over.Soon as I learn how to research iffy spots I'm in there.

 

[pepperj]

When I hunted 3-4 times a week it worked out that I'd get a nice keeper( A better condition silver or copper, or a couple silvers) every 5 hunts for an average. Now I can say that would be a gift to have that average or anything close to that. Lots of times out and it's a zilch, reason being the sites that I've been hitting. To give you a perfect example I worked for 5 hrs clearing 30% of a barn site that dates to the mid 1800's this is been done to start cleaning up the area of dead falls and to fence the corner of the property, and to scratch the itch of digging in the dirt. What did it produce? One 1968 nickel and a pile of modern trash as it seems that every cellar hole that is close to habitation will be used as a garbage dump at one time or another. But it's like everything if it was easy it would of been done already, there's no rush in doing the finding something in the dirt it might happen and that will make me smile.

Another example is my 13 acre field that held a 1850 brick works that made all the brick for the buildings in the hamlet/town. I've got one good find, a single regiment button in the first 30 minutes of detecting the site. Since then I've put in 25hrs into the site and there hasn't been a single worthy find that I'd post up. it's sucked me in believing it would turn out to be a great spot dripping with finds.

Here's a picture of the work still in progress at the barn, the black hole in the photo is the foundation.