Dug Up A Used Car Lot

[Natman]

Hi all,

I got permission from a contractor to hunt a vacant house yard up the street..the house is being totally gutted so it can be sold..despite all the trash, scrap aluminum, nails and other debris scattered everywhere, I did manage to find some items of interest.

There were TONS of pennies in one area of the back yard..they weren't the newer zinc variety, so many times my detector read them as dimes - sometimes wheats read out like dimes too, so I dug everything for the longest time and ended up with over 100 memorials before I gave up on the thought of finding anything other than normal pennies. I probably left another 50 in the ground. I wasn't going to dig them all, there was just too many. I did manage 5 wheats though in other parts of the front and back yards. I didn't come up with even one silver dime, and because of that I was determined to get every other collectible item on the property.

First, a Christmas tree insert from a 1960's cookie maker:

A 45 rpm record adapter (made between 1950 and 1953):

A pre-war nickel:

5 wheats after hot peroxide bath (1946, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, all "D" mint):

And 11 toy cars..8 are antique TootsieToy variety, a 1970 redline Hot Wheels Whip Creamer (the large pink one, center left), a 1969 Lesney Matchbox bulldozer and a Tomica semi truck cab:

This was my last hunt before Easter (visiting family all day tomorrow) so hope everyone has a safe and happy one!

Nat

 

[birdman]

Fantastic hunt! Those tootsie toys are very collectable.

 

[UnEarthed72]

Cool finds

Whats the chances you'd dig up some old cars on a used car lot
i have yet to find a tootsie toy car(pretty cool)


Shawn

 

[skierbob]

Sounds like you had fun. Those memorial pennies can be a pain when dig so many of them. But I wouldn't give up on that place. Go back an dig some more. Since you got a few Wheaties, there may be a silver piece or two there. Good luck and happy hunting.
Bob

 

[davest]

very good collection, the way you went for collectibles definitely worked.

 

[Cynangyl]

That was awesome! love the cars!

 

[seger98]

Did ya look in the trunks?

 

[I_Dig_NYC]

I agree you should go back and clean that yard out.
You did find some wheaties, maybe there are more.
You know the dimes sound like copper cents at times.
Tokens and other stuff also ring up as pennies.
You found a heck of a car collection, are you gonna restore them?
What did the cars ring up as? 50 cents??
I can't wait to see your end of year total finds photo.

Harry..

 

[wyattrr]

Nat go back...More goodies hiding...HH

 

[bootybay]

Nat ya did fantastic as usual... I have never known anyone to find that many toy cars too in one day.. Have a great easter too Nate..

 

[Natman]

Ok, I took the advice and went back..after I dug 30 more pennies (post-wheats) and 3 dimes and 3 nickels (clad) I began getting mostly zinc hits..I just couldn't do it anymore (too tired) so I left the rest..thanks for convincing me to go back, at least I satisfied my curiosity one last time..

You found a heck of a car collection, are you gonna restore them?
What did the cars ring up as? 50 cents??

Thanks Harry..I cleaned each one with soap and water and a toothbrush..I used a toothpick to get the grass roots/dirt out of the tight spots. Then I used a Q-tip and dipped it in oil to coat each one..the oil brought what little color was left on them and made them look much cleaner.

I'm going to leave them the way they are for now..they look more like relics of a bygone day in midwestern suburbia

Nat ya did fantastic as usual... I have never known anyone to find that many toy cars too in one day.. Have a great easter too Nate..

Thanks BB..that's not the first yard in my neighborhood I've dug that many Tootsie vehicles..one yard I dug about 10 and another one I dug about 50 vehicles (mostly Hot Wheels)..there were also airplanes, helicopters, you name it. Some kids must have had a ball but didn't ever take them back into the house! I was surprised the lawn mower didn't hit them - they were all in good shape.

I have 40 TootsieToy cars now in my collection of digs..this neighborhood seems to be a haven for them, they seem to be found in just about every yard where children once played.

Nat

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Nat,

Yes, go back. Probably lots more goodies to be had.

Could you post the after cleaning picture of your car fleet? Would like to see what they look like after cleaning.


Thanks,

Ray S

 

[Natman]

Could you post the after cleaning picture of your car fleet? Would like to see what they look like after cleaning.

Here's my TT collection so far..I think they've held out pretty well for being under the ground for nearly 50 years. I have about 200 other cars I dug up of all different types as well, but these are the oldest.

Nat

 

[drywalldave]

Those are nice... all of them

 

[drywalldave]

Could you post the after cleaning picture of your car fleet? Would like to see what they look like after cleaning.

Here's my TT collection so far..I think they've held out pretty well for being under the ground for nearly 50 years. I have about 200 other cars I dug up of all different types as well, but these are the oldest.

Nat

Your the man!!!!!!!

 

[Cynangyl]

bah and all I found was just the front end of one today! lol It looked like an old scout and only the part from in front of the front wheels...mostly grill lol Still pretty impressed with that car lot you found!

 

[I_Dig_NYC]

Hey Nat that's a wild car collection.
Looks like the Mall parking lot.
Thanks for showing them, that was cool to look at.

By the way it's good that you went back to that lot. At least now you and the rest of us can all rest peacefully knowing that you didn't leave anything behind for the bulldozer to get.
HH.
Harry........

 

[ModernMiner]

"a 1970 redline Hot Wheels Whip Creamer (the large pink one, center left), "

Nat,
My eyes are shot. I thought that was a 69' Firebird.
What a car haul!!! Congrats.
You found one or two of those 45 record adapters last year too didn't you? I remember those. Neat piece.
-MM-

 

[Michiganne]

What a nice car haul, Nat. Love your TT collection. Many of the makes are familar to me as my older brothers had them. WTG and keep digging!

HH

 

[Natman]

Thanks for the replies!

What did the cars ring up as? 50 cents??

Sorry Harry I forgot to mention that these cars sound like dimes (big, solid dime signals). Sometimes these signals are trash, but in 50+ year-old yards it could be a TT car.

You found one or two of those 45 record adapters last year too didn't you? I remember those.

Yeah Doug..nice of you to remember. This one's my 3rd and they were all found in private yards..I guess people were mad at them when they broke their 45's trying to get them off..they probably just threw them out the window

And that Whip Creamer car..the original had a plastic slide out window on top..when you slid it over it exposed a plastic turbine (it's no longer on this one, but it sat where the hole is). Kids used to blow into it and the turbine would spin.

Nat