Help save you hobby, post your junk finds?

[bigscoop]

I was looking through Tnet today and as I was looking at all the fantastic finds that get posted daily on Tnet I couldn't help wonder if perhaps we are hurting our hobby by posting so many things of value. I mean, for those of you who understand the many laws that govern the recovery of these finds, I wonder if we're not openly displaying our defiance as well as the potential financial worth of this hobby as a whole? Sure, we like sharing these things but I can't help but wonder who we might actually be sharing them with? In light of the many laws governing our hobby and the use of metal detectors, if I were an enemy of this hobby I could sure build a strong case againt it with just the offered information on this and other similar websites. Also, I noticed something of great importance that is missing on this site and the others as well. Where is that special category that is dedicated to the open display of the tons of unsafe junk and debris that we remove from our lands and waters every single day? I would think that in light of our hobby's current desperate state that this information might serve us better then the continuous open display of value items and items that could be deemed of historical significance. Where are all the pictures of fish hooks, nails, broken glass, batteries, and all the other trash and unsafe materials that we remove from our lands and waters every single day? For our own good, shouldn't we have a "heavily used" special catagory just for these items? I can go onto any beach and tell right away if it gets hunted on a regular basis because that beach is a very clean beach, I won't find much, not even too much iron. Shouldn't we doing all we can to help insure that others who may be looking at this site recognize this positive and overlooked aspect as well? I think we really need that special "look at all the trash and unsafe junk I removed" category. In fact, such a banner might serve us better then the one we have now. What do you think?

 

[colorado14ers]

no one would view trash . But I do strongly agree with you, we need to show that we dont just take peoples treasure, we give by cleaning the enviorment! I love taking hooks and other sharp objects off the beach!

 

[slowNsteady]

You do have a valid point bigscoop. I know when I'm out detecting, probably 1 out of 4 people give me nasty looks and make nasty comments. Some people see us as an enemy to society. I honestly don't know why, but it is so. Just this morning I encountered a jogger who was giving me nasty looks. She quit doing so after I picked up the perimeter trash. The few times I have been given an actual hard time by an observer, I always dump out my trash pouch and offer to put it back. I have not had a taker on that yet. I think the problem is that people see a detector and think we're looking for an easy buck. They just don't realize that we do a good environmental service too.

 

[bigscoop]

no one would view trash . But I do strongly agree with you, we need to show that we dont just take peoples treasure, we give by cleaning the enviorment! I love taking hooks and other sharp objects off the beach!

Colorado14ers,
You're right, nobody wants to view trash or post it, but I think it really needs to be put out there for others to, "be shown". Miller433 & I just got invited back to a county beach because we showed them all the nails, hooks, etc., that we removed from that beach in just a few hours of hunting. Up until that time, all they were concerned with was if we were finding any valuables. This is another reason why we always dig everything, and when asked, "what did you find" this is the first stuff we show them. You can see their mindset change almost instantly.

SlowNsteady,
You nailed it, "environmental service" is the key point, "safety" is the other. I can't tell you how many mothers change their mind when they see all the nails, fish hooks, glass, etc., that we're removing from the sand under their children's feet. I think that until these things are put out there in full view of the public eye we are destined to always be viewed as nothing more then uncaring pirates looking for a pile of free booty at the public's expense. Now more then ever we need to do all we can to change that growing public image.

 

[jdsarasin8194]

no one would view trash . But I do strongly agree with you, we need to show that we dont just take peoples treasure, we give by cleaning the enviorment! I love taking hooks and other sharp objects off the beach!

Colorado14ers,
You're right, nobody wants to view trash or post it, but I think it really needs to be put out there for others to, "be shown". Miller433 & I just got invited back to a county beach because we showed them all the nails, hooks, etc., that we removed from that beach in just a few hours of hunting. Up until that time, all they were concerned with was if we were finding any valuables. This is another reason why we always dig everything, and when asked, "what did you find" this is the first stuff we show them. You can see their mindset change almost instantly.

SlowNsteady,
You nailed it, "environmental service" is the key point, "safety" is the other. I can't tell you how many mothers change their mind when they see all the nails, fish hooks, glass, etc., that we're removing from the sand under their children's feet. I think that until these things are put out there in full view of the public eye we are destined to always be viewed as nothing more then uncaring pirates looking for a pile of free booty at the public's expense. Now more then ever we need to do all we can to change that growing public image.

why not post the trash WITH the good finds, of course make the post about the good ones, just maybe have one picture of EVERYTHING that you have dug that day

 

[bigscoop]

This is up to Marc, but I'd like to see two banners, the usual one and another one that promotes the environmental side of this hobby. So few people realize the labor that goes into our efforts or the amount of trash that we actually remove. So I'd like to see it "front and center" where they can't miss it. In fact, I'd even go as far as to promote this continued trash removal in some way. I believe it's important enough to consider doing that.

 

[colorado14ers]

This is up to Marc, but I'd like to see two banners, the usual one and another one that promotes the environmental side of this hobby. So few people realize the labor that goes into our efforts or the amount of trash that we actually remove. So I'd like to see it "front and center" where they can't miss it. In fact, I'd even go as far as to promote this continued trash removal in some way. I believe it's important enough to consider doing that.

like I said, I agree with you. I would support you all the way if you suggested something like that!!

 

[ah....nuthin]

Sounds good maybe a booth at trade shows that overlap the hobby? Letter to congressmen or senators? Would that help?

 

[BuckleBoy]

You are exactly right. I recall a post about a knife blade found in a tot lot that recently that would go quite nicely up there. Cleaning off the Hazardous items from places where adults and children recreate is its own form of Honorable Mention, IMO. I had asked in the past if an Honorable Mention banner could be created, to help cast our hobby in a more positive light, but that has not happened, unfortunately. So I don't think you'll have much luck in this... but it never hurts to try.


Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

You are exactly right. I recall a post about a knife blade found in a tot lot that recently that would go quite nicely up there. Cleaning off the Hazardous items from places where adults and children recreate is its own form of Honorable Mention, IMO. I had asked in the past if an Honorable Mention banner could be created, to help cast our hobby in a more positive light, but that has not happened, unfortunately. So I don't think you'll have much luck in this... but it never hurts to try.


Best Wishes,


Buckles

I actually found a 8 inch butcher knife in a wood chip tot lot a few years ago. I showed it to a school teacher who still had her room open and she said: " Our kids would never do that"! She was in complete denial! I have also found numerous live rounds in tot lots, mainly .22's and .38's.

 

[Iron Patch]

Sure it might give that impression but for anyone who cares enough to investigate you soon realize how many members this place has, so if you consider what kind of army we have out there, it's no surprise good stuff turns up. Not to mention you just have to open 90% of the posts on Today's finds to see stuff that your every day person would think is junk.... heck even some of the better stuff would still seem like junk! I also don't think something worth a couple grand is really that big of a deal, and it's very rare to see something mid. to high 4 figures (or higher) on here. The half disme is the only bigtime one that comes to mind.

 

[mts]

The coin roll hunting forum goes through this same debate about every month or so. You need to forget about "other people" coming to this forum to get the goods on us. It really is a non-issue. This forum is for metal detectorists, not enemies of metal detectorists. Those people snubbing their noses at you aren't out here reading. And the rest of us aren't looking for pictures of your junk. There is certainly no need for a banner specifically for mounds of junk. If you find a knife in a park and remove it then maybe that should get some sort of honorable mention. But those are few and far between and eventually people are going to get tired of seeing that stuff on a banner.

If you want to promote the fact that metal detectorists are good for the environment then do it publicly. It is pretty easy to get a story written up in the local suburban newspapers. Form a club and have a park cleanup day. When you are done you can take a picture of all of the dangerous things that were found. You can also have a picture of the "finds" which most people will find to be quite pitiful. You may also consider having your club offer to have kids come in and teach them about metal detectors and responsibility with a seeded hunt. There was a guy posting in the coin roll hunting forum about an event for special needs children that is definitely worthy of praise. Too many metal detectorists go out there with the "me me me" mentality. They complain because a park gets closed to them. But they don't do anything to openly contribute to the well being of that park. They just grumble and move on.

I'm also not of the opinion that the "sky is falling" on metal detecting. Sure, areas get closed to us every now and then. And some people look down their noses at us. But I've seen just as many positive responses as I have negative responses to our hobby. I find myself saying this more and more these days: "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

 

[scrubber]

Once again, two weeks ago, I was approached by a park cop telling me I couldn't detect on the grass. Since this is my favorite park for fresh finds, I strongly pled my case. The clincher was when I emptied my trash onto a picnic table and pointed out 3 sharp nails and a jagged piece of broken glass I had spotted and picked up in the tot lot. That did it. He totally changed his attitude towards me and left with a smile.

It helped that I assured him I don't go more than an inch below the surface and then I only cut a slit in the grass. I showed him where I had just retrieved a couple of items and even I had a hard time finding where I had just been. He had been watching me so he knew I was being straight with him. If I hadn't recently changed my philosophy to going after only recently lost items, I might not have won him over. Due to the increased speed of retrieval and the fact that I hunt in heavily trafficked parks with few deep goodies, I'm very glad I've changed the way I MD. My treasure to trash ratio has improved considerably and the time I spend in each location has dropped drastically.

 

[battlecat]

Most places im detecting have trash bins and I just throw the stuff in there before I leave, I think once most people try the hobby they see how much trash they dig, some give up and e get good deals on the used detectors, so maybe they are really helping us :P

 

[partenr]

I can confidently say that I remove more weight in trash than I do in treasure, almost every trip. Except when I found the gold rope chain :-) By sight! How ironic.

 

[Chug And Red]

I was typing and every thing i wrote disappeared Lets just say 5+ lbs of Cr@p every weekend or more Including Glass shards which can not be found with out digging!!!!!