Lots of Silver Around

[Indigo Knight]

Just an FYI for everyone here: based on recent finds posted here and my own experiences, this is turning out to be a very good year for silver hunting in the wild. I've found silver during the past three weeks whereas last year I only found it once during the whole year! I'm also seeing sterling pieces showing up at local auctions.

I'm not sure what's causing this, but the volume difference seems too much to be mere coincidence. It may be a matter of a larger amount of junk passing by fewer sets of trained eyes. Whatever the cause, everyone stay sharp and I hope the good finds continue.

 

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[JimDon]

People quarantined have been able to go through their closets and attics.

 

[tamrock]

No telling what brings about a surge in finds, ya just gotta be always looking in order to be there at the right time and place is all I know. I still have fun even if I don't see anything because it's interesting to me to see what's all out there in the random world of people's junk they no longer care to keep.

 

[captain flintlock]

There might also be a case of people just wanting to sell stuff to make extra money from being unemployed. There aren’t a ton of yard sales in our neck of the woods but enough to keep us interested and a chance to get out. I’ve found something sterling pretty much every Saturday except once in the last month and a half or so.

 

[Milspec6]

I know that I am very new to all this, but i suspect it is a lot like photography....volume based.

When i was hired out of high school by the city newspaper back in the late '80's I was converted to sports photographer because the staff photographer was getting to where he no longer wanted to do all the travel. I new how to work a camera, but he told me the most important advice I could have received. He said, "Forget all about f-stops, and technical crap, just shoot a ton of pictures with all kinds of settings and you will come back with some great shots...intentional or not". I shot 7 rolls of film at the first football game and probably 90% was unuseable, but the other 10% was really good and one even earned me a journalist award that year. When they asked me what my settings were for that shot, I had to admit that I didn't know. I didn't plan it, just took the shots and got lucky.

I can see already that you don't have to be highly skilled in what the detector is telling you if you don't mind digging a hundred holes. Dig enough holes and you will eventually find great stuff. With so many people not working these days, a lot more holes are getting dug is my theory.

 

[Indigo Knight]

Ha, I picked up a '64 dime from the Coinstar today! The silver continues to flow.

 

[captain flintlock]

I know that I am very new to all this, but i suspect it is a lot like photography....volume based.

When i was hired out of high school by the city newspaper back in the late '80's I was converted to sports photographer because the staff photographer was getting to where he no longer wanted to do all the travel. I new how to work a camera, but he told me the most important advice I could have received. He said, "Forget all about f-stops, and technical crap, just shoot a ton of pictures with all kinds of settings and you will come back with some great shots...intentional or not". I shot 7 rolls of film at the first football game and probably 90% was unuseable, but the other 10% was really good and one even earned me a journalist award that year. When they asked me what my settings were for that shot, I had to admit that I didn't know. I didn't plan it, just took the shots and got lucky.

I can see already that you don't have to be highly skilled in what the detector is telling you if you don't mind digging a hundred holes. Dig enough holes and you will eventually find great stuff. With so many people not working these days, a lot more holes are getting dug is my theory.

This tactic definitely holds true for detecting. Any machine can be fooled and give an off reading. But for this particular yard sale forum there is definitely some skill involved. Especially if you don’t want to wast money. Studying and researching the areas one is interested in is the key to finding great things. Yes, it is pure luck to hit that particular sale at the right time to find that great score. Timing is everything!

 

[bigcaddy64]

It was dry for me (Gold/silver) for quite a while but just recently it has exploded. Not to hijack the thread but here was from one sale 2 weeks ago

I think the totals were around 24g of 14k, 11g of 10k and a few ounces of silver, not including that 75gram cuff in the middle. All for less then 40 bucks


This sale was a moving sale so they were dumping absolutely everything. I just got lucky and happened to be the first guy there. I’ve been saying for some time that people are itching to go outside and the more time they spend indoors, the more they clean/purge meaning excellent garage sales are still coming

 

[captain flintlock]

It was dry for me (Gold/silver) for quite a while but just recently it has exploded. Not to hijack the thread but here was from one sale 2 weeks ago

I think the totals were around 24g of 14k, 11g of 10k and a few ounces of silver, not including that 75gram cuff in the middle. All for less then 40 bucks


This sale was a moving sale so they were dumping absolutely everything. I just got lucky and happened to be the first guy there. I’ve been saying for some time that people are itching to go outside and the more time they spend indoors, the more they clean/purge meaning excellent garage sales are still coming

That’s quite a haul there BC64!! Great job!

 

[Indigo Knight]

Nice finds everyone. My observation that this year is unusually good for silver continues.

Yesterday I stopped by an unexpected local sale and picked up a sterling baby cup and two sterling weighted candlesticks. Total was over $60 melt. I bought them and some other items for only $25.

The real kicker is they also had the sale the day before and I missed some really good (probably gold) jewelry.

A friend also sold me over $1200 worth of gold jewelry that he found at a single garage sale.

 

[cyberdan]

I know that I am very new to all this, but i suspect it is a lot like photography....volume based.

So a fellow photographer. How is it going? I too did photography but had the opposite situation. I was told conserve film. I started out as a Navy photographer. My budget was very tight as my ship was not allowed a photographer. I had to buy the film, developer and the photo paper. I had a little more supplies when I got out of the fleet and into the Navy CB's Reserves. I then got a job as a cruise ship photographer. I had to buy everything out of my pocket so I learned to get the shot right the first time. I was on commission and made good money, plus free room and board and I was a single guy. wink, wink. I then matured and moved to WA state, became a deputy sheriff and was the county forensics photographer. Photo jobs were good while it lasted. I got laid off and moved back to CA and changed carriers. I still have that camera and taught my daughter how to take real photos with a film camera.

 

[Indigo Knight]

I went to 22 sales in a town-wide event yesterday. Every sale was either absolute garbage or dealers selling their leftover dreck; I don't think I'm ever going to sales in that town again. All I bought was a wine rack for a friend for $5 and a small cup of jewelry for $1.

In the cup was 8.6g of sterling and a 0.4g 14K earring, the first gold I've found all year.

Better than nothing, but definitely not worth the time or gas.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Around here they’re always asking 5 times melt, it’s a joke.