Record keeping, Do you do it?

[pennyfarmer]

I was wondering to what extent some people keep records of their finds? What valuable lessons might be gleaned from this information? Does it improve your finds or help to keep you motivated?

I am going to start to track my coin finds with a pocket log book and and excel spread sheet that I have been working on. I have never bothered to record any of my finds so when I found something good it tended to get tossed in a pile of stuff or in the safe.

I was hoping to get some tips on what to look for and what things I should include in my spreadsheet.

 

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[arnoldziffel]

I was wondering to what extent some people keep records of their finds? What valuable lessons might be gleaned from this information? Does it improve your finds or help to keep you motivated?

I am going to start to track my coin finds with a pocket log book and and excel spread sheet that I have been working on. I have never bothered to record any of my finds so when I found something good it tended to get tossed in a pile of stuff or in the safe.

I was hoping to get some tips on what to look for and what things I should include in my spreadsheet.

i'm new to this hobby so i am not sure what info you should track, but i have a small calendar that i keep in the car. i usually just write what i find on the day that i found it. i also put the location down. but, i haven't found much at this point since i have only been doing this since january. i also list the location even if i get skunked. that helps me to know if a location isn't all that great, especially if i keep going there and do not find anything.

 

[Iron Patch]

I have some regret, not so much record keeping but it would have been nice keeping finds from certain sites together. I've been fortunate in the sense I've had many great sites, with very good finds, and I wish I had display frames by the site.

I just finished my 10 year detecting and in a way I'm getting motivated for this 10 kind of looking at it like a new start. I'm actually glad you brught this up as I will now consider doing the frame thing for the next 10 years. Apart from that I clearly remember every one of my best finds by site and date so that's good enough. Keeping books to me sounds too much like work and I'd rather spend the time researching.

 

[lumbercamp]

I'm probably the odd one here since I don't do anything electronically. Because I dig deep in the woods I mark the location on a topo map and in the margin of the map I mark the date. I put an ID tag on all my finds as to where I found it.

 

[pennyfarmer]

The only real record keeping I have done is labeling any worthy finds. If I thought it was worth putting in a coin flip then I put the month and year on it and the location to the nearest cross street.

I kind of want to track some of my newer coin finds in a fun way.

I used to be a real animal and hit lots of old places all the time. But they have started to fence off projects and run people out of the best places. It is mainly due to the people who are vandalizing the areas. I have decided to focus on a bit of research, permission on old homes, and the local parks. I have been doing ok finding old coins in the parks and I would like to track the new change I find.

Maybe this is a new metal detecting spirit that I have found. I have been doing this hobby for the last 13 years and I need a renewed interest.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I keep track of the: date, location, detector settings, summary of finds (i.e. 15/1¢, 4/5¢, 2/10¢, 3/25¢), depths and make special note of any silver-era finds.

 

[Keppy]

I hate record keeping i think there is to much record keeping in this world and i will not be a part of it. Every one wants to keep records from the goverment to every one you see any more . I am not a book keeper not a collector never have been never will be . M y buddy keeps records of every mile he drives every where he goes and the time & date every thing he finds........... he drives me nuts with that record keeping.................The only records i keep is if i know were a good hunting area is and i want to go back there,.

 

[old_goldchaser]

I carry a backpack with me when I go hunting. I usually just leave it in the car, but I keep a GPS in there with a bound notebook. One that you would use like for a diary. I record the spot on the GPS and name and number it and then record the information as well in the notebook along with any of the worthwhile finds. I transfer the info from the GPS every so often to my computer and also the information on the finds. That way I can have a record as well as a map which shows the sites I have hunted. Might be a little involved for most folks but it suits me.

 

[DKinPA]

This is my 5th year in this addiction and the first year that I have decided to be vigilant in keeping records of every hunt. I received an excel spreadsheet from someone here on TNET that was generous enough to share his hard work with us and I am very glad to have it. My end of day routine includes being on the computer anyway so it's no real work to pop up the sheet and throw in today's finds. I'm not tracking junk although there are spots on the sheet for everything from pulltabs to coins. I record hours spent hunting, location and each individual coin found for that hunt, at the bottom of the sheet I can see how many hours I been out, my total coin finds, my dollar amount and then the breakdown for coins by type (i.e. pennies, dimes....then Lincoln pennies, wheat pennies, clad dimes, silver dimes, etc). The sheet also has a section to record details of special finds. All in all I'm enjoying the "task" of recording my finds and I'm sure it will make looking back over the years to come much easier!!

HH

Dave

 

[Keppy]

I'll tell you i have a hard time to find the time to hunt. Let alone become a book keeper on top of it. You all must have more time than you know what to do with .

 

[hawk-run]

keppy , don' you know that all that record keeping makes a lot of people feel important.

 

[kando]

HA HA. , It sure don't make me feel important i join in with the ones that do not keep records. I do not want to be a book keeper either. Do not have time for B.S. like that.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Nothing to do with feeling important. But it does allow me to try a different setting at a site where silver-age coins were present to see if I can find something I missed initially. And also remember where the good sites were. And is something to poke through in JAnuary when the ground is forzen and under two feet of snow.

If you don't learn from the past you're doomed to repeat it.

Someday you'll get old and your memory will be full of holes, too.

 

[pennyfarmer]

So it is kinda fun. I am only tracking my modern finds right now just to see how things work out. I have been out 3 times so I have 3 entries. I think it is cool to see the numbers and percentages. It only takes me a minute to enter the finds and it keeps a running total of several things. I have instant percentages of coins for that hunt. I have an instant total of what is in my coin jar. I also put things like average value of each coin recovered, right now I'm at $0.07 per coin recovered.

I like the average value of coins recovered. I think that will help me to see what places are more valuable to hunt. I need to come up with some conditions that will visually show the most valuable hunts in the spreadsheet.

Pretty fun experiment.

 

[Justice70]

I keep track of my finds with a pen and paper. Then at the end of the year I paper clip them and have my face sheet on top displaying total yr. finds. Not hard to do at all and takes maybe 2 min. out of my day. I also record any special memories of the hunt. It is not me wanting to feel important, It's not like I go trying to show people my papers...lol. It is more like a metal detecting diary.

 

[steve from ohio]

I keep records of all my finds so I can report it to the IRS.

I really want to pay my fare share and so the government gets 57% of everything I find.

I like keeping records for the government so they can keep track of me.




NOT

By keeping records, you may be incriminating yourself to be liable for taxes that you do not owe. But the government will make you think you do!

 

[twinsrule]

Heres a good online spreadsheet...
www.youtube.com/treasurefiend
scroll down his videos until you find a video that says metal detecting log, then just pm him with your email, and he'll send it to you. I use it and like it.

 

[Frankn]

NO, I like the 5th amendment!

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[DKinPA]

Thanks Twins!

That's the spreadsheet I was referring to, Treasurefiend put some serious work into that and I really appreciated him sharing with us!!

Dave

 

[steve from ohio]

NO, I like the 5th amendment!

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AMEN!