What did I get myelf into?

[BigWaveDave]

So a few months ago I met a lady who gave me permission to detect her yard...forgot about her months ago. I see her again in town, says to me that she has half a 5 gal jug full of pennies, that she cant lift, and if I want to search for wheats, am I interested? Also says she trusts me to either roll them, or bank counter, take an honest cut for my time, and give her cash....really? So, I checked the cents, all 12,754 of them, and guess who is NOT going to roll them?...this guy. My take? $5 in clad change, 50 cents worth of common wheats, a few oddball foreign and counterstamped cents. I gave her the cash w/in 24 hrs, w/ a receipt, she says she has 2 more 5 gal jugs, can I help her again? My bride says I should have kept more, what do you think?

 

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[Avago]

One second per coin, 3.54 hrs, ~$1.55/hr. What constitutes an "honest cut"? If she couldn't have lifted them, that $127.54 would have sat there in that jug until she died without you doing the leg work.

3.54 hrs x $7.25/hr = $25.67 is my cut at LEAST.

 

[BigWaveDave]

I like what you are thinking, amazing thing is, it did take me 4 hours to search, good call.

 

[releventchair]

She have any silver jugs she can't lift? If you lack interest ,the same day you detect her yard break the container volumes into manageable sizes for her and run.Unless you are really hungry for old copper..If your wife says you should have taken a larger cut, the only answer is yes dear. Anything else is a invite to disagree, unless she wants to take over the other two jugs sorting for you....

 

[BigWaveDave]

This is the same chick whose yard I found the silver military ring back in march...lots of wheats, but no silver coins. She claims to have a jug full of just wheats, that her late father saved, but "it is up in Tampa, my brothers have it"....so there is a 99.99% chance that I will never see those

 

[Dozer D]

The odds are the same as if you bought a bag or two at $50 each from the bank. No guarantee to find any key coins. I think you should consider yourself lucky that she even remembered to ask you if you wanted to check them.

 

[Rascal]

For a $5 'fee' I think you earned her trust. Trust alone is worth more than an extra $10-20 for your time. Ya never know, there may be a 1909 VDB in the wheat jar, should you ever lay hands on it. Sometimes we do things out of the goodness of our heart, and not for earthly rewards.

Rascal

 

[ArkieBassMan]

I personally would not take a "cut" other than the coins I wanted to keep. This kind lady gave you permission to detect her yard and has allowed you to search through her change hoard. In my opinion, you owe her...not the other way around.

 

[jeff of pa]

For a $5 'fee' I think you earned her trust. Trust alone is worth more than an extra $10-20 for your time. Ya never know, there may be a 1909 VDB in the wheat jar, should you ever lay hands on it. Sometimes we do things out of the goodness of our heart, and not for earthly rewards.

Rascal

I agree, & an "earthly Reward" may be in one of those other Jugs anyway

 

[BigWaveDave]

Update!!!! She calls me today, wants me to help her move!!!! "just help me move a few boxes of junk from the garage to my storage unit...it wont take long, since you've got a truck" This is the kind of lady I cant say no to, soooo I will be doing the heavy lifting this weekend. Problem is, she says she will make it worth my while....WHAT DOES THAT MEAN Uh-oh.... I hope this doesn't get "complicated"

 

[jeff of pa]

Uh Oh !

look at the bright side, She'll probably hand you another $5.00

what was Minimum wage in her day ? 50 Cents ?

 

[BigWaveDave]

Uh Oh !

look at the bright side, She'll probably hand you another $5.00

was was Minimum wage in her day ? 50 Cents ?

I failed to mention she is approx. my age, (40's), single, and kinda hot....I called her a lady in my OP, more of a "chic", if you will.

 

[jeff of pa]

I failed to mention she is approx. my age, (40's), single, and kinda hot....I called her a lady in my OP, more of a "chic", if you will.

Aaaah Bonus

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

I'd would expect a jar of change as making it worth your while..."But watch out for in your ear."!

 

[Diver_Down]

I failed to mention she is approx. my age, (40's), single, and kinda hot....I called her a lady in my OP, more of a "chic", if you will.

In that case, you might want to offer to mow her lawn.

 

[maverick]

Update!!!! I hope this doesn't get "complicated"

I think it already did . HH, Maverick.

 

[jeff of pa]

In that case, you might want to offer to mow her lawn.

or at the very Least check it for proper grooming

 

[ivan salis]

look out for "cougar rands" ....while coin hunting... wife might not like that.

 

[BigWaveDave]

look out for "cougar rands" ....while coin hunting... wife might not like that.

lol...nice.

 

[Higgy]

I personally would not take a "cut" other than the coins I wanted to keep. This kind lady gave you permission to detect her yard and has allowed you to search through her change hoard. In my opinion, you owe her...not the other way around.

This also mirrors my sentiment, BigWaveDave. Let me tell you a little story...

For months I had been driving past this old brick house with a for sale sign on the front lawn. The lawn needed cutting then, and after a couple more months, it got really high. I called the realtor and proposed a swap: My time mowing for permission to detect the lawn and woodlot. He deferred me to the son of the owner, who claimed that his job kept him from mowing and maintaining the place. He eagerly said, "Go for it!"

So I did.

When I rolled up, there was a car parked in the driveway. It was the owner, a nice old lady who had lived there for 47 years. Her son (who seemed less-than interested in his mom these days), neglected to tell her that I was coming by. She was happy to have someone who would mow and make the place look respectable again, and I was happy to get a chance to detect a virgin site that was built in 1817! Come to find out, it was an old stage coach stop, with tavern and farrier right there on the premises.

So I mowed and mowed and went back and fourth, getting the two-foot-high grass back into shape, all the while the hot sun beating down on my head. It was worth it, just to gain the woman's trust and recognition. I'll go back an mow it this week again, and do a little detecting after. So far I the oldest valuable thing I have found is a 1946 wheatie, but tons of other stuff. LOTS of horseshoe nails, obviously. I am no where even close to being done with this property and its mine all mine! <insert hand-wringing and muahahahaahaa evil laughter here>

I guess the moral of the story, BWD, is that we are all ambassadors for our hobby and anytime we can interface with the public in a generous way, we get repaid in spades. Maybe in the next jug of cents you go through, there will be a 1944 steel?