What do you keep from your finds?

[wwva]

Some items are obvious keepers; coins, quality jewelry, CW relics, etc.

Some items are obvious trash; cans, pull tabs, nails, etc.

It's the tweener stuff I'd like to know about. Do you keep it or throw it out?

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

I, personally, do not keep the trash. Keep the goodies and get rid of the trash.

If you find someting that might be of value and you are not sure what it might be, hang on to it until you can identify the item.


Ray S

 

[SC_hunter]

I keep the old keys I find along with the keeper stuff..I throw the trash trash out..but I guess if I dug in my "treasure chest" I could probably find a pull tab or 2..lol

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have two junk boxes. I call them the greater junk box and the lesser junk box. Anything that looks interesting I put in the lesser junk box. I put the flat buttons and old costume jewelry, marbles, vintage dog tags, old pocket watches, etc., in the greater junk box. I think it is important to save things that look like they might be significant. When I first started detectin, I had much less of an idea of what all the types of Civil War relics looked like. About a year ago, I went through my lesser junk box, throwing out some items which after 15 years of diggin I could now I.D. as trash. I found a Civil War knapsack hook right there in the box! Only problem was I had no idea where in the world I had found it! Obviously I didn't find it with bullets, or else I would have suspected it might be Civil War. Now I know that there is a site there I would like to return to, but I don't know where it is. So if you start a junk box, try to write in your journal--and every detectorist should have one!--a line about each item you put in there, so that you'll know where you found it. I have a friend that threw away a few valuable Civil War relics because he thought they were trash. So if you think it might be valuable, save it until you I.D. it. I keep very little iron in my junk box because of the mess. Mainly only stirrups and items which I will go ahead and put through electrolysis to preserve them. These for me are not quite treasure, but cool enough to save anyhow.

Hope this helps,

Buckleboy

 

[birdman]

Never throw any whatzits away until you know for sure it is junk!! I almost threw away a roman fibula away (it was broken ) until my hunting partner told me what it was. I found an almost perfect picture of one on the net and could not believe it.

 

[mastereagle22]

I keep it all until the end of the season. Then one day when I cannot detect I will go through it all and sort it out and dispose of the junk. The prices for aluminum, copper, brass and other metals has really gone up lately so you never know, you might find enough to make it worth your while. And I agree, never throw anything away until you know what it is! My sister found an emblem that said NASH and she didn't know what it was so she threw it in the trash. It was in perfect shape she just didn't know what it was. Man to quote homer d'oh

 

[Scott (Upstate NY)]

I usually cash in on the more valuable finds. If unique or unidentified, I hold on to them until I know what I have.

 

[detectordave]

I have three "tupperware" bins, about the size of a half shoe box each. one is for dimes, quarters and nickels. One for pennies, and one for the stuff I think is "cool". Sometimes car keys, dog tags, toy cars. I love looking through the "cool" stuff. Every now and then I actually find a small treasure I couldnt identify when I found it. I have a few rock looking things that may turn out to be meteorites one day, never know, lol. Hh, dave.

 

[Dman]

Do not throw away junk until you get it identifed. I almost threw away a square piece of brass because I thought it was junk. A civil war relic collector friend of mine saw it in my junk box and told me it was a Confederate belt plate worth about $150.00.
Dman

 

[Ant]

I started collecting metal tire valvestem caps.

Go figure.

 

[Tricia]

Haven't found anything of value so far except enough clad to buy an ice cream sandwich.

Basically I'm the park/beach clean up lady who dumps all the trash in the containers after spending hours digging it out.

Yes, it is my md'ing purpose I believe...earth day every day! ROFL

Once I find the good stuff I'll cash it in and run to the casino.

 

[Jack(IN)]

I cash the clad in, sell everything I can on Ebay, put the trash in a 5 gallon bucket to take to the recycling center. I throw the dirt in the garden and what precious little I do keep is pput away for my kids!! Throw nothing away. Many newer locks are brass, as well as keys and alot of aluminum in pieces go in its own bucket as well. I waste nothing!!