an "OK" day with alot of frustration

[cjon455]

long story short, 1 for 7 in the permission department today, including two big fat NOPEs from two prospects ive been working on since march! Plus WAY TOO MUCH miles on the car today, I think I need to take a week or two break because all the no's I got today were very frustrating, lets just say I got my yes about 50 miles from home in mifflinville, pa and I had to work quick because the old lady was leaving in 45 minutes, I managed a tiny bit of clad, 6 wheats, an orphan annie ring, and two 1908 dox tax paid tags................Not terrible but like I said, I should probly take a small hiatus to scrounge up some new prospects, thanks for looking and HH!!

 

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[Msbeepbeep]

Deep breath and let it go! It happens sometimes, for a reason. Just keep at it, a "yes" will turn up.

I'm related to Murphy's (law) so that would be a normal day for me. Can't let it get to you.

 

[Wyoming Valley Relics]

Could be worse, I'm at about 1 for 20 in permissions . I even had one lady tell me " oh no we already have a guy for that" as if everyone has an assigned detectorist and it's not gonna be me

 

[beez0404]

I got permission to detect what used to be the home of a cotton mill supervisor. He lived there starting in 1900 when the house was built. The house next door was also built in 1900 and is currently vacant. I tracked down the owner and found he lived pretty close to me. So I shaved, showered, put on my best Sunday t-shirt and drove over to his house. I politely asked for his permission to do a little metal detecting at his vacant house. He asked why he should let me dig up his yard and find any valuable stuff that might be there. So I told him quite honestly he should because I had the decency to locate him, get cleaned up, drive to his house and ask his permission. And that some people would drive by, see it was vacant, and slip in and metal detect. So wouldn't it be better to have someone with some morals do it. Still didn't get a yes....LOL I'll probably "stray" just a bit when I detect the supervisor's house just out of spite!

It's taken me quite a while to gather up the courage/nerve to knock on doors for permission. But I am finding that the more I do it the easier it is becoming. And I knock now with a very positive attitude but expecting to be told no. I'm finding if I knock on enough doors I get enough permissions to keep busy. I have yet to work up the nerve to knock on the doors of the really old homes in town with the beautifully lawns and incredible landscaping. I'm thinking of hiring a 20 year old good looking blonde to act as my daughter to knock on those doors with me....LOL

 

[vpnavy]

Great finds! Thanks for sharing...

 

[cjon455]

Could be worse, I'm at about 1 for 20 in permissions . I even had one lady tell me " oh no we already have a guy for that" as if everyone has an assigned detectorist and it's not gonna be me

Lol I wanna be "the guy for that" .........some people r just plain wierd. One of my no's asked to see proof of what I do, she says whattya lookin' for work? And then she said she got scam letters in the mail, all I could offer was pics of my finds. I never left a site so confused in my life lol

 

[WHADIFIND]

I just gotta say, my personal take on going down a road knocking on strangers doors is a bit too much. Does it work? Heck yeah! But, what of the reputation it is leaving of these "scavengers called detectorists"? Again, personally, every single time some door to door entity of ANY kind knocked on my door, it was an intrusion/interruption in my life that someone decided to go out of their way to do.

It got to the point where, if someone knocked and I didn't know them, I ignored them. They went away eventually.

What I'm afraid of is how people are perceiving the hobby. We ALREADY fight an uphill battle. Then, came along the boom babys, the tree climbers, coin lickers, now we're becoming those pesky door to door "salesman" that try to sell them on allowing us to dig up their yard and keep the stuff.

Once more, it is my own opinion and nothing more. I will attempt to find places with permission too. Just won't go door to door knocking. Which should be ok. Leaves more for those who do.

But, I ask, at what cost?

Excellent finds CJ! Lot of work and miles for it, but only you can say if it was worth it all.

 

[cjon455]

Thanks!

I understand everything you said, my thing is I own what I'd call an expensive detector, capable of finding good stuff, and the only way I know how to find said stuff is knock on old homes, im never aggressive with my pitch, if they say no i say thanks anyway and leave. I try parks and get frustrated pulling zincs at the same depth my 100 dollar bounty hunter would find. Yes knocking isn't easy but to me it's the only way to find the goods I love to collect. Yeah I can buy them but it's no where near the same

Like you, this was just an opinion, nothing more.
You manage to find the goods in parks, I just
Never seem to get much deeper than 2 inches
In public places.

 

[WHADIFIND]

Thanks!

I understand everything you said, my thing is I own what I'd call an expensive detector, capable of finding good stuff, and the only way I know how to find said stuff is knock on old homes, im never aggressive with my pitch, if they say no i say thanks anyway and leave. I try parks and get frustrated pulling zincs at the same depth my 100 dollar bounty hunter would find. Yes knocking isn't easy but to me it's the only way to find the goods I love to collect. Yeah I can buy them but it's no where near the same

Like you, this was just an opinion, nothing more.
You manage to find the goods in parks, I just
Never seem to get much deeper than 2 inches
In public places.

Don't get me wrong. It's not the finding permission I have a problem with, heck, I hunt a mansion a church a private house, etc. I got permission for all of them. I just didn't go door to door and knock, saying hi! can I dig up your yard? LOL

It's the intrusion factor that bothers me, probably because I'm shy. I wouldn't want someone knocking on my door so I don't do it to others, that's all.

I find in public places, better than some, but only because I'm taking the time to be thorough. I'm also ALWAYS talking with people who stop to chat. Looking for a private place to hunt.

So you see, same thing, just different methods.

 

[cjon455]

Don't get me wrong. It's not the finding permission I have a problem with, heck, I hunt a mansion a church a private house, etc. I got permission for all of them. I just didn't go door to door and knock, saying hi! can I dig up your yard? LOL

It's the intrusion factor that bothers me, probably because I'm shy. I wouldn't want someone knocking on my door so I don't do it to others, that's all.

I find in public places, better than some, but only because I'm taking the time to be thorough. I'm also ALWAYS talking with people who stop to chat. Looking for a private place to hunt.

So you see, same thing, just different methods.

oh yeah I understand what you're saying. When I do door knock I don't literally go door to door though lol. What I like to do is back country roads mostly rural areas. I can't seem to get it in the suburbs or anything like that or what some people call urban areas. so I might drive 5 to 10 miles between each door I knock on. Makes it seem a little less salesmen-ish

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Great finds for 45mins cjon!
Love the look of the old dog tags and your door knocking philosophy!

Dave

 

[Ahab8]

Here in Maine you'd be amazed at how many public state owned areas there are to detect. We have several giant wildlife areas and other places that are open to public. Our state does an awesome job of buying up land for the public to enjoy. Wish they'd do better with the taxes :-)
But seriously, I don't put it out there often but several of my best finds have come from places that are open to everybody. I'm saving my best permissions for later in the year. I have one site that could be a real show stopper. Might have to hit it sooner than later. My Will power is fading fast :-)

 

[Meadow]

Could be worse, I'm at about 1 for 20 in permissions . I even had one lady tell me " oh no we already have a guy for that" as if everyone has an assigned detectorist and it's not gonna be me

She has a metal detectorist?? I don't even have a cleaning lady.

 

[Ahab8]

She has a metal detectorist?? I don't even have a cleaning lady.

Man sign me up for that job! I'm gonna put an ad on craigslist tonight. Full time salaried detectorist. Split everything with the property owners

 

[TNGUNS]

cjon455,

Hang in there brother. I have been in sales most of my adult life. A few years in law enforcement as well. The way you approach people means a lot. I treat it almost as if they should expect me to be there but remain very courteous and not overbearing in the fact I realize I am on their property. I have been very lucky in the fact I have never really been afraid to approach people. I simply treat it as I have the right to ask and you have the right to grant or deny permission. Many times I have had bad streaks where you can't get anywhere with people and other times where it seems they were waiting all day hoping you would show up so they could say "yes". I do believe it is just the statistics of it all. Sometimes you get permission several times in a row and on occasion the opposite. Chin up and keep knocking.

 

[cjon455]

cjon455,

Hang in there brother. I have been in sales most of my adult life. A few years in law enforcement as well. The way you approach people means a lot. I treat it almost as if they should expect me to be there but remain very courteous and not overbearing in the fact I realize I am on their property. I have been very lucky in the fact I have never really been afraid to approach people. I simply treat it as I have the right to ask and you have the right to grant or deny permission. Many times I have had bad streaks where you can't get anywhere with people and other times where it seems they were waiting all day hoping you would show up so they could say "yes". I do believe it is just the statistics of it all. Sometimes you get permission several times in a row and on occasion the opposite. Chin up and keep knocking.

Thanks!
I never intended to stop knocking, I just had a bad streak today, I've never gone to more than 3 houses w/o permission b4 today, i had 3 no's, the yes, then 3 more no's oh well I'll get over it and knock away.........thanks for the reply, I appreciate it

 

[gazmuth]

Not long ago, I stopped at a place near here where there is hunting animals for a price. The place is a 'ranch', and it is a composite of several old farms from the early 1900's. I had a map with a couple of locations I wanted to detect, showed it to the foreman of the 'ranch', and surprisingly, the foreman actually drove me to about 8 places where there had been other farmsteads on the 'ranch'. I gave him my business card (which says nothing about being a metal detectorist), and now all I have to do is drive out there when it isn't hunting season for deer, talk for a bit to the guys, show them what I find before I leave (so they know I have left) and it seems that I have full admittance to the 'ranch'. I don't hunt animals, and it is only about 15 miles away, with two old cattle trails that pass through the place. So you never know. I just wanted to hunt for a couple of hours at one or two places that day I asked, and now have a good place to go any time I wish.

 

[Jarl]

Man...that was a great quick hunt if I say so myself.

 

[Jarl]

Remember, things change...people move, change their mind, circumstances change. opportunities arise etc...stay keen on all the places you were turned down...you never know.

 

[park pirate]

Not bad in a short time..