For all you old house hunters out there....

[TrpnBils]

So I've come to a conclusion over the past several months. I've been detecting for over 5 years and have never found a silver coin, only found maybe 20-30 wheats, and just recently found my first pre-modern coin (IH penny)....I'm coming to realize that even though I'm hunting old sites (most of the time), I'm not hunting the right kind of sites.

I'd like to try to make it a point to hunt more old houses this year (I have one or two vacant ones I hit fairly regularly, with permission, but they've been hunted to death over the years...although I did find that Indian at one of them). Getting permission is one thing, and I'll learn to get more comfortable with that, but my question is this:

Do you make it a point to only hunt vacant houses, or are you just as likely to hunt a house that's currently being lived in? If you hunt lived-in houses, do you make it a point to only hunt away from the house (which is what I've done on multiple occasions) or are you comfortable with just "getting right in there" and hunting, say, right in the front yard off of their porch while they watch you from the living room window?

Okay, so that's two questions, but I'm curious. My pinpointing technique is good, my plugging is good, I always use an old shirt or cloth to put dirt on when I'm in a yard somewhere so there's no mess when I'm done, but I still feel a little weird about it. I also know that's what's holding me back from finding some interesting stuff.

 

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[BigWaveDave]

My best finds have been from lived-in homes... 3 rings in 2 weeks. My "old homes" are from the 1920's, and my ratio for wheats to silver is about 10-1.

Best way to find homes to hunt is go yard saleing Sat am, in the oldest part of your town. strike up a friendly conversation w/ a potential home owner, then buy something, without dickering down the price. Then show interest in another item or two, but don't show your hand yet.. ask what time they are going to wrap up their sale, saying you will "try" to make it back... when you return at closing time, THEN break the ice w/ your intentions...I actually have a back log of home that I have permission to hunt... and when I do, it is balls to the wall.. focus on front first, along walkway and sidewalk, driveway, in the back, look for area that could have had a clothesline... don't be embarrassed for hunting, you got the OK, just keep on using your ethical practices, and you will do well...Good luck, and HH!

 

[lenjsr]

Great approach

 

[dirtscratcher]

Yesterday me and a friend ask at one house he says its been hit before go ahead. We find a few wheats and the lady from the house next door comes out and says try my yard if you want and we found 11 silver coins a silver ring and a silver bracelet. Many people fear knocking on doors and are only holding themselves back IMO.

 

[lenjsr]

Yesterday me and a friend ask at one house he says its been hit before go ahead. We find a few wheats and the lady from the house next door comes out and says try my yard if you want and we found 11 silver coins a silver ring and a silver bracelet. Many people fear knocking on doors and are only holding themselves back IMO.

Lucky guy

 

[scotty544]

Lucky guy

My door knocking usually is about 60 percent yes. I always start right in the front yard. I typically look for houses that appear to be fifty years old or older, that will put you in the silver era yards.
So far in 2014 I have 6 mercs, 5 rosies, a 51 Washington quarter and a 51 Franklin half. Also two silver rings and A full size sterling silver spoon!

 

[TrpnBils]

My door knocking usually is about 60 percent yes. I always start right in the front yard. I typically look for houses that appear to be fifty years old or older, that will put you in the silver era yards.
So far in 2014 I have 6 mercs, 5 rosies, a 51 Washington quarter and a 51 Franklin half. Also two silver rings and A full size sterling silver spoon!

I'm a teacher in a very small town so in the rare event I do go door knocking I usually go to a neighboring town (which is 6 miles up the road but in a different state) so I don't end up having one of my students answer the door...lol

 

[dirtscratcher]

I'm a teacher in a very small town so in the rare event I do go door knocking I usually go to a neighboring town (which is 6 miles up the road but in a different state) so I don't end up having one of my students answer the door...lol

I would ask them if they want to earn some extra credit.

 

[TrpnBils]

Actually one of the vacant houses I hunt belongs to the grandmother of one of my students. It was built in 1799 and is still in good shape. I found that IH penny there and a few civil war bullets, but I figure there have to be more coins there than that (although it's been hit hard by detectors over the years).

 

[shufflr]

Where you find wheat pennies, silver should also be there as well.

 

[TrpnBils]

Where you find wheat pennies, silver should also be there as well.

I keep hearing that but it hasn't panned out yet. My back yard used to be part of a drive in theater in the late 50's and I've pulled more wheats out of my yard than everywhere else I've ever detected combined and still no silver!

 

[el padron]

If you don't look like a dehydrated homeless monster upon returning to your home, you are just not doing it right....

It really is amazing how little there is out there for the average hunter. I am sure that 80% of the people that have bought a 2500.00 Minelab totally give up after their third outing.

The best stuff I have found has been after hours and hours and hours of detecting, literally on 5 day weekends in the middle of the week or even more.....Some really nice stuff..
I have found some amazing things sleeping on the beach in Texas, Yeah if you have a season parking pass, you can literally live on the beach in a camper if you move it every few days...... Its something out of the distant past.
Other places too.
When I 'm home I like to go out for a few hours to a park or beach during the low tide, sometimes in the middle of the night, or whenever.... I find modern coins three feet apart all night long, I mean $5.00 for a typical three hour hunt, I do these in hopes of finding jewelry and for practice and experience.
I pretty much have come to know and expect that it just won't be the same.....

 

[Man o' War]

Where you find wheat pennies, silver should also be there as well.

I think the key word is "should". Poor Area = Less Silver. I hunt a bunch of old farm houses and the silver is slim compared to all the posts on here.

 

[dirtscratcher]

Most places that are public are going to be tough to find silver, tough but not impossible. Private yards in old neighborhoods are where its at. Around where I live if you take 5 yards one might not have anything old as in have been hit before the rest will have quite a few wheats and a couple of silvers and at least one will be a honey hole with 5 to 10 silvers. The hard part is getting the nerve to knock on the doors and ask.

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

I keep hearing that but it hasn't panned out yet. My back yard used to be part of a drive in theater in the late 50's and I've pulled more wheats out of my yard than everywhere else I've ever detected combined and still no silver!

I still find wheats in my pocket change now and then, so wheats can still be recently dropped. I remember finding plenty pocket change wheats in the 80s long after all the silver was gone from circulation. Just my humble two cents, but it should be, "If there is "deep" wheats there should be silver." How deep are you finding your wheats? I rarely find a silver coin less the five inches deep.

 

[TrpnBils]

Most of the ones in my yard have been 4-6" deep or so

 

[swamp yankee]

You are doing it right,clean,w/permission and it will become easier with time. Nearer to the house will yield more goods/junque and that's part of the game.Good luck this year and HH.....

 

[Hawkeye35]

Since I got my detector on March 1st I've found 3 silver dimes: a Barber, a Merc, and a Roosevelt. The Barber was found in a relative's small back yard after three days of digging nothing but clad and toy car parts and I almost gave up. The other two were found in front of the entrance of a local bed & breakfast that's been around since the early 60's. There was a second entrance where I found a nickel from the 40's. I also found several wheats where the dimes were found. All I can tell you is if it wasn't dropped you won't find it. Now, I hate to be watched while I'm detecting but as long as I have permission I can get over it. If you've got permission, don't worry about it. Also, as long as the site is old, I don't see why it matters if someone lives there. Make sure you cover the areas in front of all entrances to a house as that's where most of the coins seem to get dropped.

 

[voodoo]

Great advice BigWaveDave. Cheers! you get to go to yard sales and have a possible metal detecting site. Awesome.

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

Most of the ones in my yard have been 4-6" deep or so

Sounds like you are doing well, and there just isn't any silver coins to be found in those areas. If you can detect 6 inch targets the size of a penny you will find silver coins sooner or later!