How Do You Like To See Todays Finds?

[Michigan Badger]

How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Metal detecting finds are awesome and I personally prefer to see them with the dirt still clinging to them...hot from the ground.

But what about you? How do you like to see the items listed in Today's Finds? With or without dirt?

Do you prefer to see them all cleaned up and waxed?

I've noticed that we have these two extremes and I'm just curious as to what people prefer to see.

Thanks

 

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[dg39]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Most item's are better ID'ed by cleaning them so details show. A lot of times important details fail to show if item is caked in dirt. But if you are excited to show off your latest find I see no reason not to show it as found. My preference, cleaned a bit.. Its no big deal though. 8)

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?.....personally I like to see them on my kitchen table rather than in someone elses posts...dirty or clean I will take them

 

[ZumbroKid]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Pictures are optional, a find is just that, a find the real treasure is being able to chase the dream.

 

[gregd573]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

For what its worth, I agree with dg39 in that depending on the find.....some cleaning is needed to see details more clearly. I personally can't wait to get home and clean up coins and jewerly (depending on the date) but then on the other hand iron items probably look better with a little rust. I guess its all in how I feel at the time....lol.

 

[wmas1960]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Pretty much au naturale. I generally will knock all the loose stuff off and will clean only to expose important information or features. Otherwise, I just leave the sand and dirt on them. I have never cleaned any of my finds except for the rings that I found and one buffalo nickel that I needed to try and find the date. No date on it though. Too badly worn.

I take a black piece of foam board and set it on a table outside in the natural light. I then arrange my finds on that before I photograph them. The first few shots I did looked a little odd on a clean sharply black board. So, I decided in subsequent photos to add some cheracter to the picture. I will also set up items, like jewelry etc., on natural items that I find. Like rocks or drift wood etc. Since most of my finds are beach and play lot finds, they have a lot of sand on them. When I find stuff, I put it all into Ziploc "Twist Lock" containers to keep from getting sand all over the house. There is always some sand that comes off and is in the bottom of the containers. I take that sand and sprinkle it over the board and the finds to make it look a little more interesting and less stark.


Here is a photo of most of all the stuff I found last year

Here are a few more typical daily finds pictures from one session.

And,

 

[wmas1960]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

For what its worth, I agree with dg39 in that depending on the find.....some cleaning is needed to see details more clearly. I personally can't wait to get home and clean up coins and jewerly (depending on the date) but then on the other hand iron items probably look better with a little rust. I guess its all in how I feel at the time....lol.

I agree, especially with IRON items. Not a glamorous find or anything but the sewer clean out cap on the left that I found in my backyard. It just wouldn't have the same cheracter if I had cleaned it all up. I haven't done a lot of land searching yet but would think that with other similar items, I would try and leave it as it was taken out of the ground. Unless it is something particularly special or valuable where it would warrant being somewhat restored or cleaned up.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Thanks wmas1960 for all the work you put into your great post!

Thanks to everyone who has posted...you're all appreciated.

wmas1960, I agree with what you wrote. There was a time when I wanted to make everything shiny new looking again. But then I slowly began to see character and uniqueness in patinas and sometimes even rust.

I have a large shell casing (57 MM) that was dug out of a foxhole at the site of the Battle of the Bulge in Germany. It still has all the mud on it just as found. To clean it would be to make it like thousands of others and rob it of it's history.

Thanks again!

 

[Marty-Graw]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

the older coins i find (if i ever start finding them that is) will not be for sale they will go into my own collection so cleaning them wont hurt anything just make them look better............ the only thing i would sell is once i finally get a collection of jewelry together so it would need cleaning..... finally the clad would need cleaned so the bank will take it...... but thats just me.

 

[Burdie]

Re: How Do You Like To See Today's Finds?

Since I can't find anything lately I don't care how you guys post your finds clean or uncleaned. I am just happy I can see everyones finds. Burdie