Not exactly dumpster diving but...

[monkeys uncle]

anyone considered going through junk yards full of old cars? I'm guessing there are tons of old coins (incl. silver) under the seats...especially the rear seat. I've seen acres of old cars in some areas...mostly rural. I wonder how hard it would be to get owner's permission PLUS I'd worry about snakes, wasps, spiders, etc. Comments welcome.

 

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[kingskid1611]

Back when I was a kid we went to dinner at a couple in our church's congregation. He had a bunch of old cars out in the back pasture. He told us to go out and explore them so I decided to check out the floorboards and of course take out the back seat. As you can imagine I found lots of money to include old silver. The mistake I made is we told him what we found and was asked to turn it over to him. But the treasure hunt and finds I will never forget.

 

[Toecutter]

I used to tare out every back seat of every car I found in the woods, found some mercury dimes doing that..

 

[A2coins]

With the value of old parts most wont let you go free to search like they used to..

 

[srcdco]

When I was a kid, I lived down the road from a junkyard. About once a week, I'd go there after they closed and go through the cars looking for change and other goodies. I got good at popping out the back seats (and putting them back in) to find the goodies under them. I also learned quickly to check under the front seats, under the floor mats, in the glove box, and in the ashtray (remember those?), because there were frequently goodies and money in all those places. I found a roll of cents in one car and an envelope with $3.85 in it that was supposed to be someone's payment for the local newspaper. I found jewelry, tools, and other assorted goodies.

Scott

 

[monkeys uncle]

Reason I orig. started this thread, was I watched a Hispanic woman and her youngish son run several hundred dollars (yes...dollars) in very dirty coins through a coin counter machine at a WalMart. They had apparently dumped several gallon jugs. As I watched (2-3 minutes) it rejected a qty (~10) coins. They allowed me to check them and I wound up buying 2 silver GW's and 3 silver dimes (2 mercs, 1 rosie) from that small qty. They finished and I asked where they had found/collected that many coins. Boy stated "his dad worked at a junk yard". Made me think!!!!

By the way...family cashed in slightly over $800. Needless to say, I was beyond amazed and sadly I arrived at the end of their feeding the machine.

 

[GILAORO]

In the war years my dad had a service station in Oklahoma a wrecking yard across the road. I was in the second grade and hung around both , I soon learned that when they turned an old car over for easy access to to parts i would check the doors by shaking them ,for some reason that's where I found lots of coins. Later years cars the window seals too tight. Many years later I lived in a rural area and there was an old car upside down in a gulley out in the woods , everyone out shooting had to put a round or two in to it. Finely the gas tank had been hit so many times that it fell loose. I noticed one day a coin sticking out of a bullet hole , getting down in the gulley to see i found about $10 inside by shaking it , mostly dimes and pennies , many of them had been hit ! Why would anybody put coins in a gas tank ?

 

[Keppy]

Were i live i go to the auto junk yard and tell them what i want and they tell me just go out and see what you can find.I take some wrenches and screw drivers and go look. I never did look under the back seats so now i might give it a try.

 

[Indigo Knight]

The problem with the junkyard is that by the time the car gets there many people have already had access to it - most of the easy change has already been taken. By pulling apart seats and floor mats you will find quite a bit, and the fact that "mangled change" is a scrap metal category shows that not every coin is found before the shredder eats the car.

Many years ago I worked at a company that sold repossessed cars. There was a lot of change to be found in the obvious locations, even the occasional bill. The people who cleaned the cars for resale would find what the yard workers didn't.

In my area the true "pick a part" junkyards are almost gone. The main reason is liability.

I have a buddy who scraps cars for a living. He has found all sorts of change, cell phones, and jewelry over the years.

 

[Xraywolf]

Pick a parts are alive and well in Detroit area, thats about all there is.
I was going to one last week to get a bumper for my 2001 Ram, ironically it chose that time to dump its rear end, had to get it towed back home and new rear installed [didn't pick that one, those they have already picked]

I like scrounging around in junk cars, never know what you will find. Was picking handle parts for my Ram, rods clips ect, and I found a bunch of 9mm bullets [unshot] inside the door. Happen to have a 9mm so I pocketed them.

 

[1637]

i was told that people would put there change from buying gas in the gas tank and when, they wore out the car,they would get the change out and buy a new one,funny i allways thought that was bs,but your find makes it true. too cool

In the war years my dad had a service station in Oklahoma a wrecking yard across the road. I was in the second grade and hung around both , I soon learned that when they turned an old car over for easy access to to parts i would check the doors by shaking them ,for some reason that's where I found lots of coins. Later years cars the window seals too tight. Many years later I lived in a rural area and there was an old car upside down in a gulley out in the woods , everyone out shooting had to put a round or two in to it. Finely the gas tank had been hit so many times that it fell loose. I noticed one day a coin sticking out of a bullet hole , getting down in the gulley to see i found about $10 inside by shaking it , mostly dimes and pennies , many of them had been hit ! Why would anybody put coins in a gas tank ?

 

[trdking]

Spent many a day searching car cushions at Ecology Auto wrecking in Santa Fe Springs California. Pennies galore but occasional silver and clad. Was more of a fun way to kill time than anything.

 

[Goodyguy]

Plenty of coins and other goodies to be found in junk cars. I have found hidden money, jewelry, guns, and drugs in them.
Another good source is old sofas and recliners put out for disposal. Never know what you will find in them.

Good hunting
GG~

 

[Tencents]

Always some change in old clothes dryers too.

 

[drbecker]

My brother I and a friend were on an island in the Maumee River that the state had just bought and made public hunting area. A couple rednecks were shooting up an old car. We watched and laughed with them. When they left we looked in the car and there was a half a case of dynamite on the back seat. It was winter and the dynamite was frozen. We counted 22 sticks. Called the cops and they just ignored us for weeks then come spring as the ice was breaking up they got concerned but they had to wait till the ice left and the river was safe to cross. The island had been farmed and the TNT was for stump removal when the state bought it the owner just left it. Coolest thing I ever found in a junk chev and if the guys shooting it up had hit the TNT I may not be here today to write this.

 

[EnvoyToTheMolePeople]

Well, I've never tried this on a car, but I will now. I do have a slightly relevant story, though. A couple of years ago I was exploring an abandoned railroad bed and I came across a parking meter. I figured that it was probably from the 60s or so, and I smelled profit. So, I picked it up and lugged it home. I guess the last person to 'find' it hadn't been able to crack it open, so they just tossed it. I couldn't figure out how to open it, but I had a mechanic at work give it a look, and he had it open in a couple of minutes. It was full of coins from the 60s, but I think the oldest was 68, so no silver. I was a little disappointed, but it was still fun.

 

[cyberdan]

I like scrounging around in junk cars, never know what you will find.

or who you will meet. I as at an old junk yard in the L.A. area with a buddy. He recognized someone and we went over and talked for a while. This guy was buying every flathead ford motor he could find. He was Dean Moon.

 

[bc5391]

anyone considered going through junk yards full of old cars? I'm guessing there are tons of old coins (incl. silver) under the seats...especially the rear seat. I've seen acres of old cars in some areas...mostly rural. I wonder how hard it would be to get owner's permission PLUS I'd worry about snakes, wasps, spiders, etc. Comments welcome.

I did auto Collision most of my life, many times insurance companies will buy used parts for cars. One such time was a door for a truck, as I was tearing the used door apart in order to get it ready to paint, coins started dropping out, in total there must have been over $5 of pennies, nickles, and dimes.
more places to search than under seats

 

[tonytygr]

In the war years my dad had a service station in Oklahoma a wrecking yard across the road. I was in the second grade and hung around both , I soon learned that when they turned an old car over for easy access to to parts i would check the doors by shaking them ,for some reason that's where I found lots of coins. Later years cars the window seals too tight. Many years later I lived in a rural area and there was an old car upside down in a gulley out in the woods , everyone out shooting had to put a round or two in to it. Finely the gas tank had been hit so many times that it fell loose. I noticed one day a coin sticking out of a bullet hole , getting down in the gulley to see i found about $10 inside by shaking it , mostly dimes and pennies , many of them had been hit ! Why would anybody put coins in a gas tank ?

old timers would do this to sometimes have enough money in the gas tank to buy a new car

 

[CreakyDigger]

There was an article in either a coin or treasure hunting (probably a coin) magazine when I was collecting coins as a kid - it was about 1972 or 73...and it was all about hunting for coins in junk cars you might find in the woods or around farms or whatnot, just as described above. Never had any luck with it though.