tigerbeetle
Full Member
- Jan 2, 2009
- 166
- 275
- Detector(s) used
- Many -- Fisher, White's, Minelab, Cobra, others
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
It's with a growing understanding of "shopping around" that I warn TH'ers to fully test the market when seeking to sell any valuable finds.
I'm a long-in-the-tooth detectorist, going back to BFOs in the 1960s. Over many (very nice) hunting years in NJ, I have scratched up five Washington inauguration buttons. I've placed photos of some in here.
Among my finds were three matching mint condition vest-sized "Long Live the President" buttons, dug over a few-year period at the same locale, most lately using a Fisher. Obviously, all were off the same vest. I even got some provenance on them after tracking down the area's only possible soldier/recipient of this highest-of-honors vest. He lived within a quarter mile of the dig site.
Thinking I had cleaned out the area, I let a buddy in on the site and didn't he go and score one of his own, just this year. In his case, the sell bug bit him and via a deal he thought was beyond belief, he sold his mint button for $650.
Just this week, he weepingly sent me this web page: http://www.icollector.com/Small-Long-Live-The-President-Washington-Button_i8726677.
The utterly exact button variety we found -- but in very not-so-good condition -- auctioned out at $2,000 -- with loads of interest from bidders and watchers.
Again, I bring this up as a way to fully alert TH'ers of the need to market out their precious finds.
I don't know about others but when it comes down to TH'ing effort, I've now spent a good chunk of lifetime looking for treasure. I'm not greedy, but, hell, great finds don't come along all that often so if the need to sell comes along, why not put a fraction of the time it took to find an item into finding the best place to sell it?
By the by, I've gotten an offer for my vest buttons that has just about knocked my socks off. Yes, there is a point where you've neared "can't refuse" levels.
I'm a long-in-the-tooth detectorist, going back to BFOs in the 1960s. Over many (very nice) hunting years in NJ, I have scratched up five Washington inauguration buttons. I've placed photos of some in here.
Among my finds were three matching mint condition vest-sized "Long Live the President" buttons, dug over a few-year period at the same locale, most lately using a Fisher. Obviously, all were off the same vest. I even got some provenance on them after tracking down the area's only possible soldier/recipient of this highest-of-honors vest. He lived within a quarter mile of the dig site.
Thinking I had cleaned out the area, I let a buddy in on the site and didn't he go and score one of his own, just this year. In his case, the sell bug bit him and via a deal he thought was beyond belief, he sold his mint button for $650.
Just this week, he weepingly sent me this web page: http://www.icollector.com/Small-Long-Live-The-President-Washington-Button_i8726677.
The utterly exact button variety we found -- but in very not-so-good condition -- auctioned out at $2,000 -- with loads of interest from bidders and watchers.
Again, I bring this up as a way to fully alert TH'ers of the need to market out their precious finds.
I don't know about others but when it comes down to TH'ing effort, I've now spent a good chunk of lifetime looking for treasure. I'm not greedy, but, hell, great finds don't come along all that often so if the need to sell comes along, why not put a fraction of the time it took to find an item into finding the best place to sell it?
By the by, I've gotten an offer for my vest buttons that has just about knocked my socks off. Yes, there is a point where you've neared "can't refuse" levels.
