flash5153 said:
I have some exspierience with this. For 2 years ,,it is all I did, driving around looking for a places that looked good and asking permision. You really didn't say if this was your plan or if your going to put a letter in the paper or some type of flyer. Guess it really don't matter.
Several things I learned.
Plan on hunting alone. Getting permission for 2 in any manner is cutting your chances . (I wouldn't even try)
No one is going to sign a letter ,,, on a first time, hi I just met you basis.
I tried a profesional looking buisness type card, with my name ,number on it. It didnt help me at all. For the people that were undecided, seems although unsaid ,it was a trust thing and trying to decide.I would pull a card, trying to gain trust. Everytime I done this, it turned into a definite NO. I'm really not sure why. But I think its better to try to portray yourself as the " happy go lucky" guy looking for a penny and if ,finds a quarter, he's happy. The card made one look to serious, maybe pro.
Here is something that really helped and took me awhile to figure out. I bought some old coins from the local hobby shop. Some cost about $2-$3 but most even less. Some IHs, mercs or whatever. Depending on what the place looked like, I would offer some of these coins to the land owner for a couples hours in their yard.It worked great.At this moment I would pull my worn down gator digger out of my back pocket and say this is what I use. Smaller is better.
One little detail that makes a huge difference. Try to catch the owner in the yard. I would drive by a place 10 times over months trying to avoid knocking on the door.Yard sales are a good opt.
Like said above, everyone is different and and must deal with each owners concern. Some treat you like crap,its alot of driving and is stress full after awhile. But ,,,the rewards are great sometimes. I got caught up in it and didnt want to hunt anywhere but an old farmhouse.
I had a old man go off on on me once. I was out in the middle of nowhere and no one knew where I was. I thought he was gona shoot me, REALLY. He must have been arguing with the wife and I was there at the wrong time knocking on the door. I couldn't get away fast enough and thought about calling police on him. Thought crossed my mind ,he might have some crops out back, who knows.
It helped me get out of this style of detecting. I lost interest for a period of time after this. Not to bum you out, that was my own personall problem.
It can be very rewarding. But be prepared to get turned down ,alot. Well unless you are a very likeable salesman type. I dont consider myself too bad at this.
As flash says, permission is best when it is casually given, and accepted. I DO use cards to hand out, when I meet people in
social ways, like at the grocery store, etc. It can help if you're a member of the historical society - or it won't matter.
Anything that smacks of being 'too serious' should be avoided. I rarely approach anyone at their door, but I mention my hobby to EVERYONE I meet and try to get them interested enough to extend an invitation. I have two cards: one is for Detecting Services, the other says I'm a researcher and writer, with metal detecting as a mentioned avocation. Both say, "FREE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT." This seems to help.
About finds, I usually say any coin I find over a half dollar is theirs to keep. Anything with a market value over $25 I'll sell on ebay and split the profits with them. I seed my pouch with the nastiest, grubbiest old coins and trash possible. When they want to see what I have found, I show them this junk and offer them the coins. It usually dispels their worries about my intentions, but it has stirred up other worries about my sanity for going to all this trouble over junk.
But my conscience inevitably gets the better of me and I don't like being caught in a lie, if that should ever happen.
I ALWAYS offer the use of a second detector, too. I'll show them how to use it and they can join the fun, etc. They occasionally will take you up on it, so let them. They soon tire of it and leave, anyway. Only half the time have I been extended a return visit - once is usually it.
In the end it is you, a stranger, asking to come on their property and take what they don't even know they have. They are now gonna have to watch you, monitor you, worry about you, suspect you, etc. You place them in all sorts of mental "predicaments" when you solicit them in this way. Salesmen leave, after all, but not you - you linger. Wierd, aint it!
You and I both know that 9 times out of 10, you will find most of nothing... But they are most likely to assume something altogether different.
