funny story

[lee]

so its 5pm on a tuesday night and i decide to go and have a quick hunt before dinner.
so i head off up the road and just as i was passing a house that ive been wanting to detect for bloody ages i see an old bloke on the front lawn, ive knocked on this house prolly 8 times with no answer so i pull up and head up the path towards the bloke, he turns arond and i offer a hand hello im lee i was wondering if...................................... thats as far as i got , the next 2 hours was spent liserning to old war storys and the time he spent at the phone company :huh:.
after a whille he got onto the house and explained he lives in the house next door but owns this one to , built in 1712 and been in his family for the last 100 years , telling me he had moved a wood beam in the house some years ago and a perfect 1749 large cent fell into his lap, not only that but whille digging a 5ft by 3ft plot in his back garden had found another 1749 plus 2 1802 large cents and a spanish real !!!!!!.
then came the pictures of the house back in the 1910 to 1920s by this time im gagging at the bit and small droplets of spitel are ozzing from the corners of my mouth.
the poor old sod is 88 years old and the storys where great but i had to wait till he took a breath and i jumped.......thinking ive got this in the bag , i could almost taste the king george 2s any chance i could have a detect in your yard i said , no im afraid not he said but please come round any time and ill tell you some more storys.....AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.........2 hours......bloody 2 hours!!!!!! and he says no but ill tell you some more storys. i pictured my self in my minds eye reaching forward and thotaleing him but made my excuses and left instead, with him smilling and waving good bye to me as i walked away.
now i have to drive past this house every day just knowing that there must be a ton of stuff just sitting there 20ft away.
its like giving a kid a bag of candy and saying now dont eat them ok.

[dave in iowa]

Ask him why and bring him some cake , get to know him better , might work...... |:cheering:

[Sal66]

I say keep at it . Bring your Detector along and show him how it works and talk about the hobby. This way your detecting and you might get lucky. He's 88, if ya find something good turn your back and stick it in your pocket. LOL
Tell him, I'll listen to your stories if you let me Detect the yard, split what your finds. Anything to not miss the chance to Detect. Tell him your more interested in Detecting for the history of it. Offer him a deal where you'll show him everything you find. I'm sure he will come around. He's obviously lonely, sometimes it just takes more convincing. I know because I've been there. I finally got a maybe about 6 years ago from an old-timer who owns hundreds of acres right about the time I got Lymes Disease but had to give up Detecting because i was so sick and in pain. He told me to try back in a year or so and maybe he would change his mind because he already had hunters and fishermen hounding him for permission to use his land plus he gave his neighbor permission to fish and her and her kids left all kinds of trash behind.
I think the guy I asked said maybe to me because he use to Detect and he collects coins, so he knew how it felt. I plan on visiting him this year. I hope he's still alive because he was in his 80's at least back then. Even if he isn't, his daughter will remember me because she was there the first time I asked and she had no problem with it but he said not right now. He literally owns hundreds of acres if not thousands on one street. It's littered with fields with some with foundations and the house was built in 1714. One field even has a small cemetary in it, all children from the 1700's. They must have all gotten the same thing and it spread. It was sad seeing the tiny stones. I'm not going to give in til he tells me to stop asking. If he hesitates, then I'll ask if I can hold a hunt and go to my closest Detecting club because they will pay to detect plus I'm sure other's will pitch in once they hear how good it is. I think a couple thousand dollars or more should make him think twice. I'll keep everyone updated. I just have to get a certain someone from the club to go with me and make the offer.
Maybe you can offer him some money to hunt. Just a few good finds might make it your time and money back. Has it been 2 hours yet :huh: :hysterical:
Let me know how things go. Worst comes to worst, say listen I've sat here and listened to your stories for hours, at least you can let me Detect a little, see how that goes. |:cheering:. Oh, you said he also owns the house next door also. What about that house ?

[aloldstuff]

Lee, 2 hours invested listening to stories, now you have one also. Keep befriending the guy, you never know. Tell you that you like to recover history from the ground.

[starman2]

:perfect10:! Great story! I'm sure with enough listening, and talking. He will come around. And.... Maybe not? :dontknow: Good luck! You know how those old guys are. lol!

[BKM]

Keep working on him and remember, time is on your side. He's 88...maybe the next owner will let you in thumbsup01

[Fire Fighter 43]

I would have to agree that you should get to know him better. He might be able to direct you to areas that could have potential once you elaine to him the places you like to hunt. Maybe share some of your hunt stories and show him the finds. Offer to let him join you in hunting his property if you have a second detector. If anything do what I've done with a few nos from older people, plan to return when they pass on and there is a new property owner. Good Luck

[Cheap Thrills]

Keep working on him and remember, time is on your side. He's 88...maybe the next owner will let you in thumbsup01



Poor old Guy just want's someone to talk too before he goes to the great beyond . If at 88 he said no , I would pretty much say his mind is made up .
Myself I would let it go . I wouldn't be reading the Funeral notices either .