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Gave up detecting

G

Grandad

New member
I haven't been on here in quite a while but thought I'd stick my story out there so maybe someone might learn a lesson from my experience.
After a lifetime of accumulating coins, most by detecting we had an auction this year to pay debts. I told the banker no problem I could raise $20,000 on the coins and jewelry. At auction my treasures brought $6000 and the auctioneer got 25%. The confiscatory property tax for Illinois got the rest and the debts, well we managed to reduce them quite a bit... no retirement fund now but cars are paid for and a couple credit cards are paid and the last one is being paid on faster now.
I gave up detecting and considered selling the detectors GTI 2500 and Grand Master Hunter III. Then just before season ended here went back to an old spot that was "hunted out" and found 2 silver dimes and 3 wheat pennies under a tree like someone had sat there and they fell out in one spot. Garrett has a story in one of their old newsletters about my $5 gold coin and I probably bragged about it here once. It brought $400 at auction. The same spot I found the gold coin I found an 1871 cc seated liberty dime. That dime brought $950 at auction. I thought it was a $3500 coin but the buyer said no. There were a lot of neat coins in my collection, flying eagle cent, a couple of 3 cent silver, large cents. The gold and silver jewelry they piled into a pile and sold it for practically nothing.
One thing I thought of today after several months of thinking about it and the day I went back to that "hunted out" spot was that was one thing I didn't auction... I still have memories and a picture of some of the coins an article in the newsletter and I think when spring comes I'll be back at it again. I hope. At least with 2 silver dimes and 3 wheat pennies the seed is planted already for next season. Here's some wisdom for any young kids, no matter how good the income is you can always get into a bind with credit cards. Pay cash. If you don't have it you don't need to spend it.
 
I have a feeling and a Hope that youll be back..
You have been at it a while so I know that
its something you love to do..
Ill look forward to more of your stories soon

Ron
LTW
 
I hate sounding stupid after all these years
And appreciate the tone of your positive cheer
Once the Midwest thaws next spring
I
 
Sorry to hear about your tight spot, like you said you have lots of good memories, and you can always did up some more good finds.
 
You're right. I moped about it for quite a while as it really was an embarrassing thing to have a banker tell me I was over extended and
didn't know it. I thought I'd have all the answers by the time I was 50. Then at 57 to do that was hard to swallow. I figured someone might
learn from it (besides me) . Thanks for the reply..
 
your not the only one that has hit the hard times,Its fact of life these days, just keep the faith and things will turn around. God bless you and yours it will get better
 
i hate to hear about all this that'd happened to you.
im 34 and i don't nor have ever had a cents worth of credit.
my land and everything i own i have gotten with a hand shake and my word. i paid monthly on my land for years to an old man who trusted me and for that faith in me i never missed a payment. its hard at times to buy the big ticket items that are needed but i manage.
i have 5 kids and a wife and another kid on the way so to all who think you can't live without credit trust me you can.
3 bills for me each month phone lights car insurance. i love it.
 
I fell into the trap myself. I was debtless. I was told I had to have some kind of info showing where I was a good credit risk-so I got a credit card-then another-then another. They are a lying bunch of crap. We're slowly working our way out-but as you say you DON'T NEED credit. It's a lie propagated by lenders.
 
Been there done that,it was not fun nor easy pulling myself out of a total cluster f ,,. but I did it and you will too.I just wished I had been into MD at the time to relieve some of the stress that comes with debt..Now days I Save Save Save and pay cash for everything and it has worked very well for me.I'm sure with a little time hard work ,things will get brighter for you.Keep you're head up.Theres allot of us that have been through this and have prevailed and you will too
 
Yours is a story that has happened to many and is waiting to happen to many more. When I raised my family, there were times when I took from one credit card to make payments on another. Credit is a double edged sword. It has got me out of a pinch at times, and put me in a tight spot other times. I have certainly taken advantage of credit on impulse items, and have used it recklessly as well. There were many items that I simply couldn't live without.
It took me many years to figure out that my old uncle had it right all the time. He used to say, "its not so much the high cost of living, but the cost of living high"
In my mid 50's now, I do things a bit differently. I have bought a piece of land, built a shop, (that I am using for living space right now) and am building my house with cash.
Having been where you are, I can relate. My suggestion to you is that you do not take away the small pleasures that cost little, but embrace them. M'd'ing is a great stress reliever for myself, likely yourself and many others. There is enough in this world to bring us pain, let us keep those things that bring us joy.
 
it's sad to read about all the hard times people in this country are going through right now. i lost my job recently and have been scraping to try to keep my bills paid. there are no good paying jobs in the area i live in, almost all the businesses that did pay well have closed up or are in the process of closing. just last week i applied for a job that pays 12.00 to 14.00 an hour to start with good benefits. when i arrived at the location to fill out the job application there was a line of about 80 people waiting to fill out an application. some of the people were employees of the company taking the applications and were in line to apply for their present jobs that they will lose in january. my only consolation in all of this is i know there are people out there struggling alot worse than i am, and i feel blessed to have what i have...............roger
 
I know when I'm out there with the detector it helps clear my head. While not in financial problems, it helped a lot recently when I lost my mother. Gives you time to clear your head and focus on something, without dwelling on problems. Always felt better after a trip hunting, even if I didn't come back with much.
 
Good luck to you. Take pride in the fact that you are cleaning up your problems the right way. What I would consider the American way, or at least my idea of what the American way should be. You get into trouble. You sit down and figure out how to work your way out of trouble. You do it and move onto the next phase of your life. You'll make it and I admire you for your efforts.

I sometimes feel surrounded by folks who espouse the new American way of doing things. That is. You get into trouble and you stick your hand out and ask the government to fix your problem for you. I have neighbors who own big flat screen TVs and accept food stamps. There was a guy in my bar last night who has money to drink, smoke, and gamble and accepts help from the government for his heat and food. I stared him dead in the eyes and said you need a job not assistance. He considers himself to be retired at 60 years old. As our conversation progressed I told him I'd help him out and tossed his ass out. I have too many other friends his age who work 2 or 3 jobs just to get by. All without help from Uncle Sam. Before anyone says it, I was in three stores today all who had help wanted signs out.

Finally. I have a neighbor who is 27 years old. Healthy. Bright. Articulate. Attended but did not graduate from college. He has never worked a single day in his life. Has no driver's license. Lives off his girlfriend who works two jobs. He gets welfare from the state. His life's ambition is to watch TV and play video games. I helped his girl dig her var out this morning while he probably slept. He and I no longer get along since I told her she is a fool for working her tail off to support his lazy butt. He and those like him are enemies of this country every bit as dangerous as Al-Queda and far more numerous.

Call me politically incorrect or a heartless bastard but all I really want is to live in America again.

Off my soapbox. Sorry I got so preachy.

Chris
 
You did good. I couldn't have gotten off the soapbox any better. You and I sound a lot a like. Thanks for the comments.
 
Sounds like you have a plan and sticking to it. We made the mistakes of putting Christmas on a card, then car repairs and making just the minimum payment. The franchise I own and rental property needed stuff and it got put on the card. Then business slowed way down, industry left the area, renters decided to break leases and leave sticking me with utility bills and after awhile it caught up.
If you keep doing like you are you won't need my free advice and won't have to sell your coins and treasures.
Thanks for the comments. I wish I'd written in this a long time ago. Before I forget I saw on Fox news this morning a lady in Seattle that doesn't make enough money and got audited by the IRS because they couldn't believe she could live on that little of an income. I don't know what it's coming to but it's time we made common sense a requirement. You have a good day and Merry Christmas.
 
:cool:Hi GrandDad, Yep, I've been there too. I had some serious illnesses and no insurance so now at age 53 I have no savings and no retirement. It looks like I will have to work from now on. But if I did not have metal detecting as a theraputic outlet I don't know how I would have survived it. Sorry to hear about your troubles. You are not alone. There are a lot of hurting people right now and people are terrified about the government. So I will just go detecting when I get worried and leave the rest to God.:angel: Best Wishes, RedDirtFisher.
 
Keep the faith! Your story reminds me of something I tell my children - It could all be taken away tomorrow. I miss my old America too - like when employers actually paid 100% of your medical coverage, and when there were pensions and defined benefit programs, not 401k. I work 2 jobs now to make the bills. My second job pays $8/hour.... I know people that work 40 hours a week and cannot make it (the working poor). There will be a widening gap between haves and the have nots. I hope that you join the rank of the "haves" soon
 
Granddad, Keep your chin up

Lot of good stories in this one -- sad ones also. Been in that credit problem myself years back, then married into it again. Got a truck and house payment now plus the monthly bills but no more more credit cards. Then I saw the Mrs. put 200$ on credit frosted my shorts. That whole credit LIE is a horrible thing. Too many think that you have got to have a good credit rating. That is just not true. A big hand full of cash will ALWAYS buy more than a piece of plastic.

People are just unwilling to work hard and put off a purchace until they can actually afford to lay down cash.

I saw a checker at the local Albertsons who actually looked offended when my brother in law handed her cash for his groceries. Think about that one for a miniute. She actually had to touch the money.

This is still the Good ol USA, hard work and persistance will always pay off. However surviving a recession or God forbid a depression is the best you can hope for if you have a mountain of credit debt. Those who had solid jobs or wealth and no debt fared well during the great depression. Those who did not just survived.

We can learn from history

Jeff
 
Wow what an avalanche of good comments this started. I knew I wasn't alone and didn't invent hard times & thought I was smart enough to avoid the pitfalls. There's enough of us to start a club... I appreciate everyone's input, advice and thoughts. I don't think I've seen anything like it since I was in the Army (72-75) in Okinawa.
Thank you and hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
 
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