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I have been thinking more often about the knock on door thing. In Alaska it was nothing to consider because all the houses in Anchorage are new. Here in Reno however there are older properties - most not super old but 20's and 30's homes are fairly common. I live in the middle of a bunch of them. I guess I need to cultivate some fearlessness about knocking on a stranger's door and in effect asking if I can go dig holes on their property. The problem at the end of the day is I think about how much I hate it when strangers knock on my door and that deters me more than anything.

One thing that can pose a problem also is it really needs to be the property owner that gives permission. There are a lot of rentals around here, and while many of the renters might not care and say go ahead, it could be sticky if the actual owner ends up having a problem with it.

I really need to do it though. Too many good possibilities there to ignore. And probably like everything new no big deal once you try it. I probably just worry too much.

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People are more responsive to letting you detect in their yards than you would think. I started door knocking back in the late 80's when I first got into the hobby, I did very well. Only problem now is, I still live in the same town and most of the older homes have been hit. This town didn't start growing until the end of WW2 and most of the home were built in the early to mid 50's. usually not much in the way of "older stuff" 

 Nothing ventured, nothing gained, all they can do is say no.

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I have known this is the best opportunity for finding old coins now that all the public areas have been scoured by every detectorist and machine out there... more than once.  I'm not sure what makes walking up and having a conversation with a home owner so difficult. But this thread lights the fire under my seat... I have targeted several properties around my neighborhood that are 1900 - 1920 homes... which should be prime locations for some nice older coins or relics.  I would be interested to hear how the rest of you do going forward by knocking on a few doors... permission success rate and finds.  I'll post the same... Tim.

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Most of my stellar finds have been in the front and backyards of private homes in my area. My thinking was, all of our societies "going ons" is/was in the backyards of America. From Birthdays to graduations to the yearly 4th of July get togethers. It's all there. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gardners who lose their jewelry.

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On 11/20/2017 at 1:26 PM, Tiftaaft said:

I have known this is the best opportunity for finding old coins now that all the public areas have been scoured by every detectorist and machine out there... more than once.  I'm not sure what makes walking up and having a conversation with a home owner so difficult. But this thread lights the fire under my seat... I have targeted several properties around my neighborhood that are 1900 - 1920 homes... which should be prime locations for some nice older coins or relics.  I would be interested to hear how the rest of you do going forward by knocking on a few doors... permission success rate and finds.  I'll post the same... Tim.

Much has to do with location.. And by that I mean older established communities that remain quite the way they were 60 years ago as opposed to geographical locations.. Towns like that are just, well, friendlier -- even in the deep south..

However, regardless of location, the #1 and most important thing that gets you on to other people's lawns / property is initial impression.. You have anywhere from zero to maybeee 10 seconds after 'they' open their door to present yourself as: friendly, non-threatening, not selling anything, not wanting money either as a donation or for a service to be performed, 'fitting-in' both appearance-wise and language-wise, etc. and so forth..

Ezy-pzy, right..? Uh, no.. Welll, if it isn't an easy matter being able to affect an easy manner, what's the best way to begin the process of getting the pendulem of access success swinging in your favor..?

Research.. There is simply no easy way around not knowing.. Not knowing what..? Not knowing why you're knocking on that person's door.. Knowledge of why you're knocking on this door, beyond the general catch-all of requesting permission to metal detect a person's property, is the best way to meet the initial impression requirements.. And guess what..? It's contageous.. In a good way.. If you're excited about wanting to detect a particular location because of what might await based on historical references, this excitement transfers to him-from-whom-you-seek-permission..

Disarming, isn't it..? Knowledge trumps BS every time..

So, if you want to come off as disarmingly charming every time, all you need to do is know what you're talking about.. This alone will get you through and beyond those all-important first ten seconds.. How things go from there is up to you.. Usually a fair percentage offer and a promise of leaving the property in at least the same if not better shape than initially found will result in access..

GL & HH..

Swamp

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I door knock occasionally when I go on a silver dry streak and I can muster the courage to do it..   It goes against my personality in every way.   I don’t like people bugging me and I don’t want to bug people... It is surprising how many people give permission and do so happily though...  old home yards are easy pickings for the most part although quite a few have been hit.  You can usually tell within the first 5 or 10 minuets..  I look for the limiddle to lower class neighborhoods.. Most of the higher end neighborhoods with fancy looking homes usually have been re- landscaped or hit before.  Yards are fun because you find lots more interesting things like old toys, tokens and other odd ball relics compared to parks that have been pretty much cleaned out..

Got my first silver dime trifecta working a very small front yard of an early 1900s home for less then an hour a couple years ago...

Bryan

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I have the same shyness issue in Midwest gold hunting as most land is private. I keep running into little old ladies who own hundreds of acres of land with potential gold creeks. Seems most of these older women are widows and they do NOT want outsiders from their family on the land even if they are unable to get out and enjoy the land due to old age issues. Older men are more apt to let you on the property I have found. It helps if you can find somebody who knows the landowner and have them call ahead for you. I tried the real estate agent approach this last time. Found a listing for land with a creek in an area I want to prospect in and the female real estate agent told me she had listed and shown an old Victorian house I had mentioned. She told me she would run down to that county and make some in person land owner inquiries for me to get into their creeks. Still waiting to hear back. Heck, maybe she can help me get to do some yard detecting too.

 

-Tom

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