Thought For New Finds Contest Forum

[Steve Herschbach]

I would like to add a little element of fun for people to encourage posting of finds. What I am thinking is a forum where each month people can post what they think it a nice find, and a story with it would help. I’d set up a winners gallery for the monthly winners, issue a DP certificate to the winner each month by way of a pdf file they can print, frame, and display. Winners would be chosen by employing the “like” system so that the forum membership picks the winner each month. There would also be a year end contest to decide the winner for the year.

I have had this idea for some time, but the problem for me was in how to offer a prize, without people trying to game the system. Cash makes people do funny things. Mailing stuff is expensive, and we have members worldwide.

Last night I had an epiphany. What I’m proposing is each month, I will make a $100.00 donation the the winners choice of charity. The donations would probably go to a list that we can chose from, and I need to research donation sites to find the best one to work with that offers the widest range of charities. The winner picks the charity, I’ll make the donation. This will be tallied over time so members can see how much total we have given to charity. The year end contest would be a larger amount, like maybe $500.00. I would make the donations personally, and yes, I would write them off on my taxes to help offset the cost. So it would be me making the donation to a charity of the winners choosing. I will post donation receipts just to be transparent.

This forum is paid for with those pesky Google ads. The revenue pays the hosting and software fees that run over a grand a year. My time...  There is excess that basically pays a couple utility bills each month for me. However, the forum has been growing rapidly, and revenue with it. I do not need the money. So I’d like to start giving it back. If this works, I will employ my industry connections to ask manufacturers to maybe help by providing some additional prizes if they wish, but I have to be careful how I do that, as a contest for a detector could stir up the kind of competitive issues I want to avoid. So I have to think that over. Or maybe they would help with charity donations on top of what I’m doing? Anyway, lots of things we could do, but in general I’d like this to be oriented to charity. It this goes well, I will probably boost the spending as the forum continues to grow, hopefully providing the revenue stream to make that happen.

That’s the gist of it for the moment. Any thoughts, suggestions, etc.? Some of you have probably done something similar and can see pitfalls to avoid? I think the plan is sound and different than what I’ve seen before, and I love the idea of competing to give to charities.

[delnorter]

That’s a great idea Steve. I’m all for it.

 

[Guest calabash digger]

That is a great idea!!

[mn90403]

On a site like this displaying finds should be encouraged in addition to 'content' without finds.  There are a few of us who like the contest idea and the notoriety as well.

I have to admit when I'm out detecting and make a nice 'find' I'm already thinking about how I can post it.  Not everyone is that way but some of us carry a camera.

With contests come guidelines and one of the first things that comes to my mind this morning would be to encourage the display of recent finds vs finds from years past.  We have threads devoted to 'best ever' which gives us all hope for the future but best entry of the month should have been found within that month I would think.

It's not my contest to design but that is a thought I have.  The other aspects are good as described.

[klunker]

 

What a fantastic idea Steve!

I have just been lent Sourdough Scots Equinox 800 so you have no idea what your getting yourself into.

[Chase Goldman]

All for it.  Great idea!  

[locator]

Sounds great, Steve. It is a very praiseworthy idea. 👏

[normmcq]

I think it is a great idea. i think Mitchel is right about recent finds. I think that would come down to the honestly of the entrants. I think it would be great to see good finds in one place on the forum. Donating to a worthy charity is always good!

                                                                                                                        Norm

[Steve Herschbach]

I agree it should be stuff found each month. It would be honor system, and there is at least no monetary reason to game it. Might throw in a limit to how many time per year any one person can win. Like once a year you can win the monthly, and that monthly is automatically enrolled in the year end contest. That sounds good just typing it. Twelve different winners each year, with one grand prize winner out of the 12.

[mn90403]

I have some additional thoughts about contests and certificates.

I belong to a club (PCSC) that has encouraged its members to display their finds of the month for many many years before I joined.  Over the years their 'contest' voted on my attendees at the meeting consisted of categories.  Roughly the categories were Best Natural Gold, Best Man Made Gold, Best Silver, Best Coin and Best Odd Find as examples.  This allowed for 'like to compete with like' so that voting was made a bit easier and not based upon one category favored over another.  PCSC has relic hunters, beach hunters and nugget hunters.

Steve's website focus is mostly for gold nuggets and natural gold.  I would assume that most of the 'voters' would vote for a few little nuggets over a big ring but that is what can happen.  Gold nuggets will probably win more 'finds of the month' than other items.

I'm not much of a relic hunter but if someone found a really, really rare relic and the nugget and beach hunters don't understand its importance then it may not be voted on.  How do we level the 'judging ground' so to say?  Do we try to estimate the dollar value of the find in our story about it and the research we do on it afterwards?  (i.e. This nugget is worth $1000 and this Civil War Button is worth $4000?)  How will we know how important or valuable something is unless the finder helps us.

One of the best parts about Steve's proposal is that no matter how 'fair or unfair' the rules the winner will be a charity.  We just want it to be fun and unpredictable.

Will people be encouraged to talk openly about their vote or will it be discouraged and be an anonymous vote?