Skippy SH13
Forum Supporter
frustration
- Thread starter Tpmetal
- Start date
GKL
Forum Supporter
The fact that you would make a reasonable effort to return a class ring is commendable and I can understand that 3000 hours of your time would tend to be unreasonable
Skippy SH13
Forum Supporter
The fact that you would make a reasonable effort to return a class ring is commendable and I can understand that 3000 hours of your time would tend to be unreasonable
I've gotten a couple of them back. I've got some non-precious metal ones sitting in a box, that are impossible for me to find the owner for. The state I'm in doesn't even HAVE a high school with the letters on the ring!
With regard to class rings, if I can't readily pick up the phone and call on, or spend 2 hours online to find, I put in the paper (class ring with initials "XXX" found, dated 20xx, email to ID), and to date, I've had exactly ZERO returns of anything I didn't personally research and dig up the people.
In the couple cases of the returns I've gotten for class rings, they haven't been "stellar." One person I practically had to BEG to take it back (he couldn't have cared less), the other person literally said, he'd abandoned the search. (Which made it abandoned property, technically, LOL), but he let me take a picture with him, which was nice.
Bottom line is, what people do with their finds is their own business. Personally, I'll try "extra" hard to get wedding rings back to owners over class rings...
Why? I've never seen an adult wear a high school class ring. It's just a novelty purchase, in my opinion. That's my 2-cents.
I'm in the hobby for the money. No shame in that.
But if I can ID the owner legitimately, I'll get it back to them. But I'm NOT going overboard on class rings... That's just my personal line. They get 1-2 hours. Then I post it and 30-90 days later, it's mine. That's it.Skippy
GKL
Forum Supporter
I've gotten a couple of them back. I've got some non-precious metal ones sitting in a box, that are impossible for me to find the owner for. The state I'm in doesn't even HAVE a high school with the letters on the ring!
With regard to class rings, if I can't readily pick up the phone and call on, or spend 2 hours online to find, I put in the paper (class ring with initials "XXX" found, dated 20xx, email to ID), and to date, I've had exactly ZERO returns of anything I didn't personally research and dig up the people.
In the couple cases of the returns I've gotten for class rings, they haven't been "stellar." One person I practically had to BEG to take it back (he couldn't have cared less), the other person literally said, he'd abandoned the search. (Which made it abandoned property, technically, LOL), but he let me take a picture with him, which was nice.
Bottom line is, what people do with their finds is their own business. Personally, I'll try "extra" hard to get wedding rings back to owners over class rings...
Why? I've never seen an adult wear a high school class ring. It's just a novelty purchase, in my opinion. That's my 2-cents.
I'm in the hobby for the money. No shame in that.
Skippy
Well written, and seems to be a very fair and reasonable effort on your part !
beerdoodle
Forum Supporter
Lol, and I don't post much anymore.I hardly ever go to the other forums. This one keeps me busy enough.
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2013
- Messages
- 20,748
Skippy, I had fun reading your legal take on this issue ! And although a city might not have muni laws that address lost & found, I have always assumed that state laws would therefore subrogate downwards. So, for example, the L&F laws would apply to the wallet, filled with $300 cash, applies even though found on a city park bench (as opposed to the park bench at a state park or federal park, right ?) .
In any event, I do NOT forsee any md'rs "fretting themselves silly", and showing up at police stations with each gold ring they find. Do you ?
So let me understand this : If it were YOUR kid, who took your coins to school for show & tell, and he looses them. Then if I come along and find that $5 gold piece in the sand box, you are perfectly ok with me keeping it. Right ? Just want to make sure I understand you correctly
Beachhunter
Elite Member
My reasonable effort involves me looking around to see if anyone is searching for their lost ring. Unless it has contact information somewhere on it. It’s mine.
Skippy SH13
Forum Supporter
Yeah, state laws do cover anything that isn't more restrictive. That is the way it works. But not everywhere is weird like California. LOL Idaho is very MD friendly in that regard. I just didn't want folks hitting the thread and thinking that all states were the same.
In any event, I do NOT forsee any md'rs "fretting themselves silly", and showing up at police stations with each gold ring they find. Do you ?
Nope, sure don't. But someone searching for the "right thing to do" (which is something pretty much all new detectorists have to consider) could be very much led astray with bad information. You work very hard to counter that, and so do I.
Bottom line is that if someone wants to truly "follow the letter of the law" they can do so, in many locations, without having to turn in their items. They also don't need to Call the City or anything else... The internet makes it possible to read the laws themselves and determine what to do.
However, I can't control what YOU would do, Tom. I can only control what I would do. And two things come to mind here.So let me understand this : If it were YOUR kid, who took your coins to school for show & tell, and he looses them. Then if I come along and find that $5 gold piece in the sand box, you are perfectly ok with me keeping it. Right ? Just want to make sure I understand you correctly
1) My kids wouldn't ever be allowed to do that.
2) I would appreciate if someone contacted the school with such a find.
Personally, if I found a $5 gold coin in a tot lot box, I'd report it as "special coin found, contact to ID," in a newspaper (the law) or literally just walk into the school and report it. That would be one I'd likely get back to the owner (maybe... if the kid didn't take it without their parents knowing)
I do that with all my bigger finds. Less than $100? It's mine. PERIOD. But I think you already know that.
Let's be clear, too, that I'm still conflicted about whether "face value" is the actual value of the item... I think the government HAS A VACUULAR QUALITY, when it comes to currency made of precious metals. They tell people "it has a value of $1" then put them in jail for spending it that way. So stupid.
Skippy
