Success with Craigslist?

Diggum · Jan 14, 2016

How many folks have had success with posting metal detecting as a service on Craigslist? I have had an ad for months, with no success. I think I've covered all of the bases with it, but still no luck.

The best I've gotten through CL was responding to someone who was tearing down an 1800s barn and offering the wood for free. I asked if they'd let me detect. They were cool with it, up until the barn was gone and "safety fence" went up from the contractors, then I was given the, "Sorry, we don't think it's a good idea, now."

bruinvikes · Jan 14, 2016

I haven't had any luck at all with Craigslist either. I think that some of the metal detecting shows where they use heavy equipment might have ruined it for some of us traditional diggers.

Diggum · Jan 14, 2016

I agree. Metal detecting has always had the stigma of "weirdos digging in the dirt for trash", but the heavy equipment and idiots that don't replace their plugs/leave trash/mess behind means we all get painted with a broad and unflattering brush.

I've added a link to one of my videos, to my CL ad, in the hopes that this will help put minds at ease.

HarveyH48 · Jan 14, 2016

What's a property owner get out of it? A complete stranger, free run over his property? Craigslist isn't exactly know to weed out the bad apples, caution is an understatement...

joee5 · Jan 14, 2016

I use word of mouth and offer jewelry finds either split it up or they can have them. All I ask in return is to keep any and all coins I find. A few guys said I can come by in the spring but I'm not gonna hold my breath.

hunterinmontana · Jan 14, 2016

Mud-puppy · Jan 15, 2016

Well, I wondered that too..i see ads on CL about metal detecting services..

I do check the 'lost and found' all the time though, not to go hunt for a particular drop, but to try to get an idea where people are dropping things and if theres a strategy I can pattern...seems parking lots are the primary drop zones for gold rings lost now a days...

I did get to do a return a few years back from a 'lost ring' post...I was on the beach before sun up, working the riffle, saw a stick poked up in the sand on the towel line, walked over there and saw finger tracks in a big circle where somebody dropped something the day before, two swings, BAM! Nice gold ring with a diamond! It appraised at $2500...I hung onto it and sure enough, a few weeks later, after they tried all other avenues, a desperate plea was posted on CL...

Backstory: These folks called a Ringfinder, and he was out there bright and early the next morning, hunting for it for a while, but I was already there and gone! :laughing:

Nowadays a valuable lost drop is not down for more than 12hrs if theres a Ringfinder nearby...

Seems Ringfinders is the way to go if you want to try to make some money off your service...these folks gave me $100 for the return, so that was nice...
Mud

Briman05 · Jan 15, 2016

I check the lost and found as well

Chipk · Jan 15, 2016

I have also gotten no response from posting on Craigslist. BUT there is a website called Nextdoor Neighbor and I have posted there and gotten 7 responses.

ohiochris · Jan 15, 2016

I got two responses to a craigslist add I posted in just a short while , but with the schedule I work I could never get together with either of them at a time when they would be home or willing to have me there. I eventually deleted the add because that seemed like it was going to be a problem. I see adds on there wanting people to let them detect their property but they never take a salesman approach to gain interest and " sell " themselves. I tried to make my add like a salesman would , its been a long time since but the header was something like " What might be buried in your yard ? " Then I opened the rest of it with something like " Have you ever wondered what may have been lost on your property over the years ? All the interesting things previous generations have dropped and haven't been able to locate ? Coins ? , jewelry ? keepsakes or family heirlooms ? " and then I went about describing what I do and the rest of the details.......anyway , not word for word....even this may need some work , but something like this captures peoples imagination and gets them curious. Much better than " My name is Jim , can I detect your yard ? " :lol:

GroundSweeper · Jan 15, 2016

1800's barn? Dang - find anything? Did you take the wood? Both sound awesome.

I've not tried an ad offering detecting as a service. You could put the ad on both the local CL's?

I'd just keep it running as who knows. You have the only ad I see in the area. I saw someone elsewhere saying "our metal detecting club will help you find your lost items" approach, and the first thing that came to mind is whether it was a 1 person or 2 person "club" but it sorta ads to the selling point maybe. Wanna start a club :lol:

metaladdict · Jan 16, 2016

CL....no luck there :no:

Diggum · Jan 16, 2016

GroundSweeper said:
1800's barn? Dang - find anything? Did you take the wood? Both sound awesome.

I've not tried an ad offering detecting as a service. You could put the ad on both the local CL's?

I'd just keep it running as who knows. You have the only ad I see in the area. I saw someone elsewhere saying "our metal detecting club will help you find your lost items" approach, and the first thing that came to mind is whether it was a 1 person or 2 person "club" but it sorta ads to the selling point maybe. Wanna start a club

Huh, what gave away that that ad was mine? Hahaha!! :laughing:

I'm game. Let's call us a club! Placer County Metal Detectorists! :yes:

Success with Craigslist?

Diggum

Elite Member

bruinvikes

Elite Member

Diggum

Elite Member

HarveyH48

Elite Member

joee5

Elite Member

hunterinmontana

Mud-puppy

Attachments

Briman05

Elite Member

Chipk

Elite Member

ohiochris

Elite Member

GroundSweeper

metaladdict

Elite Member

Diggum

Elite Member

Similar threads