Category Archives: Returned Treasure

Lost Ring at a Construction Site in NJ

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , , ,

Kevin called me to ask if I could help him find his ring. He lost it at a construction site. It could be on 1 of 4 properties. He was referred to me by a family member. (Thank you for the referral). It took a while but we were able to make Kevin’s day!!

Read the full story here.

If you are going to be in or around water or working with water, I strongly advise leaving your jewelry at home. If you don’t want to follow my advice, keep my number handy.

707-706-3626

I Love My Hobby!!

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Lost Ring At Contruction Site in Woolwich NJ Gloucester County

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Kevin called me after a friend of one of my successful recoveries referred me. He lost his titanium wedding band while at work. He was at a large construction project, working with moving sprinklers & hoses from different lots. It could be on 1 of 4 lots. We agreed on a 6:30 am time for the search.
 
I met Kevin at the construction site. It is a huge new housing development. He showed me the 4 properties that he was working on. The lots were not that large. I started on the 1st one, no luck. Moved to the second lot, strike 2. The third lot was the biggest, strike 3. But I was not out yet…
 
The fourth lot, about 5 minutes in, I finally got a good tone. Spread the grass from the newly laid sod, and there was Kevin’s ring. I took some pictures, then called Kevin to come to the 4th lot. He showed up about 5 minutes later. I asked him if there was any other place it might be, he went to the bed of his pickup and started looking there. I held up his ring while we continued to look. The look on his face when he realized that I was holding his ring was priceless. He explained that he was leaving the next day for vacation with his wife & kids to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
 
I asked him what his wife would say when she found out he had his ring back. He decided to FaceTime her while I was there. She couldn’t believe it when he held up the ring for her to see. I hope they had a GREAT vacation!
 
I Love My Hobby!!
 
Find lost ring with metal detector, lost jewelry, lost jewelry recovery service, lost ring Delaware Valley, lost ring tri-state area, lost ring Delaware County, lost ring Camden County, lost ring Jersey Shore, lost ring Ocean City, metal detector rental, rent metal detector, The Ring Finders New Jersey, missing property marker, lost ring in snow, lost Keys, lost pendant, how to find lost ring at beach, how to find ring lost in yard, lost ring doing yard work
 
 
 
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Lost Earring at Soccer Complex

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, ,

Kevin called me after a friend of one of my successful recoveries referred me. He lost his titanium wedding band while at work. He was at a large construction project, working with moving sprinklers & hoses from different lots. It could be on 1 of 4 lots. We agreed on a 6:30 am time for the search.

I met Kevin at the construction site. It is a huge new housing development. He showed me the 4 properties that he was working on. The lots were not that large. I started on the 1st one, no luck. Moved to the second lot, strike 2. The third lot was the biggest, strike 3. But I was not out yet…

The fourth lot, about 5 minutes in, I finally got a good tone. Spread the grass from the newly laid sod, and there was Kevin’s ring. I took some pictures, then called Kevin to come to the 4th lot. He showed up about 5 minutes later. I asked him if there was any other place it might be, he went to the bed of his pickup and started looking there. I held up his ring while we continued to look. The look on his face when he realized that I was holding his ring was priceless. He explained that he was leaving the next day for vacation with his wife & kids to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. 

I asked him what his wife would say when she found out he had his ring back. He decided to FaceTime her while I was there. She couldn’t believe it when he held up the ring for her to see. I hope they had a GREAT vacation!

I Love My Hobby!!

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Under the Boat Dock, Brigatine NJ

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , , , ,

My latest recovery was under a boat dock. She thought she had secured her ring in a pocket on a deck chair, but when she went to put the ring back on, it was not there.

Read the full story here. 

It’s always a good idea to apply sunscreen. However, if you plan to take your rings off to do that, ensure they are in a safe place. Don’t put them on your lap. Many people have done that, and forgot the rings were in their lap and then stood up, and boom, they’re gone. 

Don’t wait to call a professional. Don’t buy a detector that you don’t know how to use. 

Call the Metal Detector Man 707-706-3626

 

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In a Rush to Beat a Snow Storm

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , ,

Eric was rushing to put away his Christmas decorations before our first significant snowstorm of the year. The next thing he knew, his wedding ring was missing. 

To read the full story, click here. 

Some people think the busiest time of year for lost items is the summer when people lose items at the beach. I find that the winter, with ice and snow storms, is just as busy. People shovel and scrape windows with no gloves on, sledding, and other winter sports. Their fingers shrink when they get cold and then go their rings.

If you find yourself in this situation, check your gloves first. Many times, I have found rings in the finger of the glove. If it is not there, take pictures of the area you are in or mark the area somehow. Call a professional as soon as possible. If you wait until the snow melts, someone else might find it. 

The best advice is not to wear your jewelry out in bad weather. 

I Love My Hobby!!

 

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Putting Away Christmas Decorations Causes a Lost Wedding Ring

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , ,

Eric reached out to me via email. He’d been in a rush to take down his Christmas decorations before an incoming snowstorm and, in the process, had lost his yellow gold wedding ring. We arranged to meet after his workday ended.

Upon arrival, Eric showed me the area where he’d been working. The search area, blanketed by about three inches of snow, wasn’t very large. He mentioned he needed to pick up his daughter from school but would return in about ten minutes.

As soon as Eric and his wife left, I began my search. Just a minute later, my detector gave a strong signal in the gold range. I brushed away the snow, and there it was—Eric’s gleaming yellow-gold wedding ring. I snapped a few photos and waited for their return.

When I saw them approaching, I pretended to still be searching. Eric’s wife got out of the car first, and I quietly asked her to wait a moment. Eric followed and said, “I guess you haven’t had any luck.” I asked if he recalled shaking his hands or doing anything that might have flung the ring beyond the immediate area. He didn’t. While he scanned the lawn, I revealed the ring from my gloved hand. His wife noticed first, and her surprised smile was wonderful to see. Eric’s reaction was even better.

They were both overjoyed. His wife was particularly thrilled, exclaiming, “This is great! Now I can finally get that dining room carpet and not have to buy him a new ring!”

I love my hobby!

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Splitting Wood Causes Lost Keys

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , ,

 

Last night around 9:30, I received a text message from Joe, who had been referred to me by my nephew, Jason. Joe wanted to know if I could help find his lost keys. He’d spent the entire day clearing a lot and splitting wood, only to discover he couldn’t locate his keys when it was time to leave. Luckily, he had a spare set delivered, so there was no rush. We agreed to meet the next morning around 10.

I arrived early, greeted by a steady drizzle. Prepared with my rain gear, I suited up and headed to the area where the wood was piled. Hoping to spot the key fob in the daylight, I carefully walked around the piles, but no luck. Realizing I’d need my detector, I went back to my SUV to grab it.

I began searching an area where the tall grass was matted down, marked by splinters of wood from splitting. Just two minutes in, my detector gave a strong tone. I moved some grass and leaves aside—and there they were: Joe’s keys. He hadn’t arrived yet, so he missed the quick find.

I returned to my SUV and waited for him to show up. When Joe arrived, he took me to the spot where he’d spent most of his day. We were just three feet from where I’d found the keys. As he described his activities and scanned the ground, I pulled the keys from my pocket and asked, “Do your keys look like this?”

At first, he looked puzzled, then recognition dawned. “Yes!” he said, clearly amazed. The moment he realized they were his keys was priceless—a mix of shock and relief.

It had only taken about five minutes of walking and searching to locate the keys. Without a detector, though, Joe never would’ve found them. They were pressed into the mud and hidden beneath leaves.

As a bonus, I now have access to some firewood for my fire pit—a small token of appreciation.

I Love My Hobby!

 

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Yard Work Gone Wrong

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , , ,

Devon lost his wedding ring—a cherished family heirloom—while doing yard work. Between cleaning out the gutters, raking leaves, and putting up Christmas lights, the ring slipped off unnoticed. After spending hours searching, he still couldn’t find it.

That’s when his wife, Sara, gave me a call. The moment I heard, I grabbed my gear and was there in a flash to help.

Want to know how we found it? Read the full story here.

I absolutely love my hobby—it’s not just about the search, but the joy of reuniting people with their priceless treasures!

 

 

 

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Yard Work Gone Wrong in Cinnaminson NJ

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , ,

 

Sara called me, asking for help to find her husband’s gold wedding ring. He had spent the entire day working in the yard—cleaning out the gutters, raking leaves, and putting up Christmas lights. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t locate the ring. With only about an hour of daylight left, I headed over to assist.

When I arrived, Devon was still searching for the ring. There was a massive pile of leaves at the curb, scheduled for pickup that week, so I began my search there. Unfortunately, I had no luck.

Next, we moved to the flower beds under the gutter. I received a strong signal under a small bush. Despite not seeing the ring on the ground, the signal was promising. Using my pinpointer, I discovered the signal was coming from within the bush.

It turned out that when the ring slipped off Devon’s hand, it landed in the bush and got hooked on one of the branches. The ring, a beautiful yellow-gold piece, held significant sentimental value as it belonged to Devon’s great-grandfather.

I love my hobby!

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Ringing in the New Year 2024!

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , ,

I received a referral from a friend who was out of town. A couple had a disagreement, and she threw 4 pieces of jewelry outside. The husband was able to find 1 bracelet, but that left another bracelet and 2 rings missing. The engagement ring and her wedding ring. 

You can read the full story here.

A lot of my searches involve thrown jewelry. I am sure there are a lot more people who don’t call for help finding their thrown jewelry due to embarrassment, that don’t find their jewelry. Don’t be embarrassed, it happens all of the time. Your lost jewelry will become a resentment that will cause more stress in a relationship.

If you are really that mad that you don’t want your jewelry, don’t throw it away; call me, and I’ll add it to my collection!

I love My Hobby!!

 

 

 

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Snow Ate My Keys

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I received an email from Sheila describing how she lost her shed keys while shoveling snow after the last storm. They were in her jacket pocket, and when she was finished, they were gone. We set up an appointment after she left work at 7 pm.

Luckily, it was a small search area, as it was the coldest night of the year, 23 degrees. She showed me the area that she thought they would be in, so I started my search. About 15 mins and 21 cents later, no keys were found. I had to ask Sheila to move her car; because it was at the edge of the search area, and my detector was sounding off to the car. 

5 minutes later, I had her keys. They were buried in a pile of snow & ice that was under the rear of where she had parked her car. She was so happy. She needs access to her shed as another snowstorm is coming in a few days.

I Love My Hobby!!

 

 

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Repeat Offender 2nd Time We Found This Ring!

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I received an email from Katelyn asking for help in finding her husband’s wedding ring. They recently moved, and Mike was working on clearing out branches & vines in the backyard near a creek. It seems like Mike is a repeat offender. In January of 2022, I found his ring after making snow angels with his kids. We set up a time and date to search.

I showed up in a snowstorm, the biggest storm since the snow angel adventure 2 years ago. It was early in the morning. Katelyn showed me the area Mike was working in. He was on both sides of the creek. At least it would be easy to see where I searched with a fresh 2 inches of snow on the ground and still accumulating. 

UI started searching. Right off the bat, I found 3 really old, crushed Pepsi cans. Oh boy, a party area. I thought there would be hardly any targets here. I decided to start with the easy parts first, as there were piles of cut branches & vines that I would have to move at some point. 

Nothing was on this side of the creek, so I crossed the water. 2 minutes later, I had a gold tone. Digin down the new snow and an inch of ice from an early-in-the-week storm, about a half an inch under leaves was Mike’s ring. I really like this ring, it is a beautiful rose color gold. Total time: 15 minutes.

When I walked back up the hill, Katelyn and the kids were playing in the snow. The look on her face was priceless when I showed her the ring. I gave her a refrigerator magnet to place on the new frig so they would have my number handy for the next time. 

I Love My Hobby!!

 

 

 

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Ringing in the New Year!

General Metal Detecting, Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , ,

Ringing in the New Year 2024 style. I am not using the real names of this couple. I will call them Betty & Barney Rubble. Barney called me to see if I could help find some lost jewelry. He was referred to me by Fellow Ring Finder/Treasure Hunter Ed Cropski (he was out of town for the weekend). I work with a core group of excellent detectorists with much experience. If one of us gets a call and can’t make it, we give it to someone in our group. 

Barney said his wife got very angry and walked out the back door to their deck, and Bam-Bam threw 2 silver bracelets, a gold wedding ring, and a gold engagement ring. Doing his own reconnaissance, he found 1 of the bracelets. I was near the neighbor’s fence beside a pile of wood rubble, reminding me of a gravel pit. The other 3 items are still missing.

Betty was out on their deck in the area where she threw her jewelry. She looked very sad. After reviewing the angle of where Barney found the first bracelet and the scene, I told Barney that gold rings would travel farther than the lighter bracelet. I asked if his neighbors were okay with me searching their backyard. He said yes that he contacted them after our phone call. Betty went inside. 

I started searching the neighbor’s yard. There were a lot of signals. There is a newer deck, and I was finding a ton of wood screws that are used in deck building. After about 12 minutes of searching, I started to look under the deck. I almost immediately found the engagement ring. It was under the deck. From where Betty threw the jewelry and the angle of where the ring was, it had to go through the open-backed stairs from the ground to the deck; if I threw it, it would have bounced off one of the steps. Lucky throw. 

I intensified my search under the deck. It took another minute or two to find the missing bracelet. At this point, Barney had no idea I found either item. I asked him if he could hold my pinponter. He came over, and I held out my hand and dropped the engagement ring & bracelet into his hand. The look in his eyes was priceless. 

I asked Barney if he would search on the deck for the other ring while I searched on the ground. I didn’t feel right searching up there with all of the windows. The neighbors know Barney, not me. 

About 5 minutes went by, and Barney was standing next to me. He held out his hand that held the missing ring. My hunch paid off; it was laying on some covered furniture on the deck. He enjoyed the thrill of making the discovery. 

Betty came out on their deck as I talked to Barney in the driveway. I told her to come down & get her jewelry. She was grinning from ear to ear. Barney and Betty are happy once again in Bedrock. 

I love my hobby!!

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2 Hour Drive

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I took a 2-hour drive down to Lewes, Delaware, for a recovery. Jessica lost her ring in her yard 3 weeks prior. Read the full story here. 

It was a successful recovery that took 15 minutes to find. She was elated that I was able to find it. She thought it was gone forever. It was her grandmother’s ring. The ring will need to go to a jeweler because it is bent. I guess the tractor ran over it. But she has it back. 

Spread the word about my service. I love returning things to people. 

I love my hobby!!

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Lost Ring on A Golf Course

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I have to give a shout-out to the Pennsauken Country Club for allowing this return happen. They graciously let me search for the missing wedding ring, as long as I didn’t dig any holes. I didn’t take any digging tools, just my metal detector, and pinpointer. 

When you hear that there is a missing ring on a golf course, you think of what a daunting task this will be—searching acres and acres of thick grass. I have been lucky with my other golf course searches, as the people who lost the items had a good idea of where they lost them.

This was the case with John. He said it had to be around the 17th tee box.  The club let us take a cart out to the area. You can read the full story here. It was a quick 20-minute search. 

The club manager thought there was no chance of the ring being recovered. He had never heard of a ring being found before on a golf course. He is now a believer. You just have to contact a professional. 

I might just have to start advertising that I am a golf course recovery specialist!!

Till next time Be safe and keep your jewelry safe!

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Lost Wedding Ring @ Pennsauken Country Club Found By Dave Milsted

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While out on a 911 call (I am a paramedic), John left me a message about his lost wedding ring. When I had a few minutes, I gave John a callback. He said while he was playing golf at the Pennsauken Country Club, he had placed his wedding ring in his wallet. He secured his wallet in his golf bag. With the heat, the cart girl stopped, and he retrieved his wallet to buy some beers for his group at the 17th tee box. When he got to the 18th hole, he looked in his wallet, and the ring was gone. 

His group went back to the 17th tee box but couldn’t find it. Another foursome also assisted in the search. No luck. One of the guys said you should call someone with a metal detector. John went home a googled lost ring. He found me on the Ring Finders site. We chatted about what happened. He had already called the golf course, and they gave him permission to have me search as long as I didn’t dig any holes. We set up a search date of Thursday evening. 

We both arrived at about the same time. We went into the clubhouse to let them know we were there to search. We guaranteed them there would be no digging. They let us use a golf cart to get to the location he suspected it was lost. It looked freshly cut, and it was close to the ground. There were a few thick areas of grass. He showed me the area the refreshment cart was. I started there.

In the area, the cart was also 3 electrical boxes. That means underground wires. OH NO. I definitely found a lot of underground items. I worked my way toward the area where John’s cart was parked that day. After about 15 – 20 mins of searches, I got a solid tone and number in the area that a 14-karat white gold ring would be. I bent down and spread the grass to reveal what was there; in there was John’s ring. 

John was dumbfounded. He thought he would never see it again. He was just going through the motions so he could be at peace knowing he did everything. He gave me at least a half a dozen bro hugs. He said he felt so high right now that he was afraid to drive home. So we called his wife from the spot the ring was found. She could believe it was found either. After the call, we dropped off the golf cart and went into the clubhouse to let them know we found it. The guy had a very surprised look on his face. 

We then walked to the parking lot. He still didn’t feel safe to drive. So he called his cousin, that was golfing with him on that fateful day. He was amazed also. John still wasn’t ready to drive, so he gave me another hug and said he was going to go to his car and call his dad. 

I love my hobby!!! 

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Pennsauken, NJ

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Pennsauken Country Club Lost Wedding Ring, (July 2020)

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Landscaper Lost Gold Pendant

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Kevin sent me a text message asking if I could help find a very sentimental gold cross that he lost while working his landscaping job. He was on a riding mower, and his chain got caught on a low branch. The chain snapped, and the charm went missing. He has the chain. He got my information from a former co-worker of my wife.
 
I told him he would need to secure permission from the owner of the house to search his backyard. Permission granted. We met at 5 pm, it would be dark shortly.
 
I started with my main detector and large coil. Searched most of the yard with no luck. I switched to my backup detector with a very small coil and a small gold program. After about 10 minutes, we got the signal we were hoping for. I separated the grass, and there was the charm!
 
Kevin was getting worried when I didn’t find it with the 1st detector. The look on his face when I showed him the charm was priceless!
 
I Love My Hobby!
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2 Rings Lost @ Yardley Country Club in PA.

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Jordan called me a few weeks ago asking if I could help find 2 rings for him. They were lost on a golf course. Do you know how big a golf course is? He had a real good idea where they were. I was out of town for my Half Ironman race for the week. We agreed to meet today in the afternoon. 

Jordan made sure we had permission to search on the course. The Yardley Country Club is a really nice-looking club. Jordan went up to the pro and secured us a golf cart to take us out to the 14th tee box. Jordan Explained that if you walk with your clubs and use a hand cart, members will push their cart down the hill towards the 14th tee while they are putting on the 13th green. Most of the time the carts end up in the proper place. This time Jordon’s cart got to the 14th tee and flipped over. 

Jordan usually takes his rings off to play golf & puts them into his golf bag. Jordan didn’t realize they were missing until a few days later. He searched his bag & gloves with no luck. Then he remembered the mishap on the 14th tee. He went to the club a few times to look. One time he even took a rake. No luck. So he did an internet search on renting metal detectors and found me. 

The area was not that big. He believed that they can’t be too far from the cart path, one was a thin gold ring and the other is a larger platinum ring. I got started and got a signal right away, in the gold platinum range on my detector. Well, it wasn’t a ring, it was the top of a pencil, the part that holds an eraser. This club supports cheating by supplying an eraser (LOL). This little area was loaded with metal objects. I searched the area with no rings found. I told him I was going to expand the search area. 

About an hour into the search I got another good sound, it was a ring, I moved the ring and the other one was there also. The rings were thrown approximately 15 to 20 feet past the cart path. The amazing part is they stayed together. They were down in the dirt like someone stepped on them or a tire from a tractor ran over them. Jordan wasn’t looking so I put them in my hand and finished my current line. Jordan was talking to a foursome on the 13th green. I asked him if he thought that I was still in the area he thought they could be. He got out of the cart and came over to me saying yes. As he was talking I held out my hand, he didn’t see them, so I raised my hand a little higher. After about a minute he had a shocked look on his face, then a smile from ear to ear. He realized he was now out of the dog house.

I love my hobby!

 

 

 

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Beach Sand Almost Claims Another Ring or 3…

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Charlotte called me yesterday asking if I could find her ring. She was on the beach playing a tossing game. When she tossed she lost her ring. I had plans today but told her I could be there this morning, bright & early. She agreed.

I got to the beach at 7:30 am. It was empty & I got an excellent free parking spot! She told me she was to the right of the trash cans, so I texted her saying I was there and started to search before she got there. Within 5 minutes I had an awesome shallow tone on the detector. I scooped up the sand and had a big silver ring in my hands. 

I was very surprised that I found it before she arrived. As I was taking pictures of the ring, Charlotte arrived. I asked her what her ring looked like, as I was going to surprise her when she described it to me. She said it was a yellow gold ring with a pearl in the center. Oh, that is not the ring I found, bonus!

She showed me the area she was in when she lost her ring. The ring was her grandmother’s ring, which has a lot of sentimental value attached to it. She said she spent several hours sifting through the sand with family looking for it. She is in the area for a family reunion. She explained to me that just last week she lost another ring on a beach in Virginia, that a family friend found with a metal detector. She didn’t learn a lesson with that loss. 

I started to grid the area she sent me to. Within 5 minutes I had that special gold tone on my detector, scooped and there was her ring. She was so happy & relieved. I asked her if she learned any lessons. She said YES, I’m never wearing rings to the beach again. She had to go back & pack as they are returning home today, to Virginia. 

I stuck around to search a little more and found another silver ring. Not bad, it was a beautiful morning on the beach!!

I Love My Hobby!!

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How to Find a LOST Ring in Oaklyn NJ, Call Dave Milsted the Metal Detecting Man

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Karen emailed me earlier in the week to see if I would be able to search for a lost tungsten ring. Her fiance lost it while doing yard work a few weeks ago. I asked the usual questions, where? When? How? Any buried items? And so on…

We made arrangements for me to search Thursday after work. Of course, Mother Nature would play games and threaten with a Severe Weather Warning that afternoon. John was waiting for me. He showed me the 2 main areas of concern. He was working on removing a railing from the porch and then he was washing cars. My heart sank a little when he said while working on the porch he was throwing items into a large metal dumpster. It was pretty full with a lot of hazards. If John has my luck his ring is in the bottom of the dumpster. John also told me that the yard was cut at least once. 

I started my search around the porch. John asked if he could watch. He wanted to know about my detector, a Minelab Equinox, and I showed him how my pinpointer also worked. There were a lot of signals, most of them 2+ inches deep. I didn’t bother looking at those, as I was trying to beat the storms. 

After about 15 minutes I got a good tone, started to spread the zoysia grass apart and there was a nice looking black & gold ring. I pulled out my phone to take a picture & John was right there. He called me a “lifesaver” no pun intended. He was very happy! As we are both fully COVID vaccinated he gave me a big handshake. He said he would spread the word about my service. 

I love my hobby!

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Lost Stud Earring in Wilmington DE, Found in the Rain By Dave Milsted

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As I was heading home from an unsuccessful search Roderick called me about a lost yellow gold diamond stud earring. He was down I-95 in Wilmington DE. I met him about 40 minutes later. It was now raining.
 
He showed me the area of the loss. He was on a riding lawn mower when a tree branch hit the side of his head causing his earring to fall out. He placed his matching earring in a sandwich bag, so we wouldn’t lose it as I tested the readings on my metal detector.
 
I got my detector and started to search, about 30 minutes later it started to pour. I went back to my truck and got an umbrella. As soon as I got back to the search area, I got the sound & ID number on my metal detector that I wanted to get. Using my pinpointer I separated the grass and saw the side of something gold. It was his earring, It must have been stepped on while they were looking for it, as it was pushed into the mud.
 
He was so happy & thrilled! A few F-Bombs might have been dropped. He said that he searched earlier in the week with a metal detector that he bought. After he couldn’t find it he decided to call a professional. I was soaked but it was worth it.
 
I love my hobby!!
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Not The Right Ring!

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Samantha emailed me, asking if I could help find her father’s ring he lost 2 summers ago. They are getting ready to move soon. I asked her where they were located, and she said Connecticut. Hmmm, that’s kind of far, but after hearing the story, I told myself this one is for me.

 
Her dad retired from the NY City Fire Department in 1969 after 9 years on the job. He was seriously injured in the line of duty during a building collapse. He was on Truck 40. The ring he lost is the ring that the NYFD gave him upon retiring. It was his prized possession.
 
I made the 2.5-hour trek on Saturday morning. Samantha showed me a small search area. Ken was trying to clear a blocked small stream to allow the water to drain from their pond. They were on the bank when they heard the ring hit a rock and then heard a splash. They looked and raked the stream with no luck. They have looked on many different occasions.
 
I start detecting, and there is a lot of metal in the area. There is a fence-like structure on the banks under the dirt. There is also a lot of nails in the water. I searched about 30 minutes in the rain when I got a good tone high on the bank. I dig a hole, and Samantha sees gold. Samantha pulled a big gold ring out of the hole. We can’t believe we found it. I said we should surprise him.
 
I packed up my gear, and when Ken got down here, I started asking more questions. I pointed to the area where he told me the splash was. The ring was on my finger. When he saw it, I handed it to him and showed him where we found it. He didn’t show much emotion. He kept talking about a gold ring with the NYFD logo on it and a diamond in the center. This one was not that ring.
 
I asked if this was his ring and he said yes, he didn’t know that he lost this one. So I guess I’m going to continue the search. I got suited up again in hip waders and a raincoat. I looked for 2 more hours and couldn’t find the other ring. I can say with confidence that the other ring is not in this area.
 
I am disappointed that I couldn’t find the ring I came up to find. I wanted to help put a smile on the face of another first responder. But I was able to return another ring.
I love my hobby!
 
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Football on the Beach Strikes Again, No Touchdown in Ventnor, NJ.

Returned Treasure, Successful Recovery, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
 

 

Saturday, I was just sitting down to dinner when Josh called. He was on the beach in Ventnor and was playing football. His older brother grabbed at him and caught his chain. The chain broke off of his neck, and the game stopped. Both the thin chain & a Star of David pendant are missing. He kind of marked off the area.
 
My wife was nice enough to keep dinner warm while I made the journey to the shore. Parking was difficult as NJ continues to open up after being shut down for COVID-19. I found a parking spot 2 blocks away after doing several circles waiting for someone to leave.
 
Josh was waiting on the beach for me with his father and his younger brother. They showed me the area they thought the items would be. The chain is thin, and the pendant is about the size of a dime.
 
I started my search in a circular pattern from the spot they thought the items should be. After about 20 minutes, they adjusted the location, and I moved there. 5 minutes later, I had the pendant in my scoop. You would have thought that Josh and his family won the PowerBall the way they were celebrating. I searched for another hour for the chain. It did not appear. Thin chains and stud earrings are some of the hardest things to find. I tried multiple settings on my detector. I found everything but the chain. Because it was small, I believe it broke into numerous little pieces, not leaving enough metal for me to locate on the heavy mineralized sandy beach.
 
Josh was a little disappointed but said it was ok. He really wanted the Star of David pendant back, which he now has.
 
I Love My Hobby!!
 
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