Need some advice about digging.

[Fenndango]

The treasure is definitely the bottles. They make price guides for a reason. The hunt, search, excitement is great but at the end of the day we wouldn't be digging 1960s trash pits if that's all that existed, at least not to the extent of digging that has and does take place. Stop playing that harp. Here's a post I wrote a decade ago:

We the People

The information that bottle diggers/divers/sellers/collectors have contributed is far greater than any government could deliver. The amount of dirt moved and areas searched far rivals any efforts by any government, and no government could excavate to the extent individuals have. The cataloguing...

www.antique-bottles.net

 

[UncleBruce]

The treasure is definitely the bottles. They make price guides for a reason. The hunt, search, excitement is great but at the end of the day we wouldn't be digging 1960s trash pits if that's all that existed, at least not to the extent of digging that has and does take place. Stop playing that harp. Here's a post I wrote a decade ago:

We the People

The information that bottle diggers/divers/sellers/collectors have contributed is far greater than any government could deliver. The amount of dirt moved and areas searched far rivals any efforts by any government, and no government could excavate to the extent individuals have. The cataloguing...

www.antique-bottles.net

Bottles are just stuff. Silicon is the eighth most common element by mass in the entire universe. 99.9% of the world wouldn't look twice at an empty bottle in any other way. A handful of collectors are the only thing that create demand. Some collectors are willing to buy bottles creating ambiguous values on the stuff. The history they represent or a family connection could make them into a bit of a treasure. The real treasure is the folks who collect. Friendships are the true treasure and we don't want to lose sight of that.

 

[Fenndango]

Bottles are just stuff. Silicon is the eight most common element by mass in the entire universe. 99.9% of the world wouldn't look twice at an empty bottle in any other way. A handfull of collectors are the only thing that create demand. Some collectors are willing to buy bottles creating ambiguous values on the stuff. The history they represent or a family connection could make them into a bit of a treasure. The real treasure is the folks who collect. Friendships are the true treasure and we don't want to lose sight of that.

I'm not disagreeing with you. But at the same time im going to leave behind slicks, including pontilled, and any other commons. I want the treasure. The rare. I don't sell. But I still want the rare stuff for my shelf. What you're saying is it's not the size of the fish, it's the fishing. But wait no, it's both. I'm not going to ice fish a lake with cookie cutter size trout and no possibility of a 4 lb. fish. And I dig/dive alone and keep my spots top secret. So I'm not really looking for friends. I have a dog.

 

[Csa]

So Fenn if your Harp comment is aimed at me, you couldn’t be more wrong. Every sentiment expressed is how I feel. My most valuable $$ bottles are some local milks and gills from early 20s and a couple Toc blown in mold type bottles. Maybe worth 50-100 for the lot of them. Zero blob tops, zero hutches so far and I couldn’t care less. So obviously I’m not in this for any true treasures. I’m learning a great deal and enjoying it immensely. I like to bring home unique packer jars from the 20s and 30s and learn who made them and what they had in them. Maybe I find a cathedral pickle jar or rare poison some day, but if not oh well.
In 3 months on this site, yours is literally the first sour attitude I’ve encountered thankfully. Have fun at your top secret dive and dig spot. I’ll be at my local TOC dump area and on this site learning from others.

 

[Fenndango]

So Fenn if your Harp comment is aimed at me, you couldn’t be more wrong. Every sentiment expressed is how I feel. My most valuable $$ bottles are some local milks and gills from early 20s and a couple Toc blown in mold type bottles. Maybe worth 50-100 for the lot of them. Zero blob tops, zero hutches so far and I couldn’t care less. So obviously I’m not in this for any true treasures. I’m learning a great deal and enjoying it immensely. I like to bring home unique packer jars from the 20s and 30s and learn who made them and what they had in them. Maybe I find a cathedral pickle jar or rare poison some day, but if not oh well.
In 3 months on this site, yours is literally the first sour attitude I’ve encountered thankfully. Have fun at your top secret dive and dig spot. I’ll be at my local TOC dump area and on this site learning from others.

You guys can view what I've said in any way and from any angle you'd like to support your view. My view and intentions are pretty clear. What I've read over and again during the past 3 months is basically SHAMING anyone who is in it for the money, the buying and selling, those angles.

 

[SKS.TUSC]

Hi I am new to this, not just the group. I am looking for some instruction and maybe someone who can come along with me and teach me a few things. I have found a dump on my property. There are soooooo many bottles jars etc. I haven't even really dug to deep yet most of what I have found in on top of soil or no more than 6 inches at most. I know there is tons more but I don't know what I am doing. I have found many things from old mason jars, tons of amber bottles, many gallon cider jugs, soda and liquer bottles, spectacles, pens, pocket watches, medicine bottles, etc... Any advice is appreciated.

If you are going to dig deep, do not create square walls, always dig in an imperfect circle when rotating. This will be the best way to keep strong walls & keep the hole from collapsing. If you can, find a position to dig in towards the hill. That way il be easier to judge and get hopefully multiple layers to see what age bracket you have access to hunting. Remember safety first

 

[willong]

Is your dump distributed across relatively level land; or is it flowing over and down a slope, like into a gully or stream course? Personally, I would dig a slope-strewn dump differently than I would a dump that is distributed across a fairly level area, especially if the dump is large and (potentially) deep.

I have dug both types, though I did not have enough time and access to thoroughly and systematically dig the one large (turn of 19th-to-20th century Seattle municipal) dump. Presumably time and competition from other diggers is not an issue for you, as it sounds like the dump in question is on your own property--is that correct?