New to forum and to bottle digging

[thebaronjp]

Hi everyone. I'm new to bottle collecting and digging. If anyone could help share their experience on finding places to dig etc and how to get started I would really appreciate it! I live in Vancouver Canada

 

[hemihampton]

Welcome. Are you looking for dumps to dig or Privy's? LEON.

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Welcome to the Forum and hobby. I go searching for ruins of old buildings like foundations and still-extant structures-- especially dirt floors-- to poke around in, go into the woods near older homes in search of household dumps (often seen as raised mounds or piles of glass and metal,) and go into the lake where it was used back in the day but has little to no use now as I search with surf-mocked feet sliding along the bottom in a pattern. The last one is unlikely for you due to temperatures. lol. Walking around, I look for glass shards-- hopefully embossed or blob tops-- and begin to poke around a foot or so down with my shovel. If nothing turns up, I move on. Else I keep digging. Privy-diggers keep digging down to the bottom, though. I just cannot find an intact privy, and instead find only "trash-pits" going down 2 - 4 feet.

 

[thebaronjp]

@hemihampton

I am interested in both but need to get a probe for the privies. I have dug a few forest dumps. Fun for sure and am hoping to find some older sites.

 

[thebaronjp]

Welcome to the Forum and hobby.
 
I go searching for ruins of old buildings like foundations and still-extant structures-- especially dirt floors-- to poke around in, go into the woods near older homes in search of household dumps (often seen as raised mounds or piles of glass and metal,) and go into the lake where it was used back in the day but has little to no use now as I search with surf-mocked feet sliding along the bottom in a pattern. 
The last one is unlikely for you due to temperatures. lol.
 
Walking around, I look for glass shards-- hopefully embossed or blob tops-- and begin to poke around a foot or so down with my shovel. If nothing turns up, I move on. Else I keep digging. 
Privy-diggers keep digging down to the bottom, though. I just cannot find an intact privy, and instead find only "trash-pits" going down 2 - 4 feet. 

Thanks. Super helpful!

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Another thing: In old buildings, you may find stuff in holes in the walls or foundations. Or under old porches in abandoned areas. Even sitting on top of old beams. Do NOT stick your hand right in, but poke a stick in and poke around. Be prepared to jump back. Then shine your light in and look. I've dug bottles out of cracks in walls. Here is myself crawling into one. I highly caution you against actually crawling into one if you value your life much. The same holes had something growling at me not long before I went in. This one base-shard that was on the surface had pointed me to all of what you see in the "Read more" link (click blue word.) It included an 1869 penny, 1 intact bottle, an insulator, debossed bricks, scarce shards including one to a bottle with less than 12 known examples, an early fluorescent lamp-starter, etc.

Read more here.Picture-show here.If you don't get arrested or killed, great adventure awaits. You obviously know household-type dumps.

 

[hemihampton]

Yes, Get a probe & try finding some pre 1900 house privy's. Can be fun. Do you ever find any old rusty dented beer cans. Let me know since I collect those. LEON.

 

[thebaronjp]

There were a ton of rusted cans, oil cans and tobacco tins at the dump I found but all in pretty bad shape. If I come across some in better shape I'll get them for you.

 

[hemihampton]

I can fix rusty dented cans. Pic below of half cleaned IGA soda can. Before & after pic of flatened Martins. LEON.

 

[thebaronjp]

Really great restoration