Where to start?

[MIssissaugadigger]

Hello everybody and thanks for any information.
I am new to this digging thing only been out a handful of times.
Their are 2 sites that I have found and both are young.
Probably 60's to 40's.
I don't have a metal detector and can't afford one.
Now would the older stuff be in the same general area or would it be
someplace else?
I will keep digging anyway.[]
Thanks,
Ken...

 

[deenodean]

Welcome to the site and digging.
Generally the older stuff is deeper in the dump. As a rule screw tops are recycles. You can post pictures on this forum. Sometimes in later era dumps there are what diggers call ' late throws' where someone held on to a bottle that was in the family for eons, then tossed it. Turn of the century ( TOC ) and earlier dumps are most preferred and yield the most desirable.

 

[beendiggin]

In my experience, if the stuff on top is thick with 1930- 1960 era stuff, cans, etc, it's quantity not quality all the way through. I haven't ever found an old 1900 era layer underneath those dumps. Now then, if the stuff on top dates to 1910 with say some purple glass, etc, then the odds are better that the Victorian era trash is only another foot away.

It's hard to say what would make another person dig for an extended period of time in a dump but for me I like to see 1900 era stuff right away. I will paw around in any area for a little while, but if I don't see any hand blown bottles pretty quickly I will look for greener pastures because I would rather spend my hours finding an old dump or site to dig than dig in a newer dump.

Again, that's just me ....I like the old stuff better. Lots of good milks, crown top sodas and other surprises are found in newer dumps, so I don't rule them out. I just prefer older bottles and older surprises.

Good luck , dig a lot and you will find a lot.

 

[RCO]

where did you manage to find a place to dig in mississauga ? i though it was all built up there but actually i've heard of some good locations in toronto along watefront where they have found stuff , is also alot of abandoned farms or lots outside of toronto where there is likely stuff too .

you don't really need a metal detector to find bottles , i have one myself and not once has it ever helped me to find a bottle . what i do is walk around a property and look for signs of glass , rusty metal cans or anything unusual that might be signs of a dump and if i find a dump just dig it a bit to get a feel for how old it is but don't forget to wear gloves

 

[MIssissaugadigger]

Thanks for the replies folks.
One of the places is a park in Port Credit and the other is up Mississauga road.
The one in the park is some old foundation.
The other is just a bunch of bottles I found in the woods.
At the one site I have found everything from milks to old plates.
Lots of Castorias and Javex bottles.
Ken...

 

[MIssissaugadigger]

I have pictures to post when my computer smartens up.[]
Ken...