What are some valuable items you have found?

[skeet3t 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

Tell him from what I remember of the story I believe it was still in the factory wooden box when it was found.  After setting that many years without any kind of care I wonder if it would still be in usable condition?  

It would have about an inch of cosmoline grease on it. Old timers from WWI and WWII  would spend a long time wiping off the cosmoline and thoroughly cleaning their rifle. As for serial numbers, I have seen firearms made before WWI that had serial  numbers. A serial number is a moot point. The NFA covers the type of action. A local gunsmith got wind of a seizure of firearms by the BATFE. He went to look at them and found a one-of-a kind custom firearm but had no serial numbers. He offered to buy it and have them assign a serial number. The BATFE said no, kept it and destroyed it along with the others.

[DFoster 0]

19 minutes ago, mikechell said:

There's was a company called "Cosmoline".  Now it's a general term for a type of protectant/lubricant.  Been around for more than 100 years.  Weapons, back then, were almost always coated in the stuff.  I spent a lot of time, in the military, cleaning that crap off of new rifles and pistols.  If that rifle was coated in it, it could found in the box TODAY and be in mint condition.

Sounds reasonable Mike- I don't know for certain as I only heard the story secondhand and the gun was turned in years before it was told to me.

[DFoster 0]

18 minutes ago, skeet3t said:

 He went to look at them and found a one-of-a kind custom firearm but had no serial numbers. He offered to buy it and have them assign a serial number. The BATFE said no, kept it and destroyed it along with the others.

 I went on a tour of FBI headquarters in DC once.  The guide said they have at least one example of every modern firearm made, meaning cartridge ammo or repeating, made for comparisons in criminal investigations.  I think custom guns would be an exception.

[niveker 0]

22 hours ago, DFoster said:

I must have missed the line in my wedding vows that  said "wealth resulting from good fortune will be confiscated"

'what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.'— John F Kennedy and my wife.  

[skeet3t 0]

19 minutes ago, DFoster said:

 I went on a tour of FBI headquarters in DC once.  The guide said they have at least one example of every modern firearm made, meaning cartridge ammo or repeating, made for comparisons in criminal investigations.  I think custom guns would be an exception.

They still required to have a serial number, no matter if it's a one-of-a-kind custom or factory built. Ponder this link that is a shortcoming of our system. I know the young man's father.

https://newschannel9.com/news/local/bradley-county-woman-convicted-in-2010-dui-death-arrested-for-dui-again-in-mcminn-county

 

[essequamvideri 0]

Had my daughter our duck hunting on the river.  Across from our blind was a boat sitting in a small eddy.  I kept a binocular eye on it while we were there.  I figured it may have been a warden watching us.  On the way out we took a detour and found it partially submerged, just enough to keep it in that eddy.  We emptied it, tied it to a tree, took the registration number and called the wardens when we got home.  The owner lived some miles up river from where we were.  He wrote us a wonderful note how he owned the boat for many years and thought it had been stolen He had been combing the river for three weeks trying to find it.  He enclosed a $50 bill to say thank you.  I took the opportunity to show my daughter how important it is to help others.  We took half the money and helped the local homeless shelter and the other half we spent on Christmas gifts.  To me the really cool part of how that unfolded is that she still gives back to those who may have a bigger need than her.  

 

Michael

[Poopdeck 0]

 Most valuable thing I ever found was my own iPhone. Left it on the roof of my car. Apparently it blew off when I hit about 70 mph on a four lane divided highway. About an hour later when I noticed it was missing I used find my iPhone and it took me to within 10 feet of it sitting on a grassy berm on the side of the road. It was in an otter box protective case. The phone and the case were in perfect condition and working just as it was when I placed it on my roof. I’ll never complain about paying  40 bucks for a protective phone case ever again.

[mikechell 0]

I used to teach classes in Spring, TX a lot when I first started travelling for it.  I used to fish all the places I could get to every time I was out there.  Found a stolen bicycle, reported to and picked up by the Harris County Sherriff's deputy.  Found the frame and engine of a stolen motorcycle, also reported to and picked up by the Harris County guys.

I also found the frame and engine of a stolen motorcycle here in Florida ... Volusia County Sherriff people got that one.

And then there's the old Coleman plastic canoe.  Found it floating in a back water area off the St. Johns River.  Reported it, but no one claimed it so it is now mine.

 

[DFoster 0]

On 5/27/2022 at 8:24 PM, mikechell said:

e.

And then there's the old Coleman plastic canoe.  Found it floating in a back water area off the St. Johns River.  Reported it, but no one claimed it so it is now mine.

 

Let no one say fishing doesn't have it's rewards!

[flytire 0]

on a float trip on the big horn river in montana i dredge up a full fly fishing outfit. rod reel and even the fly still attached to the leader

turned it in to one of the local fly shops. its unknown if anybody claimed it

i can only assume it fell out of a drift boat going through that stretch of the river

[skeet3t 0]

3 minutes ago, flytire said:

on a float trip on the big horn river in montana i dredge up a full fly fishing outfit. rod reel and even the fly still attached to the leader

turned it in to one of the local fly shops. its unknown if anybody claimed it

i can only assume it fell out of a drift boat going through that stretch of the river

Saw a  guy drop an UL spinning outfit trying to swim out of a tailwater when it started to rise. He actually was closer to the other bank. Swim there and walk up the river and cross at the bridge.

[DFoster 0]

14 hours ago, flytire said:

on a float trip on the big horn river in montana i dredge up a full fly fishing outfit. rod reel and even the fly still attached to the leader

turned it in to one of the local fly shops. its unknown if anybody claimed it

i can only assume it fell out of a drift boat going through that stretch of the river

I have never found a fly rod though I did find an empty Sage rod tube once that was in new condition.  I would love to know the story of how it came to be 30' in the woods off the trail? 

I have found 3 complete spinning set ups with rod and reel within the past 5 years.  Nothing of great value (an Ugly Stick and Walmart combos).  2 of them I found while wading, I happened to look down and the shimmer of the jerk bait and rooster tail caught my eye.  In both cases they were still hooked to the guide.  The third was left on the side of a river with the rod tip down in the water.  All 3 were in serviceable condition so I don't believe they had been there long.  With each find my wife put up a facebook post about what I recovered without reply.  My guess is they were lost or forgotten about by kids or fell out of canoes?  Anyway I cleaned them up and gave the reels a dose of reel butter for storage.  In a few years I'll put new line on them and give them to my grandson.  He loves to fish but he's only 5 and these are adult rods.

[Poopdeck 0]

Five of my favorite rods are ugly stiks. The biggest fish I catch are all caught on ugly stiks. They just don’t break or wear out. 

[DFoster 0]

16 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

Five of my favorite rods are ugly stiks. The biggest fish I catch are all caught on ugly stiks. They just don’t break or wear out. 

Poopdeck I apologize, "not very valuable" was a poor choice of words on my part.  What I should have said was "not very expensive".  The word "valuable" is subjective.   I own some fairly expensive fly rods but to me one of the most "valuable" is my Cabela's brand CGR that I paid all of $79 for.  I will never part with it.

[flytire 0]

aluminum boat hatch on a new hampshire pond

i guess the locals leave them in the woods so they dont have to lug them around every time they want to fish the pond

i saw other ponds with the same hatch on them