Dave Milsted, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 4 of 10

Platinum Ring Lost 18 Years Ago Found in Middlesex NJ By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason sent me an email last week, asking if I could search for a ring his mother lost 18 years ago. It is a diamond platinum ring that belonged to his grandmother. His mom lost it while gardening. We made plans for me to drive up to the town of Middlesex today.

I met Jason & his mom, Audrey. She explained that she was gardening in the front yard, and when she went into the house, the ring was missing. She also was in the back yard shed, where she keeps all of her tools.

She is moving to Florida in a couple of weeks and would really like to have her mother’s ring back. When she lost it, it caused a lot of drama between her mom and herself. She said she had another professional detectorist search for it several years ago with no luck. My optimism faded big time.

I searched the garden and found a ton of roofing nails and foil (from potted plants). I searched the front lawn. Someone must have had holes in their pocket because the path to the driveway was loaded with coins. I searched down to the sidewalk.

Jason said, “I guess we should look in the back yard now.” I said, “let me search the strip between the sidewalk and the street.” He didn’t believe it would be there. With about 4 feet left to search in the strip, I get an excellent 8-9 on my detector. I think it is another piece of tin or foil. It is right up against the curb. About 4 inches deep, I see the beautiful ring.

I wanted to surprise them, so I pulled out my cell phone and acted like I am texting someone. But I’m taking pictures. Jason comes running down to me, asking me what I found. So I just told him that I found it. He couldn’t believe that I found it. So he picks it up and shows his mom sitting on the porch. She lets out the loudest blood curtailing scream. Her elderly neighbor 2 doors down came out of the house to make sure everything is ok.

Audrey didn’t care about social distancing. I got a big hard hug. Audrey shed a lot of tears of joy. It looks like 100 pounds of weight has been lifted off of her. I was so happy that I could find a ring that was missing for 18 years, even after another detectorist searched.

I love my Hobby!!

A note from Jason:  I contacted Dave to look for my Grandmothers wedding ring that my mom lost 18 yrs ago. He showed up and is very professional. After 1 hr of nails, screws, and bottle tabs. He was almost done with the front yard and searched a patch of grass right on the edge of the curb. Long behold he found the ring that gave my mom so much heartache for years. Thank You Dave for making her the happiest I have seen her in a long time.

Football on the Beach in Ventnor NJ = Lost Chain & Pendant – Dave Milsted Responded

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

Metal Detecting Man to the rescue:
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!!

Lost Hearing Aid in Bryn Mawr PA, Found By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frank was out in his back yard, cleaning up debris from the latest storm. While throwing some branches into a waste pile, one of the branches caught him on the right side of his head, sending his very expensive hearing aid into the garden somewhere. He searched the internet and found me.

I called Frank on the way home from work. He told me the story. I know how expensive they are because I wear a set of hearing aids. I wanted to find it as soon as possible so it wouldn’t be exposed to moisture.

Frank wasn’t there when I got there. His wife showed me the area and had the other hearing aid for me to see & hear what I was looking for. It has a small wire, and I thought it might be stuck in a bush somewhere. It barely made a sound on both of the detectors, I brought with me, even after trying multiple settings. I searched for like 40 minutes without finding it.

I took out my small handheld pinpointer and tested it with the other hearing aid, a much better result. So I got on my hands and knees and starting searching. We were looking in a fern patch. These plants can easily hide a hearing aid. Fifteen minutes more of searching resulted in uncovering the missing hearing aid.

Frank was relieved. A set of hearing aids can cost well over 6k. His wife thought that I was going to give up. I told her I don’t give up easily. Social distancing prevented us from shaking hands or receiving a bro hug. The smiles on their faces were awesome.

I love my hobby!!

Lost Chai Charm on Margate NJ Beach Found By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dean called me, late afternoon on May 24th, asking for help in finding a lost Chai charm, solid gold about the size of a quarter. He was down visiting his parents in Margate. He took his son and some other boys to the beach to play football. During the game, someone grabbed his son and got his gold chain, it snapped, and the charm went flying. He had the general idea of the area. I had to check with the Mrs. because it was 5 pm and we hadn’t had dinner yet.

I called Dean back and told him I would be down in about an hour. He went back to the beach and sent me pictures of the area because he wasn’t sure if I was coming down tonight or early in the morning. I left home while it was sunny and 70. I took the Atlantic City Expressway, rocking out to the Led Zeppelin channel on Sirius. I get to the beach; it is overcast, windy, and 56. Guess who didn’t bring a jacket?

I texted Dean and started to search. Dean came down about 10 minutes later and adjusted my location. There must have been one heck of a party here last year because there were so many rusted bottle caps. Any fresh drops would be immediately covered with sand because of the wind.

About 35 minutes into the hunt, I get a good tone, look down and see just a sliver of gold. Brushed the sand away, and it was the Chai charm I was looking for. Dean was amazed. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. His smile said it all. He told me the charm was given to him many years ago by his mom. He never wore it. His son mentioned to Dean that all the kids in school were wearing chains with charms, so Dean gave this charm to his son to wear. He said his son was devastated when he lost the gold charm today. He was going to be so surprised when he got back.

I love my Hobby!!

 

Comment from Dean:

Dave is the Man. Right after my son lost it, the lifeguard mentioned to me there are people with metal detectors who may be able to help. It was a blessing I found Dave. He was so concerned the beach would be cleaned in the morning, that he was there within a few hours. My son, myself and my entire family are still amazed Dave found it. It really makes for a great memory and story, but more importantly that there are people like Dave who just want to help. Cannot thank you enough Dave. Thank you again. 🙏🙏

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yardwork Claims Another Wedding Ring in Haddonfield, NJ. Found by Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul was doing some yard work in his backyard, pulling up ivy from around a shed and some trees. When he was done, his wedding ring was missing. He emptied the bags of debris he made and searched without finding the ring. His wife suggested to buy a metal detector and search for it. Paul instead searched the internet for a metal detecting guy and found me.

Paul called me today and asked if I could help him find his ring after a brief description of what happened. I told him I would be able to come over after work.

I met Paul, and he showed me the area. There is still a lot of ivy in the yard. He only thinned it out. He told me a little bit about his property. The front part of the house is an old mill built-in 1805. In 1906 they added an addition to the back of the building and converted the mill into a residence.

I started my search and immediately found a can pull-tab. The next signal within a minute was the ring. It was a large white gold ring with a nice design etched into it. Paul couldn’t believe how fast I found it. He spent a long time looking for it. I couldn’t see his smile, because he was wearing a face mask, but I could see his amazement in his eyes.

He told me that I could come back at a later date and search the property for artifacts, BONUS!!!

I love my hobby!!

Lost Wedding Ring Lost While Doing Yard-Work in Haddon Township NJ During the Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19)

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received an email early in the morning from Mischa. He reports that he lost his wedding ring the day before while adding new mulch to his flower beds. We made arrangements for me to search after work.

I met Mischa and asked him several questions. He showed me the search area. All of the flower beds are up against a chain-link fence. I started to search with the smallest coil I have.

I searched all of the beds with no luck. I moved to another detector to search his travel paths to see if it fell off out of the beds. No luck. Mischa was thanking me for looking. I told him I wasn’t done yet.

I went back to the beds, on my hands & knees, pulled all of the mulch away from the fence and searched with my pin-pointer. Next to the last bed, I found it. The chain-link fence was too big for my metal detector to find the smaller ring. He was so happy. We maintained social distancing, no hand shakes or bro hugs. The search took a little over an hour.

I love my hobby!!

Lost Wedding Ring in West Chester PA Found By Dave Milsted During Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19)

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

April 25th, 2020 was going to be the most beautiful day of the week. So I had made arrangements to meet Mark at his parent’s house. This is where his wife lost her wedding ring a week ago playing field hockey in the backyard.

The area was beautiful, foggy, and a nice wet lawn, easier to track where I have been detecting, so I don’t miss anywhere. Mark wasn’t there yet, so I met his dad, Dennis. We did the whole social distancing thing.

He showed me a vast backyard, where they played field hockey last weekend. I asked if they were in any particular area, and he pointed to more then half of the yard. Oh boy, this could take a while. I went back to my SUV and got my detector.

I just started to search, and I heard someone say hello, I had headphones on, so I began to look around. It was Mark. I asked him a few questions. He was able to narrow the search area down a little. I was going to start my search at the swing set.

I started to search, and I got a good signal. I couldn’t see anything because the grass was so thick. I used my pin-pointer and spread open the grass, and there was a beautiful white gold wedding ring with several small diamonds. Less than 2 minutes of searching, it was in my hand. I needed that. I took a few pictures.

Mark was up on the deck. I started walking towards him and asked is there any area that his wife was in the most. I said that I didn’t want to be here all day. I said I had another question that might help. Does her ring look like this? And I opened my hand. The look on his face was priceless. No hugs or handshakes. Just smiles.

I asked for his wife’s cell number and sent her a few pictures. Within 30 seconds she called Mark in total disbelief. She worried all night that I wasn’t going to find it. I had told Mark when he contacted me earlier in the week that if it were in the yard, I would find it. He believed me until his wife changed his mind overnight. I love my hobby!!

Lost Cross in Haddonfield NJ Found By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kim called me earlier in the week; She wanted to know if I would be able to find a small gold cross. Her son Quinn was playing football in a schoolyard field. A girl had grabbed his collar and got a hold of his chain with a gold cross on it. They have the chain, but the cross is missing. The cross was given to him from his grandparents for his First Holy Communion, very sentimental.

We met after school on Friday. Quinn showed me the area of the field he believed that he was in when the chain was broken. I didn’t think we would have any luck finding it as there is very little grass on the field. It looks well used. I was fearful that another kid found it and didn’t turn it in. Kim already contacted the janitor of the school and he didn’t find it, and no one turned it in.

I started a grid pattern. I had a lot of little friends following us around. They have hundreds of questions. Every time the detector beeped, they all would ask, “Is that it?” Quinn would get on the ground and say please, please be it. After about an hour, Quinn had to leave for lacrosse practice. I told Kim that I would let her know if I found it.

When they left, the other kids left too. I was by myself. Five to ten minutes later, I got a good tone. I looked down and could see a gold loop. I found the cross. See the 1st picture. I took a few pictures and texted them to Kim.

She called me and decided to keep it a secret. We would meet sometime on Saturday and surprise Quinn. We decided to meet at the Westmont Party Store. We would make it look like a chance meeting. We caught it on video. The look on his face when I finally told him that I found it was priceless!!

Video of Quinn realizing I found the cross…

Lost Gold Diamond Ring Lost In Townsend DE, Found By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor contacted me a week ago, asking if I would travel to Townsend Delaware to search for his wife’s lost white gold ring.

She had come home after work back in October and found their puppy in its crate, where he had an accident. Covered in poop she raced him outside to wash him off with the hose. He was not cooperating. When she was finished and back inside the house, she noticed her ring from her grandmother was missing.

I traveled down early this morning in the dense fog. I met Taylor and he showed me the search area. He said he bought a metal detector shortly after the loss, but the unit was always beeping.

I got started and understood why his machine was beeping. There are a lot of coins on the path his wife took to the hose. I didn’t dig any and left them for Taylor.

Five minutes after starting I got the signal I was looking for. I took out my pinpointer and got a surface hit, but couldn’t see anything. I scraped away a layer of mud and I could see the outline of a ring. I called Taylor over to have him see what I was looking at. He couldn’t believe it. He said no wonder why all of the time I spent on my hands and knees looking I couldn’t find it.

Either his wife or the dog, who is close to 100 pounds must have stepped on it shortly after it was lost. I dug it out and cleaned it off the best I could. It was a small white gold ring with 5 diamonds. The look on his face was priceless. I got a couple of man hugs!. I took a few pictures and started my journey home.

I love my hobby!!

New Wedding Ring Lost In Williamstown, NJ – Found By Dave Milsted

  • from South Jersey (New Jersey, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda called me today in a panic. Her husband was in the backyard playing basketball and lost his wedding ring. They searched for a while with no luck. I told her if it is there I will find it. The kicker is they were married 5 days ago. The ring is a little too big and they have discussed getting it sized. The chilly air today didn’t help the cause.

I drove down to Williamstown tonight after work. It is dark and raining. Amanda showed me the area that the basketball court is located. It is a grassy area covered in leaves. The area is about 50 feet by 50 feet. There are no lights, so it was pitch black.

I decided to start close to the hoop. It could have been anywhere due to dribbling and shooting motions. 3 signals in and less than 5 minutes I found the ring! It was under some leaves.

Amanda was standing in the rain watching me. I walked over to her and I guess she thought I was going to ask some more questions. When I showed her the ring she was so surprised that I found it and couldn’t believe that I found it so fast. I got a hug! I’m glad my wife doesn’t get jealous, because I get a lot of hugs doing this service!

It was nice to have another quick find. After seeing the size of the area and it being so dark, I thought for sure that I would be there a very long time.

I love my hobby!! Another happy client!