FAQ
This page created for answering the most frequently asked questions we hear.
"How did that stuff get down there so deep?"
- Does the stuff you're digging in smell?
No, not at all. Any compostable or organic material has completely been converted to pure "clean" soil.
- How do you guys know where to find them?
We use a metal rod about 4 feet long with a handle on it to "probe" the ground in various spots. The sound and feel of the rod going in the dirt tells us if there is something in the ground there, i.e., privy/cistern.
- Why are there bottles in privies?
The people that used the privy would occasionally throw an unwanted bottle or whatever was in hand down the hole to just get rid of it. Over the span of 10 or 20 years that would really add up to a lot of stuff.
"Now why would they throw this away?"
- What do you do with all the bottles you find?
We save the ones we don't already have in our personal collections and give the remaining finds to the home owner. If the home owner does not want any(which happens a lot), we sell them to help fund digging expenses incurred on trips.
- Do you do this for a living?
No, we do this to keep living!
- Are the home owners cooperative?
Probably 90% of them are. Usually very friendly and interested.
Some people, however, don't even want to look at you, let alone hear your whole bottle presentation. Sometimes they have been approached in the past by an over bearing bottle digger who has left a bitter taste in their mouth. This also leads to immediate rejection, spoiling it for everyone.
- What is the strangest occurrence you have had with a home owner?
One time we spent all day and night digging a pit in a guy's yard when we noticed the guy actually taking all the bottles in his pockets and what not. When we finished the pit we inquired if he had seen any bottles anywhere and he said no. That was a real bummer and a real strange dude!
- Is this your only hobby?
No, Dan and I are both into cars and motorcycles. Other interests include: flying, a little computer stuff, music, and figuring out how things work.