# I just watched the privy digging show on the travel channel..



## RICKJJ59W (Apr 30, 2008)

Man did that dude have some equipment or what?? lol blacktop saw,backhoe,battery powered bucket puller sonar privy finder wow what ever happened to old fashioned (work)It was all about money again,except this time there was no 67.500 dollar bottle.But still, the host  kept asking how much,how much is this worth.There was some talk of history,but I think the $$$$ took over most of the show.Again.


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## jays emporium (May 1, 2008)

I was impressed with the equipment alright, especially the underground radar machine.  My daughter even said "That's some hard core high tech bottle hunting."  The bottles they found and the prices quoted were realistic.  I would have valued that cobalt medicine bottle higher than $25.  I didn't think the value questions dominated the show, that is what non-collectors want to know first.  Overall I thought they did a good job.


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## Bottleman (May 1, 2008)

I was flipping through channels and just happened to see the commercial for it about 10 minutes before it aired. How lucky is that? I enjoyed watching it and that guyâ€™s bottle tumbler was out of control! Didnâ€™t he say he could tumble like 80 bottles at one time?

 ~Tom


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## RICKJJ59W (May 1, 2008)

It was a fun show but...
  The next time you knock on a door to get permission to dig a pit,and they say no,they just might have saw that show.The dollar signs where ding donging in there heads saying you ain't digging in my yard thats my money![8D] Thats the point I'm trying to make.Its ok if us as (Bottle diggers) see it, but others don't know what we know and feel they see $$$$ and thats it.


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## mikmis (May 1, 2008)

i just watched it too and thought they did an exelent job .it showed that even with the high tech .equipment and about 20 hrs of back breaking digging the reward was in the beauty of the bottles and not alot of cash.they even reserched the bottles,the history of the property,the land owners that used the privies,and left her with a nice report on everything.


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

I think our crew are the only ones on this forum who dig through asphalt on a regular basis, and we def dont use that equiptment. 

 As for the potential permissions...The folks who saw that show and have a pit in there yard wont make the attempt to dig it, and if someone knocked on there door, it would probably lead to good things, except they would actually want some bottles...but who cares? Its a hobby, unless you need to justify your time and labor...but then you would be doing it for the money.


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## glass man (May 1, 2008)

Unless the guy digging got paid by the T.V. SHOW ,he lost money. I wonder what the deal really was between the SHOW and the owner of the place  to get to dig? The deal went too smoothly to me," can we dig your parking lot up and drive off custormers"?," Yes "! RIGHT!


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: glass man
> 
> Unless the guy digging got paid by the T.V. SHOW ,he lost money. I wonder what the deal really was between the SHOW and the owner of the place  to get to dig? The deal went too smoothly to me," can we dig your parking lot up and drive off custormers"?," Yes "! RIGHT!


 
 Well, like I said before, its a hobby unless you need to justify your time and labor....and all those other expenses. Im sure the show did some shmoozing with the owner, but it entertained thousands of people and opened a whole new world to those which it did not fly over.


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## glass man (May 1, 2008)

YES IT ENTERTAINED THOUSANDS,BUT I think it should aways be noted on these bottle shows that it is not only hard work[not everyone has the stuff this guy had] but how many times people come up with:NOTHING! YES I was entertained, but I also know it ain't that easy!


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

I see what you mean and agree that there are holes that SUCK and people should be told this so they dont think every hole has a Mrs. Winslows....

 Its up to us to explain it to the property owners....so lets get out there and dig some holes!!!!

 Matt


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## JGUIS (May 1, 2008)

Kudos! That's the most intelligent thing I've ever seen you type, and I agree 100%.



> ORIGINAL: RICKJJ59W
> 
> It was a fun show but...
> The next time you knock on a door to get permission to dig a pit,and they say no,they just might have saw that show.The dollar signs where ding donging in there heads saying you ain't digging in my yard thats my money![8D] Thats the point I'm trying to make.Its ok if us as (Bottle diggers) see it, but others don't know what we know and feel they see $$$$ and thats it.


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: JGUIS
> 
> Kudos! That's the most intelligent thing I've ever seen you type, and I agree 100%.
> 
> ...


 
 yeah, but how many people are actually going to dig there own hole out?? seriously.


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

im rolling my eyes because you made me refresh the page for that...

 YUCK [:'(]

 []


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## baltbottles (May 1, 2008)

What a piece of crap that show was.  Backhoes, Ground Penetrating Radar, Asphalt Saw, and an Electric Bucket Puller. And it still took them 20 hours to dig a 12 foot brickliner? Dug an 8 footer today in 4 hours. I mean who really digs like this? Anyone on this forum? Part of the fun of this hobby is the hard work you put in for your rewards.

 Chris


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## jesster64 (May 1, 2008)

damn, forgot all about the show. but from reading the comments, i think i can imagine the whole program. When you break out the back hoe, its no longer a hobby, its a business. And i agree, this is going to turn a lot of people off. Instead of digging for history, they think you are digging for money and are making a profit off of something that belongs to them, thats on their land. I'm pretty sure i can buy most any bottle out there, but it would mean nothing to me. I didn't dig it up. i didn't walk for hours in the woods or dig a dozen test holes. Thats what I see when i look at a bottle i dug up. The phillyboys, god bless them, I'd squat in my pants to be in some of the holes they dig. Lined or not, I'm too scared of a cave in to go that deep for some glass. They work for their bottles.


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## privvydigger (May 1, 2008)

That guy wrote a 20 some page report with grafts, measurements, positions, history and pictures. what are you a bottle digger or one of those other guys! History is in the glass not how its in the ground.  I'm pretty sure we all know how things ended up in the privy.....
 It was dropped!
 good show anyway
 It didn't beat the first show cause that girl was down and dirty in the mud.  Remember the rain spout?
 privvydigger


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## druggistnut (May 1, 2008)

Lou is retired from the construction business and already had a lot of this equipment.
 He REGULARLY digs asphalt parking lots (go read his posts, elsewhere), so he has turned it in to a science, of sorts.
 Now, knowing ahead of time that two old ladies lived in that spot where they were going to dig, you have to know that he was hedging his bets on NOT recovering any high end stuff. Why go through the effort, only to turn the goodies over? I think he had it planned out well, and actually did us all a favor.
 I've never met or talked to the man, except once by email.
 Bill


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## RICKJJ59W (May 1, 2008)

Thats why the little green button in my best Friend Lobe lol ,I peek here and there when I want to  get sick to my stomach,I enjoy that once in a while [8D] but most of the time I just let the good times roll [] Oh by the way look for my strory coming out in June in AB&GC its a goodin.


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## NCdigger5 (May 1, 2008)

She was kind of annoying to me. She kept asking how much everything was worth! That guy had some nice digging equipment though. And what looked to be a nice collection!


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## downeastdigger (May 1, 2008)

Is that the show where the chick was kinda cute?  Is it the same one where she goes meteor hunting?  I thought it was ok, and wouldn't cause too much harm for the hobby, but if it became a series, then we'd be screwed !   "THis week on Privy Survivor Challenge"


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

She was a happy lady.........


 I think that book he made for her was about the bottles and the history of the hole which includes the useage. We do that sometimes if requested, or if its screamin old. That right there made us look good.


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## Digger George (May 1, 2008)

It was a very good show and very fascinating. She has to ask "how much is it worth" in every episode because the show is called Cash and Treasures. It shows people what we go through to get bottles that, much of the time, are not worth the gas money to the site but we still dig on for that next great find. That tumbling machine was ridiculous! I want ground penetrating radar!


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## appliedlips (May 1, 2008)

I didn't get a chance to see it yet but still agree that no show is a good show.Lou seems like a very knowledgeable digger and I am glad they weren't  throwing $ around again.The show was still called cash and treasure though,right.As far as the equipment,go for it!I had thought of ground penetrating radar for a while and still think I will make the leap at some point.In the best digging cities in the midwest most of the stuff left is paved over.I am sure the California guys see more of this than anyone.Who wouldn't use a backhoe if they had one sitting around?Good for him but TV still sucks.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 1, 2008)

You are right George thats what the show is about TREASURE, but like downeast said if they made a weekly series we would be in deep chit and not the kind we like [8D] There would be better bottles dug with higher price tags the word would get out and we would be HISTORY.


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## Digger George (May 1, 2008)

ya I don't think there's much good on tv but when I see some antique bottles and a hot chick digging them it's all good[sm=tongue.gif][sm=rolleyes.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=kiss.gif]


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## Leisalu (May 1, 2008)

I'll try to address all comments but if I miss something here let me know and I'd be happy to address it. 

 I think folks who don't know got a reality check on digging for bottles which I believe benefited our digging hobby. It's not about  money for many of us like the last show seemed to portray. The show was going to feature a bottle dig whether I did it or not and they may of got someone else who may of inflicted some sever damage to our hobby. I didn't volunteer to do this and even declined the fist time they asked partially because I like keeping a low profile. After giving it lots of thought I agreed to do it the second time they asked but only if it were on my terms which didn't set to well with the producer at first.
 Let's face it the show is about just what the name says it is and they like bringing that point out, it makes people more interested. Part of my deal with them was that they would repeat the: "What's it worth" question  and almost every time they did I tried to evaded it. 

 The concrete saw was something I never use and rarely I use the backhoe, it was only there to expedite the process for the production company. It was a slow dig because we had to re-do many scenes and wait for shots to be set-up. It was not my normal mode of operation.

 I think the next time I knock on someones door who saw this show, they'll likely say something to the effect of: "Go right ahead, we think your nuts to go though that much effort for so little value in bottles" and maybe I am. 

 I've dug privies for almost 40 years and can tell you that research  and documentation play a major role in it for me. It's not about just the bottles but a passion for California history and being able to preserve a part of it. Often I'm asked to do the reports and sometimes I'll offer to do one even if I'm not asked. It helps put what your doing into perspective  while at the same time makes a record of the site and what you've done, all good stuff.

 There was no money involved in the TV show either for me or the property owner. After being the construction business for decades I know what to do and 
 how to make a job run as smooth as silk just as that dig went.

 The bottle tumbler can hold up to about 80 bottles but usually I run 30-40. 

 I know my doing the show will likely inflame some people out there in our hobby 
 but I think the alternative may of not been good for any of us.


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## PhilaBottles (May 1, 2008)

You portrayed us in the best way possible...I wish you 100 years more of happy digging.

 Matt


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## Digger George (May 1, 2008)

It's good to hear from you. I totally respect you for doing this. I did notice the difference from the bottle diggin episode last season. You show that history is important and value is not so much. haha $5 for that little ink with the stuff inside was a bit high but there's probably somebody out there that'll give you it and she was so excited! Nice collection by the way!


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## Bottleman (May 1, 2008)

Hey, thatâ€™s pretty cool you are a forum member. I think the show turned out great and it was better than the first one that ran last year even though it was only a half hour program. I can see where Rick is coming from but the producers were just trying to push the â€œvalueâ€ aspect to make the show more interesting and get more viewers. I think that the more people who saw it the better. There have been sooooo many times when I have knocked on someoneâ€™s door and explained what I am doing and their first response is â€œwe never had an outhouse on our propertyâ€. Hopefully now people will realize that there was a privy on their property at one time and then I can convince them to dig it. 
 One question though, was the scene where the TV host went to ask permission from the store owner staged or was that the first time she talked with the property owner?
 ~Tom


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## Bottleman (May 1, 2008)

Leisalu, I saw that you posted back in march to the thread â€œTV production company looking for real 'diggers'â€œ. At the time people were skeptical of the production company. Is this the same company that had you do the show?


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## glass man (May 2, 2008)

LEISALU: great we get to hear YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY! I still wish you could have told that ,people don't always have the equipment that was used for this show and  a digger does not always get a single bottle for all the hard work. I  did love each time a bottle was outlined in the dirt! I think you did a good job and WISH I COULD GO ON A DIG WITH YOU! MAYBE ALL THAT ARE ON THE BOTTLE FORUM? HA! THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING TO DEBATE ABOUT!


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## Leisalu (May 2, 2008)

When Kirsten found that little clear ink in the beginning of the show she was really truly  excited. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was not worth anything while realizing 5 bucks was definitely pushing it. This gal in real life off camera is fun to be around and and has a great personality not to mention she's hot. We all went out for dinner and drinks together, it was a blast. Their were five of them  including the host and producer.

 I thought one of the funniest parts of the show was when she asked the store owner for permission to dig, that was totally staged. The owners were wonderful people but I had arranged permission for the dig at least two months prior.  

 I saw the post in March about the production company looking for diggers and think that was likely a scam or just some want-to-be with a video camera wanting to make a armature movie. The way this company went about finding someone to approach to do their show was interesting. They had a lady from their company actually research potential people for months by talking to bottle auction houses and collectors on the West Coast and for what ever reason settled on asking me. This production company was just great, very professional and all really nice down to earth people. They produce shows for the History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic. 

 They filmed over 70 hours of tape between the two camera men over a three day period and condensed all of that into a 22 minute show without the ads. The producer told me that there was so much good material there that he wished the show could of been an hour long. I made many strong points about our hobby I wished they would of used but unfortunately they were cut. One of my favorites I said that didn't get used and I say this often is: "If you want to dig bottles, be prepared for a lot of hard work and disappointments" and that one couldn't be any more true. How discouraging that would of sounded to the viewers though I guess.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 2, 2008)

Yes it would have been very discouraging for the (non bottle diggers to hear) but the (True bottle diggers) knows whats up.Still they should have put your last statement in, maybe just a few home owners would have seen that we don't do it (just) for money.Nice collection of sodas by the way. Rick


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## cobaltbot (May 2, 2008)

In my part of Pennsyltucky the cable does not have the travel channel, anybody record those shows?


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## buzzkutt033 (May 2, 2008)

our DVD recorder went down two weeks ago, but I recorded it on VHS tape if you're interested cobaltbot..........    I live about 20 miles north of allentown, pa.

 Jim


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## onekick1 (May 2, 2008)

I think the digging show on the Travel Channel was a plus for the digging community and Lou did a great job of showing bottle diggers, in general, in a positive light. The Travel Channel was going to do this show with or without Lou and I think that Lou agreed to do the show out of default. His dedication to the bottle collecting hobby and hard work in helping put on not one but two bottle shows a year is well known here in the west. 
 I often dig with Lou and the majority of the digs are in parking lots, under sidewalks etc. and all of the digs are with full permission from the property owners. Lou's motto when digging is to return the dig site to better condition than we found it. This sometime requires taking trash from the yard to the dumps, patching cracks in the owners parking lot etc. We even built a handicap ramp on a piece of  property that we dug so that people in wheelchairs could use the public building. 
 The point being if you take care of the property you are digging the easier it is to get that digging permission next door. A good and positve experience for the property owner is a must if you want to continue digging in the same area. 
 Ask not what the bottle digging hobby can do for you, but what you can do for the hobby.


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## tigue710 (May 3, 2008)

I think you did a great job.  You made it look like so much trouble NO ONE will ever try it them selfs now!  All together she had about 150 dollars worth of bottles and you guys made it look so time consuming and technical plus only a 150 dollar pay off?  That will keep the treasure hunters at bay and the home owners in check.  

 Just the other day when perusing a privy (thanks to the first show) I was told "no one just gives money away" along with a refusal...  If that guy had seen this show I think he would of said go ahead...

 I gotta know though, what did you find before she got there that morning?


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## VirginiaDigger (May 5, 2008)

Sorry I missed the show, will the travel chan. be re-showing it?


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## cobaltbot (May 6, 2008)

Jim, I might take you up on that if I'm up that way.


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## buzzkutt033 (May 6, 2008)

If you're interested, I'll gladly mail the VHS tape to you. Not a problem. TV Show probably much better for the non-bottle digging addict, but was kewl. Again, if you'd like, PM me a mailing address & I'll drop it to you sometime this week. 

 Jim


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## JGUIS (May 7, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: tigue710
> I gotta know though, what did you find before she got there that morning?


 
 [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=rolleyes.gif][]


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## jesster64 (May 19, 2008)

Finally got a chance to watch the show. Very nice, plus the hostess is hot. loved to see the excitement when she found her first bottle. thats what its all about, to me anyway. would have like to have seen a shot looking more down into the pit to show people just how deep these go. Glad they kept stressing the history part more than the value part.
 would like to see her do a follow up show of a dump dig. not everyone can dig up asphalt or get permission to do it, but every town had a dump. sometimes it just takes a walk in the woods. or maybe we would like to keep that under the radar a bit.  she seemed like she really enjoyed it which was great to get across on camera.
 the 20 page report was a bit overkill but looked good for the camera i guess.


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## RedGinger (May 19, 2008)

Where did you find the show?  It doesn't look like they're re-running it.


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## RedGinger (May 19, 2008)

They will be re-running it.  May 30 5pm


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## jesster64 (May 19, 2008)

a coworker recorded it for me.she finally got around to bringing in to work. She has tvo. I have a copy if you wat to see it.


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## RedGinger (May 20, 2008)

Thanks jesster.  I appreciate the offer.  I'm going to try to catch it on the 30th.


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