Lynne’s Story

    Even before I was really old, I guess I was an “old soul”.  I’ve always been drawn to earlier things and their place in history.  From a young age, I enjoyed hunting for Native American artifacts with my Mom, which led to some more serious digging and “real” archaeology with Jack Cresson, who was the NJ State Archaeologist.  Then, as an art history major in college, the interest continued, but after graduation became more focused on American history,  specifically our immediate area of New Jersey & Pennsylvania.  The “thrill of the hunt” grabbed hold of me and as well as being a collector of early antiques, I became a dealer… as was my Mom & Grandfather.  As they say, “it’s in the blood”, and that certainly proved true!  I currently do about 14 antique shows a year, from Virginia to New England, and as far west as Ohio.

     After moving into a 1743 Quaker stone farmhouse in Bucks County, PA, I became specialized (and somewhat obsessed!) in antiques from about 1680 to 1820.  I like things that may have been used in my own house.  From the time that we moved in, I started finding colonial artifacts all over the yard, including redware & other pottery, early glass, square nails, clay pipe pieces, old coins & buttons, as well as hundred of other items.  Rich (VanWinkle) was just a baby then & some of my favorite times were pulling him around in a wagon in the fields behind our house & finding Native American artifacts.  I like to think that the love of searching for these items was seeping into his blood then,  before he even knew it!  All these years later, things still turn up each time it rains, or I dig in the garden.  I simply can’t go outside without looking at the ground!

     Along with my antique business, which is called, “Ivy Hill Primitives”, I spent a few years as an editor for “A Simple Life” magazine (which is no longer published).  Part of my job was to write articles on antiques, but I also got to go along on many photo shoots to some of the earliest & best houses on the east coast.  It was an amazing experience that I gained so much from.  (Rich also worked for the magazine as a photographer so getting to work with him was a bonus!). At that same time, I started designing & making jewelry, sometimes using old pottery shards or coins in my pieces.  I sell it at some of the antique shows that I do, as well as on Facebook on a site called “Preservation of the Past”.  (You have to join the site to see it but it’s free to join.)

     As if I didn’t have enough to keep me busy…fast forward to about 5 1/2 years ago.  Rich had started metal detecting and contacted Quarter Hoarder.  Jason & Doug arrived at our house early one Saturday morning in July and left at about 9 o’clock that night!  Needless to say, I was hooked in the first 10 minutes…not only to the hunting process, but also to their magnetic personalities & endless humor!  I wanted more!  Going forward, they were nice enough to let me tag along on all the digs, even though I wasn’t able to dig myself at the time.  Lyme disease (the count is up to 6 times now) caused unbearable joint pain and I just couldn’t hold a detector for more than a couple of minutes at a time.  Eventually, things improved and when I picked up that detector…that was it!  There’s no going back…pain or no pain!  As “Lynndiana Jones”, I had a bit of “beginners luck” during my first year.  Some of the highlights include: a few coppers, a trime, a seated liberty half dollar, a half-reale, a few Native American artifacts, and the infamous 1958 class ring that we were able to return to 87 year old Nancy during a big party.  There’s one find that’s been kept a secret…right after I started detecting, I found a Flying Eagle.  The video never came out because Doug was sobbing too hard! LOL 

     There’s so much more that I’d like to find, but what makes this hobby so special is that every hole we dig is like a treasure hunt.  Just to get a bit sappy,  I’ve already found the real treasures, which are the friends that I’m fortunate enough to hang out with almost every weekend.  Even if we only find trash, each time is blast with these guys!