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History

It all had to start somewhere. Learn about the history of the Finders Keepers program in Lincoln City.

In days gone by, treasure hunters searching Oregon’s coastline would find treasures from the far East—blown glass Japanese fishing floats in gleaming shades of green and blue. These floats were used to float fishing nets and ranged in size from two inches to two feet. They were collected, admired, polished and the ultimate find for a dedicated beachcomber.

These days, the world’s fishing vessels use buoyant plastic, making glass floats rare—except here in Lincoln City. Year-round, gorgeous Finders Keepers floats are hidden along our seven miles of beach.

The Finders Keepers project began in 1997, when a local artist first thought of glass floats as an intriguing way to launch the new millennium. Lincoln City sponsored the project, hosting the inaugural season in 1999-2000. Tourists came from around the country to search for their own brilliantly-colored, signed and numbered glass float.

For Lincoln City, the Millennium Float project was a perfect combination of art and the outdoors. Those who came in search of a float often found their way to area galleries where unnumbered floats were available for sale, along with a dizzying array of fine art glass from around the world.

More to Explore

a blue and a red special drops glass floats on the oregon coast at sunset

Special Float Drop Days You'll find our Float Fairies in a generous mood from time to time. Throughout the year extra glass floats are placed on Lincoln City beaches to find and keep.

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Glass Artists Have you ever wondered who makes the Finders Keepers magic happen? Talented artists handcraft each and every glass float that hits the beach.

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illustrations of a glass float and tentacles with the words "Finders Keepers"

Finders Keepers Be on the lookout for the colorful twinkle of a hand-blown glass float when you’re exploring our beaches. As the name says, Finders Keepers!

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