(Heavy)
Elite Member
Martini says "you don't get crap back when you go fishing but you do it anyway"
but he is late to the thread so don't mind him
Is metal detecting worth it?
- Thread starter MurdochBaines
- Start date
GoBanana
Full Member
I just like spending money.
Mission
I KNOW where there is a 18k gold ring with 4 brilliants in it , i lost the ring myself last year, had to move the ring couse i got married ,, needed the finger , so i put THIS ring on a finger that was a little bit too small , so it fell of when riding an MC . Have a pretty good idea of where it is.Am about 65km from that area now. Was planning to go there today , but the Mrs had 1 too many yesterday and she aint feeling to good .(i told her
) IF i find it , it will have paid all the md gear i have , and half the tripp to Thailand. So im hoping for it.
I KNOW where there is a 18k gold ring with 4 brilliants in it , i lost the ring myself last year, had to move the ring couse i got married ,, needed the finger , so i put THIS ring on a finger that was a little bit too small , so it fell of when riding an MC . Have a pretty good idea of where it is.Am about 65km from that area now. Was planning to go there today , but the Mrs had 1 too many yesterday and she aint feeling to good .(i told her
) IF i find it , it will have paid all the md gear i have , and half the tripp to Thailand. So im hoping for it.
We have a brand new Hampton Inn that just opened up this week!!!!
Dusty
Can I pay w/nuggets?......
I got into it simply for the connection with untapped history behind what I find. I would buy old American coins and figured why not potentially find my own. The fact that it's great exercise and being outside is icing on the cake!
Burien
Elite Member
History, research, exercise, comraderie, and you never know what is just beneath the next shovel full.....
I have returned to the owners 2 cell phones, and 1 gold class ring.
I bought a used detector on craigslist, and found a gold ring in the middle of a park 7 inches down. Yahoo!
I have taken countless batteries out of the beach sand. I have seen some beautiful sunsets all while removing pull tabs from the beach.
Metal detecting gives me a good feeling and a way to do some good for others that they don't even know about.
I bought a used detector on craigslist, and found a gold ring in the middle of a park 7 inches down. Yahoo!
I have taken countless batteries out of the beach sand. I have seen some beautiful sunsets all while removing pull tabs from the beach.
Metal detecting gives me a good feeling and a way to do some good for others that they don't even know about.
Sparkster
Junior Member
Mr. Baines
From your post, you sound young. Of course most everyone is young compared to me. Most of your questions have already been answered, but I will share with you my thoughts on metal detecting.
I'm 66 years young. I can bowl very well, I shoot hoops as good as most 20 year olds. I shoot 500 free throws a day and average over 90 % and have for almost 50 years. I jet skii, ride dirt bikes, and off road vehicles, water ski and wake board. I drive a Mustang GT as my toy car. I'm a Philatelic Broker (Postage Stamp Dealer for collectors) and I metal detect.
Is metal detecting for everyone? Certainly not.
You ask the question, Why do you do it? For me I do it because I enjoy it. I see places I have never seen before, meet very interesting people, and every once in a while I find something very neat and possibly very valuable.
I bought a used MXT 300 about 8 months ago. Since then I have found enough coins, rings, and artifacts to pay for the cost of the detector about 4 times, but have not sold a one of them or cashed in any coins.
The best thing for me about metal detecting is I get up everyday with something to do that I really enjoy. It is like a nice glass of wine. I do not want a whole bottle, just a glass every now and then.
I detect a couple of hours a day at the most. I have been to numerous beaches, out in the deserts of Arizona and California and every play ground, tot lot, park and school you can imagine. I never know what I will find.
The best is it is my choice and mine alone. It is not a job, I don't have to do it, I have no boss except my drive and motivation. It cannot get any better than that.
Finding something old, something valuable or a relic from the past is endearing to older folks like myself. It brings back a time when life was simple, kind of like being Huckle Berry Fin. It make me young.
If it is all about money, then it is probably not for you.
As it has been stated before this is one hobby that will pay for itself.
If you decide to metal detect I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Have a great day and Happy Hunting.
From your post, you sound young. Of course most everyone is young compared to me. Most of your questions have already been answered, but I will share with you my thoughts on metal detecting.
I'm 66 years young. I can bowl very well, I shoot hoops as good as most 20 year olds. I shoot 500 free throws a day and average over 90 % and have for almost 50 years. I jet skii, ride dirt bikes, and off road vehicles, water ski and wake board. I drive a Mustang GT as my toy car. I'm a Philatelic Broker (Postage Stamp Dealer for collectors) and I metal detect.
Is metal detecting for everyone? Certainly not.
You ask the question, Why do you do it? For me I do it because I enjoy it. I see places I have never seen before, meet very interesting people, and every once in a while I find something very neat and possibly very valuable.
I bought a used MXT 300 about 8 months ago. Since then I have found enough coins, rings, and artifacts to pay for the cost of the detector about 4 times, but have not sold a one of them or cashed in any coins.
The best thing for me about metal detecting is I get up everyday with something to do that I really enjoy. It is like a nice glass of wine. I do not want a whole bottle, just a glass every now and then.
I detect a couple of hours a day at the most. I have been to numerous beaches, out in the deserts of Arizona and California and every play ground, tot lot, park and school you can imagine. I never know what I will find.
The best is it is my choice and mine alone. It is not a job, I don't have to do it, I have no boss except my drive and motivation. It cannot get any better than that.
Finding something old, something valuable or a relic from the past is endearing to older folks like myself. It brings back a time when life was simple, kind of like being Huckle Berry Fin. It make me young.
If it is all about money, then it is probably not for you.
As it has been stated before this is one hobby that will pay for itself.
If you decide to metal detect I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Have a great day and Happy Hunting.
dan
Elite Member
If there was such a thing as Post of the Day, Sparkster, I'd nominate yours.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Banemorth
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,601
AMEN BROTHER! Truer words were never spoken.
BlueDuck
Senior Member
Yep... I agree that post says what its all about for me... Good job.
JudgeX
New Member
I read up on metal detecting, and just now joined the hobby with a cheap F2 unit and I've had a lot of fun so far...
I had absolutely no intention of ever making a dime, and planned to keep absolutely everything I find rather than converting it into money...
I think the only people who stand to make money by metal detecting are people who live in gold rich areas, or people who get really really lucky a lot. I just needed an excuse to get out of the house and something to do, and as far as hobbies go, a few hundred bucks for a good reason to get out and get some fresh air isn't so bad.
I am motivated by what's under the ground, pieces of history, local to my house, local to my community, local to my state, or even important to my country... even if there's not a DIME worth of value in anything I dig up, when I pull something out of the ground that says to me, "I've been here for 40 years, I was owned by someone before you, I was important to that person" I am filled with delight that is different from the happiness I get from money. It's a connection to those around me, living and dead, who had and lost things, just as I have... bringing them back to the surface is the relic hunter's dream... and if I happen to find something incredibly valuable in the process, so be it... if I'm desperate at the time I may sell it, but MY dream would be to unearth something that could go in a small, local museum.
I had absolutely no intention of ever making a dime, and planned to keep absolutely everything I find rather than converting it into money...
I think the only people who stand to make money by metal detecting are people who live in gold rich areas, or people who get really really lucky a lot. I just needed an excuse to get out of the house and something to do, and as far as hobbies go, a few hundred bucks for a good reason to get out and get some fresh air isn't so bad.
I am motivated by what's under the ground, pieces of history, local to my house, local to my community, local to my state, or even important to my country... even if there's not a DIME worth of value in anything I dig up, when I pull something out of the ground that says to me, "I've been here for 40 years, I was owned by someone before you, I was important to that person" I am filled with delight that is different from the happiness I get from money. It's a connection to those around me, living and dead, who had and lost things, just as I have... bringing them back to the surface is the relic hunter's dream... and if I happen to find something incredibly valuable in the process, so be it... if I'm desperate at the time I may sell it, but MY dream would be to unearth something that could go in a small, local museum.
Silversmith45
Elite Member
My feelings exactly.
SkiWhiz
Elite Member
Great post.
Demolition
Senior Member
$2200 in detectors, only found 3 silvers and a handfull of change. Totaly worth it to me. Most hobies caust big money but this one has the biggest chance to pay you back.
jcham
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2007
- Messages
- 1,621
I dont know if I have been lucky or unlucky for one reason or another to do most of my hunting while out of work. What I am saying is I have had more time in the field than most.
My first detector was a Whites XLT, out of the box I couldnt find squat and a friend of mine asked how much I paid for it. I think I paid $700 new well after he told me I got soaked I was on my way to return it but figured I would give it one more try in the parking lot where my girlfriend worked. I got a solid tone at 4" the machine told me it was a quarter and ok I said if this is not a quarter its going back. Well out poped an 1842 large cent LOL. I called my girlfriend told her that I was going to return it but after what I just found that I was keeping it.
It's been about 8 years since that day. I upgraded to a DFX and got some instruction on how to use it. since then well the amounts vary but I've pulled in the nieghborhood of 10-15K just in clad. Currently I have enough silver refined coins from old silver jewelry that I gave my youngest son to cash in at about $1000 dont know if my EX sold them yet but hope not as silver is on the rise and once I got into water hunting at least 15K in gold.
Over the years and a divorce later my numbers are probably all over the place but give or take. The hobby paid for all my detectors, paid for a scuba cirtification and 3k worth of scuba gear. As truthful as I can be most if not all was found in a 4-5 year time frame. Once I got some solid instruction and stoped digging everything my finds really took off. Why would I dig a penny with a $1000 metal detector, (block edit) those things are like pull tabs (block edit). I sweep a park for quarters and silver, blocking everything else out, then go back over it in the gold range. Seems to work for me and what I miss well I dont really miss if you get me meaning....
I love the hobby, I like to have a bag of rings at christmas time to give away. People look them over and if they want something they can have it, the rest gets melted down and refined.This past winter I took a token I had framed on my wall and gave it to a friend who was a history buff. Scuba diving I like it and I like that I am certified but I'm in no hurry to replace my gear, metal detecting I mean to go a season without hunting forget it.
I dont know I'm buying a new detector in a week $1000 and being out of work I'm going to spend 8 hours a day in the field. In the past I have pulled $200-$300 per week but who knows maybe there is nothing left. If thats the case I can always sell it. I mean if I pull $100 a week until I find another job I'll be happy. With that $100 there may be some old stuff, always neat to give to my son or some gold and silver, something cool coming out of the ground. Anyway thats for your post and for everyone's coments love the thread with all the gold now that paid for some detectors and a nice vacation!!!!!!!
My first detector was a Whites XLT, out of the box I couldnt find squat and a friend of mine asked how much I paid for it. I think I paid $700 new well after he told me I got soaked I was on my way to return it but figured I would give it one more try in the parking lot where my girlfriend worked. I got a solid tone at 4" the machine told me it was a quarter and ok I said if this is not a quarter its going back. Well out poped an 1842 large cent LOL. I called my girlfriend told her that I was going to return it but after what I just found that I was keeping it.
It's been about 8 years since that day. I upgraded to a DFX and got some instruction on how to use it. since then well the amounts vary but I've pulled in the nieghborhood of 10-15K just in clad. Currently I have enough silver refined coins from old silver jewelry that I gave my youngest son to cash in at about $1000 dont know if my EX sold them yet but hope not as silver is on the rise and once I got into water hunting at least 15K in gold.
Over the years and a divorce later my numbers are probably all over the place but give or take. The hobby paid for all my detectors, paid for a scuba cirtification and 3k worth of scuba gear. As truthful as I can be most if not all was found in a 4-5 year time frame. Once I got some solid instruction and stoped digging everything my finds really took off. Why would I dig a penny with a $1000 metal detector, (block edit) those things are like pull tabs (block edit). I sweep a park for quarters and silver, blocking everything else out, then go back over it in the gold range. Seems to work for me and what I miss well I dont really miss if you get me meaning....
I love the hobby, I like to have a bag of rings at christmas time to give away. People look them over and if they want something they can have it, the rest gets melted down and refined.This past winter I took a token I had framed on my wall and gave it to a friend who was a history buff. Scuba diving I like it and I like that I am certified but I'm in no hurry to replace my gear, metal detecting I mean to go a season without hunting forget it.
I dont know I'm buying a new detector in a week $1000 and being out of work I'm going to spend 8 hours a day in the field. In the past I have pulled $200-$300 per week but who knows maybe there is nothing left. If thats the case I can always sell it. I mean if I pull $100 a week until I find another job I'll be happy. With that $100 there may be some old stuff, always neat to give to my son or some gold and silver, something cool coming out of the ground. Anyway thats for your post and for everyone's coments love the thread with all the gold now that paid for some detectors and a nice vacation!!!!!!!
calamity John
New Member
Spent $20,000.00 for a boat plus all the gas to go fishing and all the
lost tackle,never did find anything in a fish that paid me back anything except a few good meals and a lot of fun but isn't that what it's all about?
Man if you don't want to spend the money, just say so, nobody's going to walk in front of you throwing goodies on the ground for you to find. I had to sell my boat for health reasons but I can still walk and swing,think about it.
lost tackle,never did find anything in a fish that paid me back anything except a few good meals and a lot of fun but isn't that what it's all about?
Man if you don't want to spend the money, just say so, nobody's going to walk in front of you throwing goodies on the ground for you to find. I had to sell my boat for health reasons but I can still walk and swing,think about it.
Scottygirl
Full Member
I agree, that next shovelful is what keeps me going. Look at that guy in England who found two pots of Celtic coins of a type never seen before. He was just out for fun.
Being a woman in this hobby gets me a lot of weird looks and raised eyebrows (people are WAY too conservative in my neck of the woods--wish I lived by Dustyloins!
), so if it wasn't gosh darn fun, I wouldn't do it.
luked
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
- Messages
- 381
I love it...i get hooked more everytime i go.
im one of the types that really swaps hobbies a lot trying to find something thats fun. i love the outdoors, hunting, and fishing...mainly fishing...i have a 19' fiberglass bass boat..on my 3rd one of them...2nd one i bought was new...$45,000 for that jewel....i loved it...but couldnt justify it...so i got rid of it...had 10s of thousands in fishing equiptment and so on...well when i got rid of it i swapped hobbies about every 4-5 months over a span of about 2 years trying to find something i enjoyed as much as my fishing was....well i never did..some came close...well fast forward to last october...bought myself a Harley..always wanted one but never tried really hard to get one..so i did...had it for 3 months...totally redid the whole bike new paint and the whole thing...traded it straight up for the 19' bass boat i have now...got a steal on it...but i still got the detector...havent used it no where near as much as i wish i could but i still love the hobby
hobbies are meant to be fun...and not many at all out there that you can actually make money on.
here not long ago..actually within just the past few weeks i sold a bunch of silver coins that my dad and i have had for a long time...dad is gone now and i been trying to help my mom out some by selling stuff that was dads that she dosent really need anymore...these coins were a mix of stuff a friend of my dads had given him and me and ones that my dad had found with his metal detector way back in the day....when it was all said and done i sold all the silver coins for around $800...now thats not including the pile of scrap silver and gold rings and so on that we have...probably almost $2000 worth there....find another hobby like that....gonna be hard to do...is MDing worth it....hell yes it is
im one of the types that really swaps hobbies a lot trying to find something thats fun. i love the outdoors, hunting, and fishing...mainly fishing...i have a 19' fiberglass bass boat..on my 3rd one of them...2nd one i bought was new...$45,000 for that jewel....i loved it...but couldnt justify it...so i got rid of it...had 10s of thousands in fishing equiptment and so on...well when i got rid of it i swapped hobbies about every 4-5 months over a span of about 2 years trying to find something i enjoyed as much as my fishing was....well i never did..some came close...well fast forward to last october...bought myself a Harley..always wanted one but never tried really hard to get one..so i did...had it for 3 months...totally redid the whole bike new paint and the whole thing...traded it straight up for the 19' bass boat i have now...got a steal on it...but i still got the detector...havent used it no where near as much as i wish i could but i still love the hobby
hobbies are meant to be fun...and not many at all out there that you can actually make money on.
here not long ago..actually within just the past few weeks i sold a bunch of silver coins that my dad and i have had for a long time...dad is gone now and i been trying to help my mom out some by selling stuff that was dads that she dosent really need anymore...these coins were a mix of stuff a friend of my dads had given him and me and ones that my dad had found with his metal detector way back in the day....when it was all said and done i sold all the silver coins for around $800...now thats not including the pile of scrap silver and gold rings and so on that we have...probably almost $2000 worth there....find another hobby like that....gonna be hard to do...is MDing worth it....hell yes it is
