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Has your detecting evolved?

Cherry Picker

Forum Supporter
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Messages
13,470
Location
Dodge City KS
I'll admit when I first started metal detecting my motivation was to find treasure and get rich. Once the TR detectors came out, it became more of a challenge. Learning how to properly tune to the ground and adjust your detector became more interesting, and the search focused more on learning where to look. That helped fuel my interest in researching local history and learning how to spot old locations by the trees, house foundations, and center of town locations. This led me to recover older, and more interesting finds.

I was still just an old coin hunter when the VLF technology came around and depth improved. With better depth came older, and more historical finds. This in turn led me to more interested in learning more about history so as to find older sites. I had always done well with rings. In fact, my very first I found in an open field with a boomerang. Before I even knew about metal detectors I was out in a field playing with a boomerang and once where it hit the ground it popped up a huge gold ring with an onyx conquistador on it. I took it home and showed my Mom. She took it and said she would give it to me when I got older. Never saw that thing again.

My first good ring find was with my Tesoro Inca in a vacant lot. I saw an area that I was sure used to be the cloths line of the house once there. In that spot, I found a gold wedding set with 9 diamonds. It was then that I had an epiphany. I went and sat n the curb for a good 15 minutes just gazing at the ring set thinking I had probably just paid for my detector. It was appraised at $1,360, but it completely changed my detecting. The idea of finding treasure and big money was a real possibility. I had been finding old coins for years, Jewelry was now my target.

Reading the Internet forums, mainly right here at Friendly Metal Detecting, I learned about these new spots they called tot lots. I spent the next 10 years in heaven. The first to ever hunt our local tot lots and they were laden with jewelry. Lots of the shiny yellow stuff. Enough of the yellow stuff I cashed in $12,000 worth and bought a classic corvette, and every detector I had ever dreamed of owning. All too soon I drained them dry and the yellow stuff slowed down to a crawl. Back to my roots, I went looking for old coins again. This time I added relic hunting as well. My oldest coins were found at these sites. My search for the perfect detector also began. The one detector to rule them all.

Today my interests have gone from finding lost history & treasures, to just plain enjoying my hunts. Age has played a big part, and some medical issues helped, but over the nearly 50 years of swinging a detector, I have found just about everything I could ever want and more. I do have a few bucket listers, but if I was to never find another piece of yellow shiny, or old coin I'd still be happy. I'm still tickled pink just to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the feel of the sun on my face.

Now I spend a lot of time watching Youtube videos because I enjoy watching others experience the thrill of the find just as I did. I get to relive it all over again. When I first watched Paystreak's videos I thought why would he get so excited about finding a penny, or a dime? Now I know. As I have had at the bottom of my posts for many years.

The Real Treasure Is In The Hunt....
 
Well said! I am glad to see you still posting and enjoying the hobby!


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My detecting has evolved to a point that I don't want to dig coins any longer. Yes, not even silver coins. More specifically, if it's not an old and unique relic, or valuable jewelry, then I don't want to spend time and effort digging it up.
 
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