Diversity.

[Rock Jock]

History, relics and geology are my triggers. Valuables are fun to find as a bonus.

 

[GroundSweeper]

I always wanted a metal detector but thought their cost just put it out of reach. Back in '13 I put a few Zippos I had acquired on CL with the option to trade for a metal detector. Someone had a Bounty Hunter Prospector detector which I looked at and was in awe at how cool it was () and I brought two 9v to test it out, and it was flakey as all heck, knowing I would have to replace the battery connectors, I traded for it. I thought it was a 'good' detector and obviously didn't do my homework. I will say, I spent HOURS with that machine, taking super long lunches at work, which got me in a bit of trouble at one point. Had to stop doing 3 hours lunches. Found a silver dime, a 14k gold ring, a war nickel, and a bunch of clad etc with that machine.... wish I had gotten it 20 years earlier....

 

[IfindFe]

I've dug in the dirt my entire life. First 40 years fruit orchard farming, next 27 years as a utility worker for a small town. I've found a lot of artifacts simply by the amount of earth I've looked through and the interest I have in finding them. I had always been jealous when I saw someone using a detector, I felt that I just couldn't justify spending money to have one myself. In 2017 I made a dumpster rescue. It was a 1982 Fisher M-scope VLF 555-D, new in the box, 35 years old and never been used. Manual and everything. I should have sent it to a museum but I took it home and was more excited than any little kid could possibly be. I read the manual until I was thoroughly confused, put batteries in the machine and fired it up. It was horrible. It made noise but it wasn't doing it right. I researched and went out on a limb and bought some Deoxit D5 and F5. I worked the Deoxit into the pots and that machine came alive! I cleaned all of the nails, foil and wire out of my own yard. Then on my first true hunt in a local park I found a very pretty silver ring about 8" deep. That ring went on my wife's finger in 2017 and I haven't seen it come off yet. Oh, I was hooked. I loved that machine, used it a few years and still have it. I've moved along in the usual detectorist fashion and still get the same thrill of the hunt whichever machine I'm using.

 

[OBN]

I had a few triggers, a co-worker invited me to go to OC Md when I was looking at retiring after 40 years, and I collected silver when I had a paper route at 15/16. But really, I'm not sure what kept me going for I never found much detecting early on and at 16 what silver I saved my dad bought it from me.. Me, not knowing it had jumped in price.. for at the time I was to interested in HS sports and girls. My problem is I jump hobbies about every 10 years.. and I'm at 15 years detecting now and the passion is still there but fading?. I do see several posting, Their return after several years off from detecting.. Am I headed that way?

100% (in the) water hunter

 

[Cherry Picker]

I got started finding treasure before I owned a detector. When I was probably 7 or 8 years old I was on a hill right off the Santa Fe Trail throwing a boomerang. Well, my boomarang didn't come back so when I went to pick it up, where it had hit the ground it popped up an old gold huge ring. I remember it being gold in color, had lions on the sides, and a black center with the imprint of a conquistador. It was huge I took it home and showed my Mom. She took it and said she was going to put it away until I was old enough. Many years later I remember it and asked her. She said she didn't know where it was but thought my older brother took it.