It is not so easy to give up this hobby

[maxxkatt]

In Atlanta it was a long hot and very, very wet summer. I hunt civil war relics in North, east, west Atlanta. This includes creek and hilly areas with tons of mosquitos, bugs and water snakes and an occasional copperhead. The worst is losing your footing in the mud and wet vegetation and busting your butt while trying not to damage your detector.

So the plan was to sell my 800 and keep the Vanq 540. Then the plan was to sell both of them and get out of the hobby. Over the past month I have flipped and flopped with my plans.

Finally just sold my 540 and keeping my 800. My 800 just went out of warranty and I would not get as much for it because of that. Plus lot of time went into learning the 800. So I am keeping the 800 and just lowering my expectations and just enjoy being out detecting.

On my recent hunt found about $2.00 in clad and a boy scout necktie slider. Coins are easier to find with an 800 than CW relics, a lot less digging because when you hit a coin, you know it is a coin (or screw cap).

 

[TNTGross]

Never used the 540, but It sounds like you made the right choice. You kept one.

 

[GKL]

......So I am keeping the 800 and just lowering my expectations and just enjoy being out detecting......

Good attitude !!!!

You can still hope for really good finds and occasionally be surprised, and I stay hopeful myself, but I look at my detecting as my outdoor exercise program that is a lot more fun than walking on a treadmill

I know some hunts will be better than others as far as finds, but I enjoy every hunt regardless and feel better afterwards simply from the fresh air and exercise, and if I find some good finds that is a nice bonus

 

[Diabolik]

Glad you decided to stay in the game. You still going to continue beach hunting too? Nothing wrong with a good clad hunt. I spent a number of days this summer hitting one park and was able to pull in a lot of clad. Had a blast. I don’t think there is any bad hunting days. It sure beats working.

 

[Detectingman]

Basically I did no detecting between May and August or so and now back at it till the ground freezes here soon. Sometimes a break is in order or you work on other hobbies, nothing wrong with that. It's hard to completely stop though as detecting is an addictive hobby especially when you hit a gold or civil war relic! Keep swinging and nothing wrong with pacing yourself.

 

[ToySoldier]

..............Then the plan was to sell both of them and get out of the hobby. Over the past month I have flipped and flopped with my plans.

Finally just sold my 540 and keeping my 800............

If it's not fun, then do something else. Any competition, contest, or pressure to hunt is all in your mind. I'm sure there will be stretches in my future where I only get out when a permission falls in my lap rather than me actively looking. Maybe a new employee at work owns an old house, or I get an invite to go hunt, or I see a yard getting torn out, etc.... My gear is ready to go.

 

[Silversmith45]

After forty some years of detecting, I too have been thinking about quitting. My car has been down for most of the summer and at 75 years old it's to far to walk to a detecting spot. By the time I get there carrying all of my equipment I'm tired and I still have to walk back. Not detecting has also taken a toll on my health not getting my daily exercise like I used to. I guess I will wait and see if I will be able to get my car fixed so I can continue. I love detecting and would hate to give it up.

 

[KOB]

Glad you kept a detector. Why were you thinking of getting out of it all together in the first place ?

 

[ugadigger]

Desire comes and goes with most hobbies. You always need a machine to scratch the itch when it comes back...it will be back trust me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[maxxkatt]

Glad you kept a detector. Why were you thinking of getting out of it all together in the first place ?

this summer it was hot and wet. hunting Civil War relics areas along creeks filled with weeds, bugs, snakes and smells. Fulton County Atlanta has a 150 year old sewer system that when it rains hard, the sewer overflows into the creeks. Just last week hunting a volley ball court downwind from an overflowing sewer system. UGH. The county finds it is cheaper to pay fines to the federal gov than to fix the problem.

Going out detecting seemed a lot like work and not a hobby. My attitude changed now that fall is here and pretty good hunting weather. But taking a more relaxed attitude and not pushing myself to find a Confederate belt buckle which will be a rare find indeed these days with limited places in Atlanta detect for CW relics. Envy you guys in CA and FL near the beaches with replenished targets. We had only one Civil War and when that ended lot of targets became a fixed amount.

 

[WildDigger]

Glad you didn't give up. Hopefully we can get together and hunt soon.

 

[Princess]

It's good to hear you're still in the hobby! You really have invested a lot into the 800, so I agree it was a good choice to hang on to it, even if it stays in the closet for awhile.

I suppose that sometimes, it helps to refocus when it comes to our hobbies. This doesn't mean necessarily that we give up the hobby altogether, but depending on our circumstances, we may have to adjust how we view it, how we prioritize it, or how we accomplish it. In the end, I think this can even improve our enjoyment of the hobby!

And for me personally - just as you mentioned - metal detecting is not so much about what I find as it is about the fun I have along the way. There are other exhilarating aspects to detecting besides the finds... like the excitement of listening to a good signal, the thrill of hearing the pinpointer sound at the clump of dirt in my hand. Digging a plug, spotting the find. Swinging the detector, and - for me - humming a favorite hymn as I walk. Exploring God's creation. Knowing that, regardless of the quality or quantity of my finds, I am blessed to have this opportunity to do something I really enjoy.