What got you detecting?

Florida Tabdigger · Mar 17, 2017

I had a couple 'toy' Jetco detectors as a kid in the 70's. It wasn't until my Uncle, back in 1993, took me out with his Garret when I was visiting in Kansas that I got the bug.
I'm wondering how many of you got into it due to the TV shows.

JaMoSo82 · Mar 17, 2017

My dad had two old white's machines, and I am fascinated with finding treasure or things that have been hidden for a long time. Also fascinated with history.

Oldest find- 1968 clad quarter in my front yard!

Rattlehead · Mar 17, 2017

I saw one of those el-cheapo Radio Shack detectors on display and figured I'd give it a try. Found nothing but shallow nails and pulltabs so I gave up on it. About a year later I bought a White's Coinmaster and found some old coins with it. That was nearly 30 years ago. Been hooked ever since.

Mr. Bill T · Mar 17, 2017

I got involved thru a guy I worked with over 40 years ago. I was at his house for a cookout or something, saw his detector an asked, " What the hell is that thing?"
He explained about his Old Whites 6D then showed me an amazing collection of gold, silver and diamond rings and numerous old coins.
It was about there I knew I had to try this. Got a MD found a bunch of coins for a few years and ad a ball doing it.
Can't wait to get going again.

sandgroper · Mar 17, 2017

Dad got me into detecting when I was about 5 years old. Of course, I couldn't swing it by myself back then, but he helped me with it and showed me how to use it. At first, I used a detector called something like 'coin master or coin finder', and I remember it used 16AA batteries!! We still have it somewhere...

When I was 9, I got the X-Terra70 and ever since I've got it, I've always been detecting!

Florida Tabdigger · Mar 17, 2017

Thanks for the replies. I tried to get my son to follow along in my 'footsteps' but the only thing I could get him into was shooting. Fishing and metal detecting wasn't his thing. Now after 11 years in the Air force, he is still into shooting and when we get together we go shooting. Lol. At least we share something.

knsmokey · Mar 17, 2017

I've always been a collector of various things like bottles, jars, insulators, stamps and coins. I used my allowance and any other money I could get to buy the various bottle and treasure magazines I could find.

When I was 19 I bought my first detector, a White's Coinmaster Di Pro Series 3. I was hooked when I found a Shield Nickel at the base of a large oak tree in my front yard on the curb strip, in the huge metropolis of Garnett Kansas... lol (it's a very small farming community). :lol:

GKL · Mar 17, 2017

Not 100% sure exactly what got me into it, I've always been a "gadget" person, also had some interest in rockhounding, so I guess it made sense to realize finding coins along with rocks was even better :lol:

I just remembered I was into coin collecting as a kid, mostly did the penny folders that had a hole for each year. So old coins was an interest back then. Wish I had kept them though :lol:

Digger-Dave · Mar 17, 2017

I've been an avid freshwater fisherman for 40 years. I love getting out for an adventure. About 17 years ago, I bought a $100 Radio Shack machine. Used it for about a year then lost interest. In 2012 I found myself in between jobs and had some free time. The Radio Shack machine was whipped. Bought an ACE 350 and I was hooked.

This hobby has it all. Hunting a new site is just as exciting as when I'd hike to a new bass pond.

goldpaninut · Mar 17, 2017

In 1971 my Dad & I went in together and bought a Whites Goldmaster detector. It was BFO & required constant trips to the factory to reset & retune after hitting pine cones.....etc. We were looking for gold but had to wait until 1982 for the 4000D Series 2 to come out before we found it

Irons · Mar 17, 2017

My wife got me a cheap little bounty hunter 6 years ago and I was amazed I could tell the difference between junk and coins. They sounded different!
Then I got an AT Pro and it's been downhill from there. I don't even bother fishing anymore.
I use my boat to get to places to treasure hunt. :cool:

MattLock · Mar 17, 2017

Honesty it was complety by accident decided to search for metal detcting on
youtube one day I was bored found deep digger dans videos and I was hooked

dirt dick · Mar 17, 2017

It was the summer of '82. I was painting my grandmothers' house.
She Lived right across the street from a big city park, in Keokuk Ia.
For like 3 days in a row their was a guy out detecting.

Then later that year at Thanksgiving, my dad barrowed a cheap detector
form a friend of his. We went out in the woods on my uncles farm in Missouri,
finding a few silver spoons and old axe head, and horse tack.

FAST FORWARD 2012:
Talking with my neighbor/co-worker who is an old school detectorist.
He started in the 70's with a "blue" Whites machine then went to a Garrett groundhog.

I decided to make a purchase, and purse my interest from 30 years gone by;
I bought a Garrett ace 250, tried it around my yard and local city park,
finding pull tabs and bottle caps... :no:

I got discouraged & stuck it in the closet, for 2 years.

Then watching the show everybody hates, DIGGERS.
I said, "I'm either gonna learn my machine or craigslist it."
I hadn't put enough time in, and felt like everybody in town was watching me.

So around August of 2014, I gave it another go.
I came to find that people are actually very curious, about this hobby.
After all who hasn't thought of buried treasure, & pirate booty ?

I've met some new friends in the field & others that I had already known,
but didn't know that they too were "coil swingers."
I just wish that I would have picked up a detector a long time ago,
or at least never left the ACE in the closet.

Now I'm trying to make up for lost time,
I confess "I AM AN ADDICTIVE - ADDICT" ! :shock:

Ricki7 · Mar 17, 2017

Surfing the web looking for a get rich quick idea . I happened upon the FRiendly Metal Detecting Forum . I Checked out the Sticky of members photos and figured if a unlikely group like that was getting rich so could I . :grin:

This has to be the best money making hobby ever , I retired and have never worked a day since . What could be easier then bending over picking up silve r and gold . The health benefits are a added bonus , so getting hooked was unavoidable . :grin:

,,,,,HH

Stevo · Mar 18, 2017

Boredom and an interest in history.

Ice Scratcher · Mar 18, 2017

Something to do when the weather is worthless, like spring, summer, and fall...

<°)))>{

amc rulz · Mar 18, 2017

I also started with a Jetco Mustang back about 1972, I was 10.
I liked coin collecting at that age, and MD'ing just seemed natural.

remmy · Mar 18, 2017

I walked into my back yard one day and found a guy walking around my yard. I could see that he was a surveyor and I messed with him a bit, gave him the old "hey what are you doing in my back yard". He knew I was joking because I was smiling and we talked for a while. He told me that there may be property marker pins in the center of the road out front and that you needed a metal detector to find them. I borrowed my fathers old radio shack detector and began my search, couldn't find them. I did find some coins and neat stuff in the yard though. I really wanted to know if those pins were there and thought I just needed a better detector. I also thought it was cool finding the other stuff in the yard so I cashed in my loose change and bought my ace 250. Once I started really finding stuff I was hooked!

So if not for a chance encounter and me deciding to spoof him a little I may have never started detecting. Funny thing is I have searched for those pins with 4 detectors and all different coils and never found them! :lol:

Mud-puppy · Mar 18, 2017

Great stuff! Myself, I've always been drawn to "Pursuit Oriented" activities...Trapping, Bowhunting, Fishing etc...Never was one for leisure sports...So it was just a matter of time...You cant make any money in the other Sports, the seasons are short and rules are long...

Well, this Sport doesnt have any Seasons or Rule constraints! The money I make at my 'real job' is all based upon performance, 100% commission so I'm a subsistence Hunter by nature and practice...I got my first detector back in 09..Found out there was Forums and that helped shorten the learning curve tremendously! I still have my first Rig...F70, and that thing just flat throws off money!

All these former Sports taught me skills that translated over seamlessly into both my job and this Sport in particular...I like a Sport that rewards commitment and skill with Results! Plus Luck...Timing, etc...I can do this Sport in the dead of night without anybody missing me, all by myself with nobody else involved...

So its the best fit for my temperament...I like finding money, even just clad...I like knowing that if all I had was a detector, I could go anywhere in the World and find enough money to buy me a beer...Or, find a beer! :laughing:

bibelot · Mar 18, 2017

I discovered metal detectors when a Farm hand plowed my trap sets under on accident. I was thinking I had to recover them from the price of the KB 5.5 traps I had set in the field, so I bought a Tesoro Compadre to recover my traps which it did. Since, I have spent twice that amount on metal detecting, the traps sit in the shed, unused. :lol:

What got you detecting?

Florida Tabdigger

Elite Member

JaMoSo82

Elite Member

Rattlehead

Mr. Bill T

Elite Member

sandgroper

Elite Member

Florida Tabdigger

Elite Member

knsmokey

Elite Member

GKL

Digger-Dave

goldpaninut

Senior Member

Irons

MattLock

Elite Member

dirt dick

Elite Member

Ricki7

Stevo

Ice Scratcher

Elite Member

amc rulz

remmy

Mud-puppy

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bibelot

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