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Potential Hobbiest

BlueRidgePro

New Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
3
I received a metal detector as a gift. I have no experience nor real need for it, but am considering giving it a try. Otherwise, I'll try to return it (which will cost points with my wife...). Doing research, I came across this forum.

I have a question. Please understand that no disrespect is intended. I see a lot of posts here that essentially say " A good day - I spent 3 hours digging in a field and dug up 3 dimes, a nickel, and some sort of token."

Not a very good return on labor. Am I missing some appeal of the hobby? I could see some interest in beachcombing with the gadget, but don't live near a beach. Otherwise, I'm not excited about searching my lawn or nearby parks.
 
It is like most hobbies, you do what you enjoy. For instance, like fishing, you could spend $300+ in equipment, when for $10 you could buy a caught cleaned fish at the store for dinner.

But for me it is the thrill of the hunt, exercise, and each time I get a target signal on my machine, its like finding a lottery ticket and to discover what I just won/recovered.
 
One way to look at this hobby is to consider it 'dirt fishing'. If you love fishing, you know that sometimes they bite, sometimes they don't, but most folks aren't out there to feed the family but to enjoy the 'hunt.' Sometimes you land a 5-pound bass or a 2-pound crappie. Sometimes its panfish that are small, but catching them is fun. Some guys spend $25,000 for a bass boat and will fish all day to catch a few decent fish - which they throw back. I like fishing, but you've got to put money into a boat, motor, good rod and reel, lures, etc., and it will be an all-day comittment to go to the lake or bay. Heavy on money and time drain.

With metal detecting you can spend a LOT less money for a really good metal detector. If you have a spare hour or two, you can always find somewhere to wave the thing around. Maybe a park, , ball field, school, old house, or you can spend a day at an old saw-mill ghost town hunting pay tokens and old coins. Or a civil war battle field for bullets, buttons, belt buckles, etc. The research is as interesting as the hunt sometimes. The thrill is in the search, just like a guy going on the lake for years fishing for that elusive 14 pound bass. But unlike fishing, you never know what you are going to find. And then you have to figure out what that thing is - look at the 'Help to ID My Finds' section of this forum. And you can dream about that '14 pound bass' equivalent. For me, I would love to fly to England or the continent and search fields for hammered silver coins. I could probablly buy a pocket-full of hammered silver coins for what that would cost, but it isn't the coins I'm really after. It is the thrill of the hunt! And it is a very peaceful activity.
 
I received a metal detector as a gift. I have no experience nor real need for it, but am considering giving it a try. Otherwise, I'll try to return it (which will cost points with my wife...). Doing research, I came across this forum.

I have a question. Please understand that no disrespect is intended. I see a lot of posts here that essentially say " A good day - I spent 3 hours digging in a field and dug up 3 dimes, a nickel, and some sort of token."

Not a very good return on labor. Am I missing some appeal of the hobby? I could see some interest in beachcombing with the gadget, but don't live near a beach. Otherwise, I'm not excited about searching my lawn or nearby parks.

Welcome From First Flight State :takeoff: And First Gold State :woohoo:

Yes it's the thought of digging something special up what ever it maybe. If you spend time reading you will find that 80 percent of Gold is yet to be found. It looks like you may be from N.C.? I can tell you that this state is a gold mine state. As like myself i am working on putting my maps together. Right now my frustrations are learning buttons i guess it's like a T.V. remote control not my thing. But i am anxious to dig to find what hasn't been found yet. I know it's out there, and who knows it could be big that someone forgot to take with them when the historical dust storm came.:clapping:

I think if you find something special you will get hooked. ;)
 
I received a metal detector as a gift. I have no experience nor real need for it, but am considering giving it a try. Otherwise, I'll try to return it (which will cost points with my wife...). Doing research, I came across this forum.

I have a question. Please understand that no disrespect is intended. I see a lot of posts here that essentially say " A good day - I spent 3 hours digging in a field and dug up 3 dimes, a nickel, and some sort of token."

Not a very good return on labor. Am I missing some appeal of the hobby? I could see some interest in beachcombing with the gadget, but don't live near a beach. Otherwise, I'm not excited about searching my lawn or nearby parks.
Sounds like your biased against a hobby before you even give it a try but you will give it a try just to appease a gift giver. With that attitude you will never enjoy it, it will only seem like a chore and not a thing of gratifying pleasure.

You never enjoyed finding things (treasures of any form) as a boy? Absolutely you will not find any great wealth when you go out, only a couple silver coins, a bunch of clad coins, pennies, a tokin, and maybe, just maybe a gold ring and yes this was a pretty good day. Silver coins sold for melt value, rings for cash, it can add up.

Many members have made good hauls over a period of a year but this hobby is not all about financial gain. Are you not curious about the next object you dig up that's possibly 150 years old, wondering who held it last or how it got there.

If none of this appeals to you than no this is not for you. Fess up to your wife and return the detector.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk
 
Different interests for different people.
I have zero interest smashing and chasing a little ball all over a golf course just to get it to drop in 18 tiny holes but others are crazy passionate about doing just that...even if they are terrible at it.
On the other hand being out in the fresh air, getting exercise hunting and digging holes with friends is my prime reason for doing this but over the years I have found enough rare and thrilling treasure to keep me more than interested in continuing.
Plus this is one of the few hobbies I know of that actually can pay you back for the money you spent doing it.
Not saying you are going to get monetarily rich but rich in exciting experiences is definitely possible.
Can't explain the feeling you can get opening a hole and seeing something good whether it would be a gold or silver ring, an old coin or civil war relic.
Return on investment, again different things to different people.
Could be finding just a few coins but many have also found just one rare coin that they sold for hundreds or thousands.

It is not for everyone, a few become addicted after digging just one dirty dime, some wallow around for awhile until they make just one great find and then it hooks them for life.
Others get out and dig holes and might find some pretty cool things but the passion still never gets under their skin into their soul as it has for many of us that spend time on these forums.

There are clubs and rallys and thousands of people, men women and children of all ages, all over the world that do this and love it.
There are many thousands more that don't get it, never will and think we are all kinds weird and strange.
I guess you can say the same thing about most activities the human race calls hobbies.

You don't come across as the type that would really understand or enjoy doing this but you never know...you might get out there and really enjoy it.

No harm or foul if you don't, except for that wife thing, if you can't get into this hobby you can always look for some other way to enjoy spending your time that you might really enjoy.
In time your wife will come to understand.
 
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Maybe ... it is a hint for you to buy your wife a detector also .. Many of tag team couples are out there .. Flo (female) will / can out find stuff every time we go out .. We tell her husband to lock her in the truck and give us a chance first
:laughing:

It is all about having fun ..If you think you have to at least make hour wages everytime you go out .. NOW it is a job
 
Think of it as a hobby, sport or past time, not a job or career.

People from all walks of life do this for many different reasons. Some for the love of history and the thrill of finding some thing that was of value to someone 100 years ago, which is in many times not necessarily money. Some do it for coin collecting or silver collecting, and some do it for the mental break from the world.

If you can't find any interest in the appeal of the hobby itself, you probably won't gain interest after a day or two of hunting, but I could be wrong.
 
Hey - I appreciate your honestly. Not all hobbies are for everyone. I do it for the "thrill of the hunt" or the "quest" if you will... So--give it a try a couple of times and see what you think. If it doesn't workout--so be it. Good luck :cool:
 
I received a metal detector as a gift. I have no experience nor real need for it, but am considering giving it a try. Otherwise, I'll try to return it (which will cost points with my wife...). Doing research, I came across this forum.

I have a question. Please understand that no disrespect is intended. I see a lot of posts here that essentially say " A good day - I spent 3 hours digging in a field and dug up 3 dimes, a nickel, and some sort of token."

Not a very good return on labor. Am I missing some appeal of the hobby? I could see some interest in beachcombing with the gadget, but don't live near a beach. Otherwise, I'm not excited about searching my lawn or nearby parks.


HA,..this was me few years ago..figured id like it tough..and did. But started the same way. Getting a little more serious every year. Not knowing much else about you it would be hard to guess if you'll like it. All I can say is if the bug bites you'll love it.......good part is now when I buy a new detector I get to tell the wife ,......"you started it". Works out well for me.
 
Would finding this excite you? If not detecting might not be for you...
 

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Your treasure hunting and saving history

You had a so so hunt don’t give up . It’s good exercise and fresh air .. birds and bees 🐝 and 1794 liberty cap large cent. Half the fun is figuring out what u have found too.
 
Ha !

You picked a great name blue ridge pro now you have some shoes to fill and you can rub it some in Tom in California’s face when you find three large cents in a week 😆
 
If you don't enjoy a walk in the woods or park you probably won't enjoy detecting. An interest in history helps too.

Even a good clad-stabber has a hard time making minimum wage, but there is always a chance that the next find could pay off the mortgage, or buy lunch.
 
You already have three great accomplishments that bode well...You have a new detector, you have a willing Wife, and you found a Forum! :laughing:
So hey, get out there and give it a whirl to see what its all about!

You may find that a new found love of adventure, curiosity, fresh air, health and relaxation are where the real Treasure is At! And of course, theres real money/treasure out there waiting too...
 
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Yea, the hobby is not for everyone. Even hunting modern coins can have it's great days. You never know what will pop out of a hole. Many here love the pursuit.
My interest is very early American history. I'm particularly interested in 16 and 1700's material. Mainly Revolutionary war finds. I'll tell ya, if you study that time frame, and dig up a button, tool or coin you'll get a sense of awe. To hold in your hand, an object that some poor soul handled as he was fighting for our freedom is quite special. It as well encourages one to read more, research more etc. The deeper you get into it, the more you want to learn.
One problem you may have is that it takes a little time to figure it all out. How to set your machine, how to properly swing and what to dig and what not to dig etc.

So, if you have an interest in history, local, American, Rev or Civil war, look at metal detecting as a tool to pursue that interest.
 
I compare it to playing the lottery to some degree with the difference being the better you get at it the better your odds get at winning.

Detecting, the hobby, is not for the impatient. There are days when I have gone out and found little to nothing for my labor. Then there has been times I've gone out and in a short time found enough to buy a car. What keeps many going is that next sound you dig could well buy you that new car.
 
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