I've been a member for awhile now, but haven't posted in a looong time. So I'd like to introduce myself as a member and as a new sponsor.
I can't remember the exact circumstances that led me to my first metal detector, but I knew it was more than an impulse buy. !The package was on its way. !I took my wife to dinner to break the news to her. !We went to a really nice restaurant. !You know, the kind with clothe napkins. !Right after the waiter delivered our drinks, we tapped glasses and I said "I have something to tell you. !I ordered a metal detector and it will be here in a couple of days". !She yelped and started laughing out loud. !I looked around and everyone in the dining room was looking at us. !They thought I had just proposed!! haha
The metal detector I ordered was a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. !The price was right and if I didn't like metal detecting, I wasn't out too much money. !I quickly developed an obsession. !I was metal detecting everyday, even on my lunch breaks. !It wasn't long before I found my first gold ring. !It was on a baseball field. !My metal detector had already paid for itself!!!I would even play games on my lunch break. !I told myself I could get myself an order of western fries from Royal Farms ONLY if I found enough change to pay for them. !All I needed was $1.50. !It was kinda fun to see the store clerks face when I paid for the fries with dirty coins. !All I talked and thought about was metal detecting. !I would post pictures of my finds on Facebook and get abused by my friends. !I heard everything from "Don't forget your black socks & sandals" to strangers offering me money because they thought I was homeless.
After about 6 months of hunting ballfields and playgrounds, I took my first trip to the beach with my Bounty Hunter. On the 2nd day in Cape May, there was a thunderstorm and an overall rainy day. I was getting a little cabin fever, so I decided to try my luck down near the surf. It was drizzling and unfortunately, the Tracker IV is not waterproof. I wrapped a plastic grocery bag around the control box and headed down to the wet sand. The Tracker IV is a good little machine, but it does NOT like the wet mineralized sand. The noise it was making in my ear was deafening, but I continued on. At the time, I didn’t know how to “read the beach”. Looking back, the conditions were perfect. There were large rocks and shells on the surface. That means the beach had eroded down to the hardpan. That’s where the gold rings lie. I dug 3 nice size gold rings within a 10 ft area. I couldn’t believe it! I knew at that point I was hooked for life. I didn’t find anymore rings on that trip, but I was happy.
I sent the gold rings off to a refinery and I received an $800 check within 7 days. That’s when I upgraded to the Garrett At Pro. When my AT Pro was delivered, I assembled it right away. The first thing I noticed was how sturdy it was compared to the Bounty Hunter. It felt like the real deal.
I found hundreds of dollars worth of coins and bunches of gold and silver rings with the AT Pro. Some of those rings were on the beach, but in the dry sand. I wasn’t convinced that the AT Pro should be my saltwater machine. That’s when I started obsessing over the Minelab Excalibur II, but it carried a hefty price tag of $1,500. My birthday was coming up, so it became a wish. I worked out a price with Bart at Big Boys and planted a seed with the wife. When I woke up on my birthday, the Excal was waiting for me on the kitchen counter. Best gift ever!! Since then, I've found tons of treasure on the beaches and look forward to a ton more. Especially when I go on my journey down the East coast.
https://youtu.be/_MJ7QL9ECGc (I don't know how to embed, yet)
That's my metal detecting story. My personal story is evolving everyday. I'd like to thank Bart at Big Boy's, Marc at Hollands Brook and Dave at Kellyco for taking the time to walk me through my various purchases and upgrades during my journey. Without those positive experiences, I would never have considered becoming a dealer. I use those experiences as a model as I set out on my own adventures. Thank you!
I look forward to reading other peoples experiences here. I appreciate the warm welcome and hope to do business w/ some of you.
Ray
aboard Ray!
