Hotrod Tom
Elite Member
I agree 100%
Why do people quit this hobby?
- Thread starter ATProGuy
- Start date
My buddy who I thought would be good at this couldn't take it. He fishes and traps so I thought he would have the patience to get into this and so did he.
We were wrong, the pull tabs almost drove him over the edge into madness in one afternoon.
We were wrong, the pull tabs almost drove him over the edge into madness in one afternoon.
Oldbill
Forum Supporter
Very insightful thread. Let's consider a couple of other factors. On this forum, findmall and treasurenet, I read the day's good finds forums very closely. I love seeing other detectorists report their discoveries -- especially when they start having enough value to pay for their machines.
What is missing to the newcomer is the fact that for every such post, probably 400 detectorists had ho-hum or even disappointing days.
And for those who because of where they live have little hope of hunting a warm saltwater beach, those Florida finds will remain a dream.
The other factor is that the industry does sell 90 percent of its output based on dreams. I cannot think of a single manufacturer that doesn't use photos of piles of coins, Spanish gold, etc., in their advertising. Dreams exert a very powerful hold over the human imagination, and the dream factor alone accounts for the huge profit margins in the MD industry. The fact is that probably not one in 10,000 detector buyers will ever find a Spanish galleon coin.
So it does come down to whether the detectorist is equipped to deal with the reality of a lot of work for a limited financial reward. Those who simply enjoy the small thrill of "finding stuff" will always do well in this hobby.
What is missing to the newcomer is the fact that for every such post, probably 400 detectorists had ho-hum or even disappointing days.
And for those who because of where they live have little hope of hunting a warm saltwater beach, those Florida finds will remain a dream.
The other factor is that the industry does sell 90 percent of its output based on dreams. I cannot think of a single manufacturer that doesn't use photos of piles of coins, Spanish gold, etc., in their advertising. Dreams exert a very powerful hold over the human imagination, and the dream factor alone accounts for the huge profit margins in the MD industry. The fact is that probably not one in 10,000 detector buyers will ever find a Spanish galleon coin.
So it does come down to whether the detectorist is equipped to deal with the reality of a lot of work for a limited financial reward. Those who simply enjoy the small thrill of "finding stuff" will always do well in this hobby.
Coin Machine
Senior Member
i wanted to quit my first week...I had a bad machine...broken out of the box.
But still, I think I got lucky..I found this forum and I found a good park with boatloads of clad 5 minutes from home.
But...Like the park i was at yesterday....had THAT been my first park, or parks like it..I prob would have quit.
Black sandy dirt, false signals and overhead powerlines made it almost impossible to hunt. My MD never shut up..80% was false random beeping...but i had learned better. Found $0.83...lol. To make my day better, I went back to my HH.
But still, I think I got lucky..I found this forum and I found a good park with boatloads of clad 5 minutes from home.
But...Like the park i was at yesterday....had THAT been my first park, or parks like it..I prob would have quit.
Black sandy dirt, false signals and overhead powerlines made it almost impossible to hunt. My MD never shut up..80% was false random beeping...but i had learned better. Found $0.83...lol. To make my day better, I went back to my HH.
DIGGER27
In Memory Of
UncleTykie once posted that he lent a friend a detector and went hunting with him at a park.
After about 10 minutes the guy started really complaining about not finding any gold.
Seriously.
Some people have high expectations that cannot possibly be met.
Even more down to earth ones unlike this guy's.
Then you have the trash to treasure ratio that some people never seem to be able to wrap their heads around.
700 pull tabs and 1000 zincolns to one huge gold ring...that math makes sense to me, but not to many others.
The minute I located and dug my first target, (which was trash), and held it in my hand, I knew this was the right hobby for me.
This stuff either gets in your blood or it doesn't.
It's all about patience and attitudes, and the world is made up of so many different kinds of people in this regard.
After about 10 minutes the guy started really complaining about not finding any gold.
Seriously.
Some people have high expectations that cannot possibly be met.
Even more down to earth ones unlike this guy's.
Then you have the trash to treasure ratio that some people never seem to be able to wrap their heads around.
700 pull tabs and 1000 zincolns to one huge gold ring...that math makes sense to me, but not to many others.
The minute I located and dug my first target, (which was trash), and held it in my hand, I knew this was the right hobby for me.
This stuff either gets in your blood or it doesn't.
It's all about patience and attitudes, and the world is made up of so many different kinds of people in this regard.
Opie
New Member
The same reasons some people love the hobby cause others to quit; expectations, learning curve, hard work, etc. Each trip so far has been an adventure, success is never guaranteed, IMHO it's the entire activity that makes each hunt exciting...looking at things in a different way, that park you've visited 100 times in the past is now giving up it's history and sometimes it's valuables.
Even though I am very much a newbie and find digging trash very discouraging I find it makes me more determined to continue on and find something the next item, if it's trash again my determination increases, if it's a coin or some historic trinket I feel justified in my "quest" and wonder what path led that item to where it was found. Worse case I've spent some time outside instead of in front of the TV.
Every coin so far has truly been an awesome rush, same as the old brass key! Then I come here and get more amped up seeing the amazing things others are finding!
Maybe every mind-blowing post should also include the junk & trash numbers dug before the mind-blowing item was found!
Even though I am very much a newbie and find digging trash very discouraging I find it makes me more determined to continue on and find something the next item, if it's trash again my determination increases, if it's a coin or some historic trinket I feel justified in my "quest" and wonder what path led that item to where it was found. Worse case I've spent some time outside instead of in front of the TV.
Every coin so far has truly been an awesome rush, same as the old brass key! Then I come here and get more amped up seeing the amazing things others are finding!
Maybe every mind-blowing post should also include the junk & trash numbers dug before the mind-blowing item was found!
This is a good thread
I`ll give you my perspective from a guy that has been in the hobby a month..
1.As has already been said...most think buying a $200 or a $1200 detector guarantees instant gratification.I`ve been on 3 hunts and have found a grand total of about $2.00 in clad.Most would be discouraged but I am content as a pig in slop each time I get a clear signal and a shiny penny pops out.Take time to learn your detector.
2.An audience...learning a new hobby is tough and each time I go out detecting I encounter an audience.Don`t get me wrong, I have kids and I`m VERY kid friendly but if I work 6 days a week and have 2 hours to myself it can be frustrating to hit the local school playground and be swarmed by kids asking question after question.
3.Lack of hunting areas...I have a local school playground that keeps me occupied for the short term but I honestly at somewhat of a loss as to where I`ll hunt after I finish at the school.
4.The hobby is not cheap...I spent my budget of $400 to get the best detector I could afford.To hunt and be efficient there are other tools of the trade I purchased.A Lesche digger was a little over $40.A pro pointer was around $130.Add the need for quality batteries and having to drive to hunting locations with gas being close to $4.00 a gallon and you start to realize this is not a cheap hobby.
5.Use the resources that are are available...My owner`s manual looks like it was printed 20 years ago because I`ve used it so much.I have probably read it cover to cover a dozen times and I take it with me each time I hunt.In addition, I lurk on all the various forums that are for metal detector enthusiasts, gleaning every ounce of info I can gather.Watching youtube videos has also been very helpful in my quest to learn.
I`ll give you my perspective from a guy that has been in the hobby a month..
1.As has already been said...most think buying a $200 or a $1200 detector guarantees instant gratification.I`ve been on 3 hunts and have found a grand total of about $2.00 in clad.Most would be discouraged but I am content as a pig in slop each time I get a clear signal and a shiny penny pops out.Take time to learn your detector.
2.An audience...learning a new hobby is tough and each time I go out detecting I encounter an audience.Don`t get me wrong, I have kids and I`m VERY kid friendly but if I work 6 days a week and have 2 hours to myself it can be frustrating to hit the local school playground and be swarmed by kids asking question after question.
3.Lack of hunting areas...I have a local school playground that keeps me occupied for the short term but I honestly at somewhat of a loss as to where I`ll hunt after I finish at the school.
4.The hobby is not cheap...I spent my budget of $400 to get the best detector I could afford.To hunt and be efficient there are other tools of the trade I purchased.A Lesche digger was a little over $40.A pro pointer was around $130.Add the need for quality batteries and having to drive to hunting locations with gas being close to $4.00 a gallon and you start to realize this is not a cheap hobby.
5.Use the resources that are are available...My owner`s manual looks like it was printed 20 years ago because I`ve used it so much.I have probably read it cover to cover a dozen times and I take it with me each time I hunt.In addition, I lurk on all the various forums that are for metal detector enthusiasts, gleaning every ounce of info I can gather.Watching youtube videos has also been very helpful in my quest to learn.
turtlefoot
Headstamp Addict
High expectations and the wanting of instant gratification!
When I bought my first "real" detector back in the 1980's, I had grand visions of going to the beaches of Lake Michigan and walking home with pockets full of gold and silver jewelry. I also thought I could hit an old home site and come home with a dozen silver dollars.
The reality of it was a nail apron full of junk and less than $0.30 with no jewelry or silver. After a few weeks of that, I put the detector up for several months. I made friends with another hobbyist and he explained what I could expect.
After that, I went into it with the right mindset and have been happy ever since.
Doug
When I bought my first "real" detector back in the 1980's, I had grand visions of going to the beaches of Lake Michigan and walking home with pockets full of gold and silver jewelry. I also thought I could hit an old home site and come home with a dozen silver dollars.
The reality of it was a nail apron full of junk and less than $0.30 with no jewelry or silver. After a few weeks of that, I put the detector up for several months. I made friends with another hobbyist and he explained what I could expect.
After that, I went into it with the right mindset and have been happy ever since.
Doug
crusader234
Elite Member
I became interested in MDing because of chicargo rons vids on youtube, I thought thats for me! all those gold rings! High expectations indeed!
I bought an atpro, went off to a local old park and found two silver quarters right off the bat! This is easy I thought, three months later, no more silver yet, Then I thought Id try looking for the gold, almost straight away more beginners luck, a 14k mens band,and since then more pull tabs and nickles than you can shake a stick at.
This isnt every ones cup of tea, but a few nice finds early on really helps with confidence, Im now digging sometimes till 3 in the morning,my hands hurt and im dead on my feet, but Im still wondering whats gonna come out the ground next, I wish Id found this Hobby earlier... I cant get enough, still havnt even made it to the shore yet...
I bought an atpro, went off to a local old park and found two silver quarters right off the bat! This is easy I thought, three months later, no more silver yet, Then I thought Id try looking for the gold, almost straight away more beginners luck, a 14k mens band,and since then more pull tabs and nickles than you can shake a stick at.
This isnt every ones cup of tea, but a few nice finds early on really helps with confidence, Im now digging sometimes till 3 in the morning,my hands hurt and im dead on my feet, but Im still wondering whats gonna come out the ground next, I wish Id found this Hobby earlier... I cant get enough, still havnt even made it to the shore yet...
Captain Silver
Elite Member
In my case, I've gotten bored with it to the point where I go out on maybe 3 or 4 hunts a week now. I used to hunt almost every day, which gave me the skills to be successful on a regular basis, but even the constant silver isn't enough to make me want to keep hunting all the time...Will I quit hunting altogether? No...Will I curtail my hunting even more, or maybe retire for a while? Maybe...
Yup, for anyone new to the hobby: LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS!!
It is work going out detecting. Deciding whether you want to dig every signal or cherry pick. And if your cherry picking, wondering if you change over to digging everything (I do this all the time) Also factors like your physical condition (I have a bad back and eat Ibuprofin like candy) the weather (too hot, too cold, etc) terrain, like hard soil, hillsides, mucky, etc. And also a site which you feel you will find lots of goodies, but could be almost nothing there (trust me, got lots of sites like that here sadly) Everything in this hobby is not a cakewalk. You gotta know your machine, which make take months, your physical capabilities, and an open mind of what you may or may not find. And patience.
Now, what I need to do next is find these people who bought expensive machines and gave up after a week, see if they are willing to part with them for a lot less than they paid for, just to get them out of the back of the closet!!
It is work going out detecting. Deciding whether you want to dig every signal or cherry pick. And if your cherry picking, wondering if you change over to digging everything (I do this all the time) Also factors like your physical condition (I have a bad back and eat Ibuprofin like candy) the weather (too hot, too cold, etc) terrain, like hard soil, hillsides, mucky, etc. And also a site which you feel you will find lots of goodies, but could be almost nothing there (trust me, got lots of sites like that here sadly) Everything in this hobby is not a cakewalk. You gotta know your machine, which make take months, your physical capabilities, and an open mind of what you may or may not find. And patience.
Now, what I need to do next is find these people who bought expensive machines and gave up after a week, see if they are willing to part with them for a lot less than they paid for, just to get them out of the back of the closet!!
dan
Elite Member
Newbies daydream about:
Finding lots of goodies with little effort in the fresh, clean, delightful, sunshiny outdoors.
----------------------------------
What they DON'T daydream about is:
Black dirt that seeps into their hands and won't come off
Harsh, rough, dry fingertips that snag in their clothing
Gnats bombarding their faces whenever they stoop to dig
Sweat streaming down their faces and blocking their eyes on a hot, miserable day
The pain and soreness caused by overexerting unused muscles
Getting their clothing filthy dirty (especially knees)
Mosquitoes thicker than flies
Dirt that won't dig, grass that won't go back like it was, holes that can't be hidden
Dropping things, leaving things behind because they are carrying so many tools and accessories
The exhaustedness that sets in quickly when it's hot and humid and the finds are few
ENOUGH? For many people, more than enough.
Finding lots of goodies with little effort in the fresh, clean, delightful, sunshiny outdoors.
----------------------------------
What they DON'T daydream about is:
Black dirt that seeps into their hands and won't come off
Harsh, rough, dry fingertips that snag in their clothing
Gnats bombarding their faces whenever they stoop to dig
Sweat streaming down their faces and blocking their eyes on a hot, miserable day
The pain and soreness caused by overexerting unused muscles
Getting their clothing filthy dirty (especially knees)
Mosquitoes thicker than flies
Dirt that won't dig, grass that won't go back like it was, holes that can't be hidden
Dropping things, leaving things behind because they are carrying so many tools and accessories
The exhaustedness that sets in quickly when it's hot and humid and the finds are few
ENOUGH? For many people, more than enough.
DIGGER27
In Memory Of
vanstheman3
Elite Member
Why people quit
I Started December of last year so This is a subject I have had to fight through myself! I had to borrow a MD off of my uncle 10 or so years ago to find my sons wedding ring in the yard after working on my bike, We found it very fast and I remember thinking how easy it was and how cool it would be to have one and go out and find valuable stuff. Then Life went on and I forgot all about it. Jumping to several years ago and my rapidly growing almost total TV habit of watching all the learning channels, where I saw a show about lost treasures and heard the narrator state that every time there is a storm in the Gulf, Gold Doubloons (spelling) wash up on the beaches of the Texas coast! "Alright" I thought, Cha Ching Cha Ching!!! I'm getting me a detector and every time there's a storm in the gulf I'm putting it in my Saddlebags and going to the coast to get me my Lions share of those Doubloons. Cha Ching Cha Ching! But I didn't bother! Jump ahead to the last year or so, for medical reasons I had to change my life and Lifestyle. I finally made the decision to buy a Detector "thinking" I can GET, exercise, sunshine, solitude, And find treasure everywhere and make some money! Here is what I GOT! Over two months of research and shopping(why is buying your first MD so stressful), and the very quick realization After Buying the MD that I can't just search everywhere I thought I could! The quick realization that there is Way More Trash buried out there than there is good targets, The realization that the constant digging and backfilling and repairing of target holes is a lot of work and is very time consuming with little reward Financially! Like someone in an earlier reply stated I bought into a dream and I got the reality. Now my dream is just to have the Hobby pay for itself! I'll never stop detecting because I love doing it and I adapt! My treasures are right in front of me around my PC monitor! Most of you would have thrown most of it away as trash! A good example is that two of my favorite finds are an old TV tuner knob, Sort of art deco with the channels 2 through13/UHF selections still showing on it, and a couple really tiny pewter Elephants! I also collect the washers I find, Head stamps, Sinkers, Keys, key chains, metal buttons, old Tabs, Melts from campsites I search. People quit for a combination of all the reasons mentioned in the replies here, People become detectorist's (I hate the term Treasure Hunters)by staying with it because they love the hobby and they adapt!!! Sorry this is so long, I think I need a journal to write in so I only annoy myself,,,, Good Luck and Happy Hunting,,,,,Pat
I Started December of last year so This is a subject I have had to fight through myself! I had to borrow a MD off of my uncle 10 or so years ago to find my sons wedding ring in the yard after working on my bike, We found it very fast and I remember thinking how easy it was and how cool it would be to have one and go out and find valuable stuff. Then Life went on and I forgot all about it. Jumping to several years ago and my rapidly growing almost total TV habit of watching all the learning channels, where I saw a show about lost treasures and heard the narrator state that every time there is a storm in the Gulf, Gold Doubloons (spelling) wash up on the beaches of the Texas coast! "Alright" I thought, Cha Ching Cha Ching!!! I'm getting me a detector and every time there's a storm in the gulf I'm putting it in my Saddlebags and going to the coast to get me my Lions share of those Doubloons. Cha Ching Cha Ching! But I didn't bother! Jump ahead to the last year or so, for medical reasons I had to change my life and Lifestyle. I finally made the decision to buy a Detector "thinking" I can GET, exercise, sunshine, solitude, And find treasure everywhere and make some money! Here is what I GOT! Over two months of research and shopping(why is buying your first MD so stressful), and the very quick realization After Buying the MD that I can't just search everywhere I thought I could! The quick realization that there is Way More Trash buried out there than there is good targets, The realization that the constant digging and backfilling and repairing of target holes is a lot of work and is very time consuming with little reward Financially! Like someone in an earlier reply stated I bought into a dream and I got the reality. Now my dream is just to have the Hobby pay for itself! I'll never stop detecting because I love doing it and I adapt! My treasures are right in front of me around my PC monitor! Most of you would have thrown most of it away as trash! A good example is that two of my favorite finds are an old TV tuner knob, Sort of art deco with the channels 2 through13/UHF selections still showing on it, and a couple really tiny pewter Elephants! I also collect the washers I find, Head stamps, Sinkers, Keys, key chains, metal buttons, old Tabs, Melts from campsites I search. People quit for a combination of all the reasons mentioned in the replies here, People become detectorist's (I hate the term Treasure Hunters)by staying with it because they love the hobby and they adapt!!! Sorry this is so long, I think I need a journal to write in so I only annoy myself,,,, Good Luck and Happy Hunting,,,,,Pat
Bonesquat
Elite Member
Well put Dan and Digger.
I'd rather be out digging in bone dry clay, sweating like mad - having bugs flying all around and digging pull tabs than sitting in front of a stupid idiot box with the AC on.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
I woulda never continued in the hobby past the first month because of the hard work had I not bit the bullet and gotten the Prp Pointer. I know that this is not an accessory thread, but my comment is relative. I dug many holes in the first few weeks with all of the labor involved by waving dirt in front of the coil, losing the signal lots of times and refilling, and when finding the treasure (junk mainly), the time and labor had taken it's toll for digging again. Texas heat didn't help either.
Anyway, if newbies would pre-find a high traffic or remote park to hunt BEFORE even buying a detector, AND at least borrow a Pro Pointer for a day...they'd jump start the hobby for themselves. If they are gold striven hunters, live near a beach, or "forget about gold treasure until it comes" is the best attitude. Adults and small children are just the same in some ways. Both can't hold a fishing pole but about 30 minutes without a bite, and both think about the other instant fun they can have somewhere else. I wrestle with it myself when I hunt places where the treasure-to-hour ratio is real slow. It's not my cup of tea to spend hours in search of a silver, if I'm not pulling at least a clad every 15 minutes or less. I do it, don't think I don't, but I will have a shortened hunt on those days. Newbies need more, quicker treasures per hour when they begin. Quitting? I did, then came back. I may still have quit had I not found friends to play in the dirt with. That was my best treasure ever discovered, people.
Yea, I think it is mostly the work aspect. Most every new THr would be best to find a mentor to hunt with when they start, preferrably one who owns a spare Pro Pointer, and has a hunt spot already. We'd keep a lot more detectorists that way. martin
Anyway, if newbies would pre-find a high traffic or remote park to hunt BEFORE even buying a detector, AND at least borrow a Pro Pointer for a day...they'd jump start the hobby for themselves. If they are gold striven hunters, live near a beach, or "forget about gold treasure until it comes" is the best attitude. Adults and small children are just the same in some ways. Both can't hold a fishing pole but about 30 minutes without a bite, and both think about the other instant fun they can have somewhere else. I wrestle with it myself when I hunt places where the treasure-to-hour ratio is real slow. It's not my cup of tea to spend hours in search of a silver, if I'm not pulling at least a clad every 15 minutes or less. I do it, don't think I don't, but I will have a shortened hunt on those days. Newbies need more, quicker treasures per hour when they begin. Quitting? I did, then came back. I may still have quit had I not found friends to play in the dirt with. That was my best treasure ever discovered, people.
Yea, I think it is mostly the work aspect. Most every new THr would be best to find a mentor to hunt with when they start, preferrably one who owns a spare Pro Pointer, and has a hunt spot already. We'd keep a lot more detectorists that way. martin
Dark Chameleon
Elite Member
Being disabled i got to spend plenty of time on the computer checking into this, watching the youtube vids, checking out the forums and found with my disability it could actually work out, i could go twice a week, yes probably like buying 2 scratch tickets a week i might not win $10m but it did what it was supposed to do, get me out of the house, get me an element of exercise and as i used to dig up fossils as part of my jobs benefit(stonemason) its history and it opens doors to things from the past, in some ways a modern gold coin sounds great but id rather find a piece from the 17th century then a 6 month old coin or ring.
I think thats one of the problems, some people see it as in investment, its not, its a hobby, people dont take up fishing to catch blue finned marlin, people dont star collecting baseball cards to find a T209, they dont happen.
The good thing is though it puts plenty of second hand unused machines and accessories on fleabay etc.
My finds add up to maybe $50 from a month of searching, and the tools cost me about $1000 so its not for the finding those hordes but those free pulls on the historical slot machine gets the blood flowing and every wheatie or glint of silver fuels the hunt for another few hours.
Also getting home and cleaning your finds and sorting them out, throwing the can slaw away and the rat eaten pennies into your WTH pile is what hobbies are, like spending hours making flies for fishing instead of 50 cents buying one.
Some people just dont do hobbies...saying that im hopinh i win my local md clubs relic or raffle for another silver 1 oz coin...thats more silver then a find in a month...lol
Seanpaul
Senior Member
Just ask the guys why they quit. If they are friends or acquaintances then there should be no harm in asking. Just thought that might be better to ask them instead of asking a bunch of enthusiasts who are not likely to give it up.
Dark Chameleon
Elite Member
I worked as a builders laborer when i was younger, that would have been a vacation, digging !!!! from sewers, digging 50 year old pig !!!! from old pig styes with worms all through it, diggin foundations in clay soil to 4 feet deep with post shovels.
Being a stonemason working on cliff faces in the middle of the winter feet from the edge drilling holes to blast the stone out or pry it out with plugs n feathers, they dont even make prisoners do that.
Still disheartening when you find can slaw or another ring pull but comparred to my former life os coverred in ice cold water at 7:05am and working till 5pm in the same water while standing all but 30 minutes of the day teeth covered in marble dust its not so bad and you get something at the end...eventually.
Of course ive seen many come and go from polishing granite/marble etc so this hobby is like i was made for this....you have to be a total mud magnet and love it, ache all over and dont care cos you have a pocket of dirty coins and dont give a damn that everyone that sees you thinks your either creepy cos your walking around a tot lot, on your knees covered in sweat and dust and yet your happy that you have about $1 in clad you just spent 2 hours digging.
Thos eare the people who stay in this hobby, not the gold hunters, american diggers or 'son to be richers', someone who cares about a 100 year old buckel they found more then how they look finding it
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