Big Boys Hobbies

Who is the Michael Jordan of metal detecting?

Lol the Michael Jordan of metal detecting. I just picture a bunch of overweight guys pretending to be athletes.


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OBN said:
Gary Drayton, I serious doubt..Mel would be at the top of my list.
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Interesting Joe... but if you think about it Mel was hitting the beaches when they were virtually virgin spots. If Mel were to hit the beaches today would he just be an average Joe swinging away?
Drayton has managed a dozen or so books. A handful of tv appearances on various shows. And a sponsorship from ML.

I'm not that familiar with Fishers credentials but it would seems he is the "Mark Cuban" of detecting. Or the James Naismith.

My opinion could be easily swayed though :lol:
 
Steve said:
Interesting Joe... but if you think about it Mel was hitting the beaches when they were virtually virgin spots. If Mel were to hit the beaches today would he just be an average Joe swinging away?
Drayton has managed a dozen or so books. A handful of tv appearances on various shows. And a sponsorship from ML.

I'm not that familiar with Fishers credentials but it would seems he is the "Mark Cuban" of detecting. Or the James Naismith.

My opinion could be easily swayed though :lol:
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Lots of interesting stories on Drayton's integrity, Ask the locals and on the beach forum here. One thing, I have read his blog, and he is right on those, so who knows the truth, other then the man upstairs.
 
Maybe not exactly walking on a beach with a metal detector BUT: how about the legend E.Lee Spence ? By the age of 12 , found his 1st 5 shipwrecks. Salvaged over $50 million. His archival research led to the location of the shipwrecks Republic and Central America. Those recoveries alone are over $1 BILLION !
 
beachclad said:
Then they can't be the Jordans of detecting. MJ is famous. No one knows anything about these guys you mention.

That goes for all the mysterious unnamed MDers hunting out super-secret honey holes that no one knows about. I'm sure there is dark matter in the universe and planets that look like earth, but we need to actually see them.

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"
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There was no secret honey hole, just expensive hotels on the east coast of FL and in the Caribbean. And they were not old but in their middle 30's. Not everyone shows their finds on MD forums that metal detects and believe it or not I have run into more than a few detectorists on the Florida and Georgia beaches who don't even follow the forums much less post on them.
 
Touchy subject..I think the guys who put the bread and butter on the table with they’re rigs aren’t here,they’re searching and getting paid.
Then you got the guys on the hobbie side that buy a $1200 unit and show long time hobbiest what they’ve been doing wrong for 20 years.:laughing:
I’m a hobbiest,I do this for fun and although I’d like to find very valuable stuff I’m just as glad to get out and find clad.Then again I’m not supporting my family with my finds,just a hobbie.
There are a few very productive beach hunters here on friendly who do give me the will to dig another pouch full of junk in hopes of finding a gold ring tho..So a big thanks to those who keep posting the awesome bling finds.
 
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beachclad said:
I saw that Minelab referred to Gary Drayton as the Michael Jordan of metal detecting on their Facebook page.

So, who do you all consider to be the "GOAT" of metal detectorists if not Drayton?

I thought about Mel Fisher, but I think he's more like the Babe Ruth of MD'ing.

I'll keep a running count of the votes below. We have two nominees so far.

Nominees:
1. Gary Drayton
2. Mel Fisher
3. Gerhard Fisher
4. Charles Garrett
5. Kurt Franz
6. Jim Brouwer
7. Beau "Aquachigger" Ouimette
8. Steve Herschbach
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Well, I go by Goat on this site and my real name is Jordan so I think its pretty obvious.
 
maxxkatt said:
....just expensive hotels on the east coast of FL and in the Caribbean...
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woodbutcher said:
....I think the guys who put the bread and butter on the table with they’re rigs aren’t here,they’re searching and getting paid....
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ok. So : 'Rest-assurred' there's guys getting rich off of md'ing. Right ? Who live in "expensive hotels" etc..... Yet they're just shy . Right ? Lest they be subject to attention, and targeted by the IRS, eh ? Yet.... rest -assured , they're just sipping margaritas on the beach somewhere. Right ?
 
Tom_in_CA said:
ok. So : 'Rest-assurred' there's guys getting rich off of md'ing. Right ? Who live in "expensive hotels" etc..... Yet they're just shy . Right ? Lest they be subject to attention, and targeted by the IRS, eh ? Yet.... rest -assured , they're just sipping margaritas on the beach somewhere. Right ?
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Nope, they're in Africa and other gold rich places getting paid.More than likely no internet and who would get on a forum and post they're finds when it's probably in the tens of thousands? .you don't think anyone's paying 3 to 6 grand for a machine to find pickers in the desert do you? :laughing:
 
Let's not forget Stu Auerbach who was the founder of Kellyco. Without the likes of Gerhard Fisher, Charles Garrett, and Stu Auerbach, where would this hobby be today?
 
I don't know about any " Michael Jordans " of detecting but I know of a local guy nicknamed "Mike the Machine " who's been detecting for decades and been kicking serious butt . Doesn't post on forums or do videos just happy to detect as much as he can .Had the pleasure of detecting with him a few times and totally understand why he is called the " Machine" .
 
Soil Surgeon said:
I don't know about any " Michael Jordans " of detecting but I know of a local guy nicknamed "Mike the Machine " who's been detecting for decades and been kicking serious butt . Doesn't post on forums or do videos just happy to detect as much as he can .Had the pleasure of detecting with him a few times and totally understand why he is called the " Machine" .
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If that's the "machine" that I'm thinking of .... yes, he is a legend. But he's of the age (mid 70s now ?) that he's simply never gotten on 'puters. He's amazing to hunt with. He can sniff ddeeepp silver out of junky worked-out-turf, at a dizzying pace. Just has the ear to eek out deeep silver whispers. He's also done good at nuggets, jewelry on beaches, etc....

And to hear some of his stories of being among the first to ever work some of the San Francisco parks, in the late 1970s, with the first motion machine to hit-the-scene (Whites 6000d) is amazing. Stories of 20 to 30 silver coins any day he cared to venture out.
 
Hey, maybe one of the metal detector companies can start a series of "Metal Detectorist Trading Cards" here's an example :lol:
Mud_trading_card.jpg
 
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