Virgin Neebie

[GTR]

I have always been interested in hunting for "treasure" using a metal detector but never bought one or used one. So how do I go about getting a beginners metal detector that is decent? My biggest question is once you have a detector, how do you know where to go to start looking for "treasure".

If there is a thread like this somewhere, please direct me to it.

Another question ... do your girlfriends or wivies also like metal detecting? Any female forum members out there who enjoy it? Any girlfriends or wivies that totally hate you "wasting" time on metal detecting?

Thanks for the info.

 

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[cactusrat]

Buy what you can afford. I like my Ace 250. It’s light weight, easy to use and didn’t cost too much.

If my girlfriend didn’t like me metal detecting, she wouldn’t be my girlfriend for long. As for a wife, I’m not going there, no way, no how. But I would ask her if she would rather have me to go to bars all night long and pick up strange women.

Sleeping on the couch isn't so bad!

 

[GTR]

Looks like a nice model for a little more than $200. The display looks great and tells you depth, coin type, and metal type. Are all displays this informative?

So how do you know where to start looking for treasure? Maybe backyard, beach, abandon buildings, ..... So where was the first place you started looking for treasure and did you find anything?

Thanks for your post.

 

[DPBOB]

My avatar says it the most.... " your going metal detecting again" 7 years bad luck for her and not me...LOL

Look on the site and you will get plenty of answers to your question by reading other post.

It's an addicting hobby.

Be respectful of where you hunt.

 

[cactusrat]

Looks like a nice model for a little more than $200. The display looks great and tells you depth, coin type, and metal type. Are all displays this informative?

So how do you know where to start looking for treasure? Maybe backyard, beach, abandon buildings, ..... So where was the first place you started looking for treasure and did you find anything?

Thanks for your post.

No, not all displays are the same. Some metal detectors don’t even have one.

Research your area. Ask people about old places. A farm field today was not always a farm field. There could have been a house, school, or any number of things on it years ago.

I started out metal detecting my yard until I learned my metal detector and how to dig plugs (well that’s a joke, my yard is so dry and hard, that there is no way to cut a plug) and filling in the holes so there was the least bit of evidence.

For me, it’s not about finding money or something worth money. It’s about the fun of the hunt and what you stumble across. If I find enough to cover battery cost, I’m happy. No way it will ever cover the cost of gas and food for a day in the field hunting.

Best finds from my yard were two old shotgun headstamps. Living on a old cow pasture that was never lived on is not the best place to metal detect.

 

[GTR]

So what about other members, where was the first place you started to hunt treasure and were you successful?

 

[Stormrider51]

Welcome to the sport. Or maybe the addiction. The first thing I'd suggest is that you take a few minutes to decide where your detecting interests are greatest. Will you spend most of your time searching for coins in parks? Will you be searching old homesites for whatever is there? How about looking for Civil War relics or those from other battles? Or maybe going to the beach to retrieve whatever is in the salt sand? You could even want to put on scuba gear and dive for treasure. How about recovering gold nuggets in streams? As I'm sure you can see, no one detector will perform all these tasks equally well. In some scenarios you are wanting to find ANY piece of metal. In others you want to eliminate as much metallic trash as possible. That's just the way it is. So consider what you will do most and purchase a detector that fills that role well. The cheapest available model will almost certainly not be it.

Where to hunt? Anywhere people have been with their minds on something else. My biggest bonanza was searching the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin. State workers would come to the area to eat their lunch in the shade of the trees and then lay back in the grass. Coins and other contents of their pockets would fall out and be waiting for me to find. That was in the 1970's and I wouldn't dare try to do it today. My detector and I would probably result in the SWAT Team being called out. But you get the idea. Is there a field where revivals were held? A some coins never made it into the collection plate. What about a carnival? Not all the money left with the carnies. Put your mind to it and research your area. Old plats and maps can give you info on what used to be. Talk to old timers every chance you get. They will usually love the attention and, for instance, spill info about that certain spot on the river where they all went swimming back in their youth.

Getting permission? Post a local notice in the paper or Craigslist offering to recover lost items. That can buy you invitations to other locations. See a promising spot? Find out who owns it and ask politely. Offer to share any finds with the owners of the land. NEVER leave open holes or other damage to the landscape. I've offered to mow a lot in exchange for permission to search it. If the owner declines have a business card to hand them and close the conversation with "You never know what's under the ground. Please call me if you change your mind." This plants an idea that may lead to an invitation to search property previously denied.

Wife or significant other who doesn't like your new hobby? Not sure I can help you with that one. I will suggest that the first time you find a ring or other piece of jewelry try giving it to her. Clean it up first. Even your first silver coin. It's worth the investment in terms of domestic tranquility. Who knows? Maybe she will even want her own detector. Then you will know you have found a life partner! Just be prepared to eat crow when she makes more and better finds than you do.

Storm

 

[AC1955]

Husband and I detect together. He swings the detector and I dig the targets. We usually go to the beach (ocean preferred although have gone to lakes), old cellar holes, soccer fields and parks. Our favorite place, I guess, is the huge public beach in Hampton, NH. We go there quite often and have found coins (recent), jewelry (junky) and lots of pull-tabs, bottle caps and cans. We did find a 14k wedding band that we returned to the owner (he had asked us to help him look for it).

If detecting on private property, get permission from land owner to hunt their land. Don't mention "holes" (as in, "I promise to fill all my holes") when you ask - folks get hinky about holes dug on their property. Make sure you do fill in every hole you dig. Don't know where you live, but with the prolonged heat and lack of rain, it is very difficult to dig now. Best wait for rain to dig.

This is a great hobby. Will get you outside, moving (exercising), and if you go with your girlfriend/wife, you will be spending time with her, which is a plus.

Feel free to post questions you have - forum members are a great help. We also love to see what others find, so post your finds.Get out there and happy hunting!

 

[63bkpkr]

Check out the header area of the Tnet page. You will find a search block there, enter a search phrase and it will bring up those posts. Click on Forum then scroll down, you will find a section called Brands (we are not talking about branding cattle) but metal detector types and read some of the info here. Go online and search for the brands and read up on some of them. Whites, Tessoro's, Fishers and a few other brands are all very highly rated and you can read about them at other Newbie posts asking for info. All these questions have been asked and answered before so take some time and check out the forum as there is a HUGE amount of information here.

Where to go - the older sections of any town where it is legal and you have permission and LEARN how to dig a plug and use a drop cloth so when you leave it will look like you've never been there and the grass will not die (put the loose dirt on the small drop cloth). This will mean you will be welcome back. Also, when you get permission to be on someone's property treat it nicely, ask if you can do anything for them, a half hours work anything simple so you leave a good impression. Metal Detecting is starting to get a bad name as some folks dig holes and leave them, fill in your holes. Be polite, nurture the hobby or loose it, that is the choice!

How to find them - check out the library and of course where are the tallest and largest trees in your town as they are old and trees draw people of all ages to their shade and for climbing and are usually the older part of town.

Begin to think of places where people go to all the time and search those out.

Welcome to the addicton known as metal detecting, a great way to relax from the cares of the world and a great way to meet others. OH, find out if there is a club in your area and go there, ask, look, learn, enjoy.........63bkpkr

 

[Terry Soloman]

Looks like a nice model for a little more than $200. The display looks great and tells you depth, coin type, and metal type. Are all displays this informative?

So how do you know where to start looking for treasure? Maybe backyard, beach, abandon buildings, ..... So where was the first place you started looking for treasure and did you find anything?

Thanks for your post.

Welcome from White Plains, New York! I can't really help you with the "virgin" thing (and I hope you get that fixed soon!), but here are a few places to start detecting with your new Tesoro Compadre Tesoro Metal Detectors - Official company web site with metal detector models for treasure hunting land or water. Good Luck!

1) Old Schools
2) City/Town Parks
3) Circus/Fair Sites
4) Old Churches
5) Old Homestead Sites
6) Swimming Holes and Areas
7) Picnic Groves
8) Athletic Fields
9) Scout Camps
10) Rodeo Arenas
11) Campgrounds
12) Ghost Towns
13) Beaches
14) Old Taverns
15) Roadside Rest Stops
16) Sidewalk Grassy Strips
17) Amusement Parks
18) Rural Mailboxes
19) Reunion Areas
20) Revival sites
21) Fort Sites
22) Winter Sledding Areas
23) Lookout/Overlook Sites
24) Church Supper Groves
25) Fishing Spots
26) Fishing Camps
27) Resorts
28) Old Barns and Outbuildings
29) Battle Sites
30) Band Shells
31) Racetracks
32) Rural Boundary Walls
33) Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands
34) Under Seaside Boardwalks
35) Flea Market Areas
36) Ski Slopes
37) Drive Ins
38) Canal Paths
39) Vacant Lots
40) Motels
41) College Campuses
42) Farmer Market Areas
43) Town Squares
44) Urban Yards and Backyards
45) Disaster Sites
46) Areas Around Skating Ponds
47) Hunting Lodges and Camps
48) Mining Camps
49) Railroad Grades, Stations and Junctions
50) Hiking Trails
51) Waterfalls
52) Rural Dance Sites
53) Lover's Lanes
54) Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers
55) Old Gas Stations and General Stores
56) Fence Posts
57) Chicken Houses
58) Bridges and Fords
59) Flower Beds
60) Playgrounds
61) Old Garbage Dumps
62) Cloth Lines
63) Military Camp and Cantonment Sites
64) Wells and Outhouses
65) Abandoned Houses and Structures
66) Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries
67) Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites
68) Old Stone Quarries
69) Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries in the Forest
70) Junctions of Abandoned Roads (crossroads)

 

[GTR]

Thanks for all the replies and information. I currently live in Michigan but will be moving to Las Vegas on August 20th.

 

[Gunrunner61]

GTR,
Your profile does'nt say what part of the country you live in soooo, Local parks(As long as there no rules saying you can't dig there), Your front and back Yard
These are your best places to start, you can learn pinpointing ,How to dig your plugs and how to clean up after yourself. Once you get comfortable there, then you Can start your research,ie;the Library, Any old timers in your area, Old news papers, Play grounds, School play grounds. And If you live in a state like I do North Georgia, If you see the ground torn up Ask for perrmission, And check it out! NO Permission Then DON"T DIG!!!....Good Luck and Have a Ball, Just don't get burn't out! your nor going to get rich,And your not going to find it all your first time out........HH

 

[Jeffro]

Ace 250 is a good beginner detector and not so bad for even experienced guys and gals. Easy-peasy. Inexpensive and gets the job done!

Moving to Vegas- I'd hit the Redrocks area west of town. I found an old Spanish mine out there that about knocked my socks off, and Howard Hughes's ranch is out there too. The town is growing quick, so hit it before it gets developed!

Down south below Boulder dam is Eldorado Canyon- lots of gold mining activity out there. Rattlesnakes galore though, and lots of people have got stuck with no water, so be prepared.....

Lake Mead has some great history as well.

Out Northeast is Nellis AFB. Just east of their back gate is Sunrise mountain. Up north from there is some VERY interesting territory. Start your research now before you move.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Ignore those trying to sell you something that will not suit or you don't need. Best to contact a local club or good dealer where you can try a few out for weight, balance and general handling. Meters sound good but you will find them on the cheapest E-Bay Chinese detectors. Remember even if you pay $1000-$2000 the VDI and tone I.D. remain possibilities, not even probabilities.

Things become a little more complicated if you want to work land and wet beach sites. Either you need two detectors or go for one thats going to be in a higher price range that is designed to cope with the positive effects of wet salt.

You can also take advantage of those with more money than brains who have to have every new detector as it comes out. They will be selling off a higher range detector above your price range that will only have a few hours use and may have the balance of the warranty that can be transferred to you or pay a little more from a dealer who may offer you his own warranty and perhaps a swap to another detector if you don't get what you want first time.

Spending a little more in the first place can save you money in the long run. A ground balance control is a must in some areas. Headphones and digging tools are not quite as important as they can be added as you need them. In the meantime most cheap headphones and a spade/trowl out of the garden shead will get you going.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Hey welcome to the madness, it looks like you get some good info already here so I'll just add a couple things:

First that my girlfriend loves to go out digging with me. She uses my old Whites machine, and is getting the hang of it pretty well. I think I got lucky though.

Second, a good beginners machine is something fairly basic and in your price range. An Ace 250 as others have said is a good start. Go with a name brand machine though, not one of the cheap E-bay machines, you'll be much happier in the long run. Another good investment especially if you're just getting started is a pinpointer, it makes recovery much quicker and easier. Also a good digging tool is a must.

 

[GTR]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I looked at a pin pointer and couldn't believe how expensive they are. I found a Garrett Ace 350 for $298 which I thought was a good deal. The wife doesn't seem too impressed with my new hobby so not sure what to do there.

Thanks again and I hope one day I can join the madness.

 

[Stormrider51]

Metal detecting is the only hobby I've ever had that paid for itself. Yes, there is an upfront cost just as there is with anything. But over time you will make that money back provided you don't fall into the trap of feeling like you must by the newest and most expensive detector that comes out. I'm still using a Garrett Grand Master Hunter that has an analog meter but the old girl still finds treasures of all sorts just as well as she did when new. Paid for itself? Many times over. You might let your wife read this.

Storm

 

[GTR]

Thanks Storm, I'll let her read it. I was also thinking of sending her links to posts on this forum where members got a banner for their find.