What were you doing in 1986?

[nsdq]

I was out on the farm and in 1st grade and finding arrow heads in Missery

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

In 1986, my area was already well-pounded. We'd had a dealer here since the early 1970s. And 3 dealers in the county by the late 1970s. Guys had been detecting our area since about 1964-ish (is one guy I know of anyhow, there could have been others that early on). But I don't think that even when things were "virgin", that those early hunters (with their BFO's and all-metal TRs) were necessarily scarfing up with insane #'s. They still had to work for a 4 or 5 silver day. Because the machines didn't go that deep. And you were constantly fighting foil, tabs, etc... (no discrimination). I'm sure there were exceptions. Like if you read about the first guys to hunt around snack stand/concession booths at carnival sites, etc... But at least where I was at, those guys in the late 1960s to early 1970s, were only pulling 3 to 5-ish silvers on a multi-hour hunt, at the typical 1920's elementary school type hunt.

However, by the late 1970s, the advent of motion discriminators (6000d, etc...) made the parks & schools come alive. Because a) you were you immediately adding an inch or two. Especially in ground that was moderate to heavy minerals. b) you covered ground quick! and c) you were doing all this while simultaneously being able to knock out tabs and foil. So the silver -rush was on for a few years.

But by the mid 1980s, seems that everyone now had a motion discriminator, and the playing field was levelled again. Doh!

 

[Rodbuster209]

I was 21 years old and just getting out of the Army, my last duty station was Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn, N.Y. Which actually consisted of 2 forts, Ft. Wadsworth on the Staten Island side these forts guarded New York Harbor and dated back to colonial times, I always wished I had a metal detector back than, there were achy digs on colonial sites and they were finding some cool stuff, especially on the Ft. Wadsworth side.Good stuff!

 

[bigfoot1]

I was running my own small placer gold operation full time.I was 24 with no real restrictions or bills.while my partner and I werent really getting enough gold to cover expenses by its weight,we found a great way to sell it for many times its weight.we put prolly .50 cents of flour gold in small 1 dwt vials,filled them with vegie oil.we had them blister packed onto cards exclaiming 24k gold locally mined.we had a rack in almost all the small stores up here.we get $3.00 ea.and bam...we were making a modest living.

ahh...good times

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Was 22 living 1200 miles from home, (Florida), struggling with a baby on way. When time permitted, at the beach laughing at the "old dudes" in socks and flip-flops metal detecting.
How times change.
Peace ✌

 

[Mackaydon]

Back in that day, I took a couple of months and 'walked lines' criss-crossing the entire grounds of what was then called the Palisades-Brentwood Jr. High School in WLA No one ever bothered me (prior to the school day opening--I'd quit at the first sign of a student arriving). The school had opened in 1955. After covering the entire school grounds, I had several hundred coins and other assorted goodies. I submitted pics of my finds and a schedule of my daily finds to a TH magazine and got noted for persistence; and being somewhat crazy. Actually, I realized I was 'ahead of the wave' and hunted as often as I could. 10-15 years earlier, I lived on the Venice beach. Each day of heavy winds, I could walk out in the sand and pick up a dollar of coins. Those were exceptional days--and filled with good memories (and finds). Today, parts of that beach have now been reserved for a bird sanctuary--and the rest is probably heavily searched daily by the locals.
Don.....

 

[JimK]

Let's see, in 1986 I had been married 3 years or so, was in my fifth year as a patrol officer and trying to figure out my Whites 6000 DI pro. Had a ton of fun with that thing. Wish I still had it.

JimK

 

[flatbutton]

1986 I had been married for 2 years, working as a painter in a autobody shop, and detecting with a Whites 4500d from Sears that I had gotten as a Christmas present in '85

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Graduate school for physics.

 

[perdidogringo]

I was in 9th grade, trying to get laid and rocking to Guns & Roses, Motley Crue, and the Scorpions!

 

[Papalittle]

Just got out of a marriage, moved from Minnesota to Black hills, SD. met my current wife, started college studying computer programming and computer electronics and started delivering pizzas. I was 28.

 

[austin]

I was teaching high school and going up pretty dry creeks in the llano uplift area of Texas. Outside of Brady, my old $25 RS detector would find smooth black rocks for me. Some small, some fairly large and all shiny silver when you scratched them with a knife.

 

[mlayers]

got my first detector in 1979 and yes there was virgin spots all over. I can remember getting out and finding silver every day.

 

[Kenkoehn1950]

Back in 1975, a friend loaned me a metal detector because I was curious. I took it to a local park and (this is the honest truth!) the very first thing I found was not can slaw, a pop top, a pull tab, or a clad coin. The very first item I found was a 1944 Walker half. I was sold on the hobby and am now in my 40th year!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Working telecom, living in Columbia, Missouri with ex and daughter, but working in Nebraska City Nebraska.... Drive to work on Sunday afternoon and home on Fri nights...Sucked in the winter, long drive in the snow.....

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[Limitool]

1986... Lived in Southwest MI. Just got out of a long haired rock band called "Fantasy" (drummer). Working at General Motors (10th year). Driving a 406 small block super custom Chevy Vega. Married 1 year to my ex.

 

[ARC]

Partying...
Chasing girls...
working and living on the beach...

Should have been in Keys working the Atocha.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

I was in 9th grade, trying to get laid and rocking to Guns & Roses, Motley Crue, and the Scorpions!

Damn man....I was doing that in the 90s..lol

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Damn man....I was doing that in the 90s..lol

I was doing that in the late 60s LOL.....

 

[Argentium]

1986 might be close to twenty years late to the party - I think the first generation of detectorists were going strong by the
mid sixties . I think those early guys and gals did a good job too without all the bells and whistles - they "hoovered up"
a lot of the silver coins back then . Have you noticed how far off the beaten path you have to go to find silver coins in
and around towns and cities these days ? You pretty much have to spot a sidewalk replacement , or a little patch of
dirt way under some hedgerow of large bushes - or have permission to hunt a private property . I too was interested
in hearing the stories from that time when detectors became widely available to the hobbyist . I posted the same
questions here on this forum perhaps six months ago - but I was asking for stories from the mid-60's to early 70's,
got some great stories too .