Why Do You Detect?

[Michigan Badger]

Have you ever sought to figure out exactly why you love metal detecting so much?

Most of us will probably end up putting more into this hobby than we'll ever get out of it. So, I don't think we're into this for pure financial gain.

Why is it when detecting we can get so excited about digging a Memorial cent but not even bother to pick one up if seen on the surface while not detecting?

I love digging stuff...but why?

Why do you think we do what we do? What is the root reason?

 

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[Sandman]

Yeah, we just do it for fun. It is very difficult to make a living at this and I don't think working that hard is living.

I used to tell people that I just enjoy finding stuff. Returning an item to the person that lost it is a feeling beond words. The most asked question I get is, "What's the most valuable thing you've found?" and of course, "How deep will that detect?"

Profit isn't in the picture. If you count the hours plus the cost of gas and equipement it comes nowhere near the value of the finds. You might have a drawer full of gold rings, but at what cost, and the retail value is inflated. I have know guys that wouldn't buy a Wester & Eastern Treasures magazine cause they thought it was taking away from their profit.

HH,
Sandman

 

[Nana40]

inquisitive!

That has to be it! Just want to know..what..why..how...and when. We must be a very curious lot!

 

[stoney56]

I'd say it's healthful, educational, and just downright fun. You can make it a family affair or you can go alone. There aren't any boundaries as far as age, sex, or social standings. We're all equal and who knows-we might just get lucky and find something quite valuable.

 

[Gabbit]

I have thought about that a number of times ? exactly why do I get so much enjoyment out of pulling stuff out of the ground. I think there a number of things that play into it. Of course there is always the chance of finding a treasure actually worth something. That isn?t what gets me to pick up the detector time and time again. I think there are a number of emotions that play into a person who loves to metal detect. Curiosity is certainly one of the main reasons. Finding things that I can?t identify w/out the help of the internet is to me very fulfilling. It is picking up a part of history that has been long forgotten, lost or discarded. Every time I dig something out of the ground I get some sort of emotion from it. If I find a nail it is more along the disappointment side and if I find a coin or a relic of some sort it is excitement. It is very much like buying a lottery scratch ticket ? anticipation and then disappointment or excitement. I enjoy being outside. As a kid I was always outside. During the summers my hair would turn to bleach blond because I was outdoors so much. I then proceeded to college and then the world of the cubicle and my days outside got to be less and less. I would come home and plop down on the couch or jump on the computer. I began to resent the television and boredom set in while on the computer. I remember as a kid always turning over rocks to see what was underneath. When I walked anywhere I would be looking at the ground to see what I could find. I lost that part about me somewhere along the way in growing up and having to deal with real world issues. In a way metal detecting in a way gives me back some of that innocence. It gives me a chance to just forget about those things in life that bring us down. Work / relationships / the honey-do list / bills etc. etc..

 

[hollowpointred]

for me its kind of like reaching into the past in a way. when i found that half reale this weekend i had to stop and look around and wonder what that site must have looked like 200 years ago when it was lost. then i start to wonder about the person that lost it.i guess it appeals to my love of history. never knowing whats going to pop up next is cool too. kinda like fishing (which i love also) in a way.

 

[JakePhelps]

well originally it was that the technology of being able to find metal underground and retreive it was intriguing, now i do it for the old relics and coins and stuff

 

[dano91]

MDing is a small part of my treasure hunting work. I have developed a style of MDing for profit, but no it doesnt all ways payoff.
I'm just one of those people who are allways in the right place at the right time so to speak. So why not take advantage of it?
You will see me out looking for lost and found articles, hunting 100 year old treasure stories, MDing parks, Dumpster diving, hunting old houses, I could go on and on....Treasure is where you find it, whether you find it on Ebay, at a garage sale, or buried for hundreds of years. Just expand your mind and find!!!!!!!

I found this bottle at an old ghost town, then found a guy who reproduced theses adds, it's signed and numbered...gonna see what it will bring on ebay!! just one example

 

[SilverTee]

I agree with Gabbit. When I put on them earphones I can step out or the real world.
Especially, that honey do list. Life is good.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Zeb,

like Hollow said, "reaching into the past"

have a good un.................

 

[bazinga]

I do it for many reasons. For one, it's just fun to get out of the house. Two, you never know what you may find. That next sound from your machine holds virtually endless possibilities for what could be bured just beneath the surface. I also do it because I like to compete with others to see who can find the most coins, oldest coins, coolest relics, etc. It's just fun for me and turning it into a sport makes it even more enjoyable.

 

[starprince]

To find that big box of treasure that I always think is in the next foot of ground in front of me. Hey, it just might be!

 

[Gadget]

Well so far, I think I may have saved money doing this.

I'm not one to sit around the house and typically spend a great deal of time, money, and gas keeping myself occupied outdoors. I haven't ventured too far from home yet... 1-4 miles each trip. So considering the alternatives, I think I probably saved more than my equipment costs this summer. And found several hundred dollars worth of loot to boot!

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Remember Christmas when you were a kid? Treasure hunting Is Christmas every day. What could that signal be? Open It and find out.

 

[TXKajun]

I've been an "adrenaline junkie" for most of my life. Not doing dangerous activities, but stuff that gives me a kinda "zing" feeling. Well, when I took my old $5 White's Treasure Master out for the first time a few weeks ago and it beeped, the adrenaline started flowing big time! Was it a penny? Maybe an Indian Head penny? Or perhaps an old dime? Or maybe a 5 carat diamond/gold ring? Or maybe someone had dropped a $20 gold piece from a necklace Ohhhhhhhh, the possibilities!!! The thrill!!!

Now I have a sweet little Ace 250 and it has different tones. Could this tone mean a dime? A quarter? Maybe an old silver dollar Or....??

Yep, hearing the detector go off definitely starts the juices flowing.....and I don't have to jump out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute strapped on my back to get the feeling!! ROFL (Not that I'd do that anyway, I'm not THAT stupid!! LOLOL)

HH ya'll!

 

[Monty]

I originally took up metal detecting on the advice of my doctor. He said I had to get more exercise or wind up in a wheel chair or worse. MDing seemed like the ticket. I asked my wife to get me a metal detector for Christmas and the rest is history. Now I do it because I love to get out and explore and find "things" and the exercise ain't bad either. I think I feel better and other than the time I hurt my knee, I get around a lot better. Monty

 

[Born2Dtect]

I used to bass fish quite a lot, up to 4 to 5 times a week. I got bored and decided to go back and give metal detecting a try again. This time I joined a club it really made a difference. I get out at least once a month and enjoyed the outings. I metal detect for:

The exercise - it gets out.
The bragging rights - when you make a good find.
The tie you get to history on older finds.
The education you get from identifying finds and researching sites.
The peace of mind that comes with concentrating on the hunt and blocking out the worlds problems. Kind of like a ZEN thing.
The friendship from fellow TH,ers - in the field on on line.

Ed Donovan

 

[tallpaul]

i detect because its exciteing when that little special find comes along wether it be a silver or gold, its just great and the felling of being stood right where someone lost or buried it hundreds of years ago, the learning we get from identifiying, and looking at the lay of the land your very much intouch with nature, good for the health, get that fresh air in your lungs and go for the finds. i dont seem to mind alot of digging if iam gettin some decent finds along the way and wondering what could be next its shear excitment. i do some fishing too, and nitro rc racing stadium trucks, paintballin too,, but detecting is my old favorite and allways will be,. i guess we all want that big rich find too that may play a part in the back of our minds we say "one day just one day just that big something", lol could happen to anyone as it does occasionally.

 

[cillosis]

I detect because I feel like I have to. There are two kinds of people in the world, those who are born with a treasure bug, and those who aren't. I fortunately was! Its that feeling you get when you hear about buried treasure, or see a pirate movie (Goonies is my favorite!), or even think about the mystery behind something old, and you get that adrenaline rush, and your mind starts wandering, and you have a hard time sleeping because you know that something is out there waiting to be found...and you have some ideas where it might be. I think most of you know what I am talking about. So when I say I HAVE to...I mean it.

 

[dfxdude]

Like Monty, I took it up for medical reasons when I found out I was type 2 diabetic 4 years ago. The doc said I needed to get more exercise along with diet and medication, but I can't walk, just for the sake of walking. Coincidentally I got a flyer in the mail from a MD dealer in North Richland Hills, Texas with some good deals on MD's. I dove in with both feet and got a DFX. Still learning, but have had a blast for the past 3 1/2 years. My dining room has become my museum. I've averaged about 3,000 coins per year and just hit the 12,000 mark about a month ago. 80+ rings, 40+ tokens, and the other obligatory goodies. There is the thrill of achieving a new landmark, i.e. first coin, first wheatie, first silver, first mercury dime, first buffalo nickel, first Indianhead, first Walking Liberty Half, etc. etc. etc. Foreign coins in unlikely places............. Now I wish I had started this before age 57 like many others have.