Youtubers...

Rad1sh

Full Member
Sep 22, 2019
175
272
Olympia, Washington
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Simplex White Coinmaster ( Burghandy)
Garret Ace 250 Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I watch a TON of youtube videos. I have a job that either I am busy or I am waiting to be busy. Mostly I am waiting. I am starting to think a good portion of youtube detecting videos are fake. I am not saying all, but the just did a quick hunt for an hour and got 3 silvers, and this gold ring.

So give it to me straight, am I a cynical asshat or am I seeing the light? I
 

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Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,410
30,017
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I guess that is a judgement call. I think the majority are legit, but there ARE a lot fake finds on Youtube. Some of these cats make huge money from Google Adsense on their videos (I'm one of them), and I can see how many are tempted to make "fantastical finds" for clicks. I personally know a fella that claimed to have found a huge silver horde on Youtube - It was actually a sock drawer collection he bought at an estate sale. Why do they do it? Money.:skullflag:
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Dont believe everything you see on the internet people will do just about anything for money
 

A2coins

Gold Member
Dec 20, 2015
33,807
42,606
Ann Arbor
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
True but almost anything the more they get out of it the more they will do. Lol
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
I agree but I love treasure hunting and you just have to over look the one you think are fake.i personally like Diggin with Britt. Yee Haw.
 

roygpa

Full Member
Mar 5, 2013
195
118
Pittsburgh, PA USA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Sunray X-1, Minelab Equinox 800, Nokta Makro Simplex+ Garrett AT-Pro, Fisher F5, Fisher F2, 2- Garrett Pro Pinpointer, Bounty Hunter Pioneer 101
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
In November I saw a "staged" live dig and asked people on a facebook group if I should call him out. Didn't post the video address publicly, just privately to a couple of people who were interested. Apparently the youtuber was also a member of the facebook group where I mentioned that I saw a staged dig and he got mad and told the moderator that I was being a bully and had my post removed.

It was obviously stage because I saw the "palmed coin hit the mud clean and then get pushed into the mud.
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,682
40,649
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'd say 90% is junk. Even with some of the better know channels, it's a lot of make believe. Gotta get those clicks. I loved the one where the guy pulled a SHINY buffalo nickle out of the ground!
 

marjam

Sr. Member
Nov 17, 2012
491
440
I always liked looking for things, and I had a metal detector before youtube was invented, but I didnt get into the hobby like I am now until youtube came along and I could watch folks with metal detectors finding things. That's when I became really "ate up with it", as we like to say here. In the early days, there wasnt as much sensationalism in the videos, just some folks out digging holes and retrieving finds. That was enough for me to go out and get a real good detector, learn it, and start finding real good things myself. So I give youtube the credit of getting me deep into the hobby, but I dont believe everything I see on it either. I just consider it entertainment, and if some of the finds are fake digs on there, it has inspired me to go out and dig up things that have truly been in the ground for a long time, and not seeded.
 

smallfoot

Bronze Member
May 29, 2019
1,969
4,140
Flawda
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Bounty Hunter Tracker IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I take em all with a grain of salt but I believe there are some really good ones that don't have to fake it..
 

Tiredman

Bronze Member
Oct 15, 2016
2,311
1,486
Primary Interest:
Other
I watch AGT and various other shows. Not big on detecting anymore.
 

desmobob

Full Member
Apr 10, 2005
191
198
upstate NY -- Lake George region
Detector(s) used
XP Dēus, White's DFX, Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'd guess there are a lot of downright faked videos. There is also a lot of plain old editing. Even on the channels I consider trustworthy, valuable treasures get dug on every outing with only a piece or two of trash in between. It gets you excited about going out hunting and then you realize you often have to dig trash for days in order to find the treasure the videos show on every trip out.
 

Georgivs

Hero Member
May 16, 2018
992
2,285
Athens Georgia
Detector(s) used
Garret AT pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
There are fakes for sure, but then there are real hunters who spend hours editing their recordings so that you only see what you came for (no one wants to watch 45 minutes of pull tabs and 5 minutes of coins). What you find depends on where you look. If you're hunting the same tired sites then chances are you aren't going to come up with big finds like the guys who do hours of research and go door-knocking like its their job. My favorite tuber is aquachigger and I don't think any of his finds are fake.
 

Owassokie

Sr. Member
Jun 28, 2012
497
422
Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have a couple thoughts. First, most guys aren't posting all their video content. They're posting the stuff people will find interesting....ie cool finds. It doesn't represent the time they've invested in the hobby and most don't pretend it does. Second, if you are only going for "clicks", I think you'd have a lot more success with different content. Metal detecting isn't exactly one of the most popular American past times. I honestly feel most people are watching with a bit too much of a critical eye. Is there clickbait? Sure, but I think it's limited. Maybe I'm just gullible....who knows. I feel like the vast majority are just regular guys filming their finds and sharing them with like minded people. Sometimes things don't come out of their ground the way it comes out of my ground.

Also, if you are watching the first few videos that pop up on a search, you're watching the click bait. I don't watch this stuff. I typically limit my searches to a certain period of time or I'll have youtube list it in order beginning with most recent. I never watch in the order Youtube lists originally. Another HUGE clue on the click bait is the TITLE. Are they begging you to watch it? If so, it's probably not worth watching.
 

OBN

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2008
6,527
7,004
Maryland Waters
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
"Excalibur"..
"AQ" Impulse
Primary Interest:
Other
I was among the first to do youtube metal detecting video's in early 2008, camera's were crude and video quality was poor. There were just a handful of us doing them, and all were pure and simple. Now after 12 years it seems to be who can outgun who, and get the most SUB's. I would imagine many are setup, and many are the real deal. I think common sense will tell you in time who is who. It's got so crazy I've narrowed down my favorites to just a few. I still do my video's with close to 500 but rarely do I share. I'm not going to give anyone a chance to figure out where I hunt for all it takes is one to recognize a landmark and your best spot will be pouched. On the other hand if your planting targets.......... then I guess you don't have to worry about giving up the location.
 

TooManyHobbies

Bronze Member
Dec 24, 2007
1,935
2,015
CT
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT,
DetectorPro HH Underwater
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Another HUGE clue on the click bait is the TITTLE. Are they begging you to watch it? If so, it's probably not worth watching.

There, fixed it for you. (HUGE TITTLE? Is usually click bait)
 

desmobob

Full Member
Apr 10, 2005
191
198
upstate NY -- Lake George region
Detector(s) used
XP Dēus, White's DFX, Garrett Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
There are fakes for sure, but then there are real hunters who spend hours editing their recordings so that you only see what you came for (no one wants to watch 45 minutes of pull tabs and 5 minutes of coins). What you find depends on where you look. If you're hunting the same tired sites then chances are you aren't going to come up with big finds like the guys who do hours of research and go door-knocking like its their job. My favorite tuber is aquachigger and I don't think any of his finds are fake.

I agree. When I talked about editing, I didn't mean to suggest that video makers did it in a dishonest way. As you mentioned, nobody wants to watch 45 minutes of digging pull tabs. But editing to eliminate the junk sure makes the videos seem too good to be true, even though you know what really happens on a dig. I guess there's no way to avoid that other than mentioning on camera how much junk was dug and edited out.

Many of these guys are experts, do extensive research and are rewarded with excellent finds. No one would want to watch videos of me swinging a coil through miles of woods and finding nothing, or digging can slaw and rusty bottle caps. :)
 

Owassokie

Sr. Member
Jun 28, 2012
497
422
Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I agree. When I talked about editing, I didn't mean to suggest that video makers did it in a dishonest way. As you mentioned, nobody wants to watch 45 minutes of digging pull tabs. But editing to eliminate the junk sure makes the videos seem too good to be true, even though you know what really happens on a dig. I guess there's no way to avoid that other than mentioning on camera how much junk was dug and edited out.

And I think what you're talking about above is probably what a lot of people are labeling as "fake" or "staged" when it's really just edited for viewership. You have to think of it from the video posters perspective. Why are they posting. They are probably either creating a video journal, educating, or entertaining. Most of the videos with lots of clicks are made for entertainment. Edited does not equal fake. There are plenty of MDing videos that don't have a ton of editing....you just have to skip over all the others to find them. Problem is, most people don't actually want to watch unedited or lightly edited MDing video because it can be tedious and boring.
 

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