For Fun or For Profit?

[Monty]

When I got into metal detecting I had no intention of making a profit, rather to discover what was under the grouind just for fun and to have some interesting artifacts. I had no intention of selling my finds and that fact rermains to this day. I have given some of my finds away to loved ones and friends but wouldn't think of taking payment for them. I might trade a few things here and there if someone needs something I have to make a set, etc. I plan to one day put all my finds in a few display boxes and hang them on the wall of my den as a converstion piece. I was just wondering how many of you actually got into metal detecting with the intent of making a profit or or selling off your finds to pay for equipment , etc? Monty

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[JakePhelps]

Definetly fun, but profit can come along unexpectedly

 

[bmanofnbc]

I started out wanting to find old coins for my collection but quickly found out it's easier to find clad and buy old coins then it is to find them with a detector. So I guess you could say I do it to save my hard earned money from going into my coin collection. Now all the coins I buy are bought with detecting clad. Over $500.00 this year so far. I still like looking for old coins but good sites are few & far between.

 

[jeff of pa]

I do it Because I enjoy Doing it.

BUT , I'm not against Making a Profit.

I sell When I can.

HOWEVER IF you can call it Profit, I don't know, Because ALL my Money goes Back into My HOBBY.

Whether It be Equipment, Research Material, Gas or ?

 

[Gadget]

Entered purely for fun and excitement to augment my other hobbies (which were primarily geocaching and gold panning this year)... I really have no attachment to anything I find and wouldn't hesitate to unload them if someone was interested. I've given two gold rings to my daughter because she liked them.

I guess that makes me a hunter and not a gatherer.

 

[stoney56]

At first, a long time back I went into this hobby figuring to make a fortune. I mean for instance, look at what Mel Fisher did. Untold wealth and riches-but it took him a lifetime to hard work and constantly scraping the barrel each day to achieve his dream. However, a lot of people forget that he lost his son and daugher-in-law in the process.
If you look over history, how many grizzled old prospectors went home to a wife and a hot cooked meal after a day in the field? LOL
Myself. I just like the times that I can get out and if random chance works in my favor, then so much the better. Clad puts the gas in the vehicle, pays the turnpike tolls when necessary, and supplies more research material in the form of mags, books and photo copies of reference materials in the library.

 

[Kentucky Kache]

I greatly enjoy the search. The thought of finding riches, however, is part of that thrill.
Still looking for that pot of gold.

 

[Michigan Badger]

It's all a part of the fun for me, Monty. The hunting, finding, and sometimes selling.

I like to make enough to support my hobby. Somethings I won't ever sell but the things I do make me enough to buy new detectors.

I get just as much kick out of opening that box that contains my new detector as I do finding a gold ring.

Well, that's it--it's all fun.

 

[tallpaul]

i saw guys when i was young finding gold and silver,, and thought hey i want some of that,, not to sell to keep and wonder what the feeling would be like to make your own find that nobody else had touched for all them many years,, and i did it,, now i will sell if the price is right, i have made alot of money over the years detecting in the right places some finds and some areas i can't mention, due to the finds i made,, but hey its out there, i know, i take early retirement next month, so iam takin it easy now, thats how i came to find this site, as ive had more time, i only detect around my job, when iam finnished next month, i go to florida for 4 weeks, when the weather clears up in the new year, i'll be detecting about four days a week which is enough for me, as i have a wife and kids, they allways come first, its a fine line you cant let it take over your life, but you can make great finds if you do your history and read the land, without going out everyday, it is great fun very exciteing, the thrill of the hunt, the signal you know you have to dig, its like puttin your hand into a lucky bag what will you pull out, apart from myself, i know two other guys near to me who have made alot of money off one find, they now own big houses and live very well, they still work and still detect,.its in the law that we should not detect on ancient scedualled land, this is because the archies have it on hold so they can rip it up and take all that is there, this law here in england came about 20 years ago when a old romanic temple site was found and gold coins where everywhere there was a mad gold rush on with amature archies and metal detectorists, they took all that was there and it was all sold on the black market for a fortune, where they went wrong was to sell it to the museum, so the items and the history could be viewed by all,. but just occasionally its hard to turn from temptation and go get that one in a life time find, i was detecting at stone henge years ago i knew i shouldent have been there,, i hit on a great signal, only to be caught rather quick, and i was esscorted off, allways wondered what lay beneath that signal, we win some and lose some, those who hit on great finds well done those who dont still well done your doing a great hobby and its truely fun, all those who detect sooner or later will make a great find you just gotta keep going,, but remember theres also more to life your wife and kids,. ie read lonewolfs topic he tells it straight, in his own experience,. but for all of the ones who want really good finds, then you have to learn what the land is telling you, forget the detector thats easy learning compared to the land, you can learn a good machine in a few weeks it takes years to learn the land, all the pro's know exactly what iam saying here,, they do it, but for those who aint sure this will help, study your land in full get your old maps and new maps and use a trace of the old over the new,, see what ya got, when you go out to the land you have just spied look at the lay, whats there is it hilly, flat, sloped, how does it comform, what else is around the land, some pieces of land once were lakes nolonger there, how would you find this out from 2000 years ago, i have the answers would take to long to put in full, but when i see this type of land i dig test holes for small crustation types, and then work my way to the edge,, once there thats it go all around this is where people were in anglo saxon and celtic and romano times, near the waters edge plenty went on, you can trace where there settlements were further away from the old lake or river, or old springs, its all good stuff, well thats it for now to much said i think lol, take it easy enjoy your hobby HH paul.

 

[Monty]

Let me restate my position a bit......I am first of all an amateur. I will probably never be able to be a real "treasure hunter". When you look at the boards there are really very few real treasue hunters to be found. Most of us get all excited if we find some clad and an occasional silver coin, ring or other item of value. Now , if I were to hit it big I know it would be accidental more than on purpose, and of course I wouldn't hang twenty gold bars up on my wall! I would take advantage of the new found riches and probably spend most of it on my family and close friends. So, be nice to me! I am already rich although not wealthy. I have everything in life that is important to me and anything else is cream. (Although that $75,000.00 Winnebago to go prospecting in would be nice)! Seriously, I have a wonderful family, good friends and my creature comforts are all satisfied. I have achieved the American dream, a three bedroom house, and a two car garage! That's what my Dad's dream was although it is not so clear for my generation. I'm straying off topic so I'll shut up and listen to your comments for now! Monty

 

[grizzly bare]

Monty, I am different than most hunters, I got into MD'ing for...exercise! I looked around one day and found that I weighed about 275 on a 5'9" frame. Diabetic, heart attacks, open heart surgery (twice) implanted cardiac device, five stents, and I was eating honeybuns and drinking cokes. Now I have lost a few pant sizes, instead of sitting around watching TV and eating, I'm out in the field walking or down on my good knee digging.
The few dollars of clad I've found will never pay for my detector, gas, magazines, books, etc. But the pounds I've lost and hopefully will continue to lose will extend my life by a few years which means that I may live to see my daughter graduate from college or see my granddaughter grow up. The finds are only tangential, the "treasure" for me is my improved health...and the more-than-1o,ooo friends I have found on TreasureNet.

grizzly bare

 

[Nana40]

It's definitely fun and then profit...from the experience! Lord knows I haven't and probably never will have any monetary profit from detecting! But it is quite fun and I truly enjoy reading and talking about it with you all! I can say that I have learned quite a bit just from coming here and seeing all that you have found. Never knew a lot of the things that have been found and posted here ever existed! So maybe not profit from money...but profit from learning and sharing.

Nana

 

[ZumbroKid]

I started this cause i always want to years ago. I found some fun, friends, profit and even a little fame.

 

[Born2Dtect]

It is a hooby to me. I get pleasure and exercise from hunting and being outdoors. I have gained frienships . I definitely know a lot more after hunting a while. The knoweledge I have gained on , coins, relics, history, bottles, and many others is great.

Ed Donovan

 

[TXKajun]

I detect for both fun and profit.

I only got into it because it was a cheap initial purchase, an inexpensive hobby (after all, I had the detector, what more could be needed??) that I'd always had a bit of an interest in.? After all, the detector was only $5.? Right?? Cheap enough.?

Well, after that old White's TreasureMaster found a few coins (and it only cost about $60 to find batteries for the poor thing!? But it's an inexpensive hobby, right?) and each one raised my pulse rate considerably it was obvious that, for an adrenaline junkie like me, this was a way to get my "fix" and not have to jump out of a perfectly good airplane with a large bag strapped on my back.

Then I discovered that all this swinging MDs and bending and kneeling and digging was hard work!? So there it was.....a nice physical activity that got me out from in front of the tv and from behind the glass of scotch and water (Johnny Walker Red Label only.? Besides, it's less expensive to detect than buy scotch, right??) and into the lovely weather we have here.

By then, almost 3 weeks had passed and I'd joined a couple of MD forums, done a bunch of research (yeah, sweetie, I'll be off the computer in just a minute!) and found out that my old TreasureMaster was not only outdated technology, but that it was dinosaur technology.? So I started looking around for a decent detector that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.? After all, this IS an inexpensive hobby, right? I ended up with a nice Ace 250 Pro for a bit under $300.? Not too bad.? I can pay that off in less than a year of detecting, right?? I mean, what other hobby can you get into that doesn't keep on costing you....expecially something like golf!? First ya buy the clubs, then balls, then tees, then greens fees, then cart rentals, then more balls and more tees and shoes and better clubs and.........but I digress!

The Ace has gotten me out for 4 hour stretches 3 times now (I've only had it a week and a half).? Sheesh!? This IS a nice physical hobby!? But it's inexpensive, right And I've found almost 1% of the cost of my nice detector!? Oh yeah, what's the price of gas where you are Here it's only $2.29/gal and it only takes about $30 to fill up the Santa Fe.? Course everything I hunt is close to home.? Why I don't fill up the tank more than twice a week or so.? But it's an inexpensive hobby, right Oh yeah, I realized about a week and a half ago that it sure would be nice to have a pinpointer.? And after all, the TinyTec Deluxe was only $43, delivered.? That's cheap, right

Also, it's made our family life so much better. My 9 year old son and I have wonderful conversations now...."Son, get ready, let's go treasure hunting. What? No, it won't be like last time, I promise. What? No, I have headphones now, you don't have to stay silent all the time. Yes, you can actually move around this trip. What? Of course not, we'll go somewhere really cool THIS time. What? Oh, I see. Well, sorry to bother you when you're busy doing something so much more fun. Yeah, it'll take a few more hours for the paint to totally dry. OK, if you really want to stay here and watch it you can." And with my wife "HisweetieJuststoppinginafterworktograb mydetectorCya!" *Slam and I'm out the door!*

And speaking of my wife, boy, I have such a sweet wife.? She bought me a really nice pouch thingie that I can carry my digging gear.....oh yeah, did I tell ya'll I replaced my garden trowel with a really nice Tanto 8" hunting knife?....and my new pinpointer and all my finds (and all of them to come in the forseeable future, based on how things are going now).? But this sure is an inexpensive hobby isn't it.? I mean where else can you have so darn much fun on your knees in the dirt for only.....oh NOOOOOOO!? I just added up all the costs!! ACK!!? But it IS inexpensive, isn't it C'mon folks, tell me it is!? Lie to me if you have to!!? Darn, this seems like an addiction more than a hobby!? OH NO!? Addictions are EXPENSIVE!!!? AAAAARRRGGGGGG!!!!

*sigh*? well, basically, that's why I hunt.? ?

HH, ya'll!!

 

[dave-enc]

for fun here but agree with grizzly also we do it for health, both physical and mental health. As bobbie says she puts her headphones on, turns on her machine and then the only thing she thinks about is the next signal under the coil
hh
dave+bobbie

 

[Sandman]

TXKajun, I enjoyed your post!!!!

The bug bit me many years ago and I still can't get enough of this. Profit is in the eye of the beholder. There is always the thought of, "Did I come out ahead today with 2 pennies, a bottle cap and ten pultabs?" You can't put a price on being out there enjoying it. I enjoy the look I get from strangers that ask me what I found and I tell them of my couple coins and pultabs. They think I'm crazy, but I never show them the gold. It beats chasing a lil white ball on the grass.

HH,
Sandman

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

The hunts, the finds, the history. It's all and obsessive hobby.

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

 

[hollowpointred]

for the sheer enjoyment of the hunt for me! of course,like everyone,i want to find valuble stuff, but i doubt i would sell it.i was a semi pro musician playing the bar scene for the last 20+ years.i quit drinking and wanted to distance myself from that lifestyle, so i quit playing the bars and got into detecting.it fills the void left by not doing music and is a lot more fun!

 

[epi-hunter]

Very timely post, and a great one. Thanks.

Just last night I was VERY upset on another detecting forum because someone there thought I was nuts -- and rudely told me so -- because I don't want to throw my clad when I find it (because "it isn't silver"). This person seemed to think that it's all a grand waste of time if every target isn't valuable silver.

To me, it's all about the thrill of detecting, and what might be found in the next target. There is no limit to what treasures might be awaiting, and that's the perpetual excitement of anticipation that you get with this hobby. And being outdoors, by myself, enjoying myself and appreciating nature -- there's nothing better than that. And developing a completely different level of imagination than I've ever had, when looking at surroundings and hypothesizing how others a hundred years from now might live. I hated history in school, but this is a new level of learning history. And I love it.

And if I'm lucky enough to find a coin with some history behind it, nothing is more exciting than to think that I am the FIRST person to touch this coin for however-many decades. What can ever be better than that? What can be bought or sold on ebay that can surpass something like that?