the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

[scrounger d detector collector]

the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

I read about all these posts where people go to extreme lengths to hunt.

mostly referring to distance traveled. they do it at the drop of a hat it seems

traveling expenses be hanged.

I have gotten incredible satisfaction being a metal hunter over the years.

much of it in intageables. like fresh air,excercise, and the beauty of outdoors.

i have to admit though,im just enuf of a scrooge to still want a small profit out of detecting.

am i unusual in this?

i came back to the detecting hobby about 2 yrs ago. avid detectorist from 60s to mid 80s. after which busy finding a wife and WORKING.

very occasional metal hunt or golf was what i had time for.

now i go a lot more often

but because i live in the sticks, anywhere to go detecting is minimum 20 mi roundtrip which at todays RAPE gas prices is at least 1.50 even in my subcompact. after arriving at smalltown. which has very limited detecting. at this point i have pretty much cleaned the little park and schoolyard to the point where its pretty rare to even get a quarter.

said town is also rural enuf not to have parkways.

next bigger town is 30 miles away. i need to go there anyway about 2x a week. and try to find time to hunt every time i go there. at around 4 bux gas, it dont seem reasonable to drive there just to hunt.

im having a hard time adjusting my detecting mentality to today.

as a kid i was finding real money. because of inflation .todays coin take is so small compared to even 1984 when i basically slowed WAY DOWN on hunting.

now im retired. i really dont need those extra few dollars.

detecting is a hobby. i would pay to golf. spent few hunderd ez per yr on it.

but somehow it just FEELS WRONG to pay to detect. at this point i justfy it by saying im saving the money i would have spent on golf.

i use rechargeable batteries.so battery cost is minimal. i keep praying i will find a gold ring or something of real value. to up my average take. but it hasnt happened YET.

can anyone identify with these feelings.?

i want to view as CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT. when previously it was A WAY TO GET MONEY.

 

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[Johnnysan]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

This is not a reply to your post, but just a little advice: get rid of that annoying avatar. Those flashing lights make your posts a chore to read. If you are trying to piss off people, you have achieved your goal.

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

This is not a reply to your post, but just a little advice: get rid of that annoying avatar. Those flashing lights make your posts a chore to read. If you are trying to piss off people, you have achieved your goal.

I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU AND ANY OTHERS WHO DONT LIKE IT.

HIT THE BACK BUTTON.

WOW, OR IS THAT TOO HARD A CONCEPT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND

 

[Sandman]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Hey, the flashing lights are better than those little bugs moving around the screen that I keep trying to brush off.

It is hard to justify metal detecting when you think of making a profit or breaking even and this comes about because we are finding money, like it is a job. Natch everyone likes to find something. I used to get a kick out of hunting where the boy scouts camped and around rural mail boxes as years ago you could buy your stamps right from the postman. I would look for shotgun shells, rifle brass or what ever just so long as I wasn't doing chores it was fun. Hunted neighbor yards or anywhere there was dirt. I just think you should go back to the simpler stuff for the fun of it. You golf to see if you can not make too many mistakes chasing a lil white ball around a huge lawn and the only profit is the fun you thought you got out of it. Course there is always the company and beer at the end of the round.

Take Care,
Sandman

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

You have to hunt purely for the enjoyment. You can always work your hunts into necessary trips, that way it would not be an extra expense. As you stated, you do your hunting when you have to go into town on an errend. That works. You can also hunt some of your neighbors homes, that would keep you driving down to a minimum.

I like to get out. Yes, I sometime do the 20 mile round trip hunts and sometimes the 30 mile round trip hunts. Not all are very productive but at least I got out and enjoyed myself for a few hours. Fresh air, exercise are all part of the hobby.

Personally, most of my finds are just clad. I do not make some of the great finds posted in the forums. I have my moments, but they are rare. Still waiting for that huge diamond ring with the real diamond to show up? Me too. Silver is rare in my neck of the woods so I just accept being the clad finder.

Peace of mind and enjoyment has no price tag.


Happy Hunting

 

[artzstuff1]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

This is not a reply to your post, but just a little advice: get rid of that annoying avatar. Those flashing lights make your posts a chore to read. If you are trying to piss off people, you have achieved your goal.

Does not piss me off at all,, if ya dont like it go join another forum some where!!!!!!,,,,,, THERE IS A ROOKIE FORUM SOMEWHERE !!!!!

 

[gmanlight]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Cheap entertainment not sure what that means. When I was a kid would throw a tennis ball on the roof and catch it. With a pair of sneakers you can run all day that's cheap.
If I lived on a Lake I could buy a cheap canoe and go fishing but I'd probably end up with a motorboat and fishing gear for all my friends.
If I lived on a golf course , golf clubs, shoes and greens fees.
I don't have a breakeven point and don't care. Went to the beach this morning with detecting bud on the East Coast big waves from the storm and not much sand moved. On the ride home with the less than four dollars found between us we both agreed it was a great morning.
I'm not much of a clad hunter I try looking for older stuff. Finding an old worn-out Indian head as long as I can get a date from it is good enough for me.
How long was it here, who held at last or how did he get here puts a smile on my face every time.

 

[gmanlight]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Reading your detector list i.e. the E Tac your post is kind of like buying
a Corvette and asking how many miles does it get to a gallon.

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

This is not a reply to your post, but just a little advice: get rid of that annoying avatar. Those flashing lights make your posts a chore to read. If you are trying to piss off people, you have achieved your goal.

Does not piss me off at all,, if ya dont like it go join another forum some where!!!!!!,,,,,, THERE IS A ROOKIE FORUM SOMEWHERE !!!!!

Im not trying to attack JS it was late and i was kinda ticked by his response. and if he has a problem with something. i thought it might be MORE APPROPRIATE TO PM ME INSTEADA HACKING ME IN PUBLIC.

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

You have to hunt purely for the enjoyment. You can always work your hunts into necessary trips, that way it would not be an extra expense. As you stated, you do your hunting when you have to go into town on an errend. That works. You can also hunt some of your neighbors homes, that would keep you driving down to a minimum.

I like to get out. Yes, I sometime do the 20 mile round trip hunts and sometimes the 30 mile round trip hunts. Not all are very productive but at least I got out and enjoyed myself for a few hours. Fresh air, exercise are all part of the hobby.

Personally, most of my finds are just clad. I do not make some of the great finds posted in the forums. I have my moments, but they are rare. Still waiting for that huge diamond ring with the real diamond to show up? Me too. Silver is rare in my neck of the woods so I just accept being the clad finder.

Peace of mind and enjoyment has no price tag.


Happy Hunting

THANX RAY, this is a great response.
i do hunt for the enjoyment. and i recently joined a club to try an add the social aspect to things. its just that im realizing now how much i love to detct. and i moved out here to the country before i knew that. previously was in an urban area w hundreds of places to detect. quite a few were within walking distance. and i had a big heavily used ,IF NOT OLD, park diagonal acrooss the street from me.where i could battery check in my own yard and walk across the street and be detecting in about 30 sec. course my taxes here are several hunderd insteada several thousand.

i guess its just like on the front of the kellyco catalog. METAL DETECTING FINDS MONEY.

AND THEY SHOW ALL THESE FAB FINDS. so much of me wants to believe.
but it is good advertising and not impossible.

so for now im IN. and i will keep the faith try to hone my skills.

AND DIG EVERY SCRAP OF METAL FROM THAT SMALLER TOWN to where i cant get any signals sfter searching in all metal for half hour.

im pretty sure i will move again someday. but it iznt gonna be anytime soon

u can bet when i do i will weigh the local MDing opportunities about where to go.

somewhere w conveinent access to large beaches !

pls forgive the run on in the first part of this post. i use a program that auto seperates sentences. and pressed wrong button and no time to fix now.

 

[jb7487]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

I think that many people here are missing the deeper point. Sure, you are in it for the fun of it. But hunting the same old local park that you know you've personnally cleaned out years ago simply isn't fun anymore. And if you have to drive 30 miles to the next park then that isn't going to be much fun either. In your situation, the fact that you even still WANT to try and hunt speaks volumes about your commitment to the hobby. So kudos on your dedication.

As for a solution to your problem I really don't have much to say. You know that the solution is either to move, deal with it, or give up your hobby. It sounds like dealing with it as best you can is the best option. Maybe you should try concentrating on finding better locations but going less often. Go for quality over quantity. Joining local clubs is a good move and is likely to open up more opportunities. Also, spend more time trying to find local private homes to hunt if you can. I know that is easier said than done but you don't have too much of a choice in the matter as far as I can see.

AND THEY SHOW ALL THESE FAB FINDS. so much of me wants to believe.

That has been making me pretty depressed as well. We don't have much history here in Ohio and the public parks have pretty much been hunted out (yes, a park CAN be pretty much hunted out). I see all of these wonderful finds people are posting here and known damn well that a lot of these people are not asking for permission and hunting areas that they shouldn't be hunting in. Not all are but many are. There is no denying it. So I'm stuck either hitting the same old parks looking for clad or spending my time trying to find private areas that I can gain access to. Yes, it's a bad case of sour grapes I suppose. I can't deny it. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it either. Some people are lucky to live in areas rich in history and others make their own luck by breaking the unwritten "rules" of the hobby.

Anyway, I've said a whole lot of nothing but just wanted you to know that there are many of us that are in the same boat. Good luck!

 

[Cappy Z.]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

We don't have much history here in Ohio (jb7487 )

??
Okay. Here goes. Do some research. There is history everywhere in Ohio. Every county has a history. Every city has a history. When I was a kid I used to hunt ie bring a loaded gun on peoples property...all you have to do is ask. Get over the feeling of rejection and move on to the next house.

Folks..PRIVATE property is in abundance...F--the govts. Private property can be easily accessed with the right approach. There is far more treasure on private property where people continually congregate than all the 'public' property sitting empty and guarded by govt blood suckers.

So, use the intelligence God surely gave you do some research..and ask any and everyone about hunting on their property. People are generally quite reasonable.

HH

 

[artzstuff1]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

I do it for the shear enjoyment of the hobby!!!,,, I will sometimes drive for a hunt or two ,, but I have been at this hobby since 1973,,it's not for the money for shure,, its just the thrill of finding something cool ,, dont really care if its a coin or not ,,, just having fun and getting a little exercise to boot,, oh ya and meeting great people on here!!!! I dont know what I would do if I could not log on to treasure net!!! It really makes the hobby more interesting for sure. Dont ya agree!!! P.S.: I LOVE AVATARS THAT FLASH, REMINDS ME OF THOSE HORRID DISCO DAYS!!!!

arthur

 

[artzstuff1]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

We don't have much history here in Ohio (jb7487 )

??
Okay. Here goes. Do some research. There is history everywhere in Ohio. Every county has a history. Every city has a history. When I was a kid I used to hunt ie bring a loaded gun on peoples property...all you have to do is ask. Get over the feeling of rejection and move on to the next house.

Folks..PRIVATE property is in abundance...F--the govts. Private property can be easily accessed with the right approach. There is far more treasure on private property where people continually congregate than all the 'public' property sitting empty and guarded by govt blood suckers.

So, use the intelligence God surely gave you do some research..and ask any and everyone about hunting on their property. People are generally quite reasonable.

HH

Very well spoken sir!!! you know what its all about!!!! HATS OFF TO YA!!!

 

[Goes4ever]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

We don't have much history here in Ohio (jb7487 )

??
Okay. Here goes. Do some research. There is history everywhere in Ohio. Every county has a history. Every city has a history. When I was a kid I used to hunt ie bring a loaded gun on peoples property...all you have to do is ask. Get over the feeling of rejection and move on to the next house.

Folks..PRIVATE property is in abundance...F--the govts. Private property can be easily accessed with the right approach. There is far more treasure on private property where people continually congregate than all the 'public' property sitting empty and guarded by govt blood suckers.

So, use the intelligence God surely gave you do some research..and ask any and everyone about hunting on their property. People are generally quite reasonable.

HH

exactly, I am not sure why people have trouble asking permission, I ask people constantly, all they can say is no, big deal! just ask their neighbor....lol

I am in Ohio, and I think their is a ton of history here, But I also agree with Cappy, to get the good stuff, you need to get into private yards. I average about 7 out of 10 "yeses" for permission when I knock doors or make calls. Most people rarely say no when I ask in person, most "no's" I get are when i call people. I normally only call when I can't catch people at home.

I drive around look for old home, write down addresses go home look up the owner on the courthouse website, plus the age of the home etc.....and either drive over and talk to them or call them

most people are very responsive and most have no problem with letting me detect. Another thing I do is run ads on craigs list for homes to detect, I have gotten quite a few people email me and invite me to hunt their yards. It is pretty easy if you just put a little time into it. I would almost quit detecting if I had to hunt parks all the time!

 

[Cappy Z.]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Great post Goes4ever!

The reason people find treasure is because that is where people always congregated etc. There is a Tner here posting about finds I believe in old Australian gold fields since abandoned. The guy is CLEANING up! Fantastic little historical treasures..he's posting them here on TN.

btw Goes4ever, Check out Milan Ohio, a little stream that goes behind the Edison Museum. As a kid I walked along that creek and old bottles were jumping out of the embankment.... Also there was a huge flood in the mid 1800's and tons of treasure were buried there.

HH

 

[Goes4ever]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Milan is over 2 1/2 hours from me, if closer I'd check it out!

 

[jb7487]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Okay. Here goes. Do some research. There is history everywhere in Ohio. Every county has a history. Every city has a history.

Sorry, we don't have any GOOD history in Ohio. As in, history that is likely to bring treasure finds. Does that make you feel any better? It goes without saying that every place has a history. But not necessarily one worth detecting for serious treasure. If you like digging up old thimbles and axe heads then you will disagree with me. But I'm not looking for thimbles and axe heads. I certainly won't throw them back if I find them. But that is not my main goal. Those of you who are true history buffs are lucky and can hunt anywhere in the world. Some of us just aren't that into every aspect of history so we have to be more choosy. Mind you, I'm not on the opposite end of the spectrum. The world is not black and white. So I can appreciate history as much as the next guy. But not enough to spend hours on end searching for the "Lost Thimble of Millersport".

As for hunting private land, yes, all you have to do is ask. But asking takes time and perserverence. You have to be a "salesman". Frankly, I've got better things to do with my time than walk around knocking on doors. I'm not saying that it isn't worthwhile. In fact, it may be the only way the OP can find some decent places to detect. And I'll gladly admit that private residences are going to be the places that have some of the best items. But it is an order of magnitude more time consuming to get permission so there is a tradeoff. I can hardly take 2 hours out of my busy life to detect my local park. So I don't have time to spend many more hours knocking on doors or working personnal relationships in the hope of getting someone to let me onto their land. Now when I'm retired and have plenty of time to invest in my hobby then my stance will certainly change. But people who want to tell you that asking permission is easy are probably not being forthcoming. Yes, you can get lucky and get permission by simply knocking on one door and saying "hi". But that is not the norm. There are ALWAYS tradeoffs in this world. Finding private lands takes more time but may net better results. You can hunt your local park much easier but the pickin's may be slim at times. You choose which you prefer on any given day.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

Okay. Here goes. Do some research. There is history everywhere in Ohio. Every county has a history. Every city has a history.

Sorry, we don't have any GOOD history in Ohio. As in, history that is likely to bring treasure finds. Does that make you feel any better? It goes without saying that every place has a history. But not necessarily one worth detecting for serious treasure. If you like digging up old thimbles and axe heads then you will disagree with me. But I'm not looking for thimbles and axe heads. I certainly won't throw them back if I find them. But that is not my main goal. Those of you who are true history buffs are lucky and can hunt anywhere in the world. Some of us just aren't that into every aspect of history so we have to be more choosy. Mind you, I'm not on the opposite end of the spectrum. The world is not black and white. So I can appreciate history as much as the next guy. But not enough to spend hours on end searching for the "Lost Thimble of Millersport".

As for hunting private land, yes, all you have to do is ask. But asking takes time and perserverence. You have to be a "salesman". Frankly, I've got better things to do with my time than walk around knocking on doors. I'm not saying that it isn't worthwhile. In fact, it may be the only way the OP can find some decent places to detect. And I'll gladly admit that private residences are going to be the places that have some of the best items. But it is an order of magnitude more time consuming to get permission so there is a tradeoff. I can hardly take 2 hours out of my busy life to detect my local park. So I don't have time to spend many more hours knocking on doors or working personnal relationships in the hope of getting someone to let me onto their land. Now when I'm retired and have plenty of time to invest in my hobby then my stance will certainly change. But people who want to tell you that asking permission is easy are probably not being forthcoming. Yes, you can get lucky and get permission by simply knocking on one door and saying "hi". But that is not the norm. There are ALWAYS tradeoffs in this world. Finding private lands takes more time but may net better results. You can hunt your local park much easier but the pickin's may be slim at times. You choose which you prefer on any given day.

Sorry, but I disagree with almost everything you have said! What kind of treasure are you after? I dig a lot of thimbles, but I find some Very valuable items too. If you don't realize that a Valuable find can be found just about anywhere, then you haven't been at this hobby long enough. It's all about the types of sites you hunt. And yes, private property is the way to go.

It takes no time to get permission, if you have done your research and have many sites lined up in an area. If you get told "no" at one, or the owner isn't home, you drive on to the next, and within the hour, you're digging a great site.

I WILL tell you that getting permission is easy, and yes I am being honest about that. My success rate for permission for hunting plowed fields is close to 9 out of 10. In the woods, 1 out of 3. (Folks are more cautious about letting you into the woods in the areas I hunt--and part of it is due to hunting season, old wells, and the fact that owners can't easily see you or check on you.) Nevertheless, when the fields are cut, MOST of the time I can knock on One door and get a "yes." I've had strings of 22 "yes's" without a single "no" before. It's all in how you ask.

Keep your eyes peeled. I have an article pending for a future Western & Eastern Treasures issue on gaining permission. It's not your average permission article, and it is loaded with things that I'll bet most detectorists out there have never even thought about.





Scrounger,

When we buy a book to read, or a magazine, or some movie tickets--we don't worry about "getting our investment back." Let those ideas go. If you're worried about what you're finding versus the cost of getting there to find it, then IMO you're missing the point. If you want to make each outing the Most profitable or rewarding experience that it can be, then do your research. You're probably driving past thousands of dollars worth of old coins and valuable relics in your rush to get to the park and dig $2 in clad.

I spend hours of research preparing for each couple of hunts, and it pays off. Otherwise I'd be doing a lot of hunting--and not much finding!


Best Wishes,



Buck

 

[Bradley137]

Re: the BREAK EVEN POINT and mental aspects of metal detecting

If you have to justify the expense then maybe it's not really a hobby. Hobbies should help you relax and forget about all the hustles and bustles of life (namely financial obigations) Ask yourself what exactly do you enjoy about your hobby. Is it the birds singing, the sound the wind makes blowing threw the trees, the smell of the fresh dug earth, the gentle warming of the sun on those cooler days, or just the views of things much older than we. If it is, all these things are free and can be enjoyed sitting on the front porch and maybe you are paying too much to enjoy it.


Not that they mean anything but just MY thoughts.