Detecting myths

Petro88 · Oct 21, 2012

Does anyone know why MD's are looked at like they are some type of weirdo. Everyone I've told about my new hobby make fun of me. I know they won't be laughing when I find my first gold or silver.

Sandman · Oct 21, 2012

I think it is because people think of us doing it for the money. :icon_scratch:

Don't enlighten them and let them keep thinking of you as a weirdo. I sometimes turn my baseball cap sideways and stick my tongue out while detecting to enforce the image. We have enough completion without everyone learning how much fun it is to find anything.

Treasure_Hunter · Oct 21, 2012

Don't worry about it, the laughing stops when you find your first gold ring, and it really gets them with there are diamonds on the gold ring.........

gleaner1 · Oct 21, 2012

Metal detecting seems nerdy and as such will evoke a lot of curiosity, and ridicule, and hecklers. So be it. No amount of silver or gold will change this.

Calvin.Coin · Oct 21, 2012

I always thought people metal detecting looked kind of cool, like they knew something others didn't. Glad I finally got one!

peace,
cc

DirtDiggerDaveinMD · Oct 21, 2012

Many people think you have to be stupid drunk to enjoy yourself. If Budweiser sponsored a metal detecting team then people would think differently.

Jesse James · Oct 21, 2012

Calvin.Coin said:
I always thought people metal detecting looked kind of cool, like they knew something others didn't. Glad I finally got one!

peace,
cc

I like that...

Frankn · Oct 21, 2012

You really only have to please one person in life, YOURSELF! Frank

mudslingers8 · Oct 21, 2012

When I 1st started it bothered me, now after all the finds, the returns, I just go out there and have fun!

Mudslingers

adaminnh · Oct 21, 2012

So far my experiences have all been good. Mostly curiosity from others. I went to hampton beach over the summer and a very nervous looking young man came up to me and explained that he 'borrowed' his dads car while he went to work. Wanted to hang on the beach for a while. He lost the keys in the sand. He offered 20 bucks if I found them. Took about 10 minutes and found them. Never saw someone look so relieved. Told him to keep the 20 and and get home safely. Many nearby onlookers cheered. many reminded him that he should not have swiped dads car. If you saw this kid you knew he learned a lesson. I went back to pulling up pull tabs.

lookindown · Oct 21, 2012

Most people think we are looking for coins and they think its funny that someone would go to all that trouble to dig a few pennies. When Im in the water hunting I hear people say, "He is looking for coins." and I look at them and shake my head no. They always say "Then what in the world are you looking for?" When I tell them Im looking for jewelery that people lose, they say "oh, OHH, thats cool.

Petro88 · Oct 21, 2012

Today I was MD on a Chicago beach and I heard a guy tell the girl he was with "they're people like you and me". I thought that was funny

Jason in Enid · Oct 22, 2012

When your friends make fun of you, tell them to let you detect thier yards!

Muddyhandz · Oct 22, 2012

On a few occasions I've overheard someone say to another....."He's poor and needs to find money so he can eat."
I jump at the chance to respond (with a sarcastic, borderline mentally challenged voice)
"Yeah, I paid $600 for this machine, took a day off from work, spent 20 bucks in gas, just to find 37 cents because I'm soooooo poor!" ::)

The embarrassed look on their faces is PRICELESS!
Walk to the beat of your own drum.
Cheers,
Dave.

HUNTER12 · Oct 22, 2012

I started MDing in the 80's. Lot's of bad jokes then, But less people seemed to be interested in what you were doing. Now because of the electronic age were in , I get noticed more . Older people seem interested to the point they alway's wanted to try it. Younger crowd seem's to be the worst. I had a teenager come up to me one day and say's he seeded the ground with about a dollors worth of pennys. Him and his buddys thougt it was cute to see me picking up the pennys and why i did a stupid hobby like metal detecting. I told them i was a dollor richer and they were a dollor poorer. Just ignor the clowns and keep digging.

Treasure_Hunter · Oct 22, 2012

Have found 8 diamond rings and 4 diamond earrings so far and 50 gold and silver rings, couple hundred in silver coins and over $850 in clad coins, 5 watches including nice Fossil waterproof watch and lots of other items as well.

The joke is on the ones laughing or making snide remarks...

Calvin.Coin · Oct 22, 2012

HUNTER12 said:
. I had a teenager come up to me one day and say he seeded the ground with about a dollars worth of pennies. Him and his buddies thought it was cute to see me picking up the pennies and why I did a stupid hobby like metal detecting. I told them I was a dollar richer and they were a dollar poorer.

Seems like they were less intelligent by dropping coins than you were by picking them up! They can seed the ground around me anytime...LoL

cheers,
cc

Ace350 · Oct 22, 2012

Hey, at one time black socks and sandals was considered nerdy.
Now I see a lot of the younger crowd sporting that style.
I guess sometime between then and now it became cool.

I was also a bit reluctant to mention to others or go out in public detecting when I first started.
Now I don't really care what others think. It is a hobby that makes me happy so that is what I do.
I tell my friends, "It's like fishing, except when I get the big one it is worth $100's of dollars instead of a few bucks."
That usually leaves them thinking. :laughing7:

Treasure_Hunter · Oct 22, 2012

Ace350 said:
Hey, at one time black socks and sandals was considered nerdy.
Now I see a lot of the younger crowd sporting that style.
I guess sometime between then and now it became cool.

I was also a bit reluctant to mention to others or go out in public detecting when I first started.
Now I don't really care what others think. It is a hobby that makes me happy so that is what I do.
I tell my friends, "It's like fishing, except when I get the big one it is worth $100's of dollars instead of a few bucks."
That usually leaves them thinking.

Still not cool, but miles above pants falling off their butt.

Jeremy S · Oct 22, 2012

People who make fun or heckle are simply jealous as they probably don't have any hobbies other than butt scratching and TV watching. They feel the need to put people like ourselves down as we are experiencing a type of fun and satisfaction in life that they will ever feel.

I have several hobbies other than MDing; such as antique radio restoration, collecting old books and other antiquities, and geocaching to name a few. I've noticed over the years that people with hobbies tend to lead much happier lives and live longer. In fact some of the oldest living people who I have ever met, including my 92 year old friend, are all very active in various hobbies that we share.

I personally never get bored. I can wake up on a Saturday morning, MD all morning, and work in my shop all afternoon. If I have a stressful day at work, I usually go home, grab the detector, and hit a park. I always come home feeling great :occasion14: